The Shell Rock River Watershed District Board of Managers approved resolutions Tuesday on fish barrier projects on Fountain Lake, Chapeau Lake and Wedge Creek.

“Projects like this will continue to enhance our lakes, and we’ll continue to see better results in these waters. Glad to see it’s moving forward,” said Gary Pestorious, chairman of the board.

The goals of the projects are to reduce and manage rough fish population, improve water quality and clarity, and improve aquatic vegetation.

“We’ve been planning for a few years to implement the project, and it’s the next piece of the puzzle for our management strategy,” said Shell Rock River Watershed District Administrator Brett Behnke.

Behnke said this move sets the engineers in motion to wrap up the design process and prepare for the final engineering report, said Behnke.

The managers also approved a motion to set up public hearing for the Fountain Lake fish barriers at 8:35 a.m. Aug. 11. After that hearing, there will be a hearing for the Wedge Creek fish barrier and then a hearing for the Chapeau Lake fish barrier.

The managers also approved Pro Manufacturing Inc. to begin construction on a mechanical fish barrier for the Fountain Lake Dam. The managers will then take bids for the installation, and Behnke said it could be installed later this fall.

A motion also passed to accept bids on the Fountain Lake fish barrier following the Aug. 11 public hearing. Bids will be due 3 p.m. Aug. 21, and then the watershed district would award the bid at the monthly board meeting Sept. 8.

In May, the district received $655,000 to build the Wedge Creek and Chapeau Lake barriers, which run into Fountain Lake. The two fish barriers will be built west of Minnesota Highway 13.

The fish barriers are part of a project to improve the water quality of Fountain Lake that could include the dredging of the lake by 2012.

In preliminary plans, electrical barriers will be built that will shock and deter the fish.

In other business the board:

 Approved the application for a grant through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 319 Program to help pay for the project to reduce stormwater on East Main Street.

 Appointed Pestorious as chairman; he replaced Alan Bakken. Bruce Haugsdal was appointed vice chairman; Clayton Petersen was appointed treasurer, and Art Ludtke was appointed secretary. Board members were also assigned to committees.

 Reviewed the 2008 audit, and Hill, Larson, Walth & Benda presented the 2008 financial statement.

 Approved part of the funding of rotenone treatment on Pickerel Lake, which will kill all the fish, specifically carp. The managers will pay about one-third of the $90,000 cost. The rotenone likely will be used in the fall, and then the lake will be restocked with fish. 

 Approved a application for grant through the the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 319 Program to help fund a partnership between Shell Rock River Watershed District and the University of Minnesota to study phosphorous in the district’s lakes. The board members requested more information on the project before the moving past the application process.