The channel between Pleasant and Sucker lakes south of County Highway 96 is in a well-used section of the Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park. The channel’s former construction, comprised of cement, asphalt and rock, was failing and required replacement. This restoration project revitalized the shoreline.
This project was a partnership between VLAWMO, Ramsey County Parks and Recreation, Ramsey Soil and Water Conservation Division, and St. Paul Regional Water Services.
VLAWMO contributed funds directly relating to channel restoration, erosion prevention and native plantings. Funding for the other portions of the project was sourced by Ramsey County Parks. A significant portion of the funding came from the Clean Water Land & Legacy Amendment.
The previous channel was more than 80 years old and required reconstruction and modernization to support the needs of the public, water service, and water quality.
The project included reconstruction of the channel wall, creation of new fishing platforms, and establishment of a native plant shoreline for enhanced habitat and a stabilized bank. Native plants have long roots that help stabilize soil, filter out pollutants, and provide habitat for pollinators and wildlife.
A wide variety of native plants were incorporated in the restoration, including: glossy black chokeberry, sweet flag, anise hyssop, swamp milkweed, blue joint grass, Beb's sedge, bottlebrush sedge, fringed sedge, porcupine sedge, lake sedge, purple coneflower, boneset, sneezeweed, blue flag iris, common rush, monkey flower, bee balm, smooth penstemon, Virginia mountain mint, little bluestem, green bulrush, wool grass, prairie dropseed, New England aster, and golden alexander.
The project was completed in the summer of 2018. It is featured on the DNR Legacy webpage under "Parks and Trails Fund Stories."
Learn more on the project's educational signs:
Sign #1: Project overview
Sign #2: Wildlife at Sucker Channel
Sucker Channel is home to a lead tackle drop box. For more information on lead poisoning, non-lead tackle alternatives, as well as other lead disposal options, visit Get the Lead Out MN.
