Weekly Update for the Week of August 27th

Where we've been this week

The Premier Lake Harvesting crew made their way around Lake Minnetonka in the past week working in West Arm Bay, Brown’s Bay, Excelsior Bay, Smith’s Bay, North Arm Bay, Cook’s Bay, Crystal Bay and Black Lake. Our team also travelled to and completed jobs at Mill Pond in Edina and Mitchell Lake in Eden Prairie.

What we experienced

The heat waves we’ve been experiencing this month are officially over. Cooler weather moved in this week, but the water in Lake Minnetonka is still at its warmest at this time of the year. We experienced a spike in Eurasian watermilfoil growth, specifically in Black Lake. The Premier Lake Harvesting team also came across a lot of duckweed and floating weeds this week around Lake Minnetonka. Our crew had some jobs with a lot of coontail growth on the properties; unfortunately, some of our crew members got some pretty bad coontail rash, but it served as a good reminder to get rid of coontail on shorelines before it becomes problematic for swimming and recreation.

What to look out for

Look out for lowering water levels. It’s good to pay attention to the water levels throughout the entire season based on droughts or large amounts of rain. Depending on higher or lower levels, it’s important to raise or lower boat and Jet Ski lifts to avoid potential damage to watercrafts.

Weekly advice

Get your water recreation in now! This Labor Day weekend is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the final days of summer with friends and family. We’ll see you out on Lake Minnetonka this weekend celebrating summer’s last kick!

Weekly Update for the Week of August 13th

Where we’ve been this week

In the past week the Premier Lake Harvesting team completed jobs in Maxwell Bay,
Cook’s Bay, Crystal Bay, Brown’s Bay, Spring Park Bay, Gideon’s Bay, Halsted’s Bay
and Black Lake.

What we experienced

There was a heat wave late last week that resulted in a lot of weed growth on Lake
Minnetonka. It wasn’t just weed growth that we saw this past weekend, though.
Algae blooms all over Lake Minnetonka were also a result of the high temperatures
and sunshine we experienced late last week and weekend. These algae blooms
created poor water clarity, which made our job a little bit harder, but we’re not
complaining because we love the nice weather!

What to look out for

Floating weeds will be more prevalent than they usually are this week because of
the recent heat wave. When the temperatures rise and the sun shines, lake weeds
grow rapidly. Lake Minnetonka was busy this past weekend because of the beautiful
weather; this means boat propellers clipped the recent lake weed growth, resulting
in lots of floating weeds that we’ll be seeing throughout this week.

Weekly advice

Summer is not over! Lake Minnetonka water temperatures are warmest in the
month of August, so we want to remind you to continue to maintain the lake weeds
on your shoreline. August has ideal conditions for lake weed growth, but it’s also
great for recreation, so get out on the water and have fun!

Lake Weed Profile: Narrow-Leaf Pondweed

Narrow-leaf pondweeds, often referred to as narrow leaf, are actually different
aquatic plants with similar traits. The three narrow-leaf pondweeds native to and
found in Minnesota lakes are leafy pondweed, sago pondweed and flat-stemmed
pondweed.

How to identify:

Narrow-leaf pondweeds can grow up to 10-feet tall and can be found in all sediment
types, but thrive in sand. Narrow-leaf pondweeds usually do not reach the surface or
have floating weeds, but some types do reach the surface and flower. The narrow-
leaf pondweeds have skinny, dark-green leaves and often grow thick, especially in
July.

Importance of narrow-leaf pondweeds:

Narrow-leaf pondweeds are native to Minnesota and have many qualities that are
beneficial to our lake ecosystems. Narrow-leaf pondweeds are great sources of food
for fish and waterfowl alike. It also doubles as shelter for some fish, including perch
and bluegill. Narrow-leaf pondweed can also starve out other lake weeds in order to
outlive them by growing in thick clusters; this is particularly helpful when it comes
to controlling invasive species plant growth.

Weekly Update for the Week of August 6th

Where we’ve been this week

The Premier Lake Harvesting crew made their way around Lake Minnetonka last
week with jobs in North Arm Bay, West Arm Bay, Brown’s Bay, Carson’s Bay,
Lafayette Bay, St. Alban’s Bay, North Lower Lake, and Minnetonka Beach.

What we experienced

We have come across a lot more native plants in the past week than we have throughout the rest of the summer. The native weeds we are seeing the most of at this time of year are wild celery, narrow-leaf, and broad-leaf. If we had to choose a “weed of the year,” though, we would have to say it’s narrow leaf because of its abundance throughout Lake Minnetonka this season. To help us work through all of
the recent weed overgrowth, we welcomed back an old PLH crewmember, Dylan. He has put in a lot of hard work in the past week; we’re happy to have him back on our
team!

What to look out for

We have seen a lot of native plant growth this week, and we expect it to continue for the next couple of weeks. If the overgrowth is causing problems on your shoreline, give us a call at 763-257-4853 to discuss possible treatment plans and to find the service that best fits your needs.

Weekly advice

Cut weeds before they reach the surface of the water. Once lake weeds reach the
surface, they flower and release seeds. If you want to reduce the amount of lake
weed overgrowth on your shoreline for next season, cut weeds before they release
their seeds at the water’s surface.

Lake Weed Profile: Wild Celery

Wild celery (vallisneria americana), also known as eelgrass and water celery, is a
native aquatic plant to Minnesota lakes that is quite beneficial to its surrounding
wildlife. Although wild celery is important to Minnesota lake ecosystems, it can
become a recreational obstruction during late July and August when the plant grows
rapidly. The most effective way to maintain wild celery is by hand-pulling or using tools to cut and/or rake the weeds.

How to identify:

Wild celery can grow up to five feet in length. The flat, ribbon-like leaf is dark green
with a light-green stripe that runs down its middle. Near the end of the summer, a
small, white flower grows at the tip of female plants, which reaches the surface of
the water. A spiraling stalk grows around the female plant; this is especially
prevalent in late July and August.

Importance of wild celery:

The native plant, wild celery, is a significant food source for many Minnesota
waterfowl, particularly ducks. Other animals, including muskrats and deer, also feed on wild celery. Besides being a plentiful food source for many animals, wild celery
also doubles as great shelter and a spawning habitat for native fish like largemouth
bass and bluegills. Although the plant can be a recreational interference at times, it
is important to not remove all of the wild celery on a property since many native
species rely on it for food and shelter.