Anglers heading out on the ice this winter should be aware of a new state law aimed at keeping lakes clean.
The law, which came into effect on 1 July, requires all litter to be placed in a container attached to an ice house or vehicle. That includes beverage containers, cigarette butts and fish scraps.
“We don’t want people leaving it directly on the ice,” said Maj. Robert Gorecki, operations manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Enforcement Division. “Number one, it can blow away. Number two, people tend to forget about that kind of stuff.”
Garbage left on the ice is one of the biggest complaints conservation officers hear each year, Gorecki said.
“The problem before was that even if we saw garbage in front of a house, we couldn’t take enforcement action as long as the house was occupied and the people were still there,” he said.
In the spring, conservation officers and lakeside property owners routinely find beer cans, pop bottles and cardboard – and, most worryingly, human waste. Many newer ice houses have septic tanks, Gorecki said.
“Unfortunately, some of these people sometimes dump that sewage on the ice before they leave, which is obviously a very significant environmental and health hazard,” he said.
The new law gives conservation officers the ability to educate people first and take enforcement action if necessary, he said. Violation of the law is a petty misdemeanour and could result in a civil penalty of $100.
“It really gives us some new tools in our tool belt to make sure the public is picking up after themselves,” Gorecki said. “We can address it directly with them while we’re out on the ice talking to them about fishing or other activities, and make sure they pick it up while we’re there.”