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What's New at MN COLA?
- A Winter Sleep? Not for MN COLA!
News of interest
- MN COLA sets 2024 meeting dates
- Get your geek on: New mass emailing requirements may affect your organization
- Vermont wakesports regulation moves a step closer
- AIS remains a top priority
- If you missed it... watch the webinar on "Unique pathways of AIS mussel spread"
- MAISRC recruiting for "Lab To Lakes" Project Manager
- Michigan releases new guides for shoreline improvement
- What goes on the lake, stays on the lake!
- MPCA releases draft of impaired waters for 2024
- "Forever Chemicals" contaminate America's freshwater fish
Upcoming events
- MSU again offers introduction to Lakes Online course
- U of MN AIS Detectors will offer AIS Management 101 in February
- MN COLA Membership meeting - March 19
- Invasive European Frog-bit - a case study from Michigan - February 7, 9 am ET
- Can underwater jets help prevent AIS spread? - March 13, 1 pm CT
Commentary
- Tail of AIS long and getting bigger
www.lakeadmin.org featured posts
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A Winter Sleep? Not for MN COLA! | |
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MN COLA at the 10th MAISRC Anniversary From left: Rebecca Carlson, Olive Weston, Jim Gray, Ben Brandt, Lee Thompson, Ruth Schaefer, Jim Kutzner, Steve Long, Cec Riedman, Kathy Jonsrud
Photo by Steve Frawley
Though we are deep in the heart of a Minnesota winter, MN COLA has been busy. Since our last newsletter, we have been back-to-back with activities at which MN COLA shined:
- Presence and engagement at the Minnesota Watershed’s (previously Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts) December Annual Meeting.
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Hosting a table at the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center’s 10th Annual Anniversary.
Click here for the rest of the story
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MN COLA sets 2024 meeting dates
- March 19, 2024, from 9-11 CT
- June 18, 2024, from 10-3 CT (in person)
- September 17, 2024, from 9-11 CT
- December 10, 2024, from 9-11 CT
All meetings will be held virtually, except for the in-person Annual Meeting on June 18. The location for that meeting is not yet set.
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Get your geek on: New mass emailing
requirements may affect your organization
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Starting February 1, 2024, Google and Yahoo are tightening the controls on email authentication to improve delivery and reduce spam. MN COLA uses Constant Contact to send out emails and this upcoming change caused us to get a little geeky and make technical changes that we completed in mid-January.
These two big email providers are making these changes to protect their users (Gmail and Yahoo mail) from fraudulent messages, such as scams and phishing attempts, and will prevent any emails sent from unauthenticated email addresses from reaching the recipient’s inbox. These changes require email senders to prove they are legitimate and not spammers by setting up authentication and publishing a DMARC policy.
Yep, that’s geeky. BUT… it may impact your lake/river/COLA/LARA organizations from getting your email communications to all your members and friends depending on how you send out emails. So, if you aren’t the geek in your organization, let your geek(s) know so that they can get ahead of these new email controls. Just tell them to google “google email authentication 2024”.
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Vermont wakesports regulation moves a step closer | |
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Vermont ’s Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) recently filed its “Final Proposed Rule” for regulating wakesports on the state’s inland lakes under the heading “Final Rule Documents Submitted to LCAR.” The filing triggers another step in the process whereby the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) reviews the proposed rule. The Committee will be considering this proposed rule on February 1, 2024. If “adopted” the proposed rule will be filed with the secretary of State to become effective on the “effective date”.
The final version of the proposed rule retained the requirement for wake boarding to be done a minimum of 500’ from shore despite overwhelming public comments asking for a 1,000’ minimum. If the LCAR votes to adopt the rule, Vermont will have the most restrictive regulations in the country for wakesports. The final proposed rule includes a 500’ minimum distance from shore, a minimum depth of 20’, a ‘wakesports zone’ as having a minimum of 50 contiguous acres, and a “home lake” approach to help reduce the potential for wake boats to spread AIS from residual water in their ballast tanks.
Stay tuned!
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AIS Remains a Top Priority | |
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Hydrilla infestation of small lake.
Photo: Tim Murphy, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
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AIS continues to spread in MN and more species are on the way. You’ve heard that before, but it remains the case as we start 2024. Each year we get more infestations of species already discovered in MN and there are new species on the way. Read on to find out to learn more about the growth of AIS in MN, and what’s coming soon to a lake near you.
More information
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If you missed it… watch the webinar
on “unique pathways of invasive mussel spread”
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This 3-part webinar, hosted by the Invasive Mussel Collaborative, is from December 13, 2023, and it dives a bit deeper into the spread of zebra and quagga mussels. Two Minnesota researchers are presenters. Read more about it and watch it here.
Check out their website for more information about the Invasive Mussel Collaborative.
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MAISRC recruiting for “Lab to Lakes” Project Manager
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The Minnesota AIS Research Center at the U is accepting applications for a new Lab to Lakes Project Manager position. The Lab to Lake Project was funded by the State of Minnesota to move management recommendations from MAISRC research into implementation. The focus of this position will be on whole-lake common carp management plans and will be centered on working with local partners. Additional focus areas will eventually include control of zebra mussel populations and development of a statewide early detection and surveillance program. More details about the position can be found on the MAISRC website.
You may know someone who would be great in this role, so please pass it on!
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Michigan releases new guides for shoreline improvement | |
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The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has developed a variety of new resources to assist individuals who want to improve their shoreline and learn more about bio-engineering and other inland lake best management practices.
