Welcome to Sunfish Lake, Minnesota

Ticks pass on diseases by biting people so checking for ticks after outside activity is a priority. A tick must be attached for at least 24 hours before it can transit Lyme disease, but Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis may be transmitted in less than 24 hours after tick attachment. The blacklegged tick (deer tick), Ixodes scapularis, the vector that transmits these diseases is found in Sunfish Lake and throughout Minnesota. A number of our neighbors and their pets have contracted Lyme disease within the city limits of Sunfish Lake. 

The blacklegged tick adult is tiny, only about 1/10^th of an inch long, and the nymph stage is even smaller (about the size of a poppy seed). Ticks typically wait on vegetation near lawn edges, near woodland pathways, or in woodlands to grab onto a potential host as the person walks by.  Risk of tick bites is highest during spring, summer and fall and tick-borne diseases peak during June through August. Ticks can be active anytime during the year when temperatures are above 32 degrees. Mushroom hunters should be especially aware of ticks.

Prevent contact with ticks by walking near the center of trails and avoiding tall grass areas. Wear light colored protective clothing and tuck in your pants into your socks.  Light colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks.  Use the repellent DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) on skin or clothing. The insecticide permethrin will kill ticks and is also an effective repellent when applied to clothing (only apply permethrin to clothing!)  Permethrin, labeled to apply to clothing, will last through several washings and is available at Home Depot and other local retailers.

Check with your doctor if you have been bitten and remove the tick immediately by grabbing its head with a pointed tweezers and slowly pull it out.  Do not use a hot match head to get the tick to let go its attachment. Save the tick in a Ziploc bag for identification.

Lyme Disease is a bacterial disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi; Anaplasmosis is caused by bacteria that infects white blood cells; and Babesiosis is caused by a protozoan that infects red blood cells. Both Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis are increasing in frequency and are more likely to occur in people with compromised immune systems. For additional information check the Minnesota Lyme Association website at: mnlyme.org or the Minnesota Department of Health.

This was originally published as a Treeways Article in 2017 by City Forester Jim Nayes, but ticks are bad this season, so this is a reminder.

The City of Sunfish Lake is unique in a lot of ways.  The large lots, rural feel, and lack of public sewer and water in a community surrounded by city’s with more urban settings and infrastructure makes Sunfish Lake a special place.  With every home in the city on an individual well system, it is more important for our city’s citizens than for the other communities around us to protect and conserve our water resources.  At the time of this writing, the region is entering into what are considered “drought” conditions, which puts even more stress on the local water resources and supplies of water in the ground that each of our wells draws from.  It is strongly encouraged that you consider implementing the water conservation practices outlined below:

Take shorter showers, which saves gallons of water.

• Add more efficient shower heads which can save as much as 13,000 gallons a year for an average household.  Xcel Energy provides low volume shower heads at the Xcel Energy Store website.
• Toilets are one of the biggest sources of indoor water consumption.  Older toilets use much more water than new toilets.  Make sure you have updated toilets that use less than 1.6 gallons per flush.
• Consider trading in your top-load washer machine for a high efficiency front loading washer.  You can save up to 36 gallons of water per load.
• If your faucets are older, you can benefit from installing aerator flow restrictors on faucets.
• Lawn irrigation use by Americans amounts to about 9 billion gallons of water daily.  In many instances home lawns and landscapes are over-watered. Consider adding soil moisture sensors that prompt the lawn irrigation only when needed.
• It is best to water deeply and infrequently, and watering should not take place during the heat of the day to prevent needless evaporation.
• Consider converting areas of sodded lawn to drought resistant lawn and low-maintenance plantings that require much less watering. 

 Implementing the practices outlined above can help to ensure that plentiful fresh groundwater is available for future generations, and will help to protect the special attributes of this unique city.

Are you interested in your local water resources? LMRWMO is Seeking Public Input.  See this link:

 Go to the survey

Many residents may not know that pumping from lakes and wetlands within the City requires a permit.  The SFL City Council first passed an ordinance in 1989 to prohibit pumping from the City’s lakes and wetlands without an approved City Permit.  City Ordinance requires issuance of an Interim Use Permit for pumping of any lake, stream, wetland or natural or man-made pond water.  You can find the specifics of the ordinance in this link: https://www.sunfishlake.org/ordinances/article-xi-protection-of-the-environment/1107-water-use-permit/?template=protostar&print=1&layout=default

The process for water use permit review and approval follows that which is required for Conditional Use Permits – which involves public notice, a public hearing at the Planning Commission,  and review and action by the City Council.   Some of the things that are considered in the review of pumping applications are:

• Whether pumping could occur when the lake is low
• The noise from the pumping machine
• Whether the pumping apparatus has to be removed from the shoreland when pumping is not occurring   
• Whether pumping may occur at night
• How would the pumped water be used and where would it go
• Whether any erosion control needs to be installed

This review process is necessary for the protection of our natural resources.  Please contact City Planner Lori Johnson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to know more about the permitting process, applications and deadlines.