Mechanical harvesting of Starry Stonewart pulled an estimated 260,000 pounds of the invasive weed from Lake Koronis in Paynesville this summer. It's year two of a plan to try to manage the fast-spreading invasive species.
The public access on Grand Lake near Rockville is closed this week while crews work to remove Starry Stonewart. Divers and other workers will be in the water trying to remove the invasive weed by hand.
A major search for an invasive aquatic weed that's new to Minnesota has found it in one more lake. The Department of Natural Resources says a search of 178 lakes in 20 counties by 200 trained volunteers found starry stonewort in Grand Lake in Stearns County.
Now that Governor Dayton has signed the supplemental budget bill, the Koronis Lake Association can move forward with plans to rid the lake of the invasive species Starry Stonewart.
Last summer, the aquatic invasive species Starry Stonewart was found in Paynesville's Lake Koronis. It's the first known infestation of Starry Stonewart in Minnesota. The Legislature took notice and passed a bill this session allocating $200,000 to help fight the weedy invader.