Friends,
On Monday, I attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the Champlin Mill Pond restoration project. Restoration of the Mill Pond is part of a multi-stage effort to restore the Northern Gateway water resources to the City of Champlin.
As former mayor of Champlin, I understand the years of hard work and dedication that today’s groundbreaking represents for our community. Restoration of the Mill Pond will have tremendous benefits not only in terms of recreational opportunities, it will also provide a unique opportunity for further development in the community. This is truly a special day for our city.
Decades of decline led to phosphorus laden sediments to form in the pond causing excessive algae growth and low dissolved oxygen levels—impairing habitat for native fish such as northern pike, small mouth bass, and blue gills.
The project will include restoration of the pond’s fishery, improving water quality through silt removal, restoring the pond’s natural vegetation, and increasing water depth. The enhanced water quality and improved sustainable fishery will benefit the entire Elm Creek watershed as well as the city itself.
The restoration of the Mill Pond and the Champlin Mill Pond Dam provides the city with an amenity that mayors and city councils have been working on for years. Both restoration initiatives integrate with the broader Mississippi Crossings Redevelopment Project that is slated for the Highway 169 riverfront area. When completed, the redevelopment project will include a restaurant, event center, an entertainment area on the river, docks for increased community access to the water, and a mixed use housing component.
I would like to thank my colleagues for supporting my legislation that authorized the state funding needed to complete this restoration. This is a vitally important and bipartisan project for our community. I look forward to monitoring its progress and am anxiously awaiting its completion.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 651-296-5513 or emailing me at rep.mark.uglem@house.mn.
Thank you and have a great week,
Mark