While Michigan’s regulations may be slightly different from Minnesota’s, the concepts for shoreline protection are the same, and anyone wanting to improve their shore can benefit from a review of this material.
More Information
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What goes on the lake, stays on the lake! | |
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The “Keep It Clean” campaign was started to address the problem of garbage and waste left on the ice by anglers, campers and recreationists through education, legislation, and enforcement. While the ice fishing season has been shortened this year by the weather, the problem is real.
The Keep It Clean bill was signed into law in May 2023, making it illegal to place garbage and waste on or under the ice on Minnesota’s lakes and rivers. A civil penalty of $100 can be imposed for each violation. You can read the details of the law here.
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MPCA releases draft list of Impaired Waters for 2024 | |
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The 2024 Draft Impaired Waters List prepared by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency includes 6,345 instances of impairments; note that a water body can have one or more impairments. In the 2024 draft, 222 additional pollutants or stressors instances were identified in Minnesota waters, while 27 were removed.
More information
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‘Forever Chemicals’ Contaminate
America’s Freshwater Fish
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As reported in Kaiser Family Foundation Health News: This past March, the EPA proposed the nation’s first PFAS drinking water standards, but some scientists worry that regulations for freshwater fish are lagging. A recent study from The Environmental Working Group found that just one serving of fish can be equivalent to a month of drinking water contaminated with 48 parts per trillion of the common chemical PFOS. That is 12 times the EPA proposed limit for drinking water!
Minnesota is one of about 17 states that have issued guidance for consumption of freshwater fish, and their guidance is very specific. Follow the More information link below to read the Kaiser Family Foundation article and for links to the MN Department of Health guidance
More Information
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MSU again offers Introduction to Lakes Online course | |
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Registration for the award-winning Michigan State University Extension Introduction to Lakes Online course is now open! Our own Jim Kutzner took this on-line course 2 years ago and thought it was highly valuable and completely relevant to Minnesota Lakes.
This introductory six-week online course kicks off January 30th and is designed for anyone interested in inland lakes including concerned residents, decision makers, local leaders, and lakefront property owners. Course instructors include faculty from MSU Extension and state agency personnel.
Course topics include lake ecology, watershed management, shoreline protection, aquatic plants, Michigan water law, and community engagement. These six topics are explored online through video lectures, interactive activities, and discussion forums. Additional resources are also provided for those looking to dive deeper into a topic. Participants communicate with each other and instructors through lively discussion forums and biweekly Ask-an-Expert webinars which include guests from organizations such as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
Registration is open now through January 28, 2024. The cost of the course is $115 per person.
Course information
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U of MN AIS Detectors will offer AIS Management 101 in February | |
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If you would like to be a more informed consumer about what’s happening on your nearby lake, have a better understanding of what lake management professionals are doing, or are considering new AIS control efforts, this class is for you!
Sign up to get an email when the course registration opens. You can also sign up for emails about other AIS Detector news, events, and courses.
More information
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MN COLA Membership meeting – March 19 | |
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The March Membership meeting will be held virtually on Zoom from 9 – 11 CT on March 19th. Preregistration using this link is required.
The meeting will include an important update from our MN COLA Legislative team as we will be in the middle of the MN Legislative session. We will have a timely topic on the impacts of the short ice season. And we will talk about establishing a Lake Improvement District (LID) as another way of funding important lake efforts.
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Invasive European Frog-bit – a case study from Michigan February 7, 9 am ET | Photo: Wasyl Bakowski, NDMNRF (Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry – Ontario, Canada) | Photo: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org | |
European frog-bit is defined as an invasive species in Minnesota, but infestations have not yet been found in the state.
It was first detected in Michigan in 1996 and has since spread along the coastal areas of lakes Erie, Huron, and Michigan and to some inland lakes. Kevin Kapuscinski, associate professor and assistant director of research at Lake Superior State University's Center for Freshwater Research and Education, has been studying the aquatic invasive plant and its effects on native ecosystems and water quality since 2019. He will share what’s been learned about plant reproduction, removal efforts and impacts based on research in the St. Mary’s River in the Upper Peninsula.
This free Zoom session is part of the Not MI Species series hosted by Michigan’s Dept of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
Register here.
Here is Michigan’s information sheet on European frog-bit.
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Can underwater jets help prevent AIS spread?
March 13, 1 pm CT
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This is a free Zoom session hosted by the AIS Detectors program at the University of Minnesota. The speakers are Andy Erickson (St. Anthony Falls Laboratory) and Tony Brough (Hennepin County).
Join the webinar to hear about the results, observations and recommendations for how submersed jets could be deployed at boat ramps to help minimize the spread of aquatic invasive species.
Registration link for the webinar.
More information
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The Tail of AIS is very long and getting bigger
Commentary by Joe Shneider
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As more and more lakes across Minnesota are infested with AIS, the collective costs to keep those lakes usable by the public gets higher and higher. In many cases, these costs fall to lake associations. This is bad public policy for a problem that the state tried but failed to prevent.
More Information
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MN COLA Board of Directors
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Blaine Barkley
Jan Beliveau
Biz Clark
Don Deutsch
Kevin Farnum
Jeff Forester
Steve Frawley
Lynn Goodrich, Vice-President
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Jim Gray
David Helgerson
Kathy Jonsrud, Treasurer
Jim Kutzner
Tom Nelson, Secretary
Ruth Schaefer
Joe Shneider, President
Tom Watson
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