Starry Stonewort Prevention Program

In 2019, the Lake Minnetonka Association began surveying the busiest access points on Lake Minnetonka for the presence of starry stonewort. In 2020 and 2021 this program was funded by a grant from the Hennepin County Aquatic Invasive Species Grant Program.

Starry Stonewort is identifiable by its star-shaped bulbs.

 

These star-shaped bulbs (3-5mm in size) are part of how the algae reproduces.

 

Starry Stonewort is an extremely invasive algae which spreads rapidly and forms dense mats which can make boating and water recreation very difficult.

Because of the proximity of Lake Minnetonka to surrounding lakes infested with Starry Stonewort, the University of Minnesota revised its risk matrix to list Lake Minnetonka as one of the top five lakes in Minnesota at risk of becoming infested with Starry Stonewort.

 

Research shows the most likely place starry stonewort will be found is at or near a busy lake access. Therefore, the Lake Minnetonka Association inspects the busiest public and private access sites on Lake Minnetonka twice during the growing season. The most effective tool to combat the spread of Starry Stonewort is early detection. With early detection, it may be possible to control Starry Stonewort before spreads across the lake.

 
 

To learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species click here