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couldn't get out of the weeds if the boat went into an EWM area because the keel <br />was tangled. We would have to be towed out by a power boat! <br />o Kayaking and canoeing through EWM and CLP are nearly impossible. <br />o Nearly all bays on L. Mtka have - or have had - similar situations before starting on <br />BWTs. <br />o The Lake Minnetonka Association (LMA) assists in BWT management of bays <br />enrolled in their “Bay Treatment Programs.” <br />o Milfoil presents concerns and risks to swimmers because they can be tangled in the <br />weeds and panic. Weed infestations may have played a part in several drownings. <br /> <br />BWT Coverage and Consistency <br />• "BWTs" are administered for a specific area (bay or lake) by professional companies with <br />certified applicators, per DNR regulations that limit the timing, type of herbicides, and <br />amounts of herbicides that can be applied. <br />• If the AIS are particularly pervasive, it takes years (and $$$) to address the infestations <br />because of the regulated limits of herbicides that are allowed per year. CLP is especially <br />insidious as it produces “turions” (or seeds) that can survive for years in the lake bed, <br />making it very stubborn to mitigate. However, once infestations can be knocked back, <br />continued treatments are only for isolated spots as indicated on results of annual surveys. <br />o This is why it's important to be consistent with a BWT programs for ongoing lake <br />health. <br /> <br />DIY Homeowner Treatments <br />• DIY Homeowner treatment is allowed with permitting and treatment regulations. Many <br />homeowners do not pull permits for their treatments or follow regulations. Treatments <br />include herbicides, pulling by hand, cutting, and weed rollers. <br />• DIY Homeowners cannot treat using the same herbicides as licensed companies – which <br />can be ineiective for AIS. <br />• DIY Homeowners often use more herbicide than necessary (e.g., “nuking ” the lake), <br />compounding the amount of herbicides in the lake. <br />• Professional and licensed companies can also treat individual property areas with or <br />without BWT Programs. <br />What if we don’t have BWTs on Lake Minnetonka? <br />• Bays are taken over by AIS infestations rendering the lake unusable. <br />• Once BWTs begin, it takes years to get control of the infestations. <br />77