There’s a new law in Minnesota that took effect in July 2023, and it’s making a real difference for our lakes and rivers. The Keep It Clean law makes it illegal to place any kind of garbage or waste on or below the ice. If you ice fish, snowmobile, or enjoy any other winter activities on Minnesota’s frozen lakes, you need to keep your trash contained in a fish house, vehicle, or enclosed container. This simple change is expected to prevent tons of garbage from entering Minnesota waters every year.
How Keep It Clean Started
About 13 years ago, a small group from the Lake of the Woods area started an effort to educate people about keeping trash and human waste off the ice. They called themselves Keep It Clean, and their message struck a chord.
The group grew naturally as other areas facing similar challenges reached out. Upper and Lower Red Lake, Lake Mille Lacs, and Lake Vermilion were among the early members. Fast forward to today, and there are now more than 60 organizations participating in Keep It Clean, representing over 1,500 lakes across Minnesota.
The New Law Explained
In a nutshell, the new law says it is now illegal to place trash or waste on or below the ice. Ice anglers and others are supposed to keep their trash and waste in their fish house, vehicle, or an enclosed container. It’s not a big change for most people, but it will make a huge difference for our waterways.
Most ice anglers and other winter recreation enthusiasts already do a good job keeping track of their garbage and being responsible. But even well-meaning people can run into problems. Picture this: you spend multiple nights on the ice and set some garbage bags outside your fish house, planning to pick them up before you leave. Then things happen. Fifty-mile-per-hour winds blow bags away. Birds tear into them. The bags freeze into the ice. Snow covers them. You pick up most of the garbage but miss a bit.
With ice fishing as popular as it is today, leaving just a little bit behind—multiplied by tens of thousands of ice anglers—adds up to tons of garbage. The Keep It Clean law helps eliminate a good portion of that problem.
Planning Ahead for Bathroom Needs
The law also encourages people on the ice to plan ahead for bathroom breaks. If you’re staying at a resort, many offer facilities out on the ice. If you’re on your own, it’s important to have a realistic plan.
Some of the more modern wheelhouse, or fish houses on wheels, now have heated holding tanks to hold waste from using the bathroom. It is important to have a plan on where there are winter pump out stations to empty your tanks.
The Lake of the Woods area has two winter pump-out stations for wheelhouses with heated holding tanks. Other areas in the state are starting to create winter dump stations as well. This infrastructure helps ice anglers dispose of waste properly. The key is to plan ahead.
Enforcement and Penalties
The new legislation gives Minnesota DNR Conservation Officers the ability to enforce trash and waste issues on the ice. In the past, the way laws were written made it very difficult to take action against garbage left behind.
Here’s what the law says: A person using a shelter, motor vehicle, or any other vehicle on the ice cannot deposit garbage, rubbish, cigarette filters, fireworks debris, dead animals, litter, sewage, or any other waste outside unless it’s placed in a container that is secured to the shelter or vehicle and not placed directly on the ice or in state waters.
A violation is a petty misdemeanor with a civil penalty of $100 for each violation.
Recognizing Those Who Care
Most people who use the ice really do a great job picking up their trash. The “pack it in, pack it out” motto is well known and widely followed.
Many unsung heroes—including ice guides across Lake of the Woods and other Minnesota lakes—go out of their way to pick up after others on a regular basis. If you’re one of these conscientious folks, thank you. Your efforts make a real difference.
Thank You to Our Supporters
We want to thank the many organizations and legislators who supported this legislation: various Minnesota legislators, the Minnesota DNR, Minnesota Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Lakes and Rivers, MN-FISH, and the many Keep It Clean member organizations across the state. This is the type of legislation that makes good sense and will have a positive lasting impact on Minnesota’s waterways.
Join the Effort
Want to be part of the solution? To join Keep It Clean or learn more about the program, visit our website at www.keepitcleanmn.org.
Together, we’re keeping Minnesota’s waters clean for generations to come.