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• Study recommendations <br /> The study made the following four recommendations to improve Lake Orono: <br /> 1. Develop a lake management plan, with rough cost estimates for dredging parts of the <br /> lake based on usage. The Lake Orono Improvement Association and the City of Elk <br /> River work jointly to develop a plan to remove sediment from the lake and restore the <br /> western most lobe to its original navigable depth. The sediment removal project that <br /> follows the plan is the reason for this EAW. Management of erosion upstream to <br /> slow future sedimentation is also included in the plan. <br /> 2. Dredge an in-lake sedimentation basin where the Elk River enters Lake Orono to <br /> provide a reservoir for coarser fraction of the river's sediment load to be deposited in. <br /> It was considered impractical to gain enough width or depth in the Elk River to <br /> provide a sedimentation basin prior to Lake Orono. In addition, the city is concern <br /> that creating a sedimentation basin in the river will disturb the equilibrium of the <br /> sediment upstream. It was decided that by excavating sediment from the western lobe <br /> of the lake that storage for future sedimentation would be provided in an area where <br /> sediment deposition occurs naturally. <br /> 3. Develop a local water quality plan to address: <br /> III • fecal coliform contamination in Lake Orono - The majority of the shoreline of the <br /> lake is served with city sewer. Capacity at the city's waste water treatment plant has <br /> been reserved and sewer trunk lines appropriately sized to serve the remainder of the <br /> lake's shoreline. Further, the city has began a program of weekly fecal coliform <br /> sampling during the swimming season to track this issue and eliminate potential <br /> sources. <br /> • ongoing water quality monitoring - Routine secchi disk monitoring etc. will be <br /> conducted by volunteers from the Lake Orono Improvement Association. Periodic <br /> monitoring of a more detailed nature will be conducted by the city and compared to <br /> the base line established by the 1997 study to determine if additional actions are <br /> needed. <br /> • best management practices within the City of Elk River - The city will continue to <br /> require best management practices and sedimentation prior to storm water discharging <br /> to the lake. In addition, the use of vegetative buffer strips will be encouraged and a <br /> citizen education program on issues like non-phosphorus fertilizer will be conducted. <br /> III <br />