Minnesota's County AIS Prevention Aid facing cuts in 2027

Minnesota's County AIS Prevention Aid program, which yields a hundredfold return on investment in cleanup cost savings, faces a 50% funding reduction beginning in 2027. These impending cuts threaten local water quality, fishing economies, and property values across the state unless preventative measures are sustained. What can you do?

• Contact state legislators: Reach out to state representatives to advocate for reversing the scheduled 50% funding cut before it takes effect in 2027. Emphasize that the program has kept taxpayer costs under $2 a year while saving millions in long-term management. Your local State Representative is Lisa Demuth Phone: (651) 296-4373 Email: rep.lisa.demuth@house.mn.gov

• Continue to practice standard AIS prevention: Continuously clean, drain, and dry all watercraft, trailers, and equipment when moving between water bodies to prevent the physical spread of species like zebra mussels.

Many Minnesotans don’t value aquatic plants. The state’s lakes are paying a price.

Minnesotans love their lakes, but many treat native aquatic plants as "weeds" to be cleared away. An informative new piece from MPR News explores how pulling up these plants disrupts vital ecosystems, accelerates shoreline erosion, and leaves lakes vulnerable to aggressive invasive species. Scientists and tribal researchers are now urging a shift in perspective to protect our underwater forests before it's too late.🌊

Read the full story here: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/09/14/many-minnesotans-dont-value-aquatic-plants-the-states-lakes-are-paying-a-price

Notice of Public Hearing

TWO Volunteer Opportunities!

It takes a village—and a lot of hands—to keep our local waters beautiful! We have two fantastic volunteer opportunities coming up to help keep the Sauk River and Chain of Lakes clean, beautiful, and healthy!
1. Sauk River Cleanup (Cold Spring Area)
When: Saturday, October 3 9:30AM Frogtown Park
Who: Sauk River Watershed District
What: Volunteering to pick up trash along the shores of the Sauk River in and around Cold Spring.
Sign-up: Visit StearnsCD.org/rivercleanup to register and get more details.

2. Sauk River Chain of Lakes Association Fall Clean Up
When: Saturday, October 24 10AM
Who: Sauk River Chain of Lakes Association
What: Focusing cleanup efforts on the area near the Highway 22 Landing.
Sign-up: To join this effort, please contact Earl Von Ende directly at evonende@comcast.net

Attention Boaters, Anglers, and Shoreline Residents

We all play a role in helping contain invasive species, whether you're a boater, an angler, or a shoreline resident. Here are some helpful reminders from the DNR on what you can do if you are one, two, or all three of these!

Download a PDF of the Attention Boater information.

Download a PDF of the Attention Angler information.

Download a PDF of the Attention Shoreline Resident information.

Starry Trek Results

Thank you to the 173 volunteers who helped protect Minnesota lakes during this year's Starry Trek event. 266 public accesses were searched, and 230 water bodies were checked across Minnesota. You can view past records from 2017 to today on the Starry Trek Results Map. Save the Date! The 2027 Starry Trek event will take place on August 14th.

Our latest Lake Stewards!

Having enjoyed a weekend cabin on Little Cedar Island Lake, Jenny and Mike Hidding recently upgraded to a full-time home on Koetter Lake. Given the robust, mature buffer zone along the shoreline, they wondered if it met the criteria for the Lake Steward program. Do you want to see if your property qualifies? Take the Quiz here! Congrats Jenny and Mike!

Educational Opportunities

Curious about the natural world right in our backyard? Join ROCORI Community Education and the Sauk River Watershed District for three events:

• Watersheds 101

• Doing it Different: Habitat Help for Lawns, Shorelines & Pollinators

• Smart Salting.

All are online and cost $10 each to attend. Learn more here:
https://rocori.ce.eleyo.com/search?redirected_yet=true&sf[category]=78

Throwback Thursday?

More like a trip back to the 1850s!

🕰️We recently had a request for photos or maps of the area before the dam was put in. After digging into the history books, we know the dam was implemented in 1857. This map is from an 1874 publication. It doesn't have an exact date printed on it, but you can clearly see it features the landscape before the dam was built.We’ve checked with the local Area Historical Society and the Stearns Co. Museum, but now we’re turning to you! Do you have any maps or photos from way back then? Let us know! 🗺️📸

About those Wake Zones…

A recent comment on Facebook reminded us of a post we made last year about differences in No Wake zones across the Chain. Of the seven No Wake zones, two are in effect all year, whether buoys are in place or not. Those two zones are the channel between Little Cedar and Cedar Island Lake, as well as the section of the Sauk River between the Hwy 23 bridge in Cold Spring and the Co. Rd. 2 bridge.
For the five other No Wake zones, restrictions are only in effect between Memorial Day and Labor Day. However, in the interests of maintaining a healthy Chain, let's all slow down in those areas all year long, as wake-induced erosion doesn't stop when the buoys are absent.

Water Safety Updates

As we head into the last major weekend of the summer, we wanted to share some good news about water safety.

The SRCLA partners with Minnesota Lakes & Rivers (MLR), who has lobbied the state legislature for many years to create a boaters education and certification program. Minnesota was one of only eight states that did not have a boater license requirement.

In 2025, the Legislature passed a new Boater Education and Certification requirement. The law went into effect on July 1, 2026.

 There were multiple reasons MLR pushed for a boater license:

• Public Safety:  For years boating deaths in Minnesota ranged between 10 and 20 annually.

• Over-Powered Boats:  Manufacturers are increasing the horsepower of boats, making them much faster. Boats that can travel 70 mph are not uncommon today. 

• User conflicts:  Some activities, like wake surfing, negatively affect other activities, like angling, kayaking or paddle boarding.

