DNR: Help Protect Minnesota Waters

🌊 Protect our lakes! 🚣‍♂️ Stopping Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) starts with us. Whether you’re a boater, paddler, or lake shore owner, here is how you can do your part to keep Minnesota's waters healthy:

Boaters & Paddlers

• Clean: Remove all visible plants, mud, and debris from your watercraft and trailer before leaving the access.

• Drain: Pull the plug! Drain all water from your boat, livewell, and bait buckets. Keep plugs out during transport.

• Dry: For best results, let your boat and gear dry for 5 days before heading to another water body.

Lake Shore Owners

• Dry Equipment: If you are moving docks, boat lifts, or rafts to a different lake, they must dry for 21 days.

• Professional Help: Consider hiring a permitted Lake Service Provider to safely decontaminate and move your equipment.

Everyone can help!

• Dispose of Bait: Never release unused bait into the water. Put it in the trash.

• Decontaminate: Use high-pressure, hot water (120°F–140°F) to kill unseen AIS.

• Report: See something suspicious? Take a photo, note the location, and report it to the DNR or via EDDMapS.

Let's keep our waters clear for everyone to enjoy! 💧 Go to Aquatic Plant Management and Aquatic Plant Management for Home Owners to learn more. To download the images below as a PDF, click here.

Ask The Board: Are Chemicals Safe for Fish?

Steve Reid, SRCLA Board Member since 2023, was recently asked if the chemicals used to control weeds have any negative impact on our fish or other beneficial biological entities (turtles, frogs, dragonflies) in our lakes.  Steve discussed this with one of the Association’s partners (in treatment), Dan McEwen,  Ph.D., CLP, Principal Scientist at Limnopro. Dan’s response is summarized below:

Generally speaking, the risks of any negative effects from chemicals on animals living in/around our treatment areas is less than the risk of leaving nuisance plants growing in the lake.  Dense plant growth leads to reduced oxygen, blue-green algae blooms, and can make foraging difficult for the types of sports fish most people want to catch (e.g., northern, bass, sunfish, walleye, etc.).  Chemicals that go into the lake are heavily regulated by EPA.  It would be misleading to say there was zero risk, but the risks are known and minimal, particularly given that animals can move, and the areas treated in lakes are small relative to the whole lake.

Dan also provided two documents, the first from the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Foundation, a non-profit organization interested in “science-based solutions to restore and maintain sustainable water resources” and the second is a government document written by John Madsen, who is now retired but arguably the world's expert on everything and anything that has to do with plant control in lakes.   You can read through his chapters 3 and 5 here.  

Great questions!  Thank you, Steve, for the follow-up on this important topic!

Ask the Board: Plan for 2026 Treatments?

We’re starting a new feature, responding to questions directed to the SRCLA Board. Here’s a question submitted to the board via the “Contact’ page:

“Last year the Horseshoe lake chain was treated for weeds which resulted in an enormous improvement in weed reduction. Are there any plans to do the same thing this year? If so, will it be more, less or about the same. Thanks!”

From Richard Gallea, SRCLA President: We've actually treated as much of the Chain as we're allowed to for many years.  But we're constrained by the DNR's permitting process, which strictly regulates where we can treat, how much, and with what chemicals.  To obtain permits, we engage professional contractors to survey the Chain by boat, documenting via GPS what species they found and where.  The treatment locations and chemicals applied vary each year depending on what the surveys tell us about a given year's "crop".  We budget enough money to get that done, however often it makes sense to.

But even if we document undesirable weeds in various locations, there are stringent limits that affect the permits we receive.  Overall, DNR policy prohibits treating more than 15% of the surface area of any body of water.  And generally, we can't treat within 150 feet of shore, as it’s up to individual shoreline owners to manage that area (again, by DNR policy).  

We recently worked out an exception to the 150' rule by negotiating with the DNR to allow us to open up weed-clogged 'channels' that are preventing boaters from accessing the main parts of the Chain.  These permits are easier to obtain and will even cover non-invasive native species (like coontail) if they impede access.

Chemical treatments are not allowed on Becker as it's designated as an Environmental lake, so our only option for control there is via mechanical harvesting, which we do on Becker and selectively on other lakes, as well.

And finally, the effectiveness of treatments can vary year by year due to a variety of factors, such as low/no snow and ice cover the previous winter, fueling the perception that the weed treatments in some years are more effective than others.

We post maps of treatment areas on our website, so you can monitor a given year's treatment plan that way. AND this is a reminder that NOW is the time to apply for your own 2026 shoreline weed treatment permits—don’t wait until spring! Getting your permit early ensures you’ll be ready to tackle aquatic weeds and maintain access when the season starts. Early applications help avoid delays and ensure a smooth treatment process.

💻 Learn more: https://www.srcl.org/chainlinksp24/battling?rq=weeds

 Thanks for the great question! Keep them coming!