Sensitive Lakeshore Identification in Itasca County
DNR scientist Paul Radomski has posted the completed reports on Sensitive Lakeshore for three Itasca County lakes:
Turtle Lake
Bass Lake
Sand Chain of Lakes
Please go to this page, scroll to the bottom and find links to the reports:
The Minnesota DNR was authorized to bring their Sensitive Lakeshore Identification project to Itasca County. The mission of this project is to find smaller sections of larger lakes that need special zoning protections. Thus, a General Development (GD) lake or a Recreational Development (RD) lake may have within it a shallow bay, narrows, or other physical feature that provides essential habitat to fish and wildlife, or has the potential for severe erosion or other vulnerabilities. These areas would be characterized more as Natural Environment (NE) sections. The long range intention is to identify areas via scientific analysis that can be protected by conservation easements, restoration projects, local zoning ordinance restrictions, and additional safeguards. More details and reports on other lakes in Minnesota can be found on the DNR Website.
The project is funded by the Environment and Nautural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) and the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR)