The Confluence - Special RiverNight Issue -
June 2007
The Confluence is a monthly electronic
newsletter for members of
In this special RiverNight
issue:
v
RiverNight Program features Ron
Schara of Minnesota Bound, sponsored by Emmons & Olivier
Resources
v
2007
Annual Award Winners Announced
v
Barr
Engineering Sponsors Volunteer of the Year Award
v RiverNight Host Committee Members
Announced!
v
RiverNight Sponsors
Introduced!
v
v
Development News
RIVERNIGHT
DETAILS
RiverNight is
Minnesota Waters annual fundraiser and largest event where friends and
colleagues gather to celebrate
Wednesday August
15th
Harriet
4-5:30 p.m. Centennial
Showboat
Board Anson Northrup
for Social Hour
6-9 p.m. Anson
Northrup
For Directions: Check
out the Padelford Packet Boat Co. Inc.
http://www.riverrides.com/
Tickets $125 per
person, Tables of 8 $1,000
To reserve your
ticket/s call 218-824-5565 or TOLL FREE 800-515-1771
Pay by Credit Card or
Check
Ticket price includes
gourmet dinner by D’Amico, complimentary beer by Michelob Golden Light Draft, a
three hour cruise on the Anson Northrup, free parking and a charitable receipt
for the portion allowed by law.
RIVERNIGHT
PROGRAM
The evening starts at
4 p.m. at the Centennial Showboat:
The presentation of
awards for Lake Association of the Year, Citizen Monitoring Program of the Year,
River Friendly Community of the Year and the newest award, Volunteer of the
Year.
Recognition of
Sponsors
Introduction of the
Conservation Partnership Grant Awardees and Funders
Special Guest Ron
Schara sponsored by Emmons & Olivier Resources
Thank you Emmons & Olivier
Resources for sponsoring Ron Schara as guest speaker at RiverNight
2007!
As a journalist, Ron Schara has
been sharing the great outdoor experience with his readers for nearly three
decades. He hosts his own program, "Minnesota Bound,'" which is seen on
Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. & and Sunday nights at 10:30 PM on KARE 11. Ron's
national program, "Backroads with Ron & Raven", airs on ESPN2 and has
consistently been one of the highest rated shows on the outdoor block. Ron¹s
television programs have won a total of four Emmy¹s to date.
http://www.kare11.com/company/bios/talent_article.aspx?storyid=126927
Emmons &
Olivier Resources, Inc, EOR, is a multi-disciplinary
environmental consulting firm providing a broad range of services to a diverse
group of public and private clients. Recognizing the interaction between natural
and cultural systems, EOR uses an integrated natural resource management
approach that enables communication and education across disciplines to inspire
comprehensive solutions. Visit their website at http://www.eorinc.com
At 6 p.m. we leave St.
Paul on the Anson Northrup Paddlewheel for a three hour dinner cruise on the
Mississippi River.
In addition to our
cash bar Michelob Golden Draft is providing complimentary
beer!
CONGRATULATIONS ANNUAL
AWARD WINNERS!
The Annual
Awards Review Committee had the difficult task of choosing one winner from
numerous nominations from around the state. Sincere appreciation is extended to
all those who submitted nominations and to all the individual or groups who work
daily to protect and improve the waters of Minnesota.
Lake Association of the
Year
Whitefish Area Property Owners
Association (WAPOA), in
the Brainerd Lakes Area is the Lake Association of the
Year, sponsored by
Crystal Pierz Marine. Introduced in 2005 the award is given to a lake
association for their plans, actions and accomplishments to protect and improve
the quality of their lake. The WAPOA exemplifies community collaboration
and citizen-led stewardship for long-term lake and watershed protection.
Through extensive partnerships with local, state and other citizen
entities, the WAPOA focuses heavily on education which leads to action, such as
shoreland restoration and aquatic invasive species prevention trainings and
projects. The WAPOA Lake Management Plan, based on a community-wide needs
survey, led to the revitalization of the Pine River Watershed Association;
numerous WAPOA members acquiring local and County government positions to work
towards stronger representation for water resource protection; and engaged all
Whitefish Chain units of government in a cost sharing venture to inspect all
2500 septic systems on the chain. In its mission to promote environmental
stewardship throughout the Whitefish Area and the Pine River Watershed, the
WAPOA well serves both the citizens and the region’s natural resources through
their efforts to educate, collaborate and act today for better water resource
protection tomorrow. WAPOA President, Judy
Wallschlaeger explained, "The 2007 Lake Association of the Year
recognition is affirmation of our stewardship mission for the Whitefish Area and
confirmation of the countless hours of effort by our many volunteers. In
addition, it reflects the financial support of over 1,000 property owners who
care about our waters not only for today, but for tomorrow. We sincerely
thank Minnesota Waters and Crystal Pierz Marine for this award which will help
to further WAPOA’s programs."
Citizen Monitoring Program of the
Year
The Wadena Soil and Water
Conservation District, where the pine meets the prairie,
is named Citizen Monitoring Program of the Year, sponsored by HDR
Engineering. The award recognizes an outstanding water quality monitoring
program that directly involves citizens in the gathering, analysis and/or
dissemination of information on the health of Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.
