2023 Accomplishments

1. Eurasian Watermilfoil – MKLPA has done an excellent job planning for and controlling .

2. Fund Raising & Grant management – MKLPA continues in being a leader in business support and grant receipts which keeps the association on a sound financial foundation.

3. Relationship Building – MKLPA enjoys a very good working relationship with the DNR,creating a high level of respect and mutual admiration.

4. Outstanding & Consistent Leader – Sally Murwin has done an outstanding job of leading the MKLPA for 25+years.

5. Causeway Trees – MKLPA has been able to grow several trees on the causeway by Save More in an attempt to mitigate road salt which can be a major threat to shoreline and lake contamination.

6.Improved Communications – The Board has approved a new communication plan designed by Julie Nickelsen. The plan includes additional email, newsletters, mailings, Facebook postings, and Website postings. MKLPA hopes to grow our membership supporters to over 600 in 2024.

7.Successful Fund Raising – Local Business Support is at record levels. Kathy Kreps and her crew have done an outstanding job building relationships and increasing donations from our local businesses. The Annual Pig Roast (Labor Day Weekend) at Torpy contributed over $12000 in 2023 to MKLPA implementing our strategic lake management plan. Please support our business supporters – Business Supporters – Minocqua / Kawaguesaga Lakes Protection Association

8.Easy to Join and Make Donations – 2023 saw the implementation of MKLPA accepting credit cards and digital checks for donations and membership fees – thanks to our exceptional relationship with Incredible Bank and the guidance of our treasurer, Sandy Kreps – Join – Minocqua / Kawaguesaga Lakes Protection Association

9.Not For Profit Mailing Permit – MKLPA has applied for and been granted a not for profit mailing permit from the United States Postal Services and will be working in partnership with Universal Mailing Services in Wausau Wi to improve and increase our communication to members and non-members of our community at significantly reduced costs.

10.MKLPA Website – 2023 was a pivotal year for the MKLPA website. Exhaustive efforts by Robert at Tyndall Web Design and Board Member, Ted Pittman saw the website mature into a comprehensive source of local, county, and state information of what is happening around and impacting Lake Minocqua and Lake Kawaguesaga.

11.Safety Information available with the click of a button – QR Code technology implemented at Town of Minocqua Safety Boards / Boat Launches – Lake Information in Minocqua, WI

12.Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) – Onterra had identified 211 acres of EWM in 2019; through intense management , EWM has been mitigated to less than 50 acres over the past 4 years with very little of this acreage impacting recreation or navigation. (The Wisconsin DNR regulates this EWM management via an extensive permitting process)

13.Aquatic Plant Management Plan (APM) – MKLPA is contracted with Onterra, LLC for the research and development of this guiding document;

MKLPA is aligned with the current science to allow managing for a lowered EWM population in the system (Minocqua & Kawaga Lakes), while protecting the resources and being financially prudent. Having a current APM allows the MKLPA to be eligible for grant funding, which the MKLPA has secured almost a third of a million dollars ($331,219.06) since we started working with Onterra. This funding has allowed MKLPA to use herbicides sparingly, with a bulk of the effort coming from manual removal methods (DASH)

14.DASH / Hand Harvesting – 2023 the DNR permitted area for DASH mitigation was close to 300 acres. See chart below for annual data. Lake Minocqua and Kawaga have had almost 7,000 cubic feet of EWM hand removed since 2020. This substantial effort has been funded by MKLPA members and grants.