'Vacuuming' Turtle Lake: DNR begins operation to suck out starry stonewort infestation

TURTLE LAKE TOWNSHIP -- Gallons upon gallons of water were “vacuumed” up at Turtle Lake on Monday as part of an operation to filter out a recently discovered invasive species.

Staged near a boat access where an infestation of starry stonewort was discovered, Monday's procedure included the use of a vacuum to suck up water into a giant bag. Vegetation and mud potentially carrying the starry stonewort fragments were caught in a mesh inside the bag, while the water was allowed to flow back into the lake.

"The bag fills with water and everything flows in, like sediment and plants. All of the sediment gets caught while the water flows back into the lake," said Mike Bolinsky, Region 1 watercraft inspection supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "This is the first time it's being used in Minnesota. Using it in other locations will be mainly dependent on what the infestation looks like on various lakes."

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/local/4104152-vacuuming-turtle-lake-dnr-begins-operation-suck-out-starry-stonewort-infestation