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County agrees to be fiscal agent for lake association—id to scale nanobubble project

Pine County Board of Commissioners · February 17, 2026

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Summary

Pine County authorized a resolution allowing a lake association to use the county as fiscal agent for a proposed $3 million LCCMR grant to expand a nanobubble system on Pokegama Lake. Presenters said the system showed immediate water-quality improvement in a pilot and would require a lake improvement district for long-term operations.

Pine County commissioners on Wednesday approved a resolution authorizing the county to serve as fiscal agent for a lake association applying for an LCCMR grant to expand a nanobubble water-quality system on Pokegama Lake.

Kathy Nielsen of the Bokegama Lake Association told the board the pilot in the North Bay produced "amazing visual results" and the association is requesting about $3,000,000 to purchase two large floating barges with equipment containers to treat the full lake. "We do not yet have the full scientific report," she said, but added the association expects the report by the end of the month and that last summer—s pilot area had clear water while much of the lake remained impaired.

The association told commissioners the system has a projected life expectancy of 30 to 40 years and would be paired with a lake improvement district to cover future maintenance and operations. Nielsen said the grant application requires a fiscal agent to manage reimbursements if the project is funded; county staff described the expected workload as minimal ("potentially 1 or 2 invoices") despite the large dollar amount.

Commissioners questioned access and recreational impacts; Nielsen said the barges would be anchored in areas that are not popular fishing spots and that routine servicing would be by boat. Several commissioners also pressed the group on upstream work and long-term responsibility. The association said upstream projects funded through a Snake River subwatershed assessment will be pursued in parallel and that the lake system is intended to address internal lake load over decades rather than be a short-term chemical fix.

After discussion about liability and the county—s role, a commissioner moved and the board approved the resolution enabling Pine County to act as fiscal agent so the association can complete the LCCMR application.

The board vote followed a presentation in which the association noted alternatives (an alum treatment estimated previously at about $2.9 million with an effective life of eight to 10 years), and argued the nanobubble approach offers a longer-term investment.

The association and county staff said next steps include finalizing the grant application, further public outreach about siting and operations, and returning to the board if and when LCCMR funding is awarded.