Emergent aquatic plants such as cattails, bulrushes, and sedges grow within the shallow margins, or "littoral zone", of most lakes in Minnesota. They improve water clarity as their roots stabilize the lakebed sediments and take in nutrients. Their stems and leaves provide habitat for fish, invertebrates, and amphibians below the water, refuge for waterfowl and other wildlife above the water, and protection for shorelines against the force of wave action. Emergent plants often grow alongside other aquatic vegetation, such as floating-leaf and submerged plants, creating a diverse habitat essential to lake health.

Any Destruction of Emergent Vegetation Requires a Permit in Minnesota

Lakeshore owners often wish to remove emergent vegetation to improve their access to open water and/or increase usable recreational space. Given its importance in improving water quality, providing habitat, and protecting shorelines from erosion, any  removal of aquatic emergent vegetation requires a permit from the Department of Natural Resources. This process connects landowners with professionals to ensure that the extent of vegetation removal (and methods used to achieve it) minimizes impacts to the lake and all who use it. Learn more about aquatic plant regulations HERE. 

Purple loosestrife is another common invader of shallow water.

Non-native emergent species such as narrow-leaf and hybrid cattails often grow in dense monocultures capable of outcompeting native species. Habitat quality and recreational usability are reduced as these invasions spread across large expanses of shallow water, but management efforts to remove them are often challenging and costly. When occurring in small clusters, these plants can still provide water quality benefits along disturbed shorelines where native emergent plants are absent. In either circumstance, removing a non-native or invasive emergent species requires a permit. 

Aquatic vegetation is a natural and essential part of lake and wetland environments. The abundance and types of plants present are primarily driven by water depth and clarity. Many lakes in the north metropolitan area are shallow (less than 15 ft. deep) or are more functionally open-water wetlands. These lakes usually contain abundant vegetation throughout when paired with good water quality, allowing sunlight to reach the bottom. The alternative is poor water quality from disturbances such as excessive nutrient inputs, reducing aquatic vegetation and the fish and wildlife that depend on it. Learn more about shallow lake vegetation from this StoryMap produced by the Rice Creek Watershed District: Aquatic Plants: Guardians of our Shallow Lakes.

For more information contact Breanna Keith, Water Resource Specialist, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Since its establishment in 1988, the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) has invested over one billion dollars in environmental projects "for the public purpose of protection, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of the state's air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources." The constitutional dedication of these funds is set to expire in 2025, but Minnesota residents can vote this November to rededicate them through 2050. A 'Yes' vote supports this measure, whereas a 'No' vote opposes it. If left blank on the ballot, it will be counted as a 'No' vote.  

Funding for the ENRTF originates from Minnesota State Lottery proceeds and is administered by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. It is a substantial source of long-term and stable funding for a variety of organizations and projects throughout the state, supporting efforts tied to improving water quality, habitat, recreation, outreach and education, renewable energy, and more. Learn more about the ENRTF and find a full list of the 1,700(+) projects it has supported HERE. For more information contact Breanna Keith, Water Resource Specialist at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

As a result, over 250 candidate water quality improvement projects were sited within the Ford Brook Watershed. The majority of these are agricultural practices such as cover crops, no-till farming, grassed waterways, water and sediment control basins, and enhanced riparian buffers, but additional practices such as prescribed grazing, wetland restorations, and lakeshore stabilizations were also included. For each practice, anticipated costs and water quality benefits to Ford Brook were generated, and all findings are summarized in detail in the corresponding SWA report. This report will be a valuable asset as we pursue nutrient reduction goals in Ford Brook and, by extension, the Rum River. For more information contact Breanna Keith, Water Resource Specialist at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..