In 1984 a group of lake shore owners who had similar interests
concerning the welfare of Lobster Lake joined together to
discuss their concerns.
The first meetings were held at the home of Norman and
LaDonna Mattila. As the number of supporters grew the group
moved to Wildridge Campground and meetings were held on
the third Saturday of each month from May through August.
The group formed Lobster Lake Association in 1985 as an
association under the charter of Walleye, Inc. A new charter
was granted in 1992 for the Lobster Lake Association without
ties to another organization.
Carp traps were first installed in 1985 at the inlets from
Round Lake and Mill Lake and rough fish were removed annually.
New aluminum gates were installed in 1994. The DNR has since
abandoned the theory that carp traps are an effective method
to control carp.
In 1990 we were one of three lakes in Douglas County to
apply for and participate in a Lake Assessment Program.
The program, in cooperation with MPCA, was initiated to
baseline the water quality of our lake and to determine
a plan for future needs. Lobster Lake was the first lake
in Douglas County to initiate a septic survey and have the
county perform “on site” inspections.
Lobster Lake volunteers record Secchi Disk readings weekly,
water levels and ice out dates are recorded each year and
monthly surveys for Eurasian Water Milfoil and Curley Leaf
Pondweed are also done. The data is sent to the MPCA and
local government agencies to aid in establishing long term
water quality trends for our lake. More extensive monitoring
is done monthly and sent to RMB labs in Detroit Lakes for
analysis from incoming streams.
The temporary boat access on the east end of the lake was
eventually closed because of safety issues, and the west
end access was upgraded to become one of the best in the
county.
Our Association is a member and supports our local Coalition
of Lakes Association (COLA), the Douglas County Lakes Association
(DCLA) and Conservation Minnesota. In 2004 the Association
in cooperation with Central Minnesota Initiative Foundation
Health Lakes and Rivers Partnership developed a Lake Management
Plan for the years 2005-2010. Grants totaling $7400 have
been received from the Initiative Foundation for development
of this plan. A web site was established to provide current
information to interested parties www.lobsterlake.org. In
2011 the Lake Management Plan was updated with a grant from
West Central Initiative and is on the website. We have attained
our goals set in the initial plan and have added ongoing
projects such as weed assessment, monitoring for Aquatic
Invasive Species (AIS) and fish stocking in the new plan.
The Lobster Lake Association is proud to have received
the Star Lake designation in 2010. Minnesota's State Legislature
formally established a Star Lakes and Rivers program in
2008.The Star Lake Board was established to encourage and
reward citizen-based lake and river associations that actively
participate in protecting and enhancing surface waters of
Minnesota. The enabling legislation reflects a belief that
broad citizen participation provides a very cost effective
means of protecting our water resources. New threats to
our water came in 2013 with Aquatic Invasive Species. AIS
are being monitored by the Association and we are continuing
to educate members plus develop a rapid response protocol
recommended by the MN DNR.
THE
GOAL OF THE LOBSTER LAKE ASSOCIATION IS TO PRESERVE AND
PROTECT OUR GREAT NATURAL RESOURCE -- LOBSTER LAKE.
Past Presidents
of the Lobster Lake Association |
Norman Mattila |
Duane Peterson |
Harvey Strom |
Craig Goemer (twice) |
Robert W. Arthur |
Pete Onstad |
John Stone |
Bonnie Huettl |
|