Background
As part of our 2014-2015 Drawdown agreement, Rice Lake needs to aerate during the winter of 2015-2016 to help sustain the fish population. This was a requirement by both the City of Maple Grove and the Minnesota DNR. The objective of winter aeration is to help provide more oxygen to the water to allow the fish to thrive.
Warning
Once the aerator is turned on this winter, there will be an open ice area which will be marked by 'Thin Ice' signs. Please use extreme caution if you are in this vicinity!
Project Timeline & Activities
September 2015 - Submitted request to the Minnesota DNR to issue a winter aeration permit
October 2015 - Winter aerator equipment delivered to aeration site in preparation for deployment. Aerator is located in the far NW corner of Rice Lake, just west of the 'Stonehenge Island' buoy marker.
November 5 2015 - Winter aerator installed and tested successfully. Next step is to install DNR 'Warning' signs along the most common access points to the lake.
November 20 2015 - Aerator power meter (located at 15573 91st by the city park trail) inspected and activated. Unit has not been turned on yet.
November 21 2015 - DNR Warning signs deployed around Rice Lake at 4 different locations (click here for map).
December 11 2015 - Early ice-out flipped over aerator and disconnected power cable.
December 13 2015 - 3 volunteers in a john boat and pedal boat righted the aerator and replaced missing flags. (Next step is to better secure anchors and reconnect the power cable once the ice is firm enough to walk on)
December 23, 2015 - Submitted Public Notice to Osseo-Maple Grove newspaper for Aerator warning on Rice Lake. Aerator can be started no sooner than January 12, 2016 per DNR requirements.
December 31, 2015 - First of 2 notifications for winter aeration published in Osseo-Maple Grove Press in the Public Notices section. (Click for details)
January 7, 2016 - Second of 2 notifications for winter aeration published in Osseo-Maple Grove Press in the Public Notices section. (Click for details)
January 15, 2016 - Electrician reconnected the power cable to the aerator and started it up. At least 10 Thin Ice signs were posted in an extended perimeter (roughly 100' x 400') for expected open water area. (Note: Some of the ice to the SSW portion of the perimeter is very slushy and ice does not look as solid. Additional signage will be posted once the ice is more firm.)
January 23, 2016 - Remainder of signs have been placed around the entire perimeter of the anticipated open water area. The signs are tied together with twine to help ease recovery in the spring when the ice goes out. Ice thickness in the area was measured at least 6".
January 31, 2016 - Red warning ribbons tied on rope around open water area.
March 12, 2016 - Turned off aerator for the season as the ice begins to go out. If you see any Thin Ice signs floating past your property and you are able to capture them safely, please do so and let us know you have them. Although we tied the signs together, the ice movement may have separated them from each other. We will also plan on getting the aerator removed from the lake once we have boats in the water.
March 28, 2016 - Aerator removed from the lake for the season. Cable and anchors are currently marked with a white buoy, which will be removed later this spring when the necessary boats are back in the water.
Scroll down for photos of signage and aerator
