Coordinated Herbicide Treatment Projects
The LMCD (in coordination with its AIS Task Force) has participated in a number of herbicide treatment projects over the years. Some of these include: 1) the use of Sonar (fluridone) in the early 1990s on Libbs Lake (consideration was also given to St. Albans Bay), 2) Triclopyr studies on Lake Minnetonka in the mid and late 1990s, 3) a Milfoil Demonstration Project on Carmans, Grays, and Phelps Bays in 2006. This was the impetus for creating a formal Lake Vegetation Management Plan (LVMP) in 2007 and 2008 for these three bays, and 4) a five year, three-bay Coordinated Herbicide Treatment Demonstration Project on Carmans, Grays, and Phelps Bays from 2008 through 2012. The primary goals of this demonstration project were to:
- Evaluate whether Eurasian Watermilfoil and Curly-Leaf Pondweed could be managed with lower dosages of herbicides on a whole bay; and
- Evaluate whether these treatments would damage the native plants in these three bays.
In April 2012, the AIS Task Force provided an Assessment of 2008-2011 Coordinated Herbicide Treatments on Carmans, Grays, and Phelps Bays; based on the LVMP goals and objectives. This assessment was presented to the LMCD Board of Directors with a recommendation that the Board should not extend the three-bay project beyond 2012 or expand the project to other bays until a comprehensive vegetation management plan was developed for all of Lake Minnetonka. The LMCD Board concurred with this recommendation.
In March 2013, the LMCD adopted an LMCD Comprehensive Eurasian Watermilfoil and Curly-Leaf Pondweed Plan for Lake Minnetonka. In 2019, the LMCD Board initiated a comprehensive Lake Minnetonka Vegetation & AIS Master Plan. The LMCD invites you to read this Plan and let us know if you have comments.