lake washington county park project

Lake Washington County Park

Management Plan

Max Dornfeld, Tyler Bastyr, Luke Kraus-Schlichtmann, Jon Hagen, Jack Liesch & Mike Frey

12/6/2013

i Lake Washington County Park Management Plan

Table of Contents

Park Description………………………………………………………………………………...1

Lake Washington County Park Mission and Vision Statement …………………………..........2

Mission Statement……………………………………………………………………....2

Vision Statement ………………………………………………………………….........2

Chapter 1: The Planning Process and Public Involvement……………………………………..3

Purpose of Public Involvement…………………………………………………………3

Summary of Possible Public Involvement Strategies……………………………..........3

Recommended Public Involvement Strategy …………………………………………..6

Chapter 2: Regional Analysis…………………………………………………………………...7

Natural Resources ……………………………………………………………………...8

Demographics……………………………………………………………………...........8

Public Outdoor Recreation Opportunities ……………………………………….........10

Roles for Lake Washington County Park……………………………………………...12

Chapter 3: Resource Management……………………………………………………….…….13

The Park’s Resource Management Goals and Actions………………………..……….13

Management Zones Development for the Park with Target Benefits………………….14

Two Ecological Regions of Lake Washington County Park…………………………...16

Pre-European Settlement Vegetation and Species…………………………..………….17

Existing Natural Resources and Importance of LAWCON……………………….…...19

Existing Cultural Resources and Minnesota’s Field Archaeology Act………………...21

Chapter 4: Recreation and Visitor Management……………………………………………….22

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….22

Personal and Community Benefits……………………………………………………..22

Proposed Management Zones…………………………………………………………..23

Recreation Resource Management Goals………………………………………………24

Summary of Existing Recreation Resources……………………………………………24

Future of the Park..................................................................................................….......25

Chapter 5: Interpretive Services…………………………………………………………….......26

Current Interpretive Opportunities………………………...……………………………26

New Interpretation…… …………………………………………………………….......27

ii Lake Washington County Park Management Plan

Chapter 6: Administration and Implementation……………………………………………........31

Current Administrative Structure ..........................................................................……...31

Recommended Administrative Structure and Implementation…………………………..32

Steps for Implementation ………………………………………………………………..33

References Cited…………………………………………………………………………………35

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………………36

iii Lake Washington County Park Management Plan

Tables

Table 1: Major Stakeholder Groups and their Interest in the Park……………………………… 5

Table 2: Stakeholder Groups and Methods Used............................................................................6

Table 3: Local County’s Demographics…………………………………………………………. 9

Table 4: City Parks…………...…………………………………………………………………………...10

Table 5: County Parks…………………………………………………………………………...10

Table 6: State Parks………………………………………………………………………….…..10

Table 7: Lakes and Rivers in the Region………………………………………………………...10

Table 8: Blue Earth County Camping……………………………………………………………11

Table 9: Waseca County Camping……………………………………………………………….11

Table 10: Le Sueur County Camping………………………………………………….................12

Table 11: Management Zones, Goals and Benefits……………………………………………...13

Table 12: Animal Species ……………………………………..…………………………………18

Table 13: Endangered or Threatened Species in Southern Minnesota …………………………19

Table 14: Fish Species in Lake Washington……………………………………………………..20

iv Lake Washington County Park Management Plan

Figures

Figure 1: Management Zones……………………………………………………………………14

Figure 2: Ecological Regions of Minnesota……………………………………………………..16

Figure 3: Lake Washington Existing Cultural Resources……………………………………….21

Figure 4: Administration Staff Structure………………………………………………………. 32

1 Lake Washington County Park Management Plan

Park Description

Lake Washington County Park is a 164 acre county park located on the northwestern

corner of Lake Washington in Le Sueur County, Minnesota. The initial land purchased for the

park was in 1974 by Le Sueur County from the Bauer estate for $85,000, making Lake

Washington County Park relatively young. Having nearby rural communities such as Mankato

and St. Peter makes the park one of the most popular recreational lakes in the Mankato area.

With the exception, of two Minnesota DNR owned and maintained public accesses, Lake

Washington County Park is the only public land on the shores of Lake Washington. Over 700

privately owned seasonal or permanent homes with shoreline on the 1,487 acre lake. The park

includes, 2,000 feet of undeveloped lake frontage set aside for study and research.

Lake Washington County Park has many great attributes to offer its visitors. When you

enter the park is the location in which the most human-to-human interaction occurs due to the

fact that this is where the camp sites are located. There are 23 electrical and nine none electrical

camp sites in this area. There is also a picnic area, playground, and a bathroom/shower house for

visitors to use. In Lake Washington County Park there are many great trails that visitors can go

on to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.


Lake Washington County Park Mission and Vision Statements

Mission Statement:

The mission of Lake Washington County Park is to enrich the quality of life for the

community and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the County through provision of

outstanding trails, open space, natural areas and recreational opportunities within a friendly

setting.

Vision Statement:

Lake Washington County Park should be a natural area that provides:

• Opportunities to see and hear native wildlife;

• Protection of important natural and cultural resources;

• A variety of appropriate recreational opportunities (e.g., land and water; and special events)

• Appropriate recreational facilities (e.g, signage, trails, restrooms, interpretive center, etc.);

• A natural barrier between adjacent roads and the park’s recreational facilities;

• Restored native prairie and forest, beach and creek where agricultural land now exists;

• Effective interpretation and environmental education opportunities;

• Encourage opportunities to attain target personal, community, economic and environmental

benefits, such as opportunities for fun, relaxation and environmental education; and

• Opportunities for continued public involvement in decisions made about management of the

park.


Chapter 1: The Planning Process and Public Involvement

Purpose of Public Involvement

Public involvement in the development of Lake Washington County Park management

plan is crucial in maintaining communication between park administration and its users.

Communication with the public will increase involvement during the planning and

implementation of the management plan. This will add to the overall satisfaction of the users

who use Lake Washington Park.

