February 19, 2021
RLAA Annual Dues will be reduced to $100 in 2021. Dues notices will be sent out prior to the RLAA Annual Meeting., which will be held virtually on Tuesday, May 4th. Details will be sent out in the near future.
February 14, 2021
Enhancements are being made to the Rice Lake private boat ramp. (Click here for details)
January 12, 2021
Most of the 15 Thin Ice signs were tied together with kite string today to help recovery operations in the spring when the ice goes out. Note: A couple of areas were bored for ice thickness outside of the aeration area were found to be only 6" thick. This is at least a couple of inches less than when the aerator was started on December 27th. Please exercise caution when in this area.
December 27, 2020
Winter aeration system started up today. 15 Thin Ice signs were installed surrounding the expected open water area. Ice was measured 9" thick in this particular area. Please use caution when venturing out onto the ice, especially in this location. Visit the Winter Aeration page for activities related to this project. (Click here for aeration project details)
December 14, 2020
Dredging contractor is planning to work on the project this spring (2021) after the ice is out. More details to come. (Click here for project details)
December 3, 2020
Thank you to all who contributed to the GoFundMe page for our dredging project! We collected a total of $8,194.15. We are waiting to find out if the contractor can do the work this year without the drawdown. Stay tuned for details. (Click here for project details)
November 20, 2020
Winter aeration Warning signs were placed at 4 public access points along the lake/creek). The winter aeration system, located on the NW corner of the lake off street address 15573 91st Ave N, will be turned on once the ice is thick enough. RLAA runs the aeration system each winter to help sustain the fish population. (click here for details)
November 6, 2020
Minnesota DNR denies approval for a drawdown permit due to the discovery of the endangered species Blanding's Turtle, which was found in the Elm Creek Watershed. (click here for details) If you still have your docks/lifts in the water and typically remove them during non-drawdown years, you may want to consider removing them before winter sets in.
November 2, 2020
Maple Grove City Council approves drawdown recommendation. Next (and final) stop is the MN DNR for permit approval. Stay tuned for details.
October 21, 2020
Lake Quality Commission unanimously approves recommendation to the City Council for a drawdown this winter. Next step is for the City Council to decide at their November 2nd (Monday) regular meeting. IF they approve, a drawdown could begin that week. (Note: If you did leave your dock in the water your may want to secure it to the shoreline in the event we get some early ice before the drawdown begins. The temperatures are not normal so far this season.)
October 8, 2020
Water level is very low at this time. Use caution when travelling through the channel to the boat ramp. Hopefully this will be the last time we need to deal with this issue! (Click here to visit the site for updated lake levels based on Sea Level: managed by the MN DNR)
September 20, 2020
Plans to dredge out the boat ramp channel are still in the works for this winter. Solicitations for funding by boat owners will be coming out soon; stay tuned for details! (click here for project information)
August 31, 2020
Attained 75% minimum for approval signatures (75 out of 100) and submitted to City of Maple Grove.
August 5, 2020
RLAA is still planning to conduct a drawdown this fall/winter to kill non-native plants. Details will be coming out soon to collect resident signatures (75% of all shoreline residents needed for City/DNR approval).
We are also still planning to pursue dredging the channel to the boat ramp bay, pending DNR approval. More details will be coming out soon regarding this project.
On a final note, many lakes are experiencing lower water levels, as are we on Rice Lake. We are dependent on mother nature to provide us with rainfall to help get us back to a normal water level. The current water level is the lowest since 2009 (other than the 2041-15 drawdown).
August 3, 2020
The lake aeration system, which is located in the NW corner of the lake, has been turned on to see if it can help improve water quality in the immediate area. It will be run for 1-2 weeks and then evaluated to see if we should continue running it.
July 11, 2020
Blue-green algae is beginning to show up along the shoreline of the lake and in Elm Creek (north).
