On this page, you will find a curated collection of research papers, reports, and studies that Minnesota Lakes and Rivers (MLR) has identified as valuable for understanding and addressing key challenges facing Minnesota’s water resources.
Evaluation of a decade of management of a North American aquatic invasive species (Nitellopsis obtusa) highlights scale-dependent effectiveness and monitoring gaps
Lakeshore residents’ perspectives about aquatic invasive species management
Recreationist willingness to pay for aquatic
invasive species management (2021)
A comparison of boat cleaning systems: invasive species removal, boater outreach and engagement, and cost
Local AIS Action Framework – plan put together by diverse partners at MLR 2018 Aquatic Invaders Summit
MNDNR Minnesota Loon Monitoring Program 2023 Annual Report
Increased mercury concentrations in walleye and yellow perch in lakes invaded by zebra mussels
A Field Study of Maximum Wave Height, Total Wave Energy, and Maximum Wave Power Produced by Four Recreational Boats on a Freshwater Lake
A comparison of boat cleaning systems: invasive species removal, boater outreach and engagement, and cost
Concordia Lake Association Study – Concordia College studied lake association impacts and learned lake associations, taken collectively, are the largest and most active conservation group in the state. This is why MLR is working to unify lake associations into a unified force that will protect our lakes and rivers.
Lakes and Reservoirs: Guidelines for Study Design and Sampling Use this resource from the Handbooks for Water-Resources Investigations. This chapter from the U.S. Geological Survey provides technical wisdom to guide techniques for water sampling.
MLR 2016 Lake Home and Cabin Ownership Study – surprising demographics of MN’s lake community.
Strong Towns “Growth Ponzi Scheme” – on why leveraging property taxes on lakeshore is not a winning strategy for towns
Saving Minnesota’s Recreational Lands for Public Enjoyment – How we can use the property tax code to protect and improve water quality.
Bemidji State University study reveals water clarity is most important factor in determining lakeshore property values.
Among the many factors affecting lakeshore property values, water clarity is the most important, according to a study by two Bemidji State University professors.
Are lakes a public good or exclusive resource?
Towards value-based management for aquatic invasive species – New research finds that lake stakeholders hold one of two “lake ethics” analogous to a “land ethic:” 1) an anthropocentric perspective that values lakes according to their direct benefits to people and 2) an ecocentric perspective that values lakes’ intrinsic worth. There is a strong geographic pattern to those different lake ethics with southern sites (i.e., Indiana) tending more strongly to be anthropocentric while the more northern ones (i.e., Minnesota) are much more ecocentric. So Minnesotans really come out as having a particular perspective to how they think about lakes, why they are valued, and how they think they should be managed.
Minnesota’s Vanishing Natural Shorelines: A Loss that Contributes to Degraded Lake Quality – A Summary Report from the Natural Shoreline Partnership