Update from St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota
From Andy Riesgraf, HWI Project Manager/Researcher
The project team successfully completed their field work and data collection on Lake Minnetonka this past September and October. We tested the propeller wash of five boats, with two being wakesurf boats. The field work involved driving boats over water velocity sensors that were deployed on the lake bottom at two different water depths. We also collected water samples before and after the boat passes to measure any
changes in water quality. Our team will spend much of the winter analyzing the data and writing a report for external peer review that we anticipate publishing summer 2023.
In addition to our Phase 2 study, I also want to share the good news that it appears the Healthy Waters Project will receive funding for a Phase 3 study. We submitted a proposal to the Legislative-Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) this past spring that has now been recommended to the MN Legislature for funding. If approved, funding for this three-year project would start July 2023. The project will expand our research on boat generated wake waves and propeller wash impacts on inland lakes. Moreover, the team will also look at wind generated waves to parse out similarities and differences to boat generated waves. I believe a major strength of our proposal was being able to point to the tremendous financial support we’ve received
from donors these past few years through our crowdfunding campaigns. The hundreds of donations that we have received, has without a doubt, conveyed a powerful message that studying boating impacts on our shared lakes is a critically important topic to Minnesotans and others across North America.
Editor’s Note: Read the full letter here. MLSA has been committed to supporting this research through significant financial contributions and other initiatives. We are pleased to see this project moving into phase 3. Thank you to everyone who has helped us to contribute and has contributed independently to this important research for the future of our lakes and streams.