Wright County FREE Watercraft Pressurized Hot Water Decontamination to Reduce the Spread of AIS
If your summer guests bring a watercraft to the lake, please encourage them to do a free decontamination before they launch and after they leave. Likewise, if you elect to take your boat off its resident lake, do a decontamination before and after to reduce the spread of aquatic invasive species.
WHERE: 1300 Business Blvd, Annandale (HWY 55, north on Annandale Blvd–follow road to the end)
HOURS OPEN IN 2024:
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? Smaller boats about 10 minutes, larger vessels 20-30 minutes
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Starry Trek, August 10th, 2024 8:30am-1pm
Started in 2017, Starry Trek is a statewide event focused on searching for one of Minnesota’s newest aquatic invasive species, starry stonewort (and other invaders). Starry stonewort is an invasive algae that was first found in Lake Koronis in 2015 and has since spread to 19 Minnesota lakes (learn more about starry stonewort and our research). This event is an opportunity for you to team up with hundreds of your fellow Minnesotans to better understand its distribution in Minnesota.
To register in Wright County, click here and look for “Maple Lake–Hosted by Wright County Soil and Water.
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Upcoming Learning Opportunity SepticSmart Week!
The ‘Being Septic Smart’ webinar, Tuesday, September 17th, 7-9pm, teaches property owners the basics about how their septic systems work, including how to care for and maintain a septic system so it can function during or beyond its design lifetime.
To learn more click here
To register for the webinar click here
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Wright County COLA 2024 Spring Meeting
Attendance was great and over 16 lakes were represented.
The feature presentation was a new initiative “Leave AIS at the Launch”. Wright SWCD will be the source for the DNR-approved signs, posts, and tools for any interested lake association or boat launch owner. The cost of the entire package is only $150 each.
Click here for the presentation link!
Other presentations at the meeting:
Wright Soil and Water 2024 Update on Water Projects
Minnesota Required Boater’s License
Wright County Hot Water Pressurized Decontamination
Lake Steward Program | Minnesota Lakes and Rivers
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Time to pay 2024 WCCOLA Dues! Still only $25/year
Wright County Coalition of Lake Associations appreciates your support! And it is time to pay 2024 dues! Click here for a membership form.
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Engaging with University of Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center
Wright County COLA has a close relationship with the University of Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center. In 2023, we had two projects with them:
Spiny Water Flea Hunt | Curt Forst, WCCOLA President, led the hunt on Cedar Lake and Howard Lake. Good news–none of the invasive species were found. Click here for more details about the hunt.
Zebra Mussel Safari | David Glass, Cedar Lake Conservation Club, worked with a research scientist over the summer. The goal is to understand the how and why of the shifts in zebra mussel density, abundance, and distribution within a lake.
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Check out the MN COLA website!
- You don’t want to miss the new Best Practices in Action information–great projects and ideas for your lake association to leverage and grow.
- It provides a wealth of links to other relevant sites.
- Membership renewals are handled online.
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Starry Stonewort: A formidable foe
Starry stonewort is one of the newer aquatic invaders–particularly fearsome due to its aggressive nature and ability to mat and interfere with habitat and recreation. Here are a couple of great videos to provide more information:
Overview of Starry Stonewort from U of Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center
4 Minute Video on How to Identify Starry Stonewort
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Wright County Coalition of Lake Associations Directory
Want to connect with other lakes in your area? A Wright County directory of lakes is available. Please email Kathy Jonsrud at kjonsrud@yahoo.com and a copy will be mailed to you.