The term "shallow lake" is often used by the regulators to describe a lake that is less than 15 feet deep, or more than 80% of the lake is less than 15 feet deep. Clearly, Eagle Lake falls into this category. Learn about the ecology of shallow lakes, and why it is important for residents and lake managers to set realistic expectations for recreation, water quality and aquatic plant abundance.
Video courtesy of Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District in Minnesota.
ELIA Video Series (part 1)
Because the invasive weeds in Eagle Lake is the topic of so many of the conversations among residents each year, the Eagle Lake Improvement Association created a two-part video series for website viewing. The first provides some background information on the current invasive weeds in our lake, and an overview of the challenges we face in our efforts to manage them.
For closed captioning, click in the player window and select English.
ELIA Video Series (part 2)
The Eagle Lake Management District serves as our primary weapon in the ongoing efforts to manage and chemically treat our invasive weeds. This is a tough job due to the characteristics of Eagle Lake and the challenge of balancing recreational use with the ecology of shallow lakes. Have you observed the large green barges with paddle wheels on the lake? The weed harvesters are operated by the ELMD each summer and you can learn about them in this video.
For closed captioning, click in the player window and select English.
The Healthy Lakes and Rivers website includes a useful tool for all shoreline property owners. This Shoreland Evaluation Tool walks you through questions about the physical aspects of your lake or river property, as well as how you manage it. This tool is free and can be completed anonymously. Click here
The purpose of the Healthy Lakes & Rivers program is to protect and restore the health of our lakes and rivers by increasing property owner participation in habitat restoration and runoff and erosion control projects.
The five "best practices" are fish sticks, native plantings, diversion, rock infiltration, and rain gardens. To learn more, click here.
Grants are available! The grants provide up to $1,000 per Best Practice and up to $25,000 for an eligible applicant applying on behalf of multiple property owners. As a qualified lake association, we can assist Eagle Lake property owners obtain these funds, and several current residents have already participated with great success.
To learn more about the program, please visit the Healthy Lakes website. If you'd like to participate in our next grant application, send a note to ELIA through our Contact Us.
We'll review your plans for shoreline improvements to see if you qualify.
For a complete overview of top plants to consider for your shoreline, and those to avoid, click here.
Among the many plantings that are perfect additions to your shoreline, we offer these for your consideration:
Blue Flag Iris
24-36" height; deep blue to purple flowers; full sun-partial shade.
Marsh Marigold
1-2ft height; succulent with bright, shiny yellow flowers.
Swamp Loosestrife
2-4ft height; pinkish purple flowers whorled in a dense cluster around the stem at the leaf axils.
Common Bur Sedge
2-5ft. greenish spherical flower spikes are held above the graceful shaggy foliage. The flowers resemble a starburst.
Long-hair Sedge
2-3 ft. large tufted wetland sedge; narrow lime green and shiny leaves. Culms rise above the foliage to 5’ bearing large chartreuse bottle brush shaped spikes.
Butterfly Milkweed
1.5 -2 ft. height; bright orange clusters of long-lasting flowers.
Summer job opportunities are readily available at Eagle Lake, and we'd love to have you join us in our efforts to keep the lake beautiful.
The Clean Boats Clean Waters program is run jointly by the Eagle Lake Improvement Association and the Eagle Lake Management District. To learn more about the program, visit the CBCW page of our website. If you'd like to become part of the crew, contact ELMD.
Also available are positions within the weed harvesting and shoreline cleanup crews. This unique Eagle Lake program is coordinated by ELMD and is a valuable service for shoreline homeowners. To help with this challenging but rewarding work, contact ELMD.
in the player window and select English.
