MN COLA E-Newsletter July 2022

Volume XX | Month 20XX

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In this issue:

What's New at MN COLA?

News:

Otter Tail County COLA AIS research Update
Successful starry stonewort bus tour
Potential surfing restrictions for Lake Minnetonka
Funding needed for research on wake surfing impact to lake and river bottoms
Lake resiliency - MN COLA's theme for 2022
EPA's How's My Waterway?

Upcoming Events

Best We've Seen

Featured Posts from www.lakeadmin.org

What's New At MN COLA

Welcome to the first issue of Current Waters, MN COLA’s newsletter. Our hope is that it brings you information that is valuable and can be shared with your members. This newsletter represents one of the steps we are taking to increase the value to our members and friends. We plan to publish the newsletter every other month (at least in the beginning).

Read further for MN COLA perspectives about:

New AIS infestations in 2022
Watercraft Operator's license
Upcoming MN House and Senate elections
Wake research on propellor thrust

Joe Shneider, President

Otter Tail County COLA AIS Research Update

Otter Tail County COLA hosted the at the Aquatic Invasive Species Research Update at the M-State Campus in Detroit Lakes, MN on June 9, 2022. Speakers from the University of Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Research Center (MAISRC) gave updates on research being done at the University of Minnesota. Minnesota agencies, organizations and lake stakeholders set up tables to interact with lake property owners for distribution of lake stewardship information. Close to 100 attendees were at the event. Jim Kutzner represented MN COLA in the exhibitor showcase.

Jim Kutzner, MN COLA exhibit at MAISRC event

Successful Starry Stonewort Bus Tour

The threat that starry stonewort poses to Minnesota lakes was made clear to attendees of the starry stonewort Bus Tour to Lake Koronis. The event was held on July 11, 2022. Nearly 40 lake property owners, legislators and other lake stakeholders traveled from Fergus Falls Minnesota to Lake Koronis near Wilmer Minnesota. Kevin Farnum, a Lake Koronis resident and starry stonewort control advocate provided valuable information on the noxious matting alga and gave a history of the efforts Lake Koronis has made to combat this aquatic invasive species. James Wooton, Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC) Starry Trek Detector was on board the bus to talk about the MAISRC Starry Trek program and to answer questions. The event was sponsored by the Otter Tail County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force and the Otter Tail County Coalition Of Lake Associations. Here are some links about the event along with more information on starry stonewort.

Kevin Farnum of MN COLA at Starry Stonewort Bus Tour to Lake Koronis

Click on picture for video

Potential Wake Surfing Restrictions on Lake Minnetonka

The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District held a listening session on June 8th about possible restrictions for wake surfing on Lake Minnetonka. It was a standing room only event and coverage splashed over onto the StarTribune the following weekend.

Groups and individuals on both sides of the issue spoke at the meeting. Joe Shneider, MN COLA’s President, spoke at the meeting and we thought you might want to hear what he said. His 8 minute talk starts around 1:37:00 and ends at 1:45:00. Here’s the video from the meeting.

Funding needed for research

on wake surfing impact to lake and river bottoms

One of MN COLA's highest priorities is addressing the impacts of wake surfing, and we need your help. Now is the time to help fund the University of Minnesota's second phase of research on wakes and specifically the impact of the propeller thrust from wake surfing.

The prop thrust concerns from wake surfing are real. No other recreational boating activity intentionally drives off-plane with the stern heavily loaded and the bow up. And never before have we seen the bottom scoured like this from recreational activity.

Lake Resiliency - MN COLA's Theme For 2022

MN COLA identified Lake Resiliency as a key theme for 2022 and beyond. Starting with our December 2021 Member meeting, we have had several presentations on lake resiliency; setting the stage and then starting to dive into the details. All of these presentations can be viewed at your convenience.

We are aiming to provide you with the latest facts, data, and actions to promote lake stewardship. Our coach for the MN COLA Lake Resiliency program is Rebecca Carlson, the CEO and Founder of Resilience Resources and Engineer/District Administrator for the Clearwater River Watershed District. And with Rebecca’s involvement and guidance we are confident that we are providing great materials to help you and your lake/river organizations understand the issues and the actions you can take.