Public involvement is key during the planning process, due to the fact that the general

public is the people who will be using the facility day in and day out. The public is the primary

funding source for the implementation of a management plan and the public will be the

continuous users and visitors of Lake Washington County Park. There are numerous levels of

public involvement during the planning process. One of the most effective ways to get the public

involved is to delegate power to them by using them as consultants and developing partnerships.

The rationale behind involving the public to develop a plan for Lake Washington County

Park is the better the park for the users through stakeholder groups. A way this is done is through

motivators for public participation. Some of the motivators for the users and stakeholders are:

they own it, pay for it, and are welcome to use it. As it is their and the agency wants to get the

users input, build a sense of trust with them and give them a sense of ownership for the park.

Summary of Possible Public Involvement Strategies

The levels of participation range from active participation for the citizens to

nonparticipation. This spectrum has a very wide range for involvement of citizens in the decision

making process. The total involvement of citizens is not up to them in the end it is up to the

agency and how much the agency wants the citizens to be involved.


When working with the public, it is important to recognize that there are numerous

stakeholders involved during the planning process. The stakeholders can be broken up into

separate groups. The groups fall into levels of involvement depending on the experience. The

groups with more expertise are included in the Technical Advisory Group. Members of this

group would include but would not be limited to: the DNR and Local Government. Those with

more of an open opinion will be included in the Citizen Advisory Group. Members of this group

would include but would not be limited to: park users, residents, and the general public.

Correlation between these two groups will lead to a more balanced and efficient planning

process.

The Technical Advisory Group will be held accountable for providing support and aiding

in the decisions of the Citizens Advisory Group. The Citizens Advisory Group will act as

spokesperson for the general public on issues dealing with the wants and needs that benefit the

people now and future generations that follow. The Citizens Advisory Group will also provide

the Technical Advisory Group with thoughts and suggestions from the remaining stakeholders

that may not otherwise have a say in the planning process.

Both Advisory Groups can benefit from the use of public involvement techniques. One of

the techniques includes written communication, which involves mailings, newsletters and public

service announcements. The second technique involves the collection of information; this can be

done one of two ways. One of the ways would be through public surveys and the second way

being focus groups. The third technique involves holding field trips, being involved with

festivals and being the host of a local event.


Stakeholder Group Interest in the Park

General Public

They own it or have a sense of ownership for the

park.

Neighbors

They live near the park and it is of easy access for

them.

Managers

Managers have a sense of ownership; they feel it

is their job to take care of it.

Current Users

Current Users are the ones who use it most often

and want to take care of it.

Businesses The park brings people to the area which brings

the people to their business.

DNR

Want to take care of the park to not exceed the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC).

Local Government The park brings in new money to the area.

Clubs

They have a sense of pride while using and maintaining the park.

Latent Users Are the owners of land and want to see it being used for a good cause. Also want to see the park

used for their recreational opportunities.

Table 1: Major Stakeholder Groups and Their Interest in the Park

Table 1 shows the major stakeholder groups in the area of Lake Washington County

Park. The stakeholders range from the general public to local government and businesses. The

table breaks down each stakeholder group’s specific interest in the park and why they want to be

involved in the decisions made to and for the park.


Stakeholders

Involvement

Technique(s) at the

Start of the Process

Involvement

Technique(s) during

the Middle of the

Process

Involvement

Technique(s) at the

End of the Process

Users

-Advisory Group -Media

-Electric Networks -Public Hearings

-Advisory Group -Workshops

-Focus Groups

-Advisory Group -Polls

-Review and Comment on Drafted

Documents

Managers

-Advisory Group -Workshops -Public Meetings

-Public Hearings

-Advisory Group -Task Force -Workshops


Documents

-Advisory Group -Conflict Resolution Techniques

-Surveys -Interviews

-Polls

Neighbors

-Advisory Group -Surveys -Brochures

-Interviews -Polls

-Electronic Network -Media -Public Hearings

-Advisory Group -Conflict Resolution Techniques

-Focus Groups -Surveys

-Advisory Group -Polls -Review and

Comment on Drafted Documents

Government

-Advisory Group

-Stakeholder Collaboration

-Partnerships -Workshops

-Advisory Group


Documents -Task Forces

-Advisory Group

-Surveys -Interviews

-Stakeholder Collaboration -Partnerships

-Conflict Resolution Techniques

Table 2: Stakeholder Groups and Methods Used

Recommended Public Involvement Strategy

There are several approaches that can be taken in order to get the public involved during

the planning process. The first approach to get the public involved would be with the use of

media. Through the use of media larger numbers of the public can be reached and informed

about Lake Washington County Park and the issues being faced. The use of media will provide

dates and times throughout the project for which the public can meet and speak their mind on


how they feel the park should be used. The second approach would be to hold multiple hearings

throughout the project. The rationale for holding multiple meetings is to reach out to the greatest

number of the public possible. The meetings will give information, allow time for the public to

be heard or vent on how they feel Lake Washington County Park should be used. After the

public hearings the third approach to get the public involved would be to establish focus groups.

The focus groups will be used to get diverse ideas, actions or plans of the stakeholders. After

hearing from the focus groups, workshops and volunteer opportunities can be formed. The

rationale for this is to see what groups care the most and are willing to spend the most time to see

that their needs are met. Polls, surveys and interviews will be conducted to gather a general

consensus of what is being designed. Finally stakeholder collaboration partnerships will be

formed to carry out the plans made and to make sure they are implemented properly.

Through the application of various public involvement techniques, stakeholder groups

can provide collaborative decisions that play a major role in the planning of Lake Washington

County Park. The involvement of Technical Advisory Group and Citizen Advisory Groups

allows for the best possible solutions and development of the park by enabling citizens but

providing support and aiding in the decisions of the public.

