Aquatic Invasive Species

The invasive species damages boats, poses an injury risk to humans and harms native species.

For Minnesota youths, leaders in charge of combating invasive species in lakes said the work can be a career training game changer.

Conservation districts and counties across the state will instruct volunteers on how to identify invasive species like starry stonewort in area lakes on Aug. 8, 2026.

Getting an earlier start on targeted removal gives them a stronger chance to effectively manage invasive weeds over the course of an open-water season, professionals say.

The Itasca County Soil and Water Conservation District contacted the DNR after finding the invasive species on multiple samplers.

The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Division of Resource Management announced the finding on Sept. 15, 2025. Nearby Leech Lake has been infested since 2016.

The Department of Natural Resources confirmed the discovery of adult zebra mussels Roosevelt and Swan lakes and veligers in White Earth Lake on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025.

Since first found in MN in 2015, starry stonewort has been confirmed in 35 water bodies. It can form dense mats, interfering with recreational uses and competing with native plants.

Participants statewide will be assigned up to five public accesses to search for starry stonewort as well as other aquatic invasive species on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025.

A Beltrami Lake property owner made the initial call to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources after finding zebra mussels attached to rocks in the lake.