New fines and awareness help reduce litter on Minnesota lakes, but advocates want more action
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Every winter, thousands of people fish on Minnesota’s frozen lakes. Some leave trash, an unsightly problem that can affect a lake’s health.
Lake advocates say a recent Minnesota law targeting litter left on the ice is helping curb the problem. But they’re hoping for more action, including passage of a bill requiring state agencies establish a statewide “Keep It Clean” program and provide funding for local cleanup efforts.
On a recent weekday, Jim Guida, a conservation officer with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, cruised across a sea of patchy ice covering Mille Lacs Lake, on the lookout for litter.
After a couple of years with questionable ice conditions, this winter finally afforded anglers the chance to get out on frozen lakes across Minnesota. Days ago, clusters of fish houses were scattered across Mille Lacs, like small towns. But Monday was the deadline to remove those shelters from inland lakes in the southern two-thirds of the state. Most have disappeared, leaving traces of human activity on the frozen surface.
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Guida pulled up to a rectangular object frozen into the ice, and hopped off the all-terrain vehicle to identify it: a shingle, blown loose from the roof of a fish house.
With some tugging, Guida managed to free it from the ice, and loaded it into a storage box on the back of his ATV.
“So we’re making (the lake) better than we found it, anyway,” he said.
Two years ago, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Keep It Clean Law. It regulates how garbage should be stored on frozen lakes. Anyone who violates the law is subject to a $100 fine.
Guida pulled out his cell phone and snapped a few photos marked with the location. Officers will use the information to track the shelter’s owner and potentially, issue a ticket.
Since the law took effect in July 2023, the DNR reported it has issued 75 citations and 220 warnings. Guida said he thinks the law is helping.
“I think people are accountable now,” he said. “I think there’s knowledge out there of the law, and we’ve promoted it quite well.” But Guida said he and other DNR conservation officers still encounter issues.
And while a small amount of trash on a huge lake like Mille Lacs might not seem like a big problem, it adds up over the years. Last summer, a dive team recovered an assortment of rubbish from the bottom of Mille Lacs, including beer cans, bottles, fishing lures and cell phones.
Litter not only pollutes the water; it’s also a nuisance and a potential hazard for birds and wildlife. Lightweight garbage often drifts to shore, where property owners have to clean it up.
Guida stopped the ATV next to a black plastic bag. He doesn’t need to open it to know what it contains. Anglers leaving human or pet feces on the ice is a common problem. Guida acknowledged it will be difficult to track who’s responsible.
“The satisfaction that I have is removing it from the water, knowing that I’m doing my part environmentally,” he said.
Robyn Dwight is president of the Upper Red Lake Area Association, and a member of the Keep It Clean Coalition, which pushed for passage of the state law. She said it’s helping reduce lake litter.
“One of our resort owners went out to do his usual end-of-fishing-season cleanup, and he said he got one box of tin cans and things that was only half filled,” Dwight said. “That’s never happened."
Dwight recently testified at the state Capitol in support of a bill authored by Rep. Andrew Myers, R-Tonka Bay. It would require state agencies including the DNR and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to develop a statewide Keep It Clean program, including a statewide education campaign.
The bill also would provide grants to local communities to provide education and enforcement of the law, or for local efforts such as organizing spring cleanups and installing dumping stations near lake access points.
One version of the bill would add a $10 surcharge to fish house licenses to fund the program. Another would use general fund dollars. The bills have bipartisan support.
Dwight told a House committee last month that state agencies should take the lead in educating the public and providing resources for winter activities on the ice the same as they do for public lands.
“You would never leave your bags of trash or camp toilet leftovers to pollute campsites, parks or trails,” she said. “We can’t manage and protect our natural resources three seasons of the year while disregarding what goes on during winter months on our frozen lakes and waters.”
Guida said he thinks more help with implementing the law would be a good thing.
“We see a lot of good people out on the ice doing the right thing,” he said. “But there is opportunity for folks to kind of look the other way, or take a little easier approach on things. And that’s when we find this stuff happens.”