Chapter 2: Regional Analysis

Lake Washington County Park provides recreation opportunities for people of all types to

enjoy but what else is there around the park that makes this location special? There are several

different types of natural resources in this region that help determine what kind of public outdoor

recreation is available. There is a wide range of different types of people living around this area

that benefit from the opportunities that Lake Washington County Park provides. The park plays a

high role for people to benefit from the opportunities provided but there are some areas that are


could be improved. We’ll see how all these factors contribute to the recreation opportunities

around the area as well what it means for Lake Washington County Park.

Natural Resources

The natural resources of the area in and around Lake Washington County Park determine

what types of recreation opportunities that may be available. The region around the park consists

of a couple of different types of landscapes. There are plenty of corn, hay, and soy bean farmers

around the region that have little groupings of trees with rivers and streams running through it as

well. Areas that are not domesticated with homes or farmland will have a mixture of different

types of natural resources. Rolling hills is constant throughout the region with having landscape

consist of prairie potholes, deciduous trees, lakes, rivers, and wetlands. There is a clash between

two different biomes that occur in this region even though it would be hard to spot because of all

the farming. Both the prairie pothole and the deciduous trees ecosystems collide in the Lake

Washington County Park region. Some trees that are native to the area include maple, oaks,

basswood, and some cottonwoods. In the park there are rows of walnut trees that were planted

and are not native to the region. These natural resources help provide the people of this region

with opportunities to recreate however they would like too.

Demographics

The people who live in the region of Lake Washington County Park benefit from the

parks service more than anyone. Therefore it is very important to understand the demographics

of this region so we can satisfy the needs of those who use the park more frequently than

outsiders.


County: Population: Sex: Race: Median

Income:

High School

Diploma:

Blue Earth

65,091 50.3% Males 49.7% Females

92.8% White 3.1% Black 2.3% Asian

1.8% Other

$48,911 93.1%

Le Sueur 27,703 50.5% Males 49.5% Females

95.5% White 0.3% Black

0.6% Asian 3.6% Other

$58,074 90.4%

Waseca 19,136 46.9% Males

53.1% Females

93.7% White

2.0% Black 0.7% Asian 3.6% Other

$52,357 91.5%

Sibley 15,226 50.2% Males 49.8% Females

94.8% White 0.3% Black

0.6% Asian 4.3% Other

$52,482 86.9%

Nicollet 37,727 50.0% Males

50.0% Females

93.7% White

2.0% Black 1.3% Asian 3.0% Other

$59,877 93.0%

Table 3: Local County’s Demographics

This demographic analysis shows how many and what different types of people live near

Lake Washington County Park. Since a majority of the park’s visitors are people that live in the

local area we can now draw up ideas of the people’s wants and needs for recreation. It is very

important that we understand who our clienteles are before we can make any decisions.

Differences in sex, race, and income play a vital role in which recreation people partake in.

Making sure that we have a good balance of these different recreation opportunities will help in

park attendance as well as satisfaction of using the park. To see what recreation opportunities

that the park should offer you first have to take a look at what other opportunities there are

around the region for recreation purposes. A couple of barriers that prevent people from

enjoying outdoor recreation from most to least common are: not having the time for it, level of

awareness, and the area is too developed and too noisy. Since people don’t have a lot of free


time to enjoy outdoor recreation it is important to have a place close and relevant to their

preferred recreation choice.

Public Outdoor Recreation Opportunities

Since there is a lot of rivers and lakes to recreate with around this region typically people

enjoy being out on the water. With plenty of parks that are created around this region it makes it

easy for people to find a place close by. In order for us to come up with recreation ideas for

Lake Washington County Park we first have to take a look at what this region already offers for

recreation.

City Parks:

Blue Earth Le Sueur Waseca Nicollet Sibley

7 6 16 8 4

Table 4: City Parks

County Parks:

Blue Earth Le Sueur Waseca Sibley Nicollet

15 12 14 3 2

Table 5: County Parks

State Parks Found in the Region:

Minneopa State Park

Sakatah Lake State Park

Table 6: State Parks

Lakes and Rivers Found in Region:

County Lakes Major

Rivers

Parks Along Rivers and

Lakes

Access Sites Camping

Blue Earth 54 6 6 43 6

Le Sueur 59 3 8 46 5

Waseca 24 2 3 20 5

Sibley 26 2 3 15 0

Nicollet 13 4 2 19 0

Table 7: Lakes and Rivers in the Region


Blue Earth County Camping:

Park Size Features Recreation RV/Total

Campsites

Location

Bray Park and Campground

102 Acres

Bathhouses, Water, Dump Station, Electric Hookups, Fire

Rings/Grills, Picnic Shelters and Tables,

Interpretive Centers, Caretakers, Restrooms

Fishing Dock, 1.4 Mile Long Trail, Boat Launch,

Playground, Some Playground

Equipment, Swim Beaches

44/53 Madison Lake

Daly Park and

Campground

93 Acres

Bathhouses, Electric Hookups, Water,

Dump Station, Fire Rings/Grills, Picnic

Shelters/Tables, Caretakers, Restrooms

Boat Ramp, Fishing Docks, Disk Golf

Course, Swimming Beach Tennis Court,

Horseshoes, Volleyball, Playground

Equipment, Canoe/Kayaks

Rental, 0.5 Mile Long Trail

67/86 Lura Lake

Rapidan Dam Park

38 Acres

Water, Fire Rings/Grills, Picnic

Shelters/Tables, Caretakers,

Restrooms, Firewood, Ice, Bait

Fishing, Canoe Launch, Play

Equipment, Playground, Red

Jacket Trail

14/20 Ripidan Dam

Minneopa State Park

1145 Acres

Picnic Shelters/Tables, Electrical Hookups,

Historic Site, Native Prairie, Dump Station,

Geological Information, Waterfall

Hiking and Cross Country Skiing

Trails, Volleyball, Horseshoes, Fishing,

Photography, Visitor Center

61 Minnesota River in

Mankato

Table 8: Blue Earth County Camping

Waseca County Camping:

