dakota county

State seeks your help on toxic plant

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture seeks your help eliminating a highly toxic plant known as Grecian foxglove.

It's growing in parts of Washington, Dakota, and Wabasha counties.

The greatest concern is the potentially lethal threat of human and livestock poisoning. Leafy portions could be mistaken for lettuce or other leafy greens.

It's a perennial that will come back year after year if it isn't treated.

The weed is growing in roadsides, residential yards, grasslands, and forest margins along the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers.

Residents in those areas are being asked to look for the weed and report any sighting to the state.

If possible, take digital photos of the whole plant, rosettes, flowers and seed stalks that can be e-mailed for identification. Contact the state by e-mail at arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us or voice mail at 888-545-6684.

Infestations will be treated by Conservation Corps Minnesota in the fall.

prior lake

High waters lead to precautions, queries

Prior Lake has reached its highest levels since regular measurements began in 1971.

And officials say that "extremely high lake levels will persist for the foreseeable future."

It could be weeks before boaters are no longer asked to slow down and leave no wake behind to help protect shorelines.

City officials say they're getting lots of questions about "opening the floodgates," adding:

"The outlet is simply an overflow structure – once the lake level reaches 902.5 feet, water flows out of the outlet structure and through the outlet channel, eventually into the Minnesota River."

scott county

Need help with damaged items?

The Scott County Historical Society is offering its help to folks hit by floods and mud slides. Officials can help advise on how to stabilize, clean and preserve business and personal items.

Give them a call at 952-445-0378 or e-mail info@scottcountyhistory.org with any questions on salvaging flood-damaged items.

The organization is also asking for help in documenting the events themselves.

Please send photos, videos and other records of high water, flood damage, mud slides.

The society can scan or copy them if you wish to keep the originals.

County issues warning on lakes

Scott County has extended no-wake restrictions to boaters on O'Dowd Lake, Thole Lake, Cedar Lake, and Fish Lake

Natural Resources Manager Paul Nelson extended the restrictions for 30 days, or until lake levels subside to what has been determined to be safe.

An inspection found that all the lakes had water level elevations exceeding established "Ordinary High Water levels," Nelson said.

Amid forecasts for additional rain, potential for additional damage and safety concerns from debris in the water, deputies will patrol the lakes for violations.

Slow no wake is defined as "the operation of a watercraft at the slowest possible speed necessary to maintain steerage, but in no case greater than five miles per hour."

Questions can go to the Scott County Sheriff's Office at (952) 445-7750.

shakopee

Work on busy intersection nears

Work on one of Shakopee's busiest intersections will be done in three stages to keep traffic flowing but will still cause delays, officials are warning.

Work on the intersection at Marschall Road at Vierling Drive and Highway 169 begins early this month.

The goal is to decrease congestion and improve safety in the Marschall Road corridor.

The Vierling-Marschall intersection has "consistently recorded the most crashes of any intersection in Shakopee," officials say.

Changes include a second left-turn lane from northbound Marschall to westbound Vierling; a second left-turn lane from the 169 southbound exit ramp to southbound Marschall; a traffic signal at Tasha Boulevard; and upgrades to trails and sidewalks.

It also includes pavement resurfacing on Vierling from Sage Lane to Miller Street and on Marschall from St. Francis Avenue to 10th Avenue

Work will be staged to maintain at least one travel lane in each direction during construction. It should wrap up by October.

For updates: www.bolton-menk.com/17andVierling.

In related news, the mini-roundabout at Spencer Street and Vierling should be done before work on the Marschall and Vierling intersection begins.

Staff reports