*The information on this post is based on the observations of experienced divers that have spent the last decade beneath the surface of Lake Minnetonka.*
Over the past decade, the amount of lake weeds within Lake Minnetonka have been continuously increasing, making it harder to enjoy the lake. If you are a lake goer you may have noticed this change. Every year the weeds have been growing faster and more plentiful than the years before, and this can make swimming, fishing, and boating a hassle. Nobody wants to jump off the dock and land in a bed of milfoil, lose their favorite muskie lure to the weeds, or clog the propellers on their boat. But why are the weeds so bad recently?
Some believe that 2016 and 2017’s early ice-outs were the cause of lake weeds growing in such abundance. With this year having the latest ice-out in the past 150 years, some people think the weeds won’t grow as strong as they have in the past. So are recent years early ice-outs to blame for the weed expansion on Lake Minnetonka?
After spending nearly a decade diving beneath the surface of Lake Minnetonka, Premier Lake Harvesting’s very own general manager, Stephen Paulson believes something else. He believes, as many others, that the explosion in the Zebra Mussel population is to blame. When Stephen began diving in the lake nearly a decade ago, the deepest he saw weeds growing was around 10-12 feet. In 2017 he found weeds growing at depths of 16-18 feet. Something as simple as an early ice-out couldn’t have caused this change. Rather, the increase in water clarity due to Millions of Zebra Mussels filtering the lake water has caused the change.
We believe that although the weeds will reach the surface 1-2 weeks later than last year, they will grow in full force when the water gets warm. The effects of the massive Zebra Mussel population will outweigh the effect of this year's late ice-out.
So what’s next?
We will be writing about our observation every week throughout the 2018 summer. Like our Facebook page if you want to stay updated on these Lake Minnetonka trends.