Park Size Features Recreation Campsites Location

Sakatah State Park

842 Acres

Electrical Hookups, Restrooms,

Bathhouses, Dump Station

Hiking Trails, Groomed Cross Country Skiing

and Snowmobile Trails, Canoe/Kayak Rentals,

Boat Ramp,

62 Cannon River near

Waterville

Table 9: Waseca County Camping


Le Sueur County Camping:

Park Size Features Recreation Campsites Location

Lake Washington County

Park

166 Acres

Electrical Hookups, Restrooms, Dump Station, Fire

Rings/Grills, Picnic Shelter/Tables,

Bathhouses, Water

Canoe Access, Hiking Trails, Playground, Playground

Equipment, Education Center, Fishing, Cross

Country Skiing

28 East Side of Washington Lake

Table 10: Le Sueur County Camping

Role for Lake Washington County Park

From the information above you can gather that there are several parks other than Lake

Washington County Park where people can both camp and recreate. It depends on the type of

environment that the visitor is looking for. There is a range of parks that provide little to a lot of

outdoor recreational opportunities. Lake Washington County Park has a range of trails that are

located along a prairie, deciduous forest, and farmland areas along Lake Washington. Lake

Washington County Park is the only park in Le Sueur County that provides camping along with

other outdoor recreational opportunities. Reaching the people in the area to come and visit the

park will depend on what way to reach the range of demographics. Lake Washington County

Park is a medium sized park that provides some camping but not an overcrowding number.

Although there are some outdoor recreational opportunities provided there could be more to help

benefit the park even more. For most of the community the park provides a place to for bird

watching, hiking, canoe and fishing, and cross country skiing during the winter. It is used as a

place for people to get out and enjoy the simplistic forms of outdoor recreation with beautiful

scenery. It gives the region a more open range to get away from the busy life and loud noise.

The visitor can decide whether or not they want to stay a couple of days to enjoy the beauty of

the park with RV and tent camping or they can come to visit the park for a few hours.


Chapter 3: Resource Management

Managaement

Zone

Target Benefits Resource

Management

Goals

Recreation

Management

Goals

Interpretive

Goals

Rural -Positive changes in mood and

emotion -Social bonding

-Family bonding -Preservation of cultural and

historical sites -Maintenance of

physical facilities

-Improve campground

-Create safe environment

-Improve facilities

-Focus on motorized

camping -Increase

recreation opportunities -Improve

recreation equipment

-Increase knowledge of the

park. -Increase

visitation to the park. -Educational

tours

Roaded Natural -Nature appreciation

-environmental awareness and

understanding -Sense of freedom

-Preservation of natural sites

-Smooth transition

between zones -Improve trails

-Improve natural habitat

-Increase recreation

opportunities -Improve water

access -create atmosphere that

creates togetherness

-Connect people with nature

-Inform restoration about

the park to the public. -Increase trail

system awareness.

Table 11: Management Zone, Goals and Benefits

The Park’s Resource Management Goals and Actions

Lake Washington County Park is broken down into two zones, rural and roaded natural.

The purpose of having two zones is to provide a proportionate diversity in the park. The reason

for having two zones is because the park is not of size to provide more than two zones. The two

zones have specific benefits, resource, recreation, and interpretive goals to successfully establish

one from the other.

Resource management goals for the rural zone include, but are not limited to, improving

the campground by planting trees in between sites to provide a little more privacy for campers.

Creating a safe environment is an important piece to the plan by providing safety guidelines and

rules for the campsites and park as a whole. The improved facilities will also allow for campers


to have sanitary water houses and a defined purpose for the opportunities provided. They will be

cleaned regularly and maintenance up keep will be provided as needed.

The resource management goals for the roaded natural zone include, but are not limited

to, smooth transition between zones; this will be done by planting native vegetation and trees

around the boarder. Improvement of trails is important to keep our users safe and satisfied by

keeping the trails well maintained. With the improvement of the natural habitat the removal of

invasive vegetation, trees, and plants will give the area a more local feel and improve the

ecosystem.

Management Zones Developed for the Park with Target Benefits

Figure 1: Management Zones


The first zone is labeled as rural because there is a main road leading right up the

entrance of the campsite which will make it nearly impossible to avoid traffic noise. The

campsite holds 23 sites with electric hook-ups and 9 primitive sites. The campground also has a

dump station, picnic shelter, shower house, and playground. Also, there will be a well-known

presence of human-to-human interaction in this area due to the vehicles entering and campsites

being near one another. The rural area will provide opportunities to participate in social and

family bonding as well as recreational opportunities and equipment rental to enhance the

experience. There is also going to be a lake access for canoes and a building that was used as an

interpretation center. Target benefits for the rural zone include positive change in mood and

emotion, promoting social and family bonding, and not to forget the upkeep of our facilities will

enhance campers experience at Lake Washington County Park. The old steel bridge is located in

the rural zone and is planned to be left in its current location to preserve the cultural and

historical site.

The second zone is labeled as roaded natural; this is the majority of the park after you

pass through the rural zone. There is a smooth transition between the two zones. It is a natural

appearing environment with moderate evidence of the sights and sounds of humans, however

these evidence usually harmonize with the natural environment. The roaded natural zone is a

wooded area full of native vegetation and grasslands. On the east side of the roaded natural zone

the wooded area and grasslands meet up with the wetlands and lakeshore. This zone has a variety

of opportunities for people to experience the wilderness. There are trails throughout the zone,

guided tours, and potential to see wildlife. The target benefits will include nature appreciation,

environmental awareness and understanding, sense of freedom, and preservation of natural sites.

In this zone, the user is more in touch with nature which gives them a better sense of solitude. In


the roaded natural zone users need to be aware that this is a preserved area and fines will be

distributed to users that are found littering or destructing the wilderness.

All the goals and actions will be fused together, with the cooperation of the managers,

community, and the users to better the park. Along with having target benefits specifically for

each zone, there were some benefits that fall into both the rural and roaded natural zones. They

include, but are not limited to, stress relief for the visitors who come and enjoy the park. It gives

the community a sense of pride for the quality that the park holds. The park can give a greater

community involvement through stewardship of the park. With the park being an attractive

welcoming place to be in brings in new and past visitors which give a local and regional

economic growth. With the proposed combination of the applied benefits and goals we expect an

increase in overall user/management satisfaction.

