WORTHINGTON — Drawing on the academic background and experience of one of its advisers gave the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District’s Board of Directors insight Tuesday on a proposal to use biochar filters in Lake Okabena.
NEW BUSINESSES
Construction continues on the new Kwik Trip travel center at the former Shopko site in Worthington.
Kwik Trip travel center on pace for October opening
Jul 15
Mobile detailer
Worthington man begins mobile detailing business
May 1
A drawing of the Les Schwab Tire Center planned in Worthington was shown at the Worthington Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
Les Schwab Tire Centers plans to build facility in Worthington
Jul 12
Cody Reese, of CORE Electric.
Cody Reese brings potential to power new CORE Electric business in Worthington
Jun 20
The filters would remove phosphorus and nitrogen from water either before it enters the lake or directly from the lake, eliminating the excess nutrients that fuel algae blooms. Excess algae can deplee the oxygen available for supporting other aquatic life, harm water quality and kill aquatic plants, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The proposal, from Eden Lakes Inc., of Spring Lake, Michigan, would include installation of nine filter arrays in various locations around the lake and in ponds that feed into the lake, as well as supply of 309 filters to be installed by dock owners on the lake and 30 anchor arrays each for Sunset Bay and Sailboard Beach.
The cost estimate is $80,487, or $62,123 if the watershed provides the labor. Removing the filters prior to winter, as well as replacing some filters, would be an additional cost of $33,575.
Generally speaking, when people are using charcoal filters, they’re removing pharmaceuticals and poisons and heavy metals rather than phosphorus.
Dan Livdahl, administrator of the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District
“This is outside of my area of expertise, but I was able to look up a couple of literature review publicatons and try to learn a little bit more about this biochar technology,” said Tyler Wadzinski, who teaches chemistry at Minnesota West Community & Technical College and serves on the Watershed District’s advisory board. “It is a legitimate, real thing. It’s an active research area.”