June 30, 2020
RLAA is pursuing a draw down this winter to help knock down the invasive Curlyleaf Pondweed and Eurasian Watermilfoil plants in the lake. We will be approaching all lakeshore/creekshore homeowners for their approvals for this draw down soon. Stay tuned for details!
June 28, 2020
We have collected $7,500 in 2020 dues so far for this year! Thank you for your contributions to RLAA!
May 24, 2020
Partial fish kill only appears to be impacting bullheads this weekend, most likely by the Columnarius virus (click here for details). If you see other dead species, please let us know at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net.
May 15, 2020
RLAA annual dues notices sent out to members via e-mail on May 2 and 15. You can pay via PayPal or by check.
May 4, 2020
Slalom (ski) course on Rice Lake approved by RLAA Board of Directors and City of Maple Grove. Will be installed later this month in same location as past 2 years (SE corner of the lake).
May 1 2020
As noted below, the 2020 RLAA Annual Meeting has been postponed, but we still need your dues to help pay for numerous projects this year. You can pay either by PayPal or by US Mail with a paper check ( see this document for details on either method - 2020 RLAA Meeting Notice). Direct your PayPal payments to the Rice Lake Area Association at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net.
April 2, 2020
2020 RLAA Annual Meeting has been postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic. It will be rescheduled once everything settles down. In the meantime, we will be sending out 2020 Annual Dues notices, which we still need to collect in order to pay for upcoming projects.
April 1, 2020
Check out our new Facebook Group (Rice Lake Area Association (Maple Grove,MN)) and feel free to join as a member! Administrators are standing by to accept your invitations!
March 31, 2020
Winter aeration system has been turned off for the season. If you find any Thin Ice signs on your shoreline, please let us know the number and location so we can grab them. (ricelakeassoc@comcast.net)
March 15, 2020
Winter aeration area is expanding with the recent temperature increase and winds. The Thin Ice signs will be drifting around the lake. If you see any of them by your shoreline, please give us a shout at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net so we can come get them to be used again in the future.
February 15, 2020
Over the past 2 weeks, the wily carp have been moving around to different areas. They were last detected on the west side of the lake across from Glacier Lane. However, they were not in a dense enough concentration to be netted.
February 1, 2020
Delay in Carp netting as fish have moved to areas where they cannot be caught. Flags have been posted in desired harvest area just west of the channel to the boat ramp bay. They have moved from the SE corner of the lake, then to the NE corner, and are now back towards the SE corner (although not concentrated).
January 23, 2020
Be careful if you venture out on the ice, especially on Elm Creek on the outlet (NE) side of the lake. Some ice on the creek is measuring only 5" as of today, while ice on parts of the lake are over 12".
January 21, 2020
Marker flags have been placed in the SE corner of the lake (SE of Glacier Lane) to signify locations of common carp congregations. This is being done as carp are being tracked via radio telemetry equipment.
December 21, 2019
Winter aerator started up and Thin Ice signs posted around perimeter. Visit the Winter Aeration web page for more information (click here for details)
December 2, 2019
Official Ice In date for Rice Lake (100% covered for the 1st time of the season).
November 7 & 14, 2019
Public notices for winter aeration plans posted in Osseo-Maple Grove Press. Details coming later on the actual aeration start up.
October 31, 2019
Carp seining (netting) planned today by commercial fishermen based on early returns showing carp presence in the center of Rice Lake. (Activity was cancelled after fishermen had a problem with launching their boat. No reschedule date chosen at this time.)
October 23, 2019
First carp tracking by radio receiver was done today on the lake. Highest concentration of the tracked fish were at the center of the lake.
October 20, 2019
All navigation buoys have been pulled out for the season.
October 17, 2019
Duck decoys (6) have been tied to the aerator diffuser heads on the NW corner of the lake. Thank you to Jim Malone for donating the decoys and helping set them up on-site.
October 10, 2019
Winter aeration system has been updated to a new diffuser style, which should prove to be easier to deploy and maintain in the future. Visit the Winter Aeration web page for more information (click here for details).
