Lake Minnetonka suffers another unwelcome invader - flowering rush

The DNR found the invasive species in two bays; "it's a tough plant to control."

Last update: July 15, 2009 - 11:24 PM

It's not good news for Lake Minnetonka.

Department of Natural Resources officials recently confirmed the presence of another invasive species there. This one is called flowering rush, a native of Europe, that grows in shallow bays that also are home to native cattails or bullrushes.

"We found it in five small locations in Smith's Bay and found a few patches in Brown's Bay,'' said Luke Skinner, DNR invasive species unit supervisor. "It's widespread enough that it's probably been there for a couple of years,'' he said.

SPECIES INVASIVE: The species can spread and replace native vegetation, so the DNR plans to spray it with herbicide. It's uncertain what effect it could have on the lake or fisheries, he said.

"It's a tough plant to control,'' Skinner said.

SOLD FOR AQUATIC GARDENS: The plant had been sold for years for use in aquatic gardens and ponds, and that's probably how it ended up in the lake, Skinner said. It's unlikely it got there via a boat trailer, although it could spread to other lakes by hitchhiking on a boat or trailer. Flowering rush is prevalent in the Detroit Lakes area and a few other spots around the state. It's not likely to be as problematic as Eurasian watermilfoil, which grows in large mats and can affect water recreation. Minnetonka is already infected with that invasive species.

IN ANOKA COUNTY FIRST: Flowering rush was first recorded in Anoka County in 1968 and has since been found in these counties: Aitkin, Becker, Dakota, Itasca, Le Sueur, Rice, Todd, and Washington. Despite its 30-year presence in the state, the distribution of flowering rush is widely scattered and uncommon.

DOUG SMITH

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