Wilkinson Deep-Water Wetland Restoration

Quick Facts:

Wilkinson Lake is impaired for nutrients.
Wilkinson Lake receives water from land in 5 cities (North Oaks, White Bear Township, White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, and Lino Lakes), 5 upstream lakes (Birch, Tamarack, Black, Amelia, and intermittently Gilfillan), and a total of 3,115 acres.
Wilkinson Lake is a strategic location where several waterways come together. Water flows from Wilkinson into Deep and Pleasant Lakes.
The project is located on land owned by North Oaks Farms (DBA North Oaks Company) and is also part of a Minnesota Land Trust Conservation Easement.

Funding:

Grant funds (60% of project cost) are through US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 319 funds administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), with a 40% match that is being shared equally between VLAWMO and the North Oaks Company (NOC).

St. Paul Regional Water Services worked with VLAWMO to fund early site sampling and investigation to inform design through a source-water protection grant with the Minnesota Department of Health (2021).

Reason for Project:

This project is the first in an anticipated series of projects that will work together to improve water quality and reduce nutrients to improve this impaired waterbody.
The project site was selected because it is a key location that brings nutrients into Wilkinson Lake. With the deep-water wetland, nutrients and sediment are able to settle out in the wetland before water continues on into Wilkinson Lake.
Wilkinson Lake has an established Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report that provides modeled load reductions needed to improve the lake. The TMDL can be found here.

Project Progress:

Houston Engineering, Inc., designed the project and provided oversight on the construction. See below for a footprint of the deep-water wetland. Construction completed in July 2024. A drone video of the project can be viewed below or at this link.