Happy Labor Day from the Minong Flowage Association
Results of Our Labor: A Labor Day Update From the Flowage
We hope you have a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend on the water. As the summer season winds down, we wanted to share what a season of hard work — on the lake and off it — has accomplished: milfoil bed mapping results that show real progress, a firsthand tour with state and tribal biologists, next steps toward tackling Serenity Bay and the North Basin, and a summer of community fundraisers that brought neighbors together for the flowage.
Bed Mapping Survey Shows Major Milfoil Reduction After First ProcellaCOR Treatment
Post-treatment survey finds an 83.7-acre drop in Eurasian water-milfoil; DNR and GLIFWC biologists tour the flowage as MFA seeks a permit for a second, larger treatment next year.
By the Minong Flowage Association
An August 2026 bed mapping survey of the Minong Flowage has found a sharp reduction in Eurasian water-milfoil (EWM) following the Minong Flowage Association's first treatment with the herbicide ProcellaCOR, conducted in June.
The survey, conducted by research biologist Matthew Berg of Endangered Resource Services, LLC, mapped 11 EWM beds covering 169.4 acres this year, down from 37 beds covering 253.1 acres in a comparable survey in 2025 — a net reduction of 26 beds and 83.7 acres of milfoil. The MFA treated roughly 40 acres of the flowage with ProcellaCOR at concentrations of three to four parts per billion in June.
EWM bed mapping survey results, August 2026 vs. August 2025. Map: Matthew Berg, Endangered Resource Services, LLC.
“Treatment was almost 100% successful in removing EWM in the treated areas,” according to Steve Johnson, MFA Board Director and Lake Management Committee Chair. “When you compare the 40 acres of herbicide treatment against the resulting 80-plus acres of milfoil reduction, I think it’s fair to say preliminarily we’ve notched a win for the lake.”
Boaters on the flowage this summer report vast improvement in treated areas.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has cautioned the association that success should be judged over several years, not a single season, and that some reduction in areas outside the treated zones may prove short-term and will need further evaluation.
Concentration testing data from post-treatment water sampling has not yet been returned by the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene; the MFA says it will share those results once they arrive.
On the Water With DNR and GLIFWC
Board and committee volunteers hosted a pontoon tour and meeting on the flowage on August 20 with state and tribal biologists to review the treatment results firsthand. Attendees included Benjamin Schleppenbach, DNR lake biologist; Jamie Vandenlangenberg, DNR AIS biologist; Austen Hilding, GLIFWC wild rice biologist; and Adam Ray, GLIFWC fishery biologist, along with MFA volunteers Steve Johnson, Harlan Johnson, and Dan Maxwell.
The group toured the treated EWM beds, the untreated milfoil beds remaining in Serenity Bay and the North Basin, and the wild rice fields east and west of the Smith Bridge, discussing the pros and cons of the association's management options going forward.
The MFA remains committed to protecting natural resources like wild rice and our fisheries as we tackle the milfoil problem — as well as keeping lines of communication open and cooperative with all local stakeholders.
Next Steps: A Permit for Serenity Bay and the North Basin
On Aug. 26, the MFA submitted a chemical treatment permit application to the DNR to treat 106 acres of EWM beds in the North Basin and Serenity Bay next spring. The agency has told the association it may not issue a decision until after the first of the year; the MFA is asking the DNR to respond this fall instead.
This is an update to the association's earlier plan to mount a “Phase 2” fall treatment this year. After discussions with both the WDNR and the manufacturer of ProcellaCOR, who conceded the herbicide reaches maximum efficacy during the late spring (mid-June) time period over a fall treatment, the MFA's sights are now set on tackling the large, remaining milfoil infestation in Serenity Bay and the North Basin — parallel to Douglas County Highway T on the north end of the lake — at the start of the 2027 summer season.
The proposed treatment carries a significantly higher cost than this year's — the permit application anticipates roughly $106,000 in treatment costs — meaning continued fundraising and community support will be essential heading into next season. As of September 1, the Save the Flowage campaign has raised more than $125,000. More than half of that, however, was spent on the first treatment this summer.
Community Steps Up: Three August Fundraisers Bring in Thousands for the Flowage
Ribfest, a corn feed, and a poker run — organized entirely by volunteers — capped off a summer of community fundraising for the Save the Flowage campaign.
By the Minong Flowage Association
Three community-organized fundraisers held in August brought in thousands of dollars for milfoil management on the Minong Flowage, MFA leaders say — further evidence, they add, of a summer defined by neighbors and local businesses stepping up for the lake.
Corn Feed
On Aug. 1, Denise and John Pontrelli, along with John and Kathy Vandergon — and many of their friends — hosted a Corn Fest for the Lakes at Seaman's Resort. The event raised more than $1,200 for both lake associations. Denise Pontrelli says they shucked, cooked, and sold more than 40 dozen ears of corn.
“We saw the need to raise funds to help continue the efforts to keep our lake systems clean and healthy,” John Pontrelli said. “The community support was outstanding as well as our gracious volunteers! We are looking forward to next year!”
The MFA is also grateful to Julie and Dave Trygstad for hosting not just the Corn Fest, but also the Ribfest two weeks later.
Poker Run
On August 8, a lake poker run organized by Marsh's View Point Resort, with help from Circle Pines, raised $4,500 in total sales. Half of the pot went to the winning players, some of whom donated part of their winnings back; the MFA received a check for $1,500 in proceeds from the event.
Many thanks to Dave Marsh and all of his volunteers who made this fun day on the lake possible for another summer.
“Dave stepped up on his own, long before we got our own Save the Flowage campaign organized this year, with a poker run last year,” said Ben Kwan, MFA Secretary. “Leading by example, others have followed suit, and the community building we're doing is what's going to improve the health of our lake — not just measured by milfoil reduction, but in the relationships we build and strengthen across the lake. Thanks, Dave!”
Ribfest
On Aug. 15, brothers Tony, Joe, and Pete Retka ran a rib fundraiser at Seaman's, cooking 60 racks of ribs — about 180 pounds of ribs plus roughly 80 pounds of pork belly and burnt ends. “We had a great time,” Tony Retka said. “Hopefully we can put something together again for next summer.”
The event raised $3,452 total, split between the Minong Flowage Association and the Cranberry Lake and Flowage Association (CLFA); the MFA's share came to $1,476.
The MFA is deeply thankful to the Retka family, who donated not only their time and elbow grease, but the entire cost of the food they sold to raise funds for the lakes.
50/50 Raffles: A Show of Unity
Raffle drawings held alongside the Ribfest and Corn Feed events raised an additional $1,070 and $1,210, respectively — proceeds that were split evenly between the MFA and the Cranberry Lake and Flowage Association.
MFA leaders singled out the arrangement as a highlight of the summer. The CLFA organized and ran the 50/50 drawings, then voluntarily split the proceeds between both associations — “a showing of unity and support,” MFA Board Secretary Ben Kwan said, “and emblematic of the cooperative spirit and community building that this campaign has fostered since it began in March.”
The MFA thanks CLFA board member Brad White for showing up with the association's raffle license, a fat wad of tickets, and a big smile.
“The ticket sales were through the roof and a whole heckuva lot of fun,” Kwan said.
Fundraising Total Tops $125,000
Combined with the summer's other giving, the MFA's Save the Flowage campaign has now raised more than $125,000 as of Sept. 1, association leaders said. The association still has ground to cover to fund a second, larger treatment phase targeting Serenity Bay and the North Basin next spring, but says the momentum from this summer's events puts it in a strong position heading into the offseason.