We've had a lot of rain here and one city had to overflow their raw sewage and it's going to make it to Lake Minnetonka.  Any of you full-time fishermen/part-time biochemists, environmentalists etc have any input on how much damage this could do to the fishing/lake?  It sounds like it will be pretty diluted by the time it makes it to the lake, but they are warning about swimming/skiing..(article below)

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/about-mpca/mpca-news/current-news-releases/index.html


 June 01 2014 15:30
City of Mound is releasing untreated wastewater to keep sewers from backing up into homes

Contact: Sam Brungardt, 651-757-2249; Kandis Hanson, 952-240-5244

St. Paul, Minn. — Last night's and today's rain has overwhelmed the city of Mound's sanitary sewer system and forced the city to release untreated sewage onto land.

The city took this step to keep wastewater from backing up into the basements of an estimated 1,000 homes. It acted after the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) gave the city permission to bypass untreated sewage until the Metropolitan Council's wastewater collection system can accept the large volume of wastewater that is being sent to it.

About 10:30 a.m. today, the city began releasing untreated wastewater from its sanitary sewer system onto land at four sites near Lake Minnetonka, one site near Lake Langdon and one site near Dutch Lake. The locations near Lake Minnetonka are the lagoon at Emerald Road and Channel Lane, Beachside outfall at Shorewood, the Avalon Park outfall at Bartlett Boulevard and Lynwood at Morton Channel. On Lake Langdon, it is at Cottonwood and Lynwood. And on Dutch Lake, it is the Grandview boat launch.

The bypassed wastewater will eventually make its way to those lakes. Even though the untreated sewage will be greatly diluted, it will increase the lakes' load of E. coli bacteria, which can cause illness.

For the time being, people are advised not to swim or do other activities, such as water-skiing, that would increase the chances of their swallowing lake water. According to the Minnesota Department of Health website, E. coli can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, such as severe diarrhea, nausea and possibly jaundice as well as associated headaches and fatigue. Not all people are affected to the same degree; young children and the elderly are usually more susceptible.

Yuck!

 

More rain coming!  Don't they have most of the lake down to no wake now too?

Yuck!

 

More rain coming!  Don't they have most of the lake down to no wake now too?

yea I think it's something crazy like 600ft

Tonka is a great fishery but it's a ridiculous maze of regs,selective ethics/rules and rec traffic.  I won't fish it anymore unless I have to and am currently not encumbered by any tourney schedules requiring me to.  I'd rather put my time into a drive up north and have more fun sans sewage etc.