Lake Minnetonka Conservation District
CHAPTER 4

Section 4.01. Pollution of Waters of the Lake.

Subd. 1. Prohibition. No person shall pollute the surface waters of the district by placing or depositing or by permitting to be placed or deposited in, or upon said waters or upon any public or private property from which may run into said water any sewage, industrial waste, garbage, rubbish or other waste.

Subd. 2. Private Sewage Systems. Private sewage disposal systems designed for soil absorption of subsurface disposal shall be operated as such and any surface discharge from either is pro-hibited.

Subd. 3. Littering. No person shall throw or otherwise discard or deposit any bottle, can, carton, or other food or beverage wrapper or container, leaves, branches, grass clippings or any other rubbish or wastes in the waters of the district or on the shoreline of such waters.

Subd. 4. Pieces of Ice. No person shall leave on the surface of the ice or snow pieces of ice cut from the Lake. All such pieces of ice cut from the Lake shall be removed from the Lake, replaced in the hole from which they were cut, or deposited under the surface of the ice.

Subd. 5. Variances. Where, upon the written application of the responsible person or persons, other than metropolitan sewer board sewage facility operators, the Board finds that by reason of exceptional circumstances strict conformity with any of the provisions contained herein would cause undue hardship, would be unreasonable, impractical, or not feasible under the circumstances, the Board may permit a variance from these provisions upon such condition and within such time limitations as it may prescribe, for prevention, control, or abatement of pollution in harmony with the intent of state, federal and Lake Minnetonka Conservation District Laws.

Section 4.02. Weeds; Introduction and Removal Prohibited.

Subdivision 1. Definition. For purposes of this Section, the term "weed" means any plant or any cutting, part or fragment of any plant.

Subd. 2. Prohibition.

a) No person shall introduce weeds into the Lake or remove weeds from the Lake to a point more than 50 feet from the shoreline of the Lake.

b) No person shall introduce into the Lake or remove from the Lake to a point outside the defined boat launch area or 200 feet, whichever is less, any vehicle, boat, trailer or any other object which is capable of holding or carrying weeds without first carefully and thoroughly inspecting such vehicle, boat, trailer or other object for weeds and removing all weeds discovered.

Subd. 3. Exceptions. The provisions of Subdivision 2 of this Section do not apply to any of the following:

a) The introduction of weeds into the Lake or the removal of weeds from the Lake pursuant to license from the Commissioner.

b) The removal of weeds from the shoreline or beaches of the Lake or the lawful harvesting of weeds for weed control purposes, provided the weeds so removed or harvested are composted beyond 150 feet of the shoreline, are transported and disposed of by an authorized hauler of refuse or yard waste, or are transported and disposed of in a manner designed to ensure that such weeds will not be introduced into any other waters of the State.

Section 4.03. Zebra Mussel: Introduction Prohibited.

No person may introduce into the Lake or operate on the Lake any vehicle, watercraft, trailer or other object which has had affixed or attached any zebra mussels (any species of the genus Dreissena) until such vehicle, watercraft, trailer, or other object has been cleaned of all visible or discoverable mussels and either 1) 15 days have elapsed after such cleaning before it is intorduced to the Lake during which time it shall remain dry or 2) the owner has secured the opinion of a person recognized as qualified by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources or the District that there are no viable zebra mussels or any of the life stages thereof on such vehicle, watercraft, trailer or other object.