Lotus Lake Conservation Alliance
Organized exclusively to advocate for and work towards the protection and improvement of Lotus Lake
CONSERVATION
Lotus Lake Watershed - RPBCWD
When it rains, water that falls on the landscape drains toward a waterbody. This area of land is the body’s watershed. Anything that happens within a watershed impacts the lake, creek, wetland, pond, or aquifer it feeds. The Riley-Purgatory-Bluff Creek-Watershed-District is charged with protecting and improving Lotus Lake and surrounding water resources. The RPBCWD partners with the MN DNR, Chanhassen, Carver County and the LLCA to identify top priorities and plan, implement, and manage efforts which protect and improve local water resources. The RPBCWD educates and engages with residents, and the work they undertake benefits the quality and quantity of water in local as well as downstream watersheds and communities.
Lotus Lake Water Quality
Total Phosphorus: Since the alum treatment in 2018, the lake has consistently met the MPCA standard (<0.04 mg/L)
In 2023, the average level was 0.031 mg/L.
Chlorophyll-a: The lake has never met the MPCA standard (<14 μg/L). In 2023, the average chlorophyll-a reading was 24.6 μg/L.
Water clarity: Since 2013, the lake has consistently met the MPCA standard (>1.4 meters) for water clarity except for one year. The average reading in 2023 was 2.0 meters.
Plants: Eurasian Watermilfoil and Curly-leaf Pondweed were targeted with a single Diquat herbicide treatment (22.92 acres) in the spring of 2023.