Wadena SWCD is recognized for its highly successful program of over 50
volunteers collecting data on 65 lakes and river sites in the district. Over the
years Wadena SWCD has worked with Minnesota Waters and partnered with the former
Rivers Council of Minnesota (now Minnesota Waters) and the DNR in developing
their detailed citizen monitoring plan and the first citizen-based mussel
monitoring program for the Shell River. This has engaged the broader community
and is producing valuable benchmarks on the mussel population. High levels of
phosphorous in Blueberry Lake led to a 2007 DNR grant award to the Blueberry
Lake Association for treating curly leaf pond weed. Wadena SWCD was
awarded a Clean Water Legacy MPCA Surface Water Assessment Grant in 2006 to
focus on the Shell River Watershed. Kari Tomperi, Wadena County Water Planner,
credits partnerships: “…this award would not be possible without the effort of
the dedicated volunteers who work hard to monitor their favorite lake or
river. It really is all about partnerships between local citizens, local
units of government and state agencies. We are all working towards the
same goals.”
River Friendly Community of the
Year
The Kettle River Advocates
Group (KRAG) is named the River Friendly Community of the Year,
sponsored by Wenck Associates, Inc. The River Friendly Community Award honors
communities that recognize rivers for their beauty, economic, historic, cultural
and ecological value and that are taking creative and progressive steps to
restore and preserve rivers. Since their inception just over a year ago the KRAG
has worked with Minnesota Waters to strengthen their organizational capacity to
effectively serve their mission. They have focused their attention on protecting
the Wild and Scenic Kettle River. The spirit and intent of the Wild and
Scenic River designation has been blatantly disregarded in some locales by the
extensive and abusive use of recreational Off Highway Vehicles. KRAG
member, Ceci Cross-Maser explained, “It was the blatant disregard for the Wild
and Scenic River Ordinances, and in particular the egregious abuse by Off
Highway Vehicles so evident at the mouth of the Grindstone River, an important
tributary of the Kettle, that spurred my late husband, Larry Maser, to instigate
the formation of KRAG.” Through extensive research, as well as working
with Minnesota Waters, local and state agencies, the KRAG learned more about the
DNR Wild and Scenic ordinances as well as enforcement responsibility. KRAG
mobilized their neighbors and other supporters of river protection to advocate
for better enforcement and to improve community education. To date, KRAG
members continue to attend Township meetings, working in concert with local
officials to report on and monitor activity in the Wild and Scenic area.
And perhaps most importantly, Ceci reported, “Our efforts paid off when just a
few weeks ago, the town board hired some heavy equipment to scrape together
boulders, push down some trees, and level a new parking area. The effect was to
totally block all motorized vehicles from entering the area through that
property, leaving footpath access only. This small victory was a huge step
toward allowing the degraded vegetation and eroded soil to begin a
reversal. We actually made a difference!” KRAG leaders continue to
inform and engage a wide variety of community stakeholders through educational
mailings or emails, meeting reminders and information about opportunities to act
for greater river protection.
Volunteer of the Year
Award
New in 2007 is the Volunteer of
the Year Award, sponsored by Barr Engineering. Dick Duerre, of
Bloomington, MN, is the first award winner. The Volunteer of the Year Award
recognizes an individual volunteer that has demonstrated talent, time and
commitment to fulfill the mission of Minnesota Waters in their local community
or statewide. Duerre’s volunteer monitoring and conservation career
started with the same simple intentions that mark the beginning of most great
work. In 1974, Duerre moved to the shores of Crystal Lake in Dakota County
and became concerned about the lake’s water quality. Shortly thereafter he
learned of the Minnesota Freshwater Biological Institute monitoring program and
before long he was monitoring Crystal Lake. He started with the same
instrument he uses today, the Secchi disc. Duerre was one of the founders
of the Burnsville Environmental Council and launched major efforts towards
preserving land in 1976. Through lobbying, letter writing and other
grassroots work, he and the Burnsville Environmental Council, along with many
others, convinced policy makers to establish the Minnesota Valley National
Wildlife Refuge. Today the Refuge encompasses 14,000 acres of protected
lands and waters, preserving habitat for countless waterfowl, fish and other
wildlife. After more than three decades, countless Secchi disc readings in
lakes, acquiring additional monitoring skills for the rivers, and a diligent
presence along the banks of several water bodies, Duerre is still at it,
monitoring and protecting Minnesota’s lakes and streams. His own advice
clearly embodies his lifelong conservation work, “Get involved and stay involved
– and try to get more people involved. Become aware of what’s happening to
your lake or river – understand how actions on land affect your
water.”
Award winners will receive a plaque
and a $1,000 grant for their program work at Minnesota Waters at RiverNight
August 15, 2007, in St. Paul.
Thanks to 2007 Annual
Awards Sponsors for making the awards possible!
Crystal Pierz Marine –
Wenck
Associates, Inc. – River Friendly Community of the Year
Award
HDR – Citizen
Monitoring Program of the Year Award
Barr Engineering – Volunteer of the Year Award
Thank You Barr
Engineering for Sponsoring the First Volunteer of the Year
Award!
In the May 2007
Confluence we were waiting to announce our Volunteer of the Year Award sponsor.
The Volunteer of the Year Award is a new award for Minnesota Waters and we thank
Barr Engineering for helping us acknowledge the individual citizens who do so
much to make a difference in their local community. Barr provides engineering,
environmental, and information technology services to clients across the nation
and around the world. They were incorporated as an employee-owned firm in 1966
and trace their origins to the early 1900s. Today, their nearly 300 engineers,
scientists, and technical support staff in Minnesota, Michigan, and Missouri
work with clients in numerous industries, as well as at all levels of
government. http://www.barr.com
Thank You Host Committee
Members
Host Committee members help make
RiverNight a big success by introducing friends and colleagues to Minnesota
Waters and RiverNight. Thank you to our 2007 Host Committee: Ray Bohn, Don
Brauer, Brian Davis,
RiverNight
Sponsors
3M, Blandin Foundation, Bolton &
Menk, Inc., