The sport of ice fishing is booming! And thanks to better technology, better equipment and wheelhouses, it’s now more comfortable than ever to stay on the ice for extended periods.

As a result, lakes in the ice belt have seen a dramatic increase in winter activity. With the increased activity has come more pressure on the natural resources, including an increase in the amount of garbage and human waste left on the ice.

Although it’s exciting to see more people enjoying the sport of ice fishing, the removal and safe disposal of garbage and human waste from frozen lakes is reaching unmanageable proportions.

To help address these issues, Lake of the Woods started the Keep It Clean campaign. More recently, Upper Red Lake and Mille Lacs Lake came on board. As news about the unique partnership between these lakes — and the work they are doing together — spreads, other lakes seeking solutions are joining Keep It Clean.

During the 2022-2023 ice fishing season, the Keep It Clean Coalition grew from three lakes to over 50 lakes and Soil and Water Conservation Districts! Some of these include: Big Sandy Lake; Big Sauk Lake; Cass County SWCD; Fairmont Chain of Lakes; Kandiyohi SWCD; Lake Vermillion; Leech Lake Chamber of Commerce; Meeker County Association of Lakes; Prior Lake; Spring Lake; and West Battie Lake.

The Keep it Clean Coalition began addressing the growing problem of garbage and waste on ice of state waters due to winter angling and recreation over twelve years ago. We have worked hard since then to educate and to bring awareness to the problem of human leftovers in our frozen waters, but it is not enough.

With the popularity of ice fishing in today’s world, leaving just a little bit behind multiplied by tens of thousands of ice anglers, equates to tons of garbage.  This newly passed Keep It Clean bill will help to eliminate a good amount of that.  It is not a hard lift, as they would say, but a measure that will really make a positive impact on our waterways.

In addition, it helps those out of the ice to plan ahead as to where they will use the bathroom when Mother Nature calls.  If you are staying at a resort, many offer facilities out on the ice.  If you are on your own, it is important to have a realistic plan.

The Keep It Clean Coalition has been hard at work.  Not only is the organization growing, as it now represents more than 50 areas and over 1,200 lakes, it has also introduced a couple of new bills at the MN State Legislature.

As you may know, the “Keep it Clean 2.0” bills, authored by Representative Andrew Myers and Senator Aric Putnam, have been referred to respective committees in the House and the Senate for further consideration.

The bill is garnering bi-partisan support, and would require agencies like the DNR and the Pollution Control Agency to add a state-wide KEEP IT CLEAN program to their portfolios.

Our coalition recognizes that users will have to bear the increased cost of managing and enjoying winter fishing and recreation. The bill requires a $10 surcharge on ice shelters, deposited in a KEEP IT CLEAN Account to cover administrative costs and establish a grant program for locally led efforts.

So… we need your help. The following is a link for you to fill out if you would. https://keepitcleanmn.org/keep-it-clean-survey/. 

Basically, we need feedback from people who ice fish or recreate out on the ice somewhere in Minnesota.  The responses will help us move the bills along at the legislature.

Most anglers and other who use the ice really do a nice job of picking up their trash.  The slogan “pack it in, pack it out” is especially known with this topic.

Many, including the many unsung heroes called ice guides across Lake of the Woods and other lakes in MN, go out of their way to pick up after others on a regular basis.  If you are one of these conscientious folks, kudos to you and thank you.

We also want to thank the many organizations and legislators who assisted and backed up this legislation.  Various legislators, a variety of people from the MN DNR, MN Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Lakes and Rivers, MN-FISH, various members of Keep It Clean across the state and others.  This is the type of legislation that makes good sense and will have a positive lasting impact on the waterways of Minnesota.  Kudos to all of you!

For More Information on Lake of the Woods and Lodging see: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

Also see our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodmn

See Keep It Clean on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/keepitcleanMN or at www.keepitcleanmn.org

Survey: https://keepitcleanmn.org/keep-it-clean-survey/