• Ecological impacts:  Shoreline erosion, destruction of waterfowl nests (loons), destruction of native aquatic plants and reanimation of sediments was increasing.

• Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention:  The spread of AIS is preventable with best practices, yet AIS propagation rates remain high.

The Minnesota DNR recently released their 2026 Yearly Watercraft Accident Records and Statistics.

 Minnesota's waters are the safest that they have ever been, reporting four boating fatalities. This continues a trend from 2025, when boater safety training went online, where there were seven boating fatalities. 

 For comparison, in 1961, the first year that MN tracked boating fatalities, there were 57.

Even if you’re not required by law to take the course, consider taking a few hours to complete the online course.  There are two options, Boat-Ed Minnesota or BoaterExam Minnesota. These official courses take about 3 to 4 hours to complete, allow you to learn at your own pace from any device, and cost a one-time fee (around $34.95) upon passing the final exam.

Native plants, lots of patience: How a Stearns County couple restored a damaged lakeshore

You might recognize this article from 2024.  It spotlights a parcel on our very own Chain that was converted to a natural shoreline 20 years ago. Click here to access.

NEW AIS FOUND: Help us keep eyes on the Chain!

Purple loosestrife has been identified on a shoreline of the Sauk River Chain during this season’s chainwide point-intercept survey. The known occurrence is limited, making early detection and rapid response especially important. We’re asking shoreline property owners to be on the lookout: check your shoreline, keep an eye on neighboring properties, and know what to look for as you’re out around the Chain.

Prevention and Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) are some of our best strategies for keeping a new invasive species finding from becoming a larger management challenge.

👉 Read our new article to learn how to identify purple loosestrife and what to do if you find it. Contact any member of the AIS Team on the Board if you have questions.

Know the plant. Keep watch. Help us keep eyes on the Chain.

Stay connected!

The Stearns County new community notification system is to keep you updated on critical safety alerts, road closures, and department news.This system is also your direct line for boating and water safety updates. By signing up, you will receive immediate no-wake alerts during high-water events so you can navigate our waterways safely. Fortunately, high water has not been an issue so far in 2026, but being prepared ensures we stay safe whenever conditions change. Detailed news release here.

Technical Brief: Understanding Eurasian Watermilfoil, Its Hybrids, and the Role of Genetic Testing

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Lake Monitoring Underway This Week

Endangered Resource Services (ERS) is out on the Sauk River Chain of Lakes this week conducting a chainwide point-intercept survey, along with targeted delineation of invasive milfoil.
A point-intercept survey is essentially a systematic check-up of aquatic vegetation throughout the lakes. ERS visits established locations across the Chain to document what plants are growing, where they are found and how abundant they are. During this work, they are also on the lookout for other aquatic invasive species and emerging threats, including purple loosestrife, flowering rush, and starry stonewort.
The additional milfoil delineation takes a closer look at areas where invasive milfoil is present to better understand its current distribution and help inform management decisions.
SRCLA will continue to share updates as the data comes back, particularly as it relates to invasive milfoil and any management activities planned for 2026. Collecting consistent, scientifically sound data is a key part of building successful long-term management programs for the Chain and everyone who enjoys it.

Natural Shorelines = Healthy Lakes

Natural Shorelines help our lakes' water quality, wildlife, and pollinators. Learn how you can become a Lake Steward and join others across Minnesota in helping to keep our lakes healthy and beautiful.

This shoreline series is a project with Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates. Go here https://www.srcl.org/lake-steward-initiative to learn more about the Sauk River Chain of Lakes Association's Lake Steward initiatives.

Have you seen the signs?

Have you seen our signs? The Lake Steward program recognizes members who generally end up doing less (!) and by doing so, help to preserve the health of our lakes. The benefits of letting a shoreline buffer zone go natural, using fewer fertilizers which eventually find their way into the lakes, and bolstering shorelines with coils of natural vegetation versus rip rap, all result in improved lake waters and less work for humans. It’s easy to get started and make a big difference. Take the 4 question, 3 minute quiz to rate your lakeshore! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSddwEru_kSm-5dYbih0MqVyIXj9XCIi-OAaFwSQXTuIg73ezA/viewform

SRCLA Operations: A Look Behind the Scenes

Ever wonder how the Sauk River Chain of Lakes Association (SRCLA) stays so organized? It takes a dedicated network of voluteers working in harmony to protect our beautiful waters! 🌊✨We created an infographic for a look behind the scenes at how our board and subcommittees connect. All of the moving parts connect back to our core mission: being proud stewards of the Sauk River Chain of Lakes since 1982! 🛶🐟

🌿 Think invasive weeds sleep through the winter? Think again. ❄️

The SRCLA board continues to develop a strong partnership with AKA Collaborative to streamline our AIS processes. AKA Collaborative's Amy Kay assembled the following report (link here) that explains why it's important to have a plan to address curly-leaf pondweed (CLP) very early in the spring, as it behaves very differently than almost all other aquatic plants.

While our native lake plants are still dormant under the ice, CLP is already growing, expanding, and plotting its takeover. By the time you notice it on the surface in the spring, it might already be too late for a quick fix. To protect our lakes, we have to outsmart a plant that outsmarts winter.
Read through the full report to learn:
🔄 The Secret Weapon: What "turions" are and how they build an underground survival bank.
🛑 The Summer Illusion: Why the July "die-off" doesn't mean the problem is solved.
⏱️ Timing is Everything: When to manage CLP effectively before it drops its next generation.
🗺️ The Long Game: Why a multi-year strategy is the only way to protect our native habitats.
Effective lake stewardship isn't a one-season fix—it’s an ongoing commitment. 🌊
Full AKA Report here.