Two Ecological Regions of Lake Washington County Park

Figure 2: Ecological Regions of Minnesota


Lake Washington County Park is located nearby the border of two ecological regions.

The two regions are the Minnesota and North Eastern Iowa Morainal (MIM) to the east and the

North Central Glaciated Plains (CGP) to the west. These regions are important as they represent

the area where the long band of deciduous forest and woodland of the upper Midwest and the

plains of the west meet.

Pre-European Settlement Vegetation and Species

The MIM and CGP region looked very different before the Europeans settled. In the

MIM area sandy flat areas were dominated by prairie, savanna, and oak and aspen woodlands.

Woodland and forest dominated sites in this section where fire was more uncommon. Mesic

forests, forests with a well-balanced supply of moisture, were dominated by sugar maple,

basswood, American elm, and northern red oak. Floodplain forests can be found along the

valleys of the Minnesota River. In the CGP area, prairie was a big majority of the region.

Northern floodplain forest can also be found in this region along the Minnesota River. Some oak-

hickory forest can be found along drainages in the southern section of this region.

In both the MIM and CGP regions, fire was the most common natural disturbance to the

native vegetation. Droughty soils were present which didn’t help stop the fires. Floods and

tornadoes were also present, but were not as common as fires were. Today, the major

disturbances are logging and clearing the land for agriculture.


Table 12: Animal Species

Table 9 shows the wildlife from each region that were present before the European

settlement and the wildlife that is present today. Many of the animals that were present in the

Pre-European time have changed to what they are today. A couple of the common animals that

you will find today are the white-tailed deer, gray squirrel, and the cottontail rabbit. The main

reason these animals have been so successful in the area is because the habitat is to their survival.

Also if they are hunted there are regulations to how many can be taken each year so they don’t

disappear from the area. This area use to be home to bison and elk, but are no longer present in

the wild in this region. Once the landscape changed from prairie/woodland mix to being

dominated by agriculture, it has caused some species to either become limited or disappear

completely. Table 10 shows the species in Southern Minnesota that are classified as rare by the

Minnesota DNR.

Minnesota and North Eastern Iowa Morainal North-Central Glaciated Plains

Pre-European Current Pre-European Current

Bison Coyote Bison Ringneck Pheasant

Elk Fox Elk Cottontail Rabbit

Coyote Prairie Chicken Antelope Jack Rabbit

Prairie Chicken Canada Goose Prairie Wolf Coyote

Canada Goose Sandhill Crane Waterfowl Red Fox

Wolf Prairie Chicken White-Tailed Deer

Fox Gray Squirrel

Jack Rabbit Wild Turkey


Species Type Species Name Status in Southern

Minnesota

Mammal Northern Long-Eared Bat Proposed as Endangered

Fish Topeka Shiner Endangered and Critical

Habitat

Insects Karner Blue Butterfly Endangered

Mussel Higgins Eye Pearlymussel Endangered

Mussel Sheepnose Endangered

Plant Minnesota Dwarf Trout

Lily Endangered

Plant Leedy’s Roseroot Threatened

Plant Prairie Bush Clover Threatened

Plant Western Prairie Fringed

Orchid Threatened

Table 13: Endangered or Threatened Species in Southern Minnesota

Existing Natural Resources and Importance of LAWCON

The MIM section represents a long band of deciduous forest, woodland, and prairie. This

area stretches about 350 miles. Forests of silver maple occupy the active floodplains, while

forests of silver maple, cottonwood, box-elder, green ash, and elm occupy terraces that flood

infrequently. Much of the CGP region represents level to rolling till plains, moraines, lake plains,

and outwash plains. It is supported mainly by treeless areas. These landforms also support

smaller amounts of marsh, wetland prairie, and wet meadows.

Today Lake Washington County Park has a variety of land. The different pieces of land

include wetlands, wooded areas, grasslands, and leased land that is used for agriculture. The

wooded area is mostly deciduous and contains maple, oak, basswood, and some cottonwood

trees. There is a group of planted walnut trees near the middle of the park. They are planted in

rows which doesn’t give it a natural feel. The wetlands are along the east side of the park. This is

where the land meets up with Lake Washington. The park has roughly 2,000 total feet of

shoreline on the lake, which includes these wetlands. The agricultural land makes up a large


portion of the park as well. This land is leased to a private party and used to produce corn,

soybeans, and hay which rotate certain years by the farmer’s choice.

Lake Washington is a 1,487 acre lake that makes up the eastern boarder of much of Lake

Washington County Park (Appendix A). It is one of many lakes in the region. The lake is a

popular destination for recreation on the water and anyone who likes to fish. Two DNR owned

public accesses are available on the lake. One of which is located right down the road from Lake

Washington County Park. The lake is home to a variety of fish species as seen in the Table 11.

The fish populations are stable and they do stock the lake each year with walleye species in large

numbers.

Fish Species Found in Lake Washington Bigmouth Buffalo Bowfin (dogfish) Golden Shiner White Crappie

Black Bullhead Brown Bullhead Largemouth Bass White Sucker

Black Crappie Common Carp Northern Pike Yellow Bullhead

Bluegill Freshwater Drum Walleye Yellow Perch

Table 14: Fish Species in Lake Washington

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LAWCON) is important and very interesting to

Lake Washington County Park. It was utilized for the initial acquisition and development of the

park. It is also a possible source for future funding. In Section 6(f) of the Act requires all funded

lands to be retained and used solely for outdoor recreation. Any conversion of these lands to uses

other than outdoor recreation must be approved by the National Park Service. With that being

said, it is necessary for the agriculture land to be changed back to natural habitat or for the use of

outdoor recreation.

The resource management goals that we have stated earlier all influence better

recreational opportunities within the park. The goals create a safer and more appealing place to

be. This then gets more visitors to the park and enjoying what they like best.


