I read this article and it chaps my 
more then the AIS stuff. How can you blame a farmer for all of the problems when you mow your lawn directly to the shore and more than likely fertilize a couple of times a year. Without a buffer zone there is a good percentage of that fertilizer from your lawn reaching “your” lake.
We all knew this was coming.
I wonder when all lakeshore owners will be required to have 10′ buffer (or so).
We see DNR planes and helicopters about twice a year checking out the lakeshore on my parent’s lake. Year to year photos show what changes have been made. Legal or illegal.
The biggest problem I see is that the fines are embarassing. A mere slap othe wrist. Why not have the beach you want and just figure in the measly $1000 fine as “building cost”.
They need some fines with teeth for law breakers and to actually prosecute offenders.
If we were really worried about phosphorous in our lakes, we would outlaw golf courses and lawn fertilizer. This is getting old.
I thought they did outlaw phosphorus?
But you’re right. 20 feet of natural vegetation between around the shoreline would clean up the lakes better than 100,000 gates or inspectors.
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I read this article and it chaps my
Yeah, it’s frustrating when lakeshore owners gang up on farmers. It especially hits home for me because I have a relative who has a large, successful dairy farm on a lakeshore in central Minnesota. He has taken steps to do things properly and prevent runoff and he’s even won awards/recognition from environmental groups.
However, if this farmer has been breaking laws and allowing as much runoff to go into the lake as the MPCA claims, he needs to change his ways.
Jeepers these dirty buggers just keep on pushing everywhere you look in the metro.
I agree though, if the farmer is not in compliance with laws, etc, then he needs to shore things up.
That said, hearing all the complaining from the richy rich’s is REALLY starting to get old.
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Jeepers these dirty buggers just keep on pushing everywhere you look in the metro.
I agree though, if the farmer is not in compliance with laws, etc, then he needs to shore things up.
That said, hearing all the complaining from the richy rich’s is REALLY starting to get old.
I hear that. Entitlement is getting out of control.
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I thought they did outlaw phosphorus?
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Yes, they did, but there are exemptions such as for new lawns, etc.
Minnesota Phosphorus Lawn Fertilizer Law – A Summary
Minnesota’s Phosphorus Lawn Fertilizer Law, was enacted to reduce over-enrichment of rivers, lakes, and wetlands with the nutrient phosphorus. Excessive phosphorus in surface water leads to an overabundance of algae and other aquatic plants.
The law was enacted over a period of years starting in 2002. Restriction on phosphorus fertilizer use on lawns and turf started in 2004 in the seven county Twin Cities metro area and in Minnesota’s other 80 counties in 2005. As of January 2007, Minnesota is the only state in the nation which regulates phosphorus fertilizer use on lawns and turf.
For lots more reading and complete Law, see this 
reading 
link to MINNESOTA PHOSPHORUS LAW
I wish that the state would take money out of AIS and put it into cleaning up our water from decades of nutrient infusion. Knife lake is the same way and its from the cattle and horses, as well as landowners. Personally I would love to see a buffer zone on lake shore, but it isn’t going to happen. And it still would not completely resolve the issue.
I know how all lake front land/home owners are all lumped in the the richy rich category. You might want not to pass judgement so quickly. My parents are not “rich” as far as money goes. They do pay outragous property taxes, and have to abide by certain laws and rules. Which is why my dad plants watermelon along the shorefront, not fancy flower beds. I do agree that some lakes have sections of shore line owners, therefore they are intitled or at least feel that way.
I agree with many, if the Farmer is doing something wrong/enviromentally stupid, then Yes, he should be fined and change his practices.
However, I’d like to see how many of the home owners and how much of each of their lawns/property is under BMP (Best Management Practices) for lakeshore property?
How much of their waterfront do they POISON each year KILLING OFF ALL VEGETATION?
How much RUNOFF is coming from other Lawn’s/Properties upstream from Lake Independence, where they do not follow BMP for lakeshore/Streamside Property?
Check it out on a Map/Aerial
Bing Map link to Lake Indepedence view
Appears that the watershed drains WSW to the Crow River with water coming in from the WNW and East sides.
Lots of homes on small postage stamp sized lots. Where is ALL of their Waste (Septic Systems) going?
Are they hooked into a City Sanitary Sewer System or are they all on Private Septic Systems?
How many are not properly maintained and draining untreated waste directly into the lake?
The elite / rich run the world now. It is only going to get worse. Its money that makes the world go around. If you doubt it just ask a rich person.
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Warnings and inspections
The phosphorus fertilizes the algae and aquatic weeds to unhealthy levels, Barten said. Many other lakes also have phosphorus problems, he said, but Lake Independence is one of the worst and is a top priority for Three Rivers. The problem at the lake is familiar to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), which listed the lake in 2002 as “impaired for aquatic recreation.”
Five years later, the MPCA approved a report that detailed the sources and amounts of phosphorus entering the lake and concluded that they needed to be reduced by 45 percent, or about 1,100 pounds per year, to improve water quality.
One pound of phosphorus can produce 500 pounds of algae in a lake, and the report identified the Merz farm as the largest single source, contributing about 166 pounds of phosphorus per year. Manure from the feedlot can wash directly into the lake if spread near field drains or the lakeshore. Even if the manure is incorporated into soil, it can accumulate to levels that saturate the dirt and wash out as soluble phosphorus during rains.
If the farmer is only putting in 165lbs of phosphorus were are they going to get the other 935lbs of phosphorus? Granted there has to be some coming from the inlet to the lake but not 935lbs even if it was 500lbs the farmer is still in the minority of who is contributing the most.
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The elite / rich run the world now. It is only going to get worse. Its money that makes the world go around. If you doubt it just ask a rich person.
