Starry stonewort was first identified in Medicine Lake (924 acres, 49 ft max depth) in 2018, initially covering about 15 acres near a public boat launch. The infestation quickly began impacting recreational use, displacing native plant communities, and degrading habitat for fish and wildlife.

For several years, management relied on copper sulfate and Hydrothol® 191 treatments. While these methods provided some control of visible growth, they struggled to address deeper portions of the infestation, particularly bulbils (reproductive structures) on the lake bottom, allowing the algae to regrow and persist. This created an ongoing challenge for maintaining long-term control.

In August 2023, the Three Rivers Park District partnered with Minnesota DNR to evaluate Komeen® Descend in a side-by-side field trial. This algaecide uses MicroCRYSTALTreatment Technology to move active ingredients downward through the water column, targeting both the visible canopy and the reproductive structures responsible for regrowth.

The team treated dense infestation areas with Komeen Descend while maintaining comparison plots with the traditional program. Pre- and post-treatment monitoring was conducted using random quadrat sampling at four dense sites, enabling a direct comparison of treatment effectiveness over time.