EPA's How's My Waterway

An updated version of the How’s My Waterway (HMW) application, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency, was released in June 2020. HMW provides a comprehensive overview of water quality data and information in the United States on three different scales: community, state, and national. Collecting data from eight databases across EPA, HMW answers questions about aquatic life, eating fish, swimming, drinking water, restoration, and protection. This tool can help users:

Explore information about their drinking water, local stream conditions, and whether their waterways are suitable for swimming or eating fish and if they support aquatic life.
Discover if their waterways are being monitored and the location of local monitoring stations.
Learn what issues might be affecting their waterways.

How's My Waterway Website

Upcoming MN COLA Member Meeting

September 20, 2022 9-11am Zoom

Please mark your calendars for the next MN COLA Member Meeting on Tuesday, September 20^th, 2022 9-11am (Zoom virtual format).

Continuing with our Lake Resiliency focus, the topic for September will be exploring strategies for lake associations/ COLAs to prepare for when (not if) second tier lake developments come to your community.

Along with the Lake Resiliency topic, there will be updates on MNCOLA activities, legislative activities, and the popular “Best of What We’ve Heard.” We also hope to plan for some time after the agenda items for our usual “Round Robin” and best-practice sharing.

Please watch for emails with details about the September Member Meeting. If there are others that would be like to be added to the MN COLA meeting mail list, feel free to provide this link.

Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership Convention

The Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership is hosting its convention virtually on September 14-16. This year’s theme is “Protecting Lakes Today for Tomorrow”, and it will take place virtually September 14-16 on Zoom.

Yes, this is a Michigan sponsored event, but the lake ecologies, issues, and challenges are shared by Minnesotans. And Michigan does a great job with their water-related education, so we know you will find it valuable. The cost is $60 and includes over 45 presentations and workshops. Participants can choose from a variety of concurrent sessions focused on specific issues such as fish management, landscaping near shorelines, lake protection and governance, algal blooms, native freshwater mussels, communications, policy, invasive species, lake restoration, and much more.

The event is targeted to both lake professionals and lakeshore owners. Use this link for more information and registration.

Michigan State University: Introduction To Lakes

Another education event that we highly recommend is Michigan State University’s Introduction to Lakes course, which is offered just once a year. The 2022 course saw over 500 students from 20 states and four countries. You will learn what happens in a deep-water lake throughout the year. Specific topical areas include watersheds and their behavior, aquatic plants and animals, annual lake water cycles, shoreline management, and community involvement. The legal and local aspects of the course are Michigan oriented, but concepts, the lakes, and the climate are all similar to Minnesota. Enrollment for the January 2023 offering will begin in the fall of 2022. Sign-up here to receive a notification when enrollment opens. Well worth it!

Click on picture for video

Minnesota Pollution Control Presentation

“Why do good algae go bad?”

As we enter the dog days of summer, some lakes and rivers may experience algae blooms. This is an informative, engaging 35 minute presentation (with Q and A after) that explains normal lake/river algae blooms, and what to watch for to identify a harmful, blue-green (cyanobacteria) algae bloom.

Click on picture for video

200' Is Too Close To Shore For Wake Surfing

This is a powerful video that helps to understand why the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA) is still pushing state legislation for a 200’ minimum distance from shore or dock while the peer-reviewed research consistently notes that 200’ is not close to the right distance

In response to complaints across the country about the damage caused by wake boats, the wakesurfing industry has resorted to misinformation in an attempt to dissuade state and local governments from imposing the kind of restrictions that are necessary to protect vulnerable water bodies and their shorelines, bottom habitats, and surrounding property. The cornerstone of the wakesurfing industry’s “Wake Responsibly” campaign is the false premise that wakesurfing wakes do not carry enough energy to have a significant impact on shorelines when wakeboats operate 200 feet from shore. This video summarizes the industry-funded studies used to support this false premise and some of the independent studies that demonstrate the opposite.

Click on image for website

AIS * Water Quality * Administration * Regulation