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s- <br />Draft -March 3, 2010 <br />Lake Orono Water Quality Committee (LOWQC) <br />MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) <br />Between <br />City of Elk River, <br />Lake Orono Improvement Association <br />and <br />Sherburne County Soil and Water Conservation District <br />This is an agreement between the City of Elk River, the Lake Orono Improvement <br />Association, hereinafter called LOIA and the Sherburne County Soil and Water Conservation <br />District, hereinafter called SWCD. <br />I. PURPOSE & SCOPE <br />The purpose of this MOU is to clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of each <br />party as they relate to improving and protecting water "quality of use" and depth in <br />Lake Orono and to affect the attitudes of the public regarding both. <br />In particular, this MOU is intended to define each partner's role in: <br />• Protecting and/or improving the water quality of Lake Orono <br />• Protecting the water depth of Lake Orono <br />• Improving the habitat of Lake Orono <br />• Promoting environmentally friendly land use and zoning regulations <br />• Controlling invasive species <br />• Reducing duplication of efforts <br />• Increasing awareness of water quality and depth issues and promote Best <br />Management Practices <br />II. BACKGROUND <br />Prior to 1990, LOIA created a Sedimentation Task Force to study the perceived filling <br />in of Lake Orono. They took extensive readings of the lake bottom and created <br />marketing materials to promote their cause. Those readings were subsequently <br />deemed not acceptable by State of Minnesota agencies because the volunteers were <br />untrained. <br />In 1995, Hank Duitsman became the Mayor of Elk River. In February of that year he <br />attended a LOIA Annual Meeting and became aware of the sedimentation problem. <br />After this meeting he assigned a City Staff person, the Building and Zoning <br />Administrator, to the issue and to meet with LOIA. Regular meetings were set up by <br />the City Staff person, and he coordinated efforts with state agencies. A rep from the <br />SWCD also attended those meetings. <br />In 1996 a sedimentation study was completed by an independent consultant, Wenck & <br />Associates, a public hearing was held, and the lake was dredged in 1998. <br />Page 1 of 4 <br />03/10 <br />