Weekly Update for the Week of July 30th

Where we’ve been this week:

The week began with the Premier Lake Harvesting crew working in Harrison’s Bay,
Cook’s Bay and Crystal Bay. After completing jobs in Lafayette Bay and Carman’s
Bay later in the week, we moved a harvester and our team over to Mill Pond in
Edina for the weekend to clean up a seven-acre area of unwanted weeds. This week
we’re back on Lake Minnetonka; come say hi if you see us!

What we experienced:

In the past week we have seen more floating weeds and weed growth than we have all summer. Late summer weeds are becoming more prevalent week by week as temperatures continue to rise, so be on the lookout. Last week we traveled to Mill
Pond in Edina where we had a run in with a snapping turtle. No one was in the
water at the time, but it was a good reminder to always be aware of our
surroundings when cleaning a shoreline.

What to look out for:

Eurasian watermilfoil has not been as bad this season as it has been compared to
past years. However, we have noticed a recent spike in Eurasian watermilfoil
growth in Lake Minnetonka. To understand what Eurasian watermilfoil does to the
ecosystem and how to identify it, check out our blog post on the invasive species to
learn more.

Weekly advice:

Make sure to check your engine intake for zebra mussels. Zebra mussels may have
gotten into your intake during the beginning of the season and have continued to
build up since. It’s important to check for and get rid of zebra mussel buildups on
and in your watercraft, especially near the end of the boating season, to ensure your
engine keeps running smoothly.

Weekly Update for the Week of July 23rd

Where we’ve been this week:

The Premier Lake Harvesting crew started their week in Gray’s Bay and Wayzata
Bay then continued on to jobs in North Arm Bay, Maxwell Bay and Carman’s Bay
throughout the week. Unfortunately, storms last week on Thursday and Friday slowed
us down a bit, but now the sun is back out and so are we!

What we experienced:

The beginning of our week was running smoothly and efficiently, but storms later in
the week changed up our schedules a bit. When it gets as windy as it was last
Thursday, it becomes very difficult to collect and harvest floating weeds; our team
decided to wait until the storms passed to ensure that our clients received the
quality service we strive to deliver.

What to look out for:

If you have been out on Lake Minnetonka lately, especially in Carman’s Bay, you
probably have noticed the large growth of narrow-leaf pondweeds. In large
quantities, narrow-leaf pondweeds can be compared to sod or carpet because it is so
dense and mat-like. Keep an eye out for the continued rapid growth of narrow-leaf
pondweeds and wild celery on Lake Minnetonka as we move into late summer.

Weekly advice:

At this time of the year we are seeing a lot of floating weeds. Keeping your shoreline
clean can be a hassle when the weeds keep piling up; we suggest installing an Aqua
Thruster to combat issues with weeds so that you can spend less time maintaining
your shoreline and more time enjoying it.

Lake Weed Profile: Eurasian Watermilfoil

Eurasian watermilfoil (myriophyllum spicatum) is an invasive species that made its
way into Minnesota lakes in the late 1980s. This plant can cause many problems
when introduced to a water body that it is not native to. One of the main issues with
Eurasian watermilfoil is that it grows rapidly, which shades out native aquatic
plants so they do not get enough sunlight. Besides making it hard for native plants to
thrive, Eurasian watermilfoil also creates uninhabitable settings for native animals
by changing their nesting and feeding environments.

How to identify:

Eurasian Watermilfoil

Native plants such as coontail and northern watermilfoil are often mistaken as the
invasive Eurasian watermilfoil. The native aquatic plants are beneficial to the
animals and overall environment of the lake. It’s important to be able to spot the
differences between these native plants and Eurasian watermilfoil in order to
properly identify and get rid of the invasive species.
Eurasian watermilfoil has a reddish- or brownish-colored stem, but this can often
vary. While Eurasian watermilfoil has around 12-21 leaflet pairs per leaf, northern
watermilfoil only has about 5-10 leaflet pairs on each leaf. Another giveaway that
your lake weed is Eurasian watermilfoil is if the leaves go limp when taken out of
the water. Northern watermilfoil leaves stay rigid, even when out of the water.
Coontail is another native plant that is often misidentified as Eurasian watermilfoil.
The easiest way to tell the difference between these two plants is by looking at their
leaves. Coontail is usually bushy and forked near the tip, which gives it a Christmas
tree-like appearance. Eurasian watermilfoil’s leaves, on the other hand, have a flat,
feather-like look to them.

