Starry Stonewort Confirmed in Lake Bemidji

Credit: Minnesota DNR

The aquatic invasive species starry stonewort has been confirmed in Lake Bemidji.

In a release, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says they found the starry stonewort while conducting general surveys on algae in the lake. Lake Bemidji now joins 21 other bodies of water in Minnesota to have a confirmed invasion of starry stonewort. The confirmation comes just over two weeks after the DNR confirmed the invasive algae in Turtle River Lake in Beltrami County and Bowen Lake in Cass County.

The AIS can form dense mats and compete with native species in the area. The DNR suspects starry stonewort most likely spreads through improper cleaning of water-related equipment.

Follow-up studies are being conducted in Lake Bemidji to test the extend of the invasion.