Dickinson County, Iowa — The president of the Iowa Great Lakes Association is sounding the alarm about an invasive plant that’s been found in five area lakes. Eurasian watermilfoil can grow up to 20 feet tall and can be a major obstruction for boat traffic.
That’s Iowa Great Lakes Association president Bill Van Orsdel. He says Eurasian watermilfoil was first found in Lake Minnetonka near the Twin Cities in 1987 and since then it’s been a constant battle for Minnesotans.
Eurasian watermilfoil was found in Lost Island Lake near Ruthven August 1st and has since been discovered in East Lake Okoboji and three other lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes chain. Van Orsdel says efforts to combat the plant should intensify within the next two weeks.
A herbicide has been applied to the invasive plants in a two acre section of Upper Gar Lake, near Arnolds Park. The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors has approved spending 85-thousand dollars to support the effort in other areas. A representative of the East Okoboji Lakes Improvement Corporation says the plant has been found in fairly prolific amounts in certain spots. Washing boats and trailers after leaving a lake and letting them dry for five days helps keep invasive species from spreading from one lake to another.