I agree that we can’t start generalizing and lumping all Lake Associations together. Right now the vast majority are good and act as stewards of their body of water for all of us. And certainly owning lakeshore property doesn’t make you rich.
We all live downstream of someone,
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We all live downstream of someone,
The majority do. Not all of us, but most.
Sure, 10′ is great….then it rains 2″ and the whole lake gets a huge fine for only having 7′.
Wouldn’t zebra muscles take care of the algea problem 
Just kidding of course. But this story reminds me of the family farm a few years back. We had a feed lot full of cattle and waste runoff went into a slurry pool. The county, as part of “waste management plan” made us change it and THEY did all the work and made it to their spec. the end result was instaed of having the waste flow into a pool which was emptied and spread into a field every month, it was a new govt approved graded run off which now directed 100% of the waste into the county ditch!!
And wasn’t it not too long ago that there was a raw sewer line break that pumped millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Lake Independance?!!? Shouldn’t the city be sued for that or did the lake shore owners already get compensated for that
Welcome to a major metropolitan area. That lake aint getting any better. Have the homo-ners septic systems all been inspected and are up to current code? Or perhaps there are some older systems “grandfathered” in? Idiots.
The meek are inheriting the earth right before our very eyes because we are letting them.
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And wasn’t it not too long ago that there was a raw sewer line break that pumped millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Lake Independance?!!?
I could be wrong, but I think that was Minnetonka. Wayzata Bay, maybe?
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Wouldn’t zebra muscles take care of the algea problem
If they don’t, Asian Carp probably would 
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The elite / rich run the world now. It is only going to get worse. Its money that makes the world go around. If you doubt it just ask a rich person.
Cue all libwashed talking points…This class warfare BS needs to stop. I’m not a rich man, but I certainly dont condemn the ones who are. I believe Envy is one of the Seven Deadly Sins…
I know we’re all punchy about the topic of lakeshore owners associations, but this actually seems like it might be a legit complaint. It looks like the EPA surmised that this farmer was responsible for over half of the excess phosphorus in the lake. They’re not complaining about the boat launch at Baker Park, they’re not whinging about something meaningless, and if the article is accurate looks they’ve invested $2 million in restoring lakeshore buffers, closing septic systems, eliminating other sources of manure and have really done some good work to help the lake.
If this farm really is in violation to the level the article says, they’ve got a legit beef.
I see the fault for the association with other lakeshore owner debacles being the fault of the reporter who said:
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The lawsuit is the latest example of lakeshore owners across Minnesota banding together to defend their waters, most recently against the onslaught of invasive species and outside boats that spread them.
That’s just bogus BS nonsense… if this guy is going to report “the news” he needs to be educated. His phone number is printed right next to his sig on the page. What say we ALL give him a call and set him straight?
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Welcome to a major metropolitan area. That lake aint getting any better. Have the homo-ners septic systems all been inspected and are up to current code? Or perhaps there are some older systems “grandfathered” in? Idiots.
The meek are inheriting the earth right before our very eyes because we are letting them.
Go re-read the article with an eye toward finding out what it says instead of looking for it to simply validate your rage:
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McLaughlin said action already taken hasn’t been enough to turn the lake around. Nearby cities and homeowners have spent a total of about $2 million, he said, much of it from taxpayer funds, to reduce phosphorus from relatively small sources.
They have altered their manure runoff from horses on hobby farms, built rain gardens, restored shoreland to prevent erosion and extended a sewer system to one neighborhood that had septic systems, he said.
So yeah, your suggestions were so meritorious that they’ve already been implemented.
In a twist on “all that glitters is not gold”, we need to remember that all lakeshore owners are not evil. It looks to me like these folks have a really good case against someone who’s abusing his privileges.
“extended a sewer system to one neighborhood”
Well if the whole lake consists of just one neighborhood then I guess they have that under control….
Rage is all I have to contribute this afternoon.
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The elite / rich run the world now. It is only going to get worse. Its money that makes the world go around. If you doubt it just ask a rich person.
Cue all libwashed talking points…This class warfare BS needs to stop. I’m not a rich man, but I certainly dont condemn the ones who are. I believe Envy is one of the Seven Deadly Sins…
Yep. Then again so is GLUTTONY and GREED and the rich show more than a little of it. if you don’t think that the Rich don’t have more and more control of our government each year than you are crazy. It has always been that way – Just more so today.
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I know how all lake front land/home owners are all lumped in the the richy rich category. You might want not to pass judgement so quickly. My parents are not “rich” as far as money goes. They do pay outragous property taxes, and have to abide by certain laws and rules. Which is why my dad plants watermelon along the shorefront, not fancy flower beds. I do agree that some lakes have sections of shore line owners, therefore they are intitled or at least feel that way.
Yep, I know not all lakeshore owners are rich and your folks are probably not out there trying to keep people off the lakes or whine about something all day long either.
They are most likely nothing like the pushy folks that are being talked about here and in these other cases in which a select group is trying to limit another.
The class envy does not belong in this incident or any other debate. I fail to see why money has anything to do here. How many members here own lake property or would like to? hmmmmm
no problem with any peoples’ money or possessions
problem is with some peoples’ attitudes
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The class envy does not belong in this incident or any other debate. I fail to see why money has anything to do here. How many members here own lake property or would like to?
It has everything to do with this debate because lakeshore property owners believe that they own the lakes.
The #1 enemy of Minnesota lakes is habitat destruction by lakeshore property owners. And now they are banding together to sue a farm for harming something that they don’t even own? How does that work?
But it’s just proof of the attitude. I own the lakeshore = I own the lake.
This needs to stop NOW. When do we anglers band together and file suit against all those owners on Independence who dredged up weed beds to create pretty lakeshore gardens and little sand swimming beaches?
Grouse
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