In 2010, the Crow Wing County Commissioners approved the petitioned request by Upper South Long Lake lakeshore owners to form a Lake Improvement District (LID).

The purpose of the LID is to monitor and improve the quality of water in Upper South Long Lake and to educate adjoining landowners in good stewardship of its watershed. The LID has an elected Board of Directors numbering from 5 - 9 in any given year. Each board member serves a two-year term. Key initiatives include:

• An annual LID Report to the Crow Wing County Commissioners due by November 1st of each year.
• Securing insurance mandated by Crow Wing County Commissioners.
• Certifying the LID membership each year to Crow Wing County for the purpose of tax assessments.
• Monitoring and controlling aquatic invasive species in Upper South Long Lake.
• Monitoring water quality at the various inlets to Upper South Long Lake and at the deepest portion of the lake.

The tax rate for the LID was established in 2010 at $75 per year for each property owner and that rate has remained unchanged. Each year a thorough report is submitted to the county verifying our efforts to monitor the health of Upper South Long Lake. In addition, every five years the LID must be reviewed for renewal by Crow Wing County commissioners. Our LID will be up for renewal again in 2020. An annual meeting is held in mid-July each year in an effort to keep the LID membership informed and to allow input.

For many years Upper South Long Lake has been dealing with Curlyleaf Pondweed, an aquatic invasive species. Since the formation of the LID, that invasive has been kept pretty much under control. In 2019 a second aquatic invasive species, Eurasian Water Milfoil, was found in the southwestern area of the lake. Aggressive actions were taken by the board of directors to try to slow and control this invasive.

In regard to the excess native plants/weeds in the lake the past two seasons, lakeshore owners are reminded that they should establish and maintain shoreline buffers using native shoreline plants with deep root systems to absorb and prevent nutrients from entering the lake from run-off .  Also make every effort to remove any plant debris that washes up on your shoreline so that those nutrients do not stay in the lake to promote more growth.  We can all do our part!