The Iowa Great Lakes area is an incredible place to live, visit and recreate. Much of their economy is tied to these area lakes. Sometimes, difficult decisions come along, such as the curlyleaf pondweed issue on the north end of East Okoboji. It is an exotic that showed up in the 1950s, but in recent years has become a major recreational and navigational nuisance by growing to the surface in May and creating a dense mat that pretty much weed-locks the north end of East Okoboji and on Lower Gar. It takes until the end of June until it dies off.
Iowa Lakeside Lab and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have worked together the past two years to devise a plan to help open up navigational lanes and paths to help lake home owners, recreationists and anglers be able to at least be able to utilize portions of the affected areas.
A combination of mechanical harvesting and an aquatic herbicide was used in 2018 with plans to do this again in 2019. The herbicide is used about five miles from any drinking water intakes and testing showed the herbicide did not travel from the treated area and water tests showed no danger to fish, animals or humans.