Existing Cultural Resources and Minnesota’s Field Archaeology Act

Figure 3: Lake Washington Existing Cultural Resources

Figure 3 shows the areas where cultural resources have been found in Lake Washington

County Park. There are five archaeological sites, which are not currently active, listed with the

Minnesota Historical Society. In the past, pottery shards and arrowheads have been found on the

sites from the Woodland Indians. Under the Minnesota Field Archaeology Act (MS 138.31-

138.41) nothing may be built on top of known or suspected archaeological sites. If management

has a development plan, they have to submit it to the State Archaeologist, the Minnesota

Historical Society and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. Anything found on the area, the

State Archaeologist has ownership, custody and use of the objects and data recovered. As the

manager it is best to leave the sites alone and allow for natural resources to grow as they please.

It is also good for interpretation to show visitors the sites.


Chapter 4: Recreation and Visitor Management

Introduction

While visiting Lake Washington County Park visitors will have many recreational

opportunities. Users will take away many benefits for their personal wellbeing as well as

community and socially. Implementing two management zones in the park will help manage all

of these opportunities to their fullest potential. In this section you will read about these benefits

as well as some recreational resource goals that we have for the park. We will also go over the

recreational opportunities that are available in the park, along with some of the recreation

opportunities that we hope to provide in the future.

Personal and Community Benefits

Lake Washington County Park provides plenty of personal and community benefits. One

of the personal benefits that you gain from coming to Lake Washington County Park is having

positive changes in your mood and emotion. The reason why this is one of the benefits is because

being out either in the rural zone at the campground or being in the roaded natural zone out in

nature, you will gain positive feelings. Another personal benefit that you will receive from being

at Lake Washington County Park is having an area that you can relieve some stress. This park

provides enough space where you can sit quietly or be near everyone, which ever will provide

the most stress relieve in one’s life. Being out in the roaded natural zone of the park will also

provide a sense of freedom, appreciation of nature and environmental awareness and

understanding. Having 156 acres of land provides enough space where someone can get away

from everyday life by enjoying one of the many recreational opportunities the park provides.


Lake Washington County Park not only provides many personal benefits to someone it

also provides many social and community benefits. The first social benefit that it provides is it is

an area for great social bonding. This benefit is more based out of the rural zone of the park

because this is where most of the social interactions between people will be occurring but it can

also happen in the roaded natural zone as well. Another social benefit the park provides is family

bonding. The park is very family orientated and welcomes all who want to use it, even pets.

Providing a park that the community is proud of is one of the benefits that the park will also

bring. With this the community can almost make a name for it-self. Having an area that is well

maintained and clean will bring people to the bark. With this there will be greater community

involvement. If the park is a great place to come and visit this will bring in people from all

around the state and area. With this local community’s will benefit economically.

Proposed Management Zones

For the management of Lake Washington County Park we will be implementing a two

zone management technique. The first management zone will be a rural area. This will have the

campground and most of the recreational facilities and equipment. The second zone will be a

roaded natural area. This will consist of most of the trail systems, wooded areas, grass lands and

wetlands of the park. The reason why we are splitting the park up into two zones is because we

feel that there are enough differences in the management techniques that we are going to use to

have two zones. In the rural zone we are going to be focusing more on a recreational side of

management. In the roaded natural zone we are going to be focusing on a natural nature feeling

management type.


Recreation Resource Management Goals

Lake Washington County Park has many management goals that they are trying to

provide. The first goal for the park is to provide opportunities to see and hear native wildlife. We

feel like this is important because when out in a park like this one being able to see and hear

wildlife creates that extra experience that you can only get outside of the city. Also it is

important to the wildlife to have an area big enough that they can comfortably live in. Another

goal that the park has is the protection of natural and cultural resources. This is important to the

recreational part of it because the memories that people make here biased on the land and the

resources we have are important to keep for future generations. The last two goals of the

recreational part of piece are to provide an appropriate amount of recreational opportunities and

have appropriate recreational facilities. We want our park to have the most available recreational

opportunities while not having too many, our visitors are overwhelming with them. We feel like

we should provide well marked trail systems along with the correct amount of facilities to handle

our recreational opportunities.

Summary of Existing Recreation Resources

Lake Washington County Park provides a ton of recreational opportunities for its visitors.

In the rural zone the park has thirty one campsites in total, available for use. There are twenty

two sites with electricity (six with 50-amp service, the rest are 30-amp), six sites without and

three primitive sites. Also there is a Picnic shelter, a dump station, a shower/ washroom facility,

water supplies and a walking trail around the camp site. There also is a playground, basketball

hoop, and interpretive center available for people to rent out.


In the roaded natural zone, for the summer/ warmer months the park offers a walking trail

throughout the wooded area and grassland. This is great to go on hikes through the woods or

maybe even bird watching. There is no motorized vehicles welcome on the trails, although

mountain bikes are welcome. There also is a canoe launch to the east side of the parking lot as

you come in. Like previously stated there are no public boat launches in the park but there are

two available on the else ware. In the winter months the trails are open for cross country skiers

and people who want to go snow shoeing.

Over all, the park provides a good selection of recreational opportunities for visitors. The

park fulfills their goals of management, vision statement and target benefits that they want their

visitors to have. Providing two zones people can get the connection with nature as well as a

stress reliever. Also visitors are able to recreate in ways that will provide them with the most

benefits quite easily with the amount of recreational opportunities provided in the area.

Future of the Park

Some of the other recreational opportunities that we are trying to provide in the future of

the park are a mountain bike trail, better marked and easier accessed trails, volleyball courts,

reopening of interpretive center, improved campsites and equipment available for rental. With

having the park opened all year will provide different types of equipment available for use. Some

of the equipment that will be available in the winter months will be snow shoes and cross

country skies. In the summer months, there will be different types of balls, canoes, kayaks just as

some examples.


