Who is responsible for monitoring and managing aquatic plants in our lakes?
Minnesota law states that aquatic plants growing in public waters are the property of the state. As such, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) is the main agency responsible for aquatic plant monitoring and for overseeing aquatic plant management. Most lakes are mapped by the MN DNR every five years. Aquatic plant mapping is done to produce a historical record of changes in plant species and location and size of plant communities. Results from one day of sampling, or even one season, provide a snapshot of a lake at a given point in time. Just one year of observed excessive plant growth may not indicate a problem, it may simply reflect the natural response to growing conditions in a particular season. Plant communities in lakes are dynamic, not static, and so must be looked at over time. Several years of mapping are needed to determine trends or changes in aquatic vegetation. In between MN DNR mappings, trained volunteers can play a vital role in monitoring the aquatic
