Moody Lake Wetland Rehabilitation

This project restored three degraded wetlands in the northwest portion of the Moody Lake subwatershed. Diagnostic monitoring efforts identified these wetlands as sources of high phosphorus loading to Moody Lake.

Phosphorous is one of the main nutrients that promote algae growth in lakes and streams. It occurs naturally in the environment and comes from a variety of sources such as plants and soil. However, these nutrients become problematic when they exceed the natural threshold as one pound of phosphorous can promote up to 500 pounds of algae growth!

The Moody Lake Wetland Rehabilitation Project was identified through the Moody Lake Sequential Diagnostic Study, which involved tributary monitoring in order to target the most concentrated sources of phosphorus loading to Moody Lake. The District worked with area landowners to remove accumulated, phosphorus-rich sediment from the identified wetlands, control cattle access to the wetlands, and manage water levels in the wetlands. One landowner received the District’s Watershed Champion Award in 2019 and the Scandia Good Neighbor Award for their part in the project.