AIS Identification

Long Lake Area Association has been working very hard to keep any invasive species out of Long Lake and to prevent  the spread of AIS from Long Lake to other lakes.

We need your help as lake shore owners and lake users to contain AIS!

Our Foundation has raised money to help inspect boats and trailers.  We conduct observations to detect Veligers and adult Zebra Mussels in the lake as well as monitor plants to detect invasive species early.  But a few association volunteers can not cover the entire lake. 

Everyone who uses the lake needs to be on the look out for invasive species.  This page is meant to be used as a quick identification guide.  If you suspect a weed or mussel, use this guide as a start.  Please notify our LLAA AIS Team by emailing longlakeliving@gmail.com.  A team member will be in contact with you. The LLAA AIS team will contact the Invasive Species Specialist at the MNDNR  if needed.

8/29/2023:  Update of page: On 8/ 14/2023, Starry Stonewort was confirmed to be in Long Lake. Our AIS response team and communication team having been working to ensure that all lake shore owners know the situation.  We have had many people respond to our communications with "I think I have starry stonewort near my dock"  Thank you all for checking the aquatic vegetation at your docks!

 The picture to the left is of wild celery.  Wild Celery's description from the MN DNR is helpful here:  https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/.../submerge.../wild_celery.html

The description states in late summer, Wild Celery produces a small, whitish-yellow flower, supported by a coiled stalk.

So at the end of our docks and under the boat lifts, many of us are seeing the small flower on the long coiled stem that is underwater and the leafy portion of the plant is way below.

This article from Maryland helps describe the value to lake water quality health too from wild celery besides the food value for waterfowl and fish habitat:

 https://thinkport.org/bayville/printables/wild_celery.pdf

If you have questions about aquatic vegetation, please email  longlakeliving@gmail.com. We appreciate your eyes on the water for early detection of invasive species.

Below is a picture of Starry Stonewort: A Starry Stonewort (SSW) bulbil that is shaped like a star would not be visible to us just looking into the water from the end of our docks because the bulbil is at the base of the SSW macro algae on colorless, underground filaments (rhizoids).

Starry Stonewort:  Click here for the AIS Starry Stonewort ID guide:  Starry stonewort is a non-native species of large algae in the Characeae family. It has whorls of 4-6 long branchlets. It is more robust than most members of its family, and can grow to over two meters tall.  Anchored by colorless filaments (rhizoids) that contain up to several dozen 4-5mm, star-shaped bulbils, starry stonewort typically grows in marl sediments of alkaline lakes, up to 9 meters deep.  video of starry stonewort

If you want more information about the starry stonewort on Long Lake, please read this blog entry: https://www.longlakeliving.org/2023/08/blog-post.html

The zebra mussel is a small shellfish named for the striped pattern of its shell. Color patterns can vary to the point of having only dark or light colored shells and no stripes. It is typically found attached to objects, surfaces, or other mussels by threads extending from underneath the shells. Although similar in appearance to the quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis), the two species can be easily distinguished. When placed on a surface zebra mussels are stable on their flattened underside while quagga mussels, lacking a flat underside, will fall over.  DNR Zebra Mussel ID guide

watermilfoil

Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum [1] or spiked water-milfoil) is native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa. It is a submerged aquatic plant, and grows in still or slow-moving water.

Curly Leaf Pond weed grows from the shore to depths of up to 15 feet.  Leaves are somewhat stiff
and crinkled, approximately 1/2-inch wide and 2 to 3 inches long; leaves are arranged alternately around the stem, and become more dense toward the end of branches; produces winter buds.

Links for more detailed information: 
Hubbard County COLA Identification page
DNR Invasive Aquatic ID guide
AIS indentifcation guide - free to download from MAISRC
Hubbard County COLA Lake Monitoring Plan