October 9, 2019
MnDOT announces update for upcoming road construction on I-94 north of Maple Grove (click here for latest).
October 9-10, 2019
Carp Removal project Phase 2 update - The consultant (WSB) conducted another electro-fishing event on both Fish and Rice Lakes to capture and radio tag some carp and northern pike. Tracking devices were purchased by both lakes to allow monitoring of these tagged fish through the year, which will help determine best methods for capture and removal.
August 10, 2019
See the new Rice Lake Boating Reminders page for boating safety on Rice Lake/Elm Creek. (click here)
August 3, 2019
No drawdown is planned for this coming winter, but we are considering one for the 2020-2021 winter.
June 8, 2019
Please pay your 2019 membership dues if you have not already done so! Several projects we are undertaking this year require your dues to help fund them.
Week of June 3-7
Commercial fisherman was delayed in getting their nets out to catch some bullheads until this week. Once they checked their nets, they determined the bullheads were not of the proper size for their market (most over 8") so they did not take any out of the lake. They may come back later this year if the size meets the market demand.
Week of May 27-31
Commercial fisherman plan to set nets to catch some bullheads this week. Details coming soon.
May 25, 2019
Winter aeration system removed from the lake and seasonal buoys put out.
May 18, 2019
Please pay your 2019 membership dues if you have not already done so! Several projects we are undertaking this year require your dues to help fund them.
May 17, 2019
2019 RLAA Annual Meeting content posted on this website. Click here for details.
May 15, 2019
Winter aeration system has been turned off and will be removed from the lake later this month, when we will also deploy the buoys.
May 2, 2019
Reminder: The 2019 RLAA Annual Meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 7th at the Cambria Suites Motel in Maple Grove. Doors open at 6:00 pm with pizza served after 6:30 and the formal meeting around 7:00 pm. Please RSVP us as ricelakeassoc@comcast.net if you plan to be there so we can get a good count on how many to serve.
April 16 2019
Official ice out date is today for Rice Lake this year.
April 13 2019
Now that the ice is out, the aerator has been turned off for the season. Thin Ice signs will be washing up on shorelines. Please contact us at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net to collect these signs so we can use them again in the future.
April 7, 2019
As the ice goes out this spring, the Thin Ice signs will be washing up on shorelines. Please contact us at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net to collect these signs so we can use them again in the future.
March 13, 2019
The Carp Assessment project is gearing up for Phase 2 to track and remove carp between Rice and Fish Lakes. In 2019-2020, a sample of carp from both lakes will be harvested and installed with radio tags, then released back into the lakes so they can be tracked for later removal by commercial fishermen. Partners in this project include RLAA, FLARA, City of Maple Grove, Three Rivers Parks District and Elm Creek Watershed.
January 25, 2019
The winter aerator continues to run and has opened up an area of over 200' x 50' so far. Please notify us at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net if you notice the aerator not functioning properly. Visit the 2018-2019 Winter Aeration web page for details.
January 9, 2019
The Carp Assessment project has been completed and Fish and Rice Lakes will be working with the consultant (WSB & Associates) on next steps for carp tracking and eventual removal. Visit the bottom of the Projects page (click here) for more details.
January 4, 2019
Aerator started up again after discovery that bushing broke in shaft. Replaced with new brass bushing and unit restarted again. Opened up a good size area almost immediately. Visit the 2018-19 Winter Aeration page for more.
January 2, 2019
Aerator has stopped running sometime since Monday (12/31) and is frozen in place. Efforts are being made to get it running again.
December 19, 2018
Aerator stopped running on December 18 due to movement on top of ice and shorted out. It was restarted today.
December 16, 2018
The winter aeration unit was deployed on the lake (located about 300' offshore from 15573 91st Ave N) this past Sunday. Thin Ice signs are posted around the perimeter; please use extreme caution in that area! (For more information visit the 2018-2019 Winter Aeration page.)
