I'm quite sure residents of Carman Bay are not missing the milfoil pictured above from the summer of 2009, but many may have forgotten what our bay looked like before our successful milfoil treatments in 2010 thru 2012. The downside of a successful milfoil treatment program is how quickly residents forget the serious milfoil problem we once had, making subsequent fundraising more difficult. We managed to get through the 2012 season with minimal treatment and funding. Now it is time to fund another whole bay treatment for the 2013 season. We are now on an every other year treatment cycle, using spot treatments in the off years.
The privately funded cost for 2013 will be roughly $35,000. We are still working on more public funding but this is a very complex issue that will take time to resolve. The issue of public/private funding of AIS control is becoming a statewide issue that the legislature may have to act on. To date our funding has averaged 35% public, 65% private. Our lakes are a public resource and eventually the cost of AIS control may well be treated as a public cost, the same way our city and state parks are maintained with public dollars. Until this issue is resolved our best solution is to fund a certain percentage of the treatment ourselves and continue to advocate for more public funding.
In the past we have operated within the Five Year - Three Bay Milfoil treatment program with the LMCD & the LMA. That program has now ended and we are currently working with the LMA only. There are now five bays currently being treated and Carson and St. Louis bays (East of the Minnetonka Yacht Club) will most likely join this year. Much has been learned over the last five years. We have continued to improve our treatment protocol to a point where a whole bay treatment results in a significant reduction of milfoil lasting two years.
Last year we did experience a resurgence of native species in some areas. We are hoping that some of this growth is temporary and cyclical in nature. Many times the native species will become less prominent after a first-year resurgence. Residents have the option to do an additional treatment that kills all weeds on their shoreline, (within DNR permit guide lines) if they choose to do so. We can suggest local applicators if you're interested in this type of treatment. The milfoil treatment has cleared nearly 100 acres of milfoil from Carman Bay, which is a huge improvement on a bay wide basis and greatly improves recreation, navigation, visual beauty & real-estate values, etc.
Our fundraising goal of $35,000 this year is a large amount but please be assured that we are not requesting this funding every year. Hopefully as a Carman Bay resident, you are happy with the many benefits of a whole bay treatment for milfoil, and will be generous this year knowing that you can donate less next year (an off year). We can count on another DNR grant this year and also have a $7,000 carry forward from last year, but these amounts have already been included in the fundraising budget. Our past donations from the LMCD "Save the Lake" fund are not assured at this time & therefore not used in calculating the budget.
Donation Notes
- If every resident on the Bay donated equally we would need only $320 per lot. Unfortunately this is not the case. 40% to 50% (depending on the year) of our lake shore residents are benefiting from the treatment while donating nothing at all. This is causing an unfair burden on the residents that are donating. To reach our goal each year many residents have had to donate much more than their share, with some donating as high as $2,000 in past years. Some residents who donate every year have very little milfoil in front of their own house but they donate for the common good. If you have not contributed in the past, please consider donating this year and every year, to ensure the success of this program for many years to come. We really need everyone to participate this year.
- Please send Donations & Make Checks out to: Lake Minnetonka Association (LMA)
PO BOX 248
Excelsior, MN 55331
Please designate "Carman Bay Milfoil Treatment" in the memo line. Donations to the LMA are 100% tax deductible
- Please send us your email address!! If you are not receiving Carman Bay updates via e-mail please consider sending an e-mail and/or your phone number to one of the volunteers listed on the Contacts page. Communicating via regular mail is expensive, time-consuming, and slow. E-mail is our most effective way to communicate, send us your email today!
Also, please visit the photo gallery section for comparison photos showing how beautiful our bay looks after successful milfoil treatments. The photos demonstrate the huge difference when comparing an untreated bay to a treated bay.
Feel free to contact any of the volunteers listed on the Contacts page via email or phone if you have questions concerning this year's treatment. As always the volunteers are grateful for your support in the past & hope we can count on your continued participation in the future.
Lake Minnetonka Assoc. 
