Prior Lake American - Nature/wildlife - Comments

This is a great photo, and I

Shawn Hogendorf — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:18:38 -0500

This is a great photo, and I agree, this is just another reason you won't see me hunting in the woods either.
As Stephen Colbert would say, this is the No. 1 threat to America... Bears!
I wonder what kind of lens Jeff used. How close was he when he took this?

Great photo, but also one

Tom Schardin — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:24:03 -0500

Great photo, but also one more reason for me not to ever go deer hunting.

Regarding the plant near

Savage Guy — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:59:46 -0500

Regarding the plant near Granite Falls, the aquifer did go down, but the DNR had given a baseline to meet, and if the water kept going down, the facility would need to find another source for water. The facility did decide to install a very expensive water treatment plant at the site and is now and has been taking water from the Minnesota river and using that for process water. Since they started, the aquifer over the past 4 months has nearly fully recovered from the time they stopped pulling ground water. They expect that the aquifer will be fully recharged in another month or so. The facility now uses river water (from one of the two most polluted rivers in the state) along with water that is collected in their storm water retention ponds.

There is another side to the

Savage Guy — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:57:27 -0500

There is another side to the water issue. Read the following story from our neighbors in Shakopee.

Flushing out the whole story

Minnesota Corn Growers dissolve myths on ethanol water usage

SHAKOPEE, Minn. (February 21, 2008) Recent reports on water usage by the ethanol industry need an airing out, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) said today. Like most industries, ethanol processing requires water, the Association said, but this requirement should be viewed within the larger context of water consumption by other activities.

“In 2005, Minnesota’s ethanol industry used less than two-tenths of one percent of all water used in the state,” said Roger Moore, president of the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. “At the same time, the Twin Cities Metro area used as much water in two days as all of the ethanol plants in the state use in one year.”

When the facts are put into perspective, it is easy to see that the ethanol industry use of water is much less than other common commodities and uses. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that it takes:

2– 3 Gallons of Water to produce 1 Gallon of Ethanol
Versus …

9.3 gallons of water – one can of vegetables
16.6 gallons of water – one pound of beet sugar
24 gallons of water – one pound of plastic
44 gallons of water – one gallon of refined crude oil
1,500 gallons of water – one barrel of beer
2,075 gallons of water – 4 tires
107,000 gallons of water – average home use in one year
Water is also used in such recreational things as golf courses, where about 680,000 gallons of water are consumed annually to irrigate just one acre of a golf course. Compare this to less than 4 percent of Minnesota field corn that is being irrigated.

Water usage by ethanol plants is expected to continue to drop, as new technologies come on board. Already, many plants discharge little or no wastewater, with the biggest water loss coming from water that remains with the leftover mash that is in turn fed to livestock.

“Farmers and other owners of renewable energy production in Minnesota employ state-of-the art technology to make water use as efficient as possible,” said Moore. “No one is more concerned about conserving resources than the farmer-owned bio fuels industry.”

Though concerns have been raised that ethanol plants may drain ground water from aquifers, the truth is that only one incident has been reported in Minnesota where an aquifer was drawn down faster than expected. In response, the plant accelerated plans to construct a pipeline and filtration system, and the aquifer has been recharging itself.

“The good news is that much of ethanol’s water needs can be met with appropriate planning,” said Dr. Dennis Keeney, in a 2006 Institute for Agricultural and Trade Policy report. “The ethanol industry is committed to judicious water use,” added Moore.

About Minnesota Corn Growers Association
The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) founded in 1978, celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2008. MCGA is a membership-based organization with more than 5,900 members making it the second largest state corn growers organization in the nation. MCGA is dedicated to promoting and creating opportunities for Minnesota corn farmers while enhancing quality of life. Additional information can be obtained at www.mncorn.org.

-End-

Mark Hamerlinck
Communications Director
Minnesota Corn Growers Association
952-233-0333
hamerlinck@mncorn.org

I know there has been talk

sbrunner — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:01:13 -0500

I know there has been talk of the lake web cam not being necessary but I just want to say I appreciate the new resource available to those wanting to see the current conditions in PL. I sent the link to my son who goes to school in California. There is a web cam near the campus of Cal Poly and I check it during the winter to see the beautiful weather he is having out there. Now he can look at our weather back here when he is missing home and snowy, cold Minnesota and then remember why he chose his college so far away and go "study" at the beach.

Nice, not really

melissa — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 09:31:50 -0500

Nice, not really surprised..it is sad what is happening to our country and communities...like this is what we really need---more housing and developement!!! I mean really. It's all about the money.

Melissa Prior Lake, MN

I won't be participating in

Shawn Hogendorf — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:05:17 -0500

I won't be participating in any Minnesota events this year, but I am going to the Green Apple Earth Day Music and Arts Festival in Chicago this weekend.

The music and art event will be held in San Fransisco, New York and Chicago. Between the three cities, over 200 bands play at 60 venues over the weekend. It is the largest Earth Day celebration in the nation.

I am going to a free outdoor concert at Lincoln Zoo, in Chicago, as well as to see a couple other bands playing in venues around Chicago on Saturday and Sunday.

My participation in Earth Day will be to use as little carbon as possible this weekend and learn as much about green living as I can.

After my drive to Chicago, I will use public transportation via the trains and buses as well as my feet to get around in Chicago.

There are also numerous seminars and booths that raise environmental awareness and education that I will check out at the zoo.

Hopefully I will come home with some good Earth Day tips that will allow me to live a greener lifestyle.