Treatment Information:

Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP): An Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS)

Lake Martha Improvement Association meets in March each year which includes discussion of seasonal weed control. Latest results are posted in the March Meeting Minutes, LakeMartha website.

Each year we have applied for 2 grants with the MN DNR and Wright County. If any excess weed treatment funding is present after each year, it will be applied towards funds for future treatments.

Topics:

The merits of proceeding with another full lake CLP treatment (targets existing CLP patches upto about 11 Acres).

Estimated cost for the yearly weed treatment and anticipated donations with a goal of meeting or beating the previous year's participation level.

Additional Information:

Before 2021 "full lake" treatment, individual 50' treatments cost $190 and were limited by a required DNR permit for each property per year limited to (50' of shoreline by 150' out from shore). The downside of individual treatments is bound by their DNR permit and can't target just CLP and date not to be completed until after June 1st. Curly-leaf can be distinguished from native pondweeds by its unique life cycle. It typically flowers, fruits, and produces seeds (turions) in June before dying back in mid-summer (releasing a large nutrient load). New Turions (seeds) sprout in the fall along with rooted existing CLP, and it is has a jump start over non-invasive native plants including pondweed emerging in the spring. Operating with this restricted (location & time) control method only partially controlled the presence of CLP.

The full lake treatment is completed under the direction of the DNR by Aquatic Solutions of MN, when the water temperature reaches 50 F (CLP's unique growth cycle) , before CLP develops its seeds (turions) and before other native plant growth begins. This control method drives to eradicate this invasive species (CLP) and improve water quality by:

Killing the existing premature CLP plants including its roots(rhizomes) and before developing new seeds(turions). Rhizomes are an underground stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Many stems can be connected by one rhizome.

Leaving less new decaying plant residue nutrient (algae food) tied up in the bottom of the lake and not being reintroduced every season into the water column.

It may take several more years of this treatment with fewer past years of seeds (still lying dormant for up to 10 yrs), however with time, non-invasive natural vegetation will have less competition and be allowed to reestablish itself.

A Message from Our Leadership:

After approval: If able, please help by contributing to this project (ASAP).

Also 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.

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 other topics you wish to discuss.

Thanks in advance,

Your Leadership Team

Lake Martha Improvement Association