FAQ

1. Invasive species spread: Starry stonewort can quickly proliferate. Composting the plant material without proper management could spread its fragments to new areas, so the species could establish itself in new habitats and further disrupt ecosystems.

2. Resilience and regrowth: Starry stonewort is known for its ability to regenerate from small fragments. Starry stonewort reproduces via bulbils (produced by rhizoids) or stem fragments, so even if the plant is composted, some plant structure might survive the composting process and find their way back into water bodies, leading to potential re-infestation and further ecological issues.

If you discard invasive species, take these safety precautions:

1. Bag and Discard: put the plant material in a bag big enough to hold it and let it dry in the sun. Once they are fully dried, they should be safe enough to throw away.

2. Do NOT Chip Starry stonewort.

3. Check your local laws: Starry stonewort is a prohibited invasive species, which means it  it is unlawful to possess, import, purchase, transport, or introduce plant material except with a permit for disposal, control, research, or education.

Yes, reference areas are areas that haven't been treated and are used as controls.

Yes, we find invasive species on boats, but once we started working on management, boats have been a lot cleaner. If you want to know more, check out the reports on the 'Inspection Program' page.

We do not have a lot of flexibility for individual treatment areas, but we do our best to make sure the concerns are properly handled.

Please reference the MN DNR Fishing Regulations

Per MN Fishing regulations, it is illegal to catch a fish if you don't intend on using it for anything.  Any fish (including rough fish) must be returned back into the water alive.  You cannot waste a fish by discarding it, or any part of it, for sport.  (Page 36, Illegal Activities)

While this has not been the case around our wonderful lake, if you spot illegal activity please contact DNR authorities.  Unfortunately, if you are an impacted shore owner with wasted fish on your property there are no organizations you can call to dispose of the fish.  The association has alerted DNR of the continuing issue.  We've also contacted the township about the fisherman on the blind corner by the five-mile bridge.

The benefits and negatives of run-off will vary based on individual properties as some need more nutrients and some need to move it away, so there isn't a conclusive answer we can give here.

The buffers do the best when there is slow-moving rain but are less effective in larger rain-falls like the recent 7-inch downpour.

A public ditch is managed by an agency or watershed. A private ditch is managed by the landowner. So, in a private ditch, a landowner could potentially handle drainage and tillage by themselves without a permit, but most farmers can not tile under the 1986 farm law, the swamp buster law. It's very expensive, but it helps control the vast run-off. 

KLA has focused on delivering a clear message. We abide entirely by our mission to promote the protection and improvement of Koronis Lake, and every project and initiative supports that founding purpose. 

We have created multiple ways to communicate with our membership and community, including hosting a Facebook and Instagram page, updating our website, sending out newsletters, and hosting the annual meeting where all members can come to learn what we are doing. 

We occasionally host educational workshops on the dangers of Aquatic Invasive Species, one of the most pressing issues Koronis Lake faces today, and continue to search for opportunities to share all that we have learned. 

On that note, our website includes tips, resources, and guidelines to help shore-owners and boaters know the best practices and regulations to protect our lake. These resources will continually update as we find new information.

We need site permits and an open area. There is a "one gambling manager per establishment" rule.

 The establishment can terminate the agreement with a warning, but our gambling manager and other board members have worked to support a good relationship.

Our priority as an association is always the lake and lake-goers, so we have to evaluate our ability as a neighborhood association very carefully. While we always ask our fireworks vendors, we are rarely able to secure a 4th of July date because it is a very competitive (and expensive) date. However, we always aim to get the closest date to the 4th. We wouldn't want you or your visiting family and friends to miss the fireworks by it being on an entirely seperate weekend!  

Fireworks, being explosives, must be handled extremely carefully. Our fireworks crew and board are in constant communication leading up to the launch time, and if we're able to assess early in the day that the conditions won't be suitable, we can sometimes switch to another date. This, however, isn't easy. It is quite costly for both us and the crew to switch and may cost them other business and affect the plans of our visitors. All of these elements are balanced to make a final decision. We want the fireworks to be something everyone can enjoy safely.

The top priority is always safety. If the assessment earlier determined that the conditions would be fine and the weather suddenly changes, the crew has the final decision with whether to ignite the fireworks or pack them up. There is substantial risk to re-packing ammunition. 

So, even though it might not be optimal viewing conditions (who doesn't love sitting out on the lake for fireworks?), we would never ask our crew to risk their limbs or lives. 

The Koronis Lake Association sources the vendor, manages the logistics, and coordinates funding for the show. Our community partners all around Paynesville and the nearby area help to spread the word and contribute to the excitement. Many of our wonderful members and partners also contribute monetarily, and we are very grateful for all of the people that help to make this show happen!

Ultimately, it comes down to the availability of our fireworks vendors, but we do often have dates we target. If the 4th of July falls on a weekday, we will aim for the closest Saturday. If the 4th of July falls on a Saturday, we first ask if that date is available and then ask about Friday or Sunday. If the 4th of July falls on a Sunday, we first ask if that date is available and then ask about Saturday or Friday, in that order.

Our hope is that as many people as possible can see the fireworks show, knowing that people may be traveling in to Koronis on Friday and heading out on Sunday. 

Thank you so much for considering donating! We primarily process donations through PayPal and mail. If you would like to submit an online donation, simply include "Please dedicate XX amount for fireworks" in the comment section. If you'd rather send a physical payment, please include a note along those lines. 

There is NO pre-registeration ahead of the boat parade day. In order to register your boat, please meet at the Assembly Grounds at 1:30 PM. A KLA director will meet you at your boat to give you your number, the official rules, your gift certificate and to confirm your contact information.

Once you have been assigned a number, please line up behind the lead boat. The lead boat will have KLA banners along the side, but if you cannot find them, flag down the director you registered with and ask them.

To collect votes in a timely manner and get the winners out to you ASAP, Lake Association pre-selects judges all around the lake. These judges cannot be participants in the parade and are ensured to have no conflict of interest.

There is one official rule and one unofficial. In order to be eligible for winning, you must register your boat and follow the entire parade route around the entire lake. If you do not finish the route, you may be disqualified as you will not be considered by all of the judges around the lake. In order to improve your chances, have fun! Show up ready to celebrate summer, the lake, and all of the things that make our home wonderful, like a well cooked hotdogs and a hopeful Viking win.