December 8, 2018
Official ICE IN date declared as of today with 100% of the lake surface frozen. PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN VENTURING ONTO THE ICE AS THERE CAN ALWAYS BE THIN ICE PRESENT!
November 4, 2018
We will be doing winter aeration this coming season once the ice is thick enough. The same site (off 15573 91st Ave North) will be used again this season.
October 21, 2018
Navigational buoys have been removed from the lake as of today.
Also a note that there is a tree down blocking part of the channel just south of the Arboretum footbridge north of County Road 30. I a request has been submitted to the City if they can remove this tree. (click here for photo)
October 9, 2018
Carp Assessment project data will be available with summary report and recommendations by November 2018.
September 13, 2018
Carp Assessment project is underway the past 2 weeks with our consultant, WSB & Associates, who are doing Electrofishing (temporary stun fish to gather biomass information) and trap netting in both Fish and Rice Lakes. Details of the study will be published when they become available.
August 24, 2018 - Have you paid your RLAA Dues yet?
We are running behind in collections for 2018 and need more of our members to pay their dues if we are to meet our budge for several projects coming up this and next year. Please pay your dues if you haven't done so already! Thank you! (if you have any questions about RLAA dues, please e-mail us at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net)
August 19, 2018 - Blue/green algae levels in Elm Creek and Rice Lake slightly improving
Since the last report on August 6th, even without any rainfall, we have experienced slightly better algae conditions. Rain is forecast for next week, which should "flush" the lake move the water more.
August 6, 2018 - Heavy blue/green algae in bays around the lake
Due to the recent lack of rains and warmer temperatures, we have been experiencing a strong blue/green algae bloom, especially in the bays and the more shallow areas around the lake. As of this time, we have not witnessed any fish kills, but they could be possible with lower dissolved oxygen (DO) levels.
May 5, 2018 - Winter Aerator removed from the lake
Thank you to those who helped remove it and to those who picked up the Thin Ice signs as they washed ashore.
May 1, 2018 - RLAA Annual Meeting
Was held at Cambria Suites in Maple Grove. Meeting presentation and minutes will be posted to this website shortly.
April 28, 2018 - Please report any Winter Aerator floating debris locations if you see them
Now that the ice is finally starting to go out, please let us know if you see any aerator signage drifting around so we can pick it up later. Ideally, if you see it on the shoreline, let us know the location so we can pick it up either from land or by boat later. Contact us at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net.
April 23, 2018 - Winter Aerator shut off for the season
Even though there is still ice on the lake, it was decided to shut off the aerator for the season since it was starting to run a little "rough" lately (excessive vibration). It will be removed from the lake once all the ice is out and boats are able to retrieve it. (Click here for details of this year's winter aeration project)
April 20, 2018 - MN DNR Ice In/Out data links
Anyone can access the MN DNR Ice In and Ice Out database via these respective links:
Ice Out = https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ice_out
Ice In = https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ice_in
Select the desired year from the dropd-own menu, then select the desired lake (Rice Lake is listed as "Rice 270116" and may not show data for all years).
April 17, 2018 - Winter Aerator will continue running until ice is out
The winter aerator will continue running until the ice is out on the lake, whenever that may occur. Please continue to use caution on the ice, especially near any open water areas.
April 15, 2018 - RSVP to attend the RLAA Annual Meeting on May 1st at Cambria Suites in Maple Grove
Either visit or meeting page (RLAA Meetings) or download the 2018 RLAA Annual meeting notice by clicking here.
March 24, 2018 - Aerator continues to run
The winter aerator will continue to run until the ice goes out this winter, which is already at least 3 weeks behind last year's early ice out. An open water area of over 100' x 500' exists east of the aerator and is drawing waterfowl to enjoy some of the little open water available in the area.
March 21, 2018 - RLAA Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 1st at the Cambria Suites hotel
More information will be available by mid-April.
