(KNSI) – An invasive species has been confirmed in a popular area lake.
Starry stonewort was found by a vegetation survey company in a cove on the east end of Clearwater Lake. It is contained to about 1.8 acres and has yet to be discovered elsewhere in sweeps completed by both the company and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Starry stonewort has now been logged in 27 bodies of water in the state after first being confirmed back in 2015. It is an algae that forms dense mats on the bottom of a lake. It has white star-shaped blooms this time of year. It crowds out other plants and can affect recreational activities like boating and swimming.
Starry stonewort can be contained effectively if caught early, but there are no documented cases in the state where the plant was ever eradicated from a place where it has been discovered. The DNR says it most likely spreads when fragments are dropped from boats, personal watercraft and other equipment like anchors, boat lifts, and docks.
The agency says Minnesota law requirements like cleaning watercraft, proper bait disposal, and drying docks, lifts, and rafts for three weeks before moving them to another body of water are enough to stop the spread of aquatic species.
___
Copyright 2023 Leighton Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be broadcast, published, redistributed, or rewritten, in any way without consent.
