Lake Minnewashta Preservation Association

With the geese population growing, a runoff management installation at your lake shore could be a solution and at an extremely low cost! Beautiful runoff management installations are typically at lakes edge and, once established, geese do not like to cross them. Plus, they improve the health of the lake by preventing runoff directly to the lake. Grass clippings in the runoff to the lake result in phosphorus and leads to algae. A runoff installation filters the water before it enters the lake. This is a way to kill two aggressors with one stone!

NO SWEAT!!!! Runoff Buffer and/or Rain Garden Installation grant program available to all residents within the Minnewashta watershed, area bounded by highway 7 on the north, highway 5 on the south, highway 41 on the east and Rolling Acres Road on the west, see the map below. Lake side or residential lot, all are welcome! Help us clean stormwater flowing to the Lake Minnewashta watershed and street drains! The end result is a completed project on your property supervised and installed by others!

GREAT OPPORTUNTIY TO INSTALL A BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROJECT IN YOUR YARD AT A VERY LOW COST!! A qualified $3000 to $4000 project of 250 to 500 square feet could cost the resident only $300 to $600!!!!

We have a collection of potential grants involved in this opportunity and we thank all our partners for their help and cooperation. After the initial LMPA grant, all other grants are on a reimbursement basis.

****** This is a time sensitive offer and limited to the first three applicants. ******

• The Lake Minnewashta Preservation Association (LMPA), will provide an upfront grant of $710 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. ONLY TWO GRANTS REMAIN!
• The Carver County Soil & Water Conservation District (CSWCD), will provide an additional grant that would include the cost of materials and project management by Metro Blooms. This grant money is provided as part of their Shoreline Habitat Program (LINK). This requires CSWCD Board approval and resident agreeing to a 10-year maintenance agreement.
• The City of Chanhassen Low Impact Development grants (LINK) is for Chanhassen residents who are eligible for a grant of 50% on actual costs up to $2000.
• Metro Blooms, https://metroblooms.org/, 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
• The Conservation Corp Minnesota (CCM) provides installation supervised by Metro Blooms.

After project approval by LMPA, CSWCD and the City of Chanhassen, the resident will pay all expenses and then provide receipts for reimbursement for each approved grant.

Interested parties should contact Kevin and Seth to apply. Upon approval from LMPA and CSWCD, Metro Blooms will then assist with consultation, design and filling in the applications. 

Kevin Zahler – kjzahler@hotmail.com, Master Water Steward, LMPA

Seth Ristow – sristow@co.carver.mn.us, Resource Conservation Technician, CSWCD 

Check out our longtime partner Whitefish Gallery for custom made Lake Minnewashta themed products. Click HERE to go to their online catalog and take 20% off on all orders. Just email Tom at giftnetworksllc@gmail.com and let him know you are an LMPA member. If you have any questions, he can be reached on his cell at 763-670-3268 or studio at 952-217-5129.

The Independence Day holiday weekend is upon us and there are many events planned you should consider attending. Check ’em out below!

Board member Scot Lacek has been working with the Sheriff’s department and local residents to identify locations in the lake where submerged rocks are a hazard. With the increase in deep draft wake surf boats, the opportunity for severe damage is increasing, especially during periods of drought where the lake levels are low.  While we only have a few approved buoy markers in the lake, we are working to add more buoys to identify the hazards. Please refer to the map below for locations of hazards, marked and unmarked. 

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 in 2023.

We have performed the first of two planned weed surveys on the lake to determine the concentration of Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP) around the lake. You can find the survey below. That survey was performed by Carver County staff. The second survey for Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) will occur later in June.

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 the week of May 28th 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 June’s 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.

Thank you for your consideration and support!