2023 Lake Martha Curly-Leaf Weed Control Plan

A message from our Board Members:

Our Lake Martha Improvement Association met March 7th 2023 at Schmitz Garage, 606 Halsey. Meeting Minutes are posted on the LakeMartha website.

Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP) treatments was one of the discussion topics at the meeting. We are again going ahead with year of full lake treatment plans (about 11 Acres) as voted on last year and reaffirmed at the April meeting. The estimate for 2023 treatment is $8,968. Our goal is to match or beat 2022 participation. To cover the costs, we are asking for donations of $250, which is consistant with 2022 participation numbers.

Before "full lake" treatments, individual treatments, which is limited to 50 feet of shoreline by 150 feet out from shore, costing $190 and additionally required a DNR permit for each property per year. The downside of individual treatments is that can't target just CLP and not completed until after June 1st, which is after CLP develops new seeds and other perennial beneficial native plants have emerged. These CPL seeds take upto 10 years to develop into new perennial plants. Operating with this control method only partially controls the presence of CLP.

The full lake treatment is completed when the water temperature reaches 50 F, before CLP develops its seeds and before other native plant growth begins. This control method drives to eradicate this invasive species by eliminating new seeds replenishment and much less new decaying plant residue from the bottom of the lake. It may take several more years of this treatment with fewer past years of seeds still lying dormant, however with time, the natural vegetation will have less competition and be allowed to reestablish itself.

Donations can be made by check/cash to Lake Martha Improvement Association and mailed/delivered to Curt Schmitz.

We have also applied for 2 grants with the MN DNR and Wright County. If any excess funding is present after this year, it will be applied towards future treatments.

Please contribute to this project, and feel free to drop off annual dues as well to Curt, our current treasure.   Make checks payable to Lake Martha Improvement Association, or Lake Martha for short.

Please let any of the board members know if you have any questions, or topics you wish to discuss.

Keep in mind, we also need as many lake shore owners to pay their $100 annual dues by May 1st to help fund other ongoing lake projects.

All payments can be delivered or mailed to Curt Schmitz, Treasurer, 606 Halsey Ave, Buffalo, MN 55313

Thanks in advance,

Your Leadership Team

Lake Martha Improvement Association