New invasive species found in Minnesota lakes puts squeeze on plants, fish

Minnesota can now add a new name to its growing list of invasive aquatic species — starry stonewort. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Friday that the plant, actually an algae, has been found in two connected lakes, Koronis and Mud, near Paynesville in the central part of the state. Like Eurasian milfoil, it grows into dense mats that can cover the surface of shallow waters, squeezing out other plants and creating a wall between fish and their spawning It’s apparently been there for some time, too. It’s grown to cover 53 acres of a shallow area on the southwest side of Lake Koronis near a public input site off Highway 55, and it’s spread into the main basin and into neighboring Mud Lake. “It’s really hard to see this happening,” said Karen Langmo, a member of the Koronis Lake Association whose grandfather built-READ MORE-http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/3827954-new-invasive-species-found-minnesota-lakes-puts-squeeze-plants-fish