Enjoying Minnesota’s lakes and rivers by paddle or motorboat is a wonderful privilege. That privilege comes with serious responsibilities. Fun boating is safe boating, so please follow these Top Five Boating Tips
Wear your life jacket and make sure children wear theirs.
Stay sober. Booze and boating don’t mix. Alcohol is the #1 factor in boating fatalities.
Tell a friend. Tell someone where you’re going and when you will be back. If you’re not back, they should call 911. Bring a phone or VHF radio.
Be weather aware. Don’t let a storm sneak up on you — delay your trip or head to shore. Go slow in rough water to avoid capsizing.
Boat smart. Take a boating safety course. Know your boat; stay alert while scanning for dangers; stay seated and low in the boat to prevent falls overboard.
Enjoying Minnesota’s lakes and rivers by paddle or motorboat is a wonderful privilege. That privilege comes with serious responsibilities. Fun boating is safe boating, so please read this guide thoroughly and contact the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with any questions you may have. Here is a LINK to the Minnesota Boating Guide
This book summarizes Minnesota’s boating laws and regulations. It does not present the actual laws and regulations. Laws and regulations are subject to change by the Legislature and through public hearings.
Please pay special attention to the laws and regulations for:
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) protocols on pages 20-22,
AIS permits on page 40
The requirement to always wear a life jacket while paddling on page 37
Boaters may also be subject to federal and local rules and restrictions. For boating information and more information regarding state laws and regulations, contact the DNR Information Center.
500 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155‑4040 651‑296‑6157 888‑646‑6367
Fireworks over the lake are once again planned for July 3rd, 2024 at dusk. The costs for a July 4th show are unaffordable so the organizers at KABOOM are keeping with July 3rd. These are paid for by your donations so please be generous and chip in when the request for help comes out.
As part of our ongoing effort to preserve and improve the water quality and recreational enjoyment of Lake Minnewashta for all, the LMPA will be treating Aquatic Invasive Plants again this year. We wish to keep all of you well informed and this is Notice that we will be treating various areas of Lake Minnewashta for AIS .
We will be using the 2023 Invasive Weed survey to guide our treatment plans this year.
Our plans to reduce the impact of the growing invasive weeds include two treatment periods. The first treatment is for Curly-leaf pondweed(CLP) which is an invasive plant that grows in the spring and early summer. The objective of the curly leaf pondweed treatment program is to treat the heaviest growth of CLP to improve the water quality and recreational use of the lake. The proposed treatment areas may be within 150 feet of your shoreline. The DNR requires us to notify property owners of the treatment with this announcement. The treatment methods will follow Department of Natural Resources’ guidelines and permit.
Curly Leaf Pondweed will be targeted, as in previous years, with the chemical Dibrox (Active Ingredient 37.3% Diquat), an EPA and DNR approved chemical for this use and no restrictions for swimming or fishing following application. This treatment will be completed in April as Curly Leaf Pondweed is actively growing now and needs to be performed at the correct water temperature.
If you do not want the treatment to occur adjacent to your property (within 150 feet from shore), please notify us immediately at info@lakeminnewashta.org.
Eurasian Water Milfoil will be targeted for treatment later this spring with the product 2,4-D This is an EPA and DNR approved product has also been very effective in the past and has also resulted in a reduction of the areas needing treatment. Treatment areas will be determined by the most recent weed survey.
Float signs will be placed in the affected areas when these treatments are made. There are very few water use restrictions with these chemicals, but property owners should take note of the information on the float signs if treatment is done in their area. For more information, please contact us.
The cost of these treatments is funded by the generous donations of LMPA members and is an important step in maintaining the superior water quality that we all enjoy. If you are a lakeshore property owner or a fan of the lake and don’t already belong, please consider joining LMPA and help by providing a donation to support this important program. More information can be found on our website.
GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO INSTALL A BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROJECT IN YOUR YARD AT A VERY FRIENDLY COST!!
The LMPA grant program for all residents within the Minnewashta Watershed (see map below) is now open for applications. Projects can consist of runoff areas and/or rain gardens that retain water from running into the lake or storm sewer system, draining through soil and native vegetation filtration. Benefits are in preventing phosphorus, nitrogen, and chlorides from entering waterways, resulting in less algae development and better water quality for a natural habitat.
This is a time sensitive opportunity to obtain the cost-free installation from CCM. There may be a limited number of installation days available.
We have several potential grants involved in this opportunity and we thank all of our partners for their help and cooperation. The potential exists to receive 50% of cost in grants to help pay for your project.
Lake Minnewashta Preservation Association(LMPA), LMPA will provide an upfront grant of $731 to cover the cost for Metro Blooms to provide consultation, design, estimate and assist in filling out the CSWCD application and City of Chanhassen LID application.
NEW THIS YEAR, LMPA WILL ALSO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL GRANT OF 50% OF PROJECT COST NOT TO EXCEED $500!
Resident is eligible for an additional grant that would include the cost of materials and project management by Metro Booms. This grant is through Carver County Soil & Water Conservation District (CSWCD), which can provide grant money in accordance with CSWCD grant program. Requires CSWCD Board approval and resident agreeing to a 10-year maintenance agreement. Raingardens and offshore runoff projects are not eligible for CSWCD grants.
City of Chanhassen Low Impact Development grant (LID), Chanhassen, resident is eligible for a grant of 50% on actual costs up to $2000, maximum grant of $1000.
Metro Blooms, provides initial design, estimate and applications completion. Metro Blooms also provides all materials, project management and installation supervision after projects are approved by CSWCD and City of Chanhassen
Conservation Corp Minnesota (CCM) provides installation supervised by Metro Blooms. CCM days have been applied for and hope to receive approval by March 15, 2024.
Interested parties should contact the following, with approval from LMPA and CSWCD, Metro Blooms will then help with consultation, design and filling in the applications.
The Lake Minnewashta Preservation Association’s annual meeting and Pot Luck Dinner is scheduled for Sunday October 29th from 4PM to 7PM at the Campfire Minnesota dining center. We will be providing hot dogs and fixings so please bring your favorite beverage and a dish to share. This is a great time to catch up and meet your neighbors and hear an update on what’s going on with Lake Minnewashta. The Camp’s address is 3300 Tanadoona Drive
AGENDA: 4 – 5 PM Registration and Social Hour 5 – 5:30 Dinner 5:30 – 6:30 LMPA Annual Meeting 6:30 – 7 Clean up and meeting close
So we have an idea of how many hot dogs we will need, please RSVP to Helen Gunther at hgunther57@gmail.com or 612-986-4073
