MPCA seeks help in Lake Shaokatan cleanup

Residents in southwestern Minnesota will soon get a chance to comment on a report that shows an area lake continues to have poor water quality.

Lake Shaokatan near the Minnesota-South Dakota border in Lincoln County has been on the state's list of impaired waters for several years because of its high level of phosphorus, which causes excessive algae growth.

A public meeting to discuss a recent study on the lake will take place Thursday evening on the lake's south shore. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will take public comments on the report starting Monday.

MPCA spokesman Forrest Peterson says despite improvements, more work needs to be done to reduce the runoff from farms and residential areas that has caused the high phosphorus levels in the lake.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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