Important December Dates for Long Lakers

Four Very Important Opportunities in December for Building our Knowledge to Enable us to Share and Protect our Long Lake Waters…  Plus Zorbaz, Saturday, 12/6 at 6 PM!

1)  Tuesday, Dec 2nd, 6:30 to 8 PM - Educational Water Program on our Local Hydrology at Northwoods Bank Community Room, Park Rapids, MN

• The Park Rapids Lakes Area has earned a reputation based on our extraordinary clean waters.  These waters provide the base for our tourism and agriculture industries. In 2013 we hosted the Governor's Fishing Opener.  In 2014, the MN Department of Natural Resources developed the Straight River Pilot Groundwater Management Area (GWMAs ) planning project with the purpose to learn how to effectively create and establish GWMAs in other places facing groundwater management challenges.  Park Rapids League of Women Voters (LWVPR) will devote several educational programs related to the surface and groundwater of the region this year.
• Darrin Hoverson, MN DNR Area Hydrologist-Ecological and Water Resources, will be the speaker for the first foundational program. This foundation program is Tuesday, December 2, from 6:30 to 8 PM at the Northwoods Bank Community Room (handicap accessible).  Darrin will share the uniqueness of our local hydrology.  This will give us all a better understanding of the permeability of the soils, the availability of the waters and special challenges.  He will also illustrate the replenishment cycle and how we affect the cycle. Building our knowledge can help us better plan to share and protect our waters from the groundwater to the surface waters.  We invite and encourage all to come to this free program. Light refreshments will be served.

2)  Wednesday, Dec 10th, 10 AM to 1 PM,  Open House for Enbridge Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project at the American Legion, Park Rapids, MN

• This Line 3 Pipeline Replacement Project is proposed to go 25 feet from the Sandpiper Pipeline in the Pipeline Corridor proposed through Hubbard County to Superior, WI.  A Sandpiper route alternative RA-15 proposed by MPCA due to Twin Lakes area constraints  comes about ½ mile from west side of Long Lake by 87 & a leak could threaten our groundwater & aquifer.  Comment Period expected to be announced in mid-December yet on Sandpiper Certificate of Need 13-473 & the Hearings scheduled for 1/5-9/15.

3) Thursday, Dec 18, 9 AM to Noon, DNR Straight River Pilot Groundwater Management Area (GWMA) Planning Project Open for the Public – Long Lake is in this area.  To be held at the Park Rapids Library, Lower Level Conference Room (handicap accessible).

4) OPEN NOW for Public Comment until Thursday, 12/11/14 at 4:30 PM – MPCA Watershed Restoration And Protection Strategy document for the Crow Wing Watershed which Long Lake is in. http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/view-document.html?gid=21798
Comments submitted to:  bonnie.finnerty@state.mn.us  Bonnie Finnerty 218-316-3897 for questions.