2026 NOTICE of Aquatic Invasive Species Weed Treatment

 

The Chain O’ Lakes Association has contracted in 2026 to treat the following Aquatic Invasive Species: Curly Leaf Pondweed and Eurasian Water Milfoil in Louisa and Marie Lakes.

 

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has granted to The Chain O’ Lakes Association a waiver of the requirement that the association obtain the signatures of approval of owners of lake-shore property.  Instead, The Chain O’ Lakes Association will notify property owners of the treatment through alternate forms. This notice is one form that The Chain O’ Lakes Association is using to notify property owners. Other forms include notification on The Chain O’ Lakes Association Facebook page:  Chain O’Lakes Organization (COLA) and on the COLA web page: https://chainolakes.org  

 

With regard to the treatment for this year, 2026:

 

•  The target species for the treatment:  Curly Leaf Pondweed, proposed date for treatment: April - May 2026 and Eurasian Water Milfoil, proposed date for treatment: mid-September to October 30. 2026.
•  The method of control or products that may be used: EPA and MDA Registered Aquatic Herbicides: Flumioxazin for Curly Leaf Pondweed and ProcellaCOR for Eurasian Water Milfoil
• If the landowner does NOT want treatment to occur adjacent to the landowner's property, fill out the appropriate form(s) below and immediately send to: COLA Co-chair Doug Hayhurst,16614 109th St NW South Haven, MN 55382. The two forms below are for two distinct purposes. The first is for requesting that no Curly Leaf Pondweed herbicide treatment be done near your shoreline. The next form is for requesting that no Eurasian Water Milfoil herbicide treatment be done near your shoreline.

CLP and EWM are aquatic invasive species that we have been performing control actions on for nearly 12 years (CLP) and 5 years (EWM) using money from a local levy administered by the Clearwater River Watershed District. The levy ensures that all lakeshore property owners are contributing to AIS control even though the MN DNR limits the treatment area to 15% of the possible treatment areas per year. Treatment along your shoreline does not increase your taxes and denying these treatment applications along your shoreline will have no effect on your taxes paid over the coming years. Note that the treatment areas are determined by surveys to identify treatment areas to provide maximum impact within the 15% limit from the DNR.  Abiding by the 15% limit ensures that the treatment does not have adverse  effects on fish and wildlife populations that we all enjoy on our lakes.

As you consider your options, be assured that our treatment programs for CLP and EWM are supervised by a Minnesota Aquatic Ecologist, permitted and overseen by the MN Department of Natural Resources, and applied by a professional treatment company that provides similar services all over Minnesota, east to the Atlantic ocean and south into the Carolinas. All three of these organizations have been advising your COLA Board of Directors for many years along with many other lake associations in Minnesota. Finally, all of this work is also reviewed by the Clearwater River Watershed District on an annual basis.

It sounds complicated, but when you have the right service providers it’s relatively painless. Suffice to say though, they know what they’re doing, and we’ve seen the very positive results of their advice over the past ten years or so. These treatment programs make a huge difference in water quality and thus the enjoyment of our Chain O’Lakes.