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Sherburne County accepts Lake Steward designation for Two Inlets Park
Summary
The county board voted to accept a Lake Steward designation for Two Inlets Park on the Briggs Lake chain and to allow signage; county and lake-association leaders discussed coordinating education with the Soil and Water Conservation District and the One Watershed, One Plan program.
The Sherburne County Board of Commissioners voted to accept a Lake Steward designation for Two Inlets Park, part of the Briggs Lake chain, and approved placement of signage recognizing the site’s shoreline restoration work.
The designation, proposed by the Briggs Lake Chain Association’s Healthy Lakes Committee, recognizes properties using shoreline practices such as native plantings, invasive-species removal and protection of native trees and shrubs. Ruth Tholme, representing the Briggs Lake Chain Association and its Healthy Lakes Committee, told commissioners the association uses a statewide evaluation app and that Two Inlets Park earned an “A plus.” Tholme said, “The park is an excellent example of lake stewardship.”
County staff described recent land-use change on the parcel from cultivated agriculture to native-prairie restoration, noting the property encompasses about a mile of Big Elk Lake shoreline and includes streams that connect upstream lakes.
Commissioner Rhiannon Halls asked whether the signs could link to deeper educational resources. County and lake-association speakers supported the idea of coordinating with the local Soil and Water Conservation District and the One Watershed, One Plan work, and suggested adding a QR code on signs to lead visitors to more information about shoreline practices and water-quality work.
The board approved a motion to accept the designation and to allow placement of a sign at the park entrance and up to two shoreline signs; the motion was moved by Commissioner Rhiannon Halls and seconded by a colleague. The vote was recorded as approved. County staff said they will discuss final sign placement and coordinate with partners at an upcoming meeting.
The Healthy Lakes Lake Steward program is administered statewide through a partnership that includes the Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Association; the Briggs Lake Chain Association has participated in the program for two years and previously awarded property signs to residents.
The county will receive the signs and post them at the park; staff and lake-association volunteers also recommended adding the designation to future park publications as part of a broader outreach effort.
