What a fish kill at Mooney Lake tells us about Plymouth's future

I live near Mooney Lake, and it's one of my favorite spots in Plymouth. I walk by it regularly, and I've taken my son fishing there. So when I read the Star Tribune's reporting that Mooney Lake had a reported fish kill of more than 1,000 fish during last month's heat wave, it hit close to home — literally.

According to the Minnesota DNR, the die-off was likely caused by a combination of stormwater runoff and the extreme heat Minnesota experienced during a five-day stretch in mid-July. Fish kills are a natural occurrence, but this summer's heat wave triggered an unusually high number of them across the state — even in lakes with otherwise good water quality. The DNR has already received far more fish kill reports this year than its typical annual average, and officials expect more die-offs as the summer continues.

Mooney Lake wasn't alone. Lakes from northern Minnesota to our southern border saw similar events, and even well-managed lakes with strong water quality weren't immune. It's a reminder that our lakes are facing real pressure — from warming water temperatures, from stormwater runoff carrying nutrients and pollutants, and from the cumulative effect of how we manage land and water across our whole community.

This is exactly the kind of issue I've been focused on during my time on the city council. I've supported projects to enhance, expand, and repair Plymouth's stormwater infrastructure across the city, and I've championed Plymouth's climate action plan, which looks at practical ways to protect our lakes and prepare for the kind of extreme weather we saw this July. Healthy lakes don't happen by accident — they take consistent investment and planning, especially as our summers keep getting hotter.

As mayor, I'll keep pushing for the practical, common-sense steps that protect what makes Plymouth's lakes special. Whether it's Mooney Lake, Medicine Lake, or any of the other lakes our community loves, I want my kids — and yours — to be able to keep fishing, swimming, and walking along healthy water for years to come.