What to do:

Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive species in the United States; to keep it from
spreading, make sure to clean and drain your watercrafts after taking them out of
any body of water. To control already present Eurasian watermilfoil, mechanical
methods such as cutting, pulling, and/or raking can be used to rid an affected area of
the invasive species.

Weekly Update for the Week of July 16th

Where we've been this week

Last week we completed jobs in Browns Bay, Cooks Bay, Seton Channel, Crystal Bay
and a particularly large job in Smith Bay. Over the weekend we went out to Forest
Lake and West Arm Bay for weeding services as well. We also ended up in Amery,
Wisconsin to install an aqua thruster. It has been a busy summer so far, but we
wouldn’t have it any other way!

What we experienced

Last week we completed the thickest job so far this summer in Smith Bay. To efficiently clear
the amount of weeds that were at this location, we brought in two harvesters,
which is something we have never done before. All of those weeds had to go
somewhere, and, luckily, the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District (LMCD) was at
the Maxwell Landing at the same time we arrived with heaps of weeds. The LMCD
crew gave us a helping hand in offloading our weeds, which kept us moving
efficiently on to the next job.

What to look out for

As we get further into the summer we’re seeing more Eurasian watermilfoil,
particularly in Brown’s Bay. Early in the season, the majority of the weed issues
stemmed around coontail, but now that we have entered the midsummer season,
weeds like Eurasian watermilfoil are becoming more and more prevalent each
week. At this time of the season, we can also expect to see weeds that prefer warmer
water conditions, like eel grass (commonly known as wild celery) and narrow-leaf
pondweed, popping up in the next few weeks. On the upside, we’re looking forward
to our new staff members, Mike and Maddie, starting this week and for homeowners
to receive the Premier Lake Harvesting midsummer postcard, so check your mail!

Weekly advice

“Remove sea celery quickly! Don’t wait! Once it gets thick, it becomes extremely
labor intensive and creates a mess for you and your neighbors. A lot of people wait
until it becomes a nuisance, but by then it becomes a maintenance nightmare.”

–Adam, Owner of PLH

How you can help stop the spreading of Zebra Mussels!

How bad are the Zebra Mussels in Minnesota Lakes?

Since 1989 when Zebra Mussels were first discovered in Minnesota, they have managed to expand to over 150 bodies of water throughout Minnesota. Given that a single female can produce up to 1 million eggs every year, controlling the spread of these small filter feeders can be very difficult!

How to stop the spread?

The Minnesota DNR lists three main steps every boater should take, as well as a few other precautions that will help stop the spread of Zebra Mussels and other invasive species.

Step 1

Clean off your boat after pulling it out of the water. It doesn’t take very long but it is important to visually check your boat, trailer and really anything that has been in the water, for lake weeds, Zebra Mussels, or other invasive species and clean off anything you can see.

Step 2

Drain your boat, livewell, baitwell, minnow buckets and anything else that collected water while you were out on the lake. It is also important to leave your drain plugs out after leaving the lake and transporting your boat, this will help the boat fully dry out.

Step 3

Dispose. Throw away any bait that you don’t want to keep. Whether it’s minnows, worms, leeches, or other baits, make sure to throw away your bait. Not only can this help stop the unwanted spreading of invasive species, it is also illegal to release bait into the lakes.

Another Helpful Tip!

Zebra Mussels and their larva can attach to your boat propeller and pretty much everywhere else. Seeing these little guys is hard enough, cleaning every last larva off the propeller is even harder. The best way to make sure that you are not giving Zebra Mussels a free ride to the next lake is to simply leave the boat out of the water for 5 days between lakes. This is enough time for the Zebra Mussels to dry out and die off.

To learn more about aquatic invasive species and regulations here are a couple of links!

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/preventspread_watercraft.html

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/infested.html