Some of the changes that will probably occur in the park will be improved walking trails

and better posting of signs throughout the park. We will put in a trail head at the end of the

parking lot showing the mapped areas of the park as well as what trails go to what areas. On the

trails there will be markings on where the trails lead incase if some people get twisted around in

the roaded natural zone. With this people will be able to access the lake a little better. Also we

are hoping on putting in volleyball courts as well as expand the playground that is currently there

with more improved equipment as well as its size. Another thing that we might look at in the

next fifty years is to put in a fishing pear on the east side of the park. This will provide an easy

opportunity for people who don’t have boats to be able to fish.

Chapter 5: Interpretive Services

Current Interpretive Opportunities

Currently, Lake Washington County Park offers minimal interpretive services. The

interpretive center, located within the roaded natural zone, was originally a center to provide a

learning experience for visitors at an individual based pace. Today, this center is for rental use

only, and offers little to no information about the park or the surrounding area. Along with the

interpretive center, remnants of past interpretive user trails and signs are visible throughout the

park, as seen in the roaded natural and semi-primitive motorized zones. These were once offered

as a self-guided tour of the park and offered information on plants, trees and various other parts

of the habitat. Currently, these signs are falling apart and provide no use at this time. Overall,

current interpretive services offer minimal educational opportunities for visitors of Lake

Washington County Park and visitors aren’t using the park for these interpretive opportunities at

the current time.


The National Association for Interpretation (NAI) defines interpretation as a mission

based communication process that forges emotional and intellectual connections between

interests of the audience and the inherent meaning in the resources. This being said, it is very

important that interpretive services are provided at Lake Washington County Park. The park will

provide a range of interpretive opportunities for all of our users throughout the rural and roaded

natural zones. The major interpretive opportunities provided for the users will include a website

online, an information booth as you enter the park, brochures, park and trail maps, park and trail

signage and scheduled educational tours.

New Interpretation

The information booth will assist all users with the option to learn about the park and

providing ideas and opportunities that will be available while attending the park. The information

booth is a personal informal delivery of interpretation. The booth will also provide different

maps users can take that show the park grounds and surrounding area. More specifically the

maps show visitors the different areas of the park, the management zone types and locations,

permitted camping locations and provided recreation activity locations.

Throughout the park will be numerous types of signs to direct users in the park. There

will be a sign on the outside of the information booth as you enter the park. This will include a

map with a map key of the entire park. It will also include arrows to point users in the right

direction for whatever they might be looking for. Along the trails will be signs posted with mini

maps to show them where they are and where they can go from how to reach their destination as

desired.

There will also be brochures that users will be able to take with them. The brochures are a

non-personal form of interpretation that allows users to explore their options free from outside


human interaction if they want to do it on their own. The brochures include rules and regulations

for the park users and campers as well as the rules per zone. Also provided in these are the

recreation opportunities and rental equipment availability such as the hours and any fees that

might apply.

Educational tours are available for users upon request. This is the parks personal and

formal delivery option for users to walk with another person or a group and for those who would

prefer not reading as they venture through the park. These tours will provide users with a better

idea of what Lake Washington County Park is about, what it has to offer and the history of the

park. The tours will require an appointment scheduled at least one day in advance to make sure

that there is a guide available. The only opportunity for a tour the day of request will be if there

are two booth workers and one is a tour guide.

The last interpretive opportunity is the Lake Washington County Park website. This

website will provide people on the web with everything they need to know. This includes

everything the park has to offer such as camping information, rules and regulations, mission

statement, fees, special dates, phone number, services offered, dates of operation, hours of

operations, employment opportunities and anything else you could think of.

Users with physical and mental disabilities are offered the same programs; however, it is

understood that not everyone is able to participate at the same mental and physical level so each

person’s ability will be taken into consideration and will be handled in a professional manner.

Users will be asked to provide information of disabilities prior to participation in any program so

the proper accommodations and modifications are made.

The interpretive staffing is very important for Lake Washington County Park to ensure

the users are provided with correct information and effective services. The parks interpretive


staff will vary according to season. All interpretive staff will be interviewed, hired, trained and

supervised by the park manager.

The interpretive booth will be open Monday through Friday from 9am - 5pm and

weekends from 9am – 2pm in the summer. There will be one or two workers in the booth

depending on how many campers the park expects according to reservations. There will be 4 or

more part time workers hired for this position in the summer. In the late spring and early fall the

attendants will only be present Thursday through Sunday from 10am to 2pm due to less users

attending the park. For holidays or special events there will be two staff members to assist the

larger groups. Booth attendant(s) will be knowledgeable of the entire park and are there to offer

assistance for any informational purpose that may be requested by users.

Tour guides and are hired as seasonal workers for the summer. There will be two guides

given the position so we will have one available as needed. Since the tour guide will be an

interpretive expert who is very familiar with the entire park they will also be offered to work at

the booth for extra hours since tours are not necessarily a daily operation. This person will be

able inform users of the mission and vision that Lake Washington County Park strives for and

how it is being achieved. He or she will be able to explain the difference and purpose between

the two zones, the types of animals and vegetation in the park, recreational opportunities, and the

history of the park and how it has come to its current state.

Interpretive techniques that will be used at Lake Washington County Park include

selecting the topic and themes considering the resources at hand, interests of the audience and the

desires of management. This should be relatively simple for our tour guides since they will be

interpretive experts and very knowledgeable of the park. Both guides and booth workers will be

able to connect tangibles (facts, giving an intellectual picture) to the intangibles (real life


examples to connect the audience with intellectual picture) by using universal concepts (ideas

likely to appeal to everyone, regardless of individual filters). When park users sign up for a tour

they will be asked to complete a short survey about the park and their personal life. Since most

tours are scheduled a day in advance this will give the guide an idea of how much the audience

already knows about the park, what they might have in common and what their personal interests

are.

The goals we want to achieve by providing users with these opportunities are split into

two categories, rural zone interpretive goals and roaded natural interpretive goals. The reason it

is divided is because we find each zone to be very important and realize that to be successful we

need to consider that each user may have different wants and needs per zone.