January 26, 2018 - Aerator open water is expanding
As of this Friday afternoon, the aerator has expanded an open water area of roughly 25' x 100' due east of the aerator. The orange snow fence which had been installed on January 20 fell down in the latest snowstorm, but was righted today. (Click here for details of this year's winter aeration project)
PLEASE CONTINUE TO EXERCISE CAUTION IF YOU VENTURE INTO THIS AREA!!!
January 20, 2018 - Aerator deployed!
As of Saturday afternoon, the aerator has been put in place and turned on for the remainder of the winter season. It will run 24x7 until the ice is out in the spring and aeration is no longer needed. An expanded area of open water should develop in the coming weeks from the original 12’x7’ hole which was opened up this weekend.
Thin Ice signs have been posted around the perimeter of the area expected to open up.
PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION IF YOU VENTURE INTO THIS AREA, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE CABLE RUN FROM THE SHORELINE TO THE AERATOR!!!
(Click here for details of this year's deployment)
January 19, 2018 - Aerator to be deployed this weekend
The aerator has been repaired and will be deployed this weekend in the original location in the far NW corner of the lake. Please use caution when in the area, as the power cable (which runs from the shoreline out to the aerator) is situated on top of the ice rather than under.
December 27, 2017 - Submitted request to Xcel Energy to restore power
Xcel needs to turn power back on at the box. They should have this done within a couple of days.
December 26, 2017 - Winter Aerator panel & Power passed City inspection
The next step is for our electrician to connect the cables and motor so the unit can be deployed, once Xcel Energy turns on the power to the meter. Hope to get this done by January 14th.
December 22, 2017 - Winter Aerator panel & Power reconnected
Electrician connected cables to the meter and mounted panel in the ground. Waiting for City of Maple Grove to complete inspection. (Click here for photo of restored meter, panel and post)
December 1, 2017 - Winter Aerator cable retrieved from the lake
The 350' power cable was retrieved from the lake and will be stored off-site until the power panel and cable can be repaired and reconnected. A determination will be made at a later date if the aerator will be re-deployed and run for the winter, based on the weather conditions.
November 30, 2017 - Winter Aerator recovered and left on shore
With the help from the Hennepin County Water Patrol, the aerator was rescued from the middle of the lake. 2 of the 3 anchors were also recovered.
November 28, 2017 - Winter Aerator broke free from moorings!
The winter aerator, which was anchored in the NW corner of the lake, has drifted out across the lake towards the east shoreline in the heavy winds yesterday/today. It presently appears to be hung up halfway across the lake towards the eastern shoreline. If anyone has any suggestions/resources on how to rescue it, contact us at ricelakeassoc@comcast.net. Thank you! (Click for details of this event)
October 28 2017 - Lake Update
Pulled out Slow/No Wake buoys today and set out the Winter Aerator in the far NW corner of the lake to run for the winter season to help oxygenate the water and sustain our fish population. Aerator will be turned on later as ice begins to form and Thin Ice and other Warning signs will be posted shortly thereafter. (Aerator deployment photo)
July 11, 2017 - Navigation update (West Bay)
For those of you who motorboat to the west of the I-94 bridge in what we refer to as the 'West Bay', there is heavy vegetation in the area and you may need to clean your prop after traversing through the channel.
June 11, 2017 - Keep our storm drains open!
For those of you who live near a street storm drain, this morning's storm may have created a backup with fallen debris. Feel free to clear that debris so the drainage system can function properly. Thank you in advance for your help!
May 20, 2017 - 2017 Annual Meeting content posted
Go to the Annual Meetings page (http://www.ricelakemn.com/RLAA_Annual_Assoc_Meetings.html) for information presented at the 2017 RLAA Annual Meeting on May 2nd.
Also visit the 'Membership' page (http://www.ricelakemn.com/RL_MEMBERSHIP.html) for details on those residents who have paid dues the past several years. We thank you for your contributions!
