A small (less than 30) but enthusiastic group of lake residents attended last nights LMPA annual meeting. After a social hour that included a wonderful Human Scavenger Hunt, the meeting began in earnest. LMPA president Steve Gunther spoke first followed by an excellent presentation by James Wolfin from the Metro Blooms organization. At the end of the meeting, some super Lake Minnewashta insulated drink-ware, donated by Tom Knauer of Whitefish Gallery was raffled off. Note that Tom is offering a 30% discount to LMPA members who connect with him at giftnetworksllc@gmail.com.
LMPA president Steve Gunther started out by introducing members of our board with a shout out to some special non board members. He then shared a recap of the year’s events and set the agenda for 2022.
- Scot Lacek, vice president who is running the Milwaukee marathon and secured $5,000 in DNR funding for us
- Kevin Zahler – Master water steward and AIS lead
- Chad Gauger – treasurer
- Helen Gunther – annual meeting planner
- Adam Dirlam and new board member Sarah Marek
- Rick Zweig – lake level czar and water quality monitor along with Kevin Zahler
- The July 4th organizing and t-shirt committee
- Our neighborhood captains who are a conduit of info!
2021 Has Been A Year Of Extremes For Lake Minnewashta.
On the positive side:
- We’ve experienced exceptional water clarity
- Invasive Eurasian milfoil levels are very low
- We used your donations to treat many acres for invasive weeds
- We continue to enjoy Carver County’s support for 100% incoming watercraft inspections at the Regional Park
- No new invasive species have been introduced into the lake that we know of
- We’ve had great financial support and built a large war chest in the event of a new invasive species
- We’ve partnered with Carver County to provide expertise and grants to Minnewashta watershed owner to build shoreline buffers and rain gardens to reduce runoff into the lake which, in turn, should improve water clarity
- We’ve communicated Lake Use Recommendations with plans to install a sign at the Regional Park boat launch
- We’ve had very cooperative use of the lake from all parties
But on the negative side
- We’ve seen explosive growth in the incidence of zebra mussels
- In 2019 we had a handful in the main part of the lake
- This year they are all over the lake
- We’ve experienced near record low water levels due to the lack of rain
- Curly Leaf pondweed (an early riser) was prolific
- Despite the resources we’ve provided, nobody has taken us up on the offer of grant money to build shoreline buffers and raingardens
- There are medium term plans to expand Highway 5 which may introduce the risk of adding more salt to the lake
- We’ve experienced a rash of break ins and thefts around the lake
For 2022, the LMPA will focus on
- Expanding the board by adding a youth and a Tanadoona board member
- Continuing to work to educate people on improving water quality by reducing run off into the lake
- Drive home the benefits of shoreline buffering and rain gardens and GET THEM BUILT!
- Grow the Adopt A Drain program
- Keep focused on our AIS prevention plans
- 100% incoming watercraft inspections
- Clean-Drain-Dry education
- Stay on top of developments in zebra mussel eradication
- Support for the U of M’s AIS Research Center (MAISRC)
- Continue partnering with local and statewide organizations to grow the collective voice of lake associations around the state
Do your part to help us keep Lake Minnewashta beautiful!
Improve The Water Quality & Prevent The Spread Of Invasive Species
- Use a Permitted Lake Service Provider when working on your shore
- Don’t move a mussel from infested lakes via watercraft, toys or lifts
- Clean, Drain and Dry your boat before and after launching
- Plant a shoreline buffer strip and/or rain garden
- Use available design resources and grant money to help
- Keep debris out of the storm drains, especially leaves
- Inspect your docks, lifts and boats for signs of Zebra Mussels, especially when removed in the fall
Keep Connected To The LMPA
- Register your email address by sending a note to info@lakeminnewashta.org
- Volunteer to be a neighborhood captain or board member or join a committee
- Make a tax-deductible donation
- Venmo is a new payment option, otherwise send a check or use PayPal
- Apply for employer Matching Funds
- If you use Amazon, sign up for the Smile program – they donate to the LMPA
James Wolfin from Metro Blooms led a lively discussion about the benefits of creating resilient landscapes that reduce runoff, encourage the growth of pollinating bees, reduce the need for water and fertilizer and provide shoreline stability and beauty. Among the many things he encouraged us to do include:
- Adding rain barrels to better collect and disperse rainwater
- Installing permeable pavements to reduce runoff
- Planting trees
- Replacing grass with turf alternatives like fine fescue and bee and pollinator friendly lawns
- Adding rain gardens and shoreline plantings to collect and better infiltrate water
The LMPA has a grant program of up to $500 to help defray the cost of installing a rain garden. Carver County may have matching grants as well. Since the typical 100 square foot rain garden costs $1500, the combined grant is significant. We encourage anyone interested in pursuing this to contact Kevin Zahler at kjzahler@hotmail.com for more information.
The meeting closed with a round of thanks to the many contributors.
- Our hosts….Camp Fire Minnesota and Camp Tanadoona staff
- Our guest speaker, James Wolfin from the Metro Blooms organization
- Tom Knauer, from Whitefish Gallery who donated our wonderful Lake Minnewashta raffle prizes.
- Our event planner…Helen Gunther
- Our donors
- Our neighborhood captains
- Our board of directors
