MOUND
Program marks third year of stocking walleye in lake
The Westonka Walleye Program will hold a fundraiser next month to support its efforts to restock Lake Minnetonka with walleyes, a campaign that is now entering its third year. Johnny Range, an avid Mound angler, started the program in 2013 in frustration over decades with few or no walleyes, the state fish, in the metro area's largest and most popular lake. The Department of Natural Resources has approved the program's efforts to restock the lake, where walleyes have declined over the years due to invasive species and shoreline development. The DNR every other year has been putting walleye fingerlings in Minnetonka, which is also stocked with muskies. Range's program stocks walleyes that are more expensive and on the large side, 8 to 13 inches, but he says that they have a better survival rate. Tickets for the fundraiser, to be held 6 to 9 p.m. April 28 at the Gillespie Center in Mound, cost $20 a piece and will be available at the door or beforehand at Cabin Fever, DH Custom Rods & Tackle, Shoreline BP and Wayzata Bait and Tackle. For more information, go to 472fish.org/.
KELLY SMITH
EDEN PRAIRIE
City urges pet owners to pick up pet waste
As the snow melts, Eden Prairie police are asking residents to pick up pet waste, a nuisance that is in violation of city code.
Officials say the problem becomes apparent each spring when many dog walkers seem to neglect picking up the waste, perhaps thinking it will decompose.
Instead, it can pile up in parks and wash into nearby creeks and lakes, where it poses a bigger water quality problem than wild animal feces due to the higher concentration of pets.
Most cities have ordinances requiring pet owners to pick up pet waste on public land. In Minnetonka last year, the city took steps to remind pet owners about their duty, launching a pet waste pickup campaign and reminding residents on an Interstate 394 billboard and in newsletters.
KELLY SMITH
