With less than a week remaining before the deadline to remove fish houses from area lakes, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents to remove all belongings and debris that is brought onto a lake.

Ice shelters must be removed by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 2 in the southern two-thirds of the state. The deadline for the northern third of Minnesota is 11:59 p.m. on March 16.

It is illegal to improperly dispose of garbage, sewage and wastewater on the ice. Shelters and ancillary parts must also be removed. Anything that is left on the ice eventually ends up in lakes and rivers once the ice thaws, which contributes to pollution and poses a threat to aquatic life.

“Because we can’t be everywhere at once, it’s difficult for us to catch people littering,” Sheriff Luke Hennen said. “Our residents are the eyes and ears of our community, so we encourage people to contact us if they see littering in progress or to report any litter they encounter.”

Residents witnessing littering or abandoned property on the ice can report it using one of the following ways:

• Call the Scott County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at (952) 445-1411.
• Submit a crime tip using the online form that can be found with this link.
• Contact Crime Stoppers of Minnesota by calling (800) 222-8477.

For complete information on statewide ice shelter removal deadlines, visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website using this link.