Grants awarded 2025
Bolton & Menk, Inc. (two projects)
$19,135 to conduct AIS survey training, technical assistance, and early detection. The project will empower lake groups and citizens to conduct their own lake surveys through training with a professional limnologist. Lake groups countywide are encouraged to collect a bucket of plants, snails, or crayfish from their lake for identification by an AIS professional. This grant also assists with the county AIS newsletters and other technical requests throughout the season. Work categories include early detection, education, and research.
$28,520 to conduct a boater observational study when access inspectors are not present at Grays Bay access on Lake Minnetonka. This access sees one of the highest boater use of any public access across the county. Observations are conducted incognito and should obtain a very large sample size to help us better understand how well the public complies with AIS prevention actions and interacts with the access re-design features/tools.
Fish Lake Area Residents Association
$5,000 to conduct AIS inspections and application. Fish Lake Area Residents Association will work with the Three Rivers Park District to provide watercraft inspections at the Fish Lake public access during periods when there is minimal coverage in May and September. This project will provide enough inspection hours to cover the majority of watercraft using this access in 2024. This project will also provide education about how to use a CD3 station to assist outgoing watercraft. Work categories include watercraft inspection and education.
Lake Minnetonka Association
$5,000 to conduct an AIS survey around water accesses on Lake Minnetonka in August. The Lake Minnetonka Association will contract with PLM Services to survey a two-acre or larger area around each of the 16 public and private water accesses on Lake Minnetonka, focusing on the identification of starry stonewort. Work categories include early detection.
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
$12,500 for partial funding and replacement of the AIS informational kiosks at Lake Nokomis and Lake Harriet public accesses. Using lessons learned from over a decade of AIS inspections, the kiosks are being re-designed to enhance the engagement and education of park patrons on AIS and self-inspection practices. These are popular lakes for sailing, fishing, recreational boating, and pedestrian traffic expecting 2,500 inspections and engaging 5,500 patrons annually. Work categories include education and access redesign.
Nine Mile Creek Watershed District
$10,260 in a partnership with the Watershed District and City of Minnetonka to develop a vegetation management plan for Shady Oake Lake regarding the AIS Brittle Naiad. This species is now identified in five county lakes and potentially at a critical point of spread. The project will conduct an herbicide treatment to reduce its abundance and install educational signage on the work. Work categories include rapid response, early detection, and education.
Waterfront Restoration
$28,593 for an AIS Ambassador education program deploying Watercraft Ambassadors to select lake public accesses across the county promoting boater self-inspections and education to access users. The project focusses on three key objectives: continuing the ambassador program at Surfside Park access on Lake Minnetonka; targeting areas identified with low rates of self-inspection including Long Lake and Cooks Bay (Lake Minnetonka) and expanded ambassador initiative targeting Lake Minnetonka including Halsted Bay, Carsons Bay, and Spring Park Bay to maximize boater and community outreach. Work categories include education and research.
WaterGuards LLC
$23,400 for a countywide watercraft inspection program that will also focus on a random early season so boaters cannot recognize a coverage pattern, but when time allows to serve as an AIS ambassador providing general AIS education and instruction on the various tools available and re-design features. Their presence will be from fishing opener to Labor Day. Work categories include watercraft inspection and education.
Grant information
Grants applications are closed. Check back in November 2025 for the next round.
View a flyer about the grant program (PDF).
Eligible recipients
Eligible recipients include:
- Local government agencies, such as cities, watershed organizations and park districts
- Nonprofit organizations
- Public companies and institutions
- Private, for-profit companies
Eligible project activities
Eligible project activities include:
- Early detection
- Pathway analysis
- Education
- Decontamination
- Water access re-design
- Research
- Management
- Other ideas that prevent the introduction or limit the spread of AIS
Funding available
Typical project awards will range from $5,000 to $25,000, with a maximum project award of $50,000. No match required.
Eligible expenses include consulting fees, staff time, materials, supplies, labor, printing and promotions.
Apply
Applications are currently closed.
Contact
Staff is available to answer questions, offer resources and provide feedback on project ideas.
For more information, contact Tony Brough at tony.brough@hennepin.us or 612-348-4378.