The rural interpretive goals begin by increasing knowledge of the park that users obtain.

This goal is important to apply so users know what the park has to offer, and leave with a better

understanding and excitement about the park as a whole. Increasing visitation to the park is

another important goal that is crucial to having a successful park. This is done by providing take

home brochures and maps that people can keep for information or share with others. Also will be

our website because the web has become very popular with upcoming generations making it the

easiest way to reach out to the community and initiate public involvement. The third goal

includes educational tours for users to walk the main area of the park and learn about the reason

the park was developed this way and how the annual costs influence limitations.

Connecting people with nature, informing the public of the restoration of the park, and

increasing trail systems are three recommendations to use as interpretive goals. The roaded

natural zone should include at least these three goals if not more if the parks reputation and

attendance is expected to improve. This piece of land is very important because the world is


developing and the natural lands are disappearing. It gives users the feeling of what natural wild

life is all about and maybe they will realize the beauty.

The goals in both zones connect to the vision statement as mentioned there will be the

opportunities to so and hear native wildlife, the informing users of the parks is an effective form

of interpretation and provides educational opportunities which will help to protect natural and

cultural resources and encourage returning and new users to participate in the fun and relaxation

with an opportunity to learn. The management actions are related since we will be providing an

information booth with interpretive attendant, brochures and maps as well as educational tours,

guided tours and different signage throughout the park all helping accomplish the goals. The

goals are also divided among the zones and interpretive opportunities can be done separately or

combined.

Chapter 6: Administration and Implementation

Current Administrative Structure

The current administrative structure at Lake Washington County Park is very simple. The

Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners is the Administrative agency that runs the operations

of management of the park along with the funding of the park. The county hires a part-time

employee to take care of the day-to-day operations and responsibilities with the park. Housing is

provided for the employee in exchange for the services he or she provides. Le Sueur County

doesn’t have any departments associated with parks and recreation or any tax levy for parks. To

get fund for the Lake Washington County Park, they collect from tax revenues, sale of crops

raised on the parkland, donations.


Recommended Administrative Structure and Implementation

The Administrative plan that we would like to implement would vastly change from the

original Administrative plan. We would like to keep the Le Sueur County Board of

Commissioners as the head chair of the park. With the changes being made in our proposal for

Lake Washington County Park, we would like to hire a few full-time positions. We would like to

start a Parks and Recreation department associated with Lake Washington County Park to bring

in more customers/campers. With the many parts that we would like to add to the park, there

would need to be a few more employees. The following chart is an example of employees

needed for operations.

Figure 4: Administration Staff Structure

Le Sueur county Board of

Commisioners

Grounds supervisor

Grounds Employee

Office Employee

Park Manager


The Job description of each position is as followed:

Park Manager: The Park Manager will be in charge of the overall day-to-day operations of the

park. He/she will make sure the park is well kept and up to code on all parts of the park. He/she

will also be in charge to overlook the Grounds Supervisor, Grounds Employee, and Office

Employee. You will also be required to keep inventory on equipment rental, number of campers

and clientele within the park.

Grounds Supervisor: The Grounds Supervisor will be in charge of the up-keep and condition of

the park. He/she will make sure the paths/trails are kept clear of debris each day, parking

lot/campsites are clean and clear of garbage, and the grass is mowed and kept clean and clear of

garbage.

Grounds Employee: The Grounds Employee will assist the Grounds Supervisor. The everyday

duties will be assigned by the Grounds Supervisor. Some Duties may require heavy lifting,

mowing, weed whipping, and other various duties to keep the park safe and clean.

Office Employee: The Office Employee will be helping customers and campers with questions

and concerns. You will be required to sell camping passes and equipment rental…etc.

Experience with customers is preferred but not required.

Steps for Implementation

There are many steps to be made for Lake Washington County Park to get where we

would like it to be. The first few steps that need to be looked at are the overall look of the park.

The park needs to look more inviting for people to want to come and stay at the park. The

campsite then, needs to be updated. We would like to get and equipment shed built in place to


rent out various equipment to the guests. The many recommendations that we would like Lake

Washington County Park to consider will take some time to accomplish, but once accomplished

the future looks bright for the park.


References Cited

Blue Earth County, Minnesota. (2013). Official Website. Retrieved November 26, 2013 from

http://www.blueearthcountymn.gov

Brochu, L., Merriman, T. (2008). Personal Interpretation: Connecting Your Audience to Heritage Resources. National Association for Interpretation.

Campgrounds in Le Sueur County, Minnesota. (2013). Parks. Retrieved November 26, 2013 from www.hikercentral.com

Explore Minnesota Tourism. (2013). Parks. Retrieved November 26, 2013 from

http://www.exploreminnesota.com

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (2013). Lake Information Report. Retrieved

November 26, 2013 from http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/showreport.html?downum=40011700

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (2013). Land and Water Conservation Fund (LAWCON). Retrieved November 24, 2013 from

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/aboutdnr/lawcon/index.html Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (2013). Ecological Subsections of Minnesota.

Retrieved November 22, 2013 from http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ecs/index.html

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (2013). Public Recreation Information Maps. Retrieved November 25, 2013 from http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/prim.html

Minnesota Historical Society. (2013). Preservation Legislation. Retrieved November 26, 2013 from http://www.mnhs.org/shpo/review/legislation.htm

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (2013, September 25). Minnesota Stormwater Manual.

Retrieved November 22, 2013 from

http://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Overview_of_basic_stormwater_concepts

Region 9 Regional Development Commission. (2013). County Profiles. Retrieved November 26, 2013 from http://www.rndc.org//

State Demographer’s Office. (2010). Minnesota Census Results. Retrieved November 25, 2013 from http://www.demography.state.mn.us/

US Census Bureau. (2010). US Department of Commerce. Retrieved November 25, 2013 from

http://www.census.gov/people

Waseca County, Minnesota. (2013). Parks. Retrieved November 26, 2013 from

http://www.co.waseca.mn.us


Appendix A