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You Spoke, LICA Listened. 

 

The top priorities of Lake Indy homeowners and users are water quality and lake levels. To address these issues, LICA has identified two projects designed to address these issues but we need your help to fully fund the newly created Lake Independence Water Quality Improvement Fund. 

​​Lake Independence has been challenged with an invasive plant species and has been experiencing high water levels, resulting in Slow-No Wake conditions and record-breaking high waters. The Lake Independence Citizens Association (LICA) has coordinated with local watershed partners to develop a strategy to address these two issues. A new Water Quality Improvement Fund has been established to support this initiative. Our ultimate goal is to have Lake Independence removed from the Minnesota Impaired Water list.

Two water quality projects slated for Lake Independence

Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP) Management

 

Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP), an invasive aquatic plant, has reached critical levels in Lake Independence. Why action is needed:

  • The frequency of occurrence has exceeded treatment thresholds 

  • The plant’s unique life cycle has water quality impacts where the plant dies off near the end of June, releasing phosphorus that contributes to algal blooms

  • Early-season growth and high density of CLP displaces native plant community

  • CLP produces turions – seed-like structures that survive in sediment for years and have a high germination rate; a large proportion successfully start new plants

  • CLP is a source of internal phosphorous loading that will need to be controlled for future alum treatment consideration
     

A Lake Vegetation Management Plan, approved by the MN DNR, has been created specifically for Lake Independence. The plan has broad support from our key partners:

  • Pioneer-Sarah Creek Watershed Commission (PSCWSC)

  • Three Rivers Park District

  • Cities of Medina and Independence

  • Minnesota DNR

  • Lake Independence Citizens Association (LICA)
     

Several lakes—such as Lake Sarah, Medicine Lake, Lake Rebecca, Cleary Lake, and Hyland Lake have successfully implemented similar large-scale CLP treatment plans.

 

Treatment Strategy Highlights:

  • Initial treatment for 25% (105 acres) of the littoral zone (areas ≤ 15-feet in depth supporting aquatic vegetation growth) in areas of high density CLP growth.  

  • Timing is critical: Early-season treatment when CLP is fast growing, before native plant germination and minimal risk the herbicide has impacts on native species

  • Commitment of minimum 5 to 7 years of early season treatments is required to reduce the turion seedbank - turions can remain viable for several years

Expected Benefits:

  • Decreased CLP growth

  • Increased open water for navigation and recreation

  • Reduce internal phosphorous loading attributed to CLP senescence (die-off)

  • Lowered risk of algae blooms

  • Improved water quality and habitat for native species

Lake Independence Outlet Channel Maintenance 

 

The only outlet channel for Lake Independence runs from the southwest side of the lake to Pioneer Creek. The channel has a long run with little elevation drop, so the water exits the lake at a low rate. After periods of heavy precipitation, Lake Independence water levels take longer than other area lakes to recover to ‘normal’.

 

A major problem has been obstructive cattail growth. Floating cattail root balls break free and wedge in the channel, restricting the outflow. Additionally, cattails are now growing from the floor of the channel. There have been past projects to clean out the channel mechanically, but ongoing maintenance was not completed and this is critical. The new strategy calls for maintenance to be done every year. 

 

An action plan was developed by LICA and Pioneer-Sarah Creek Watershed Management Commission (PSCWMC) to address continued high-water levels. All watershed partners  agree that addressing the outlet channel is a high priority   LICA obtained MN DNR permit and approval and applied herbicide via drone application to ~85% of the channel in October of 2024.

 

After the initial treatment, a physical clearing of the channel is required. This should be a one-time operation, although it is possible a second (future) clearing may be necessary. After the physical removal, the plan is to have annual applications of a proven, selective herbicide in August of each year. Drone applicator technology will be utilized.

Next Steps

 

The CLP treatment plan and channel maintenance requires funding. While LICA’s partners are making commitments to cost-share on the majority of the program , there is a need for increased LICA Member and lakeshore owner donations.

 

What We Need From You 

Plain and simple, we need your financial commitment to execute on these projects, both now and in the coming years. We've sent up a GoFundMe site to make the process easy and show our performance to goal. Our public partners will only commit their resources once they see that the homeowners and users of Lake Independence are doing their part.

 

LICA is looking for every household on Lake Independence to contribute at least $200 to the Fund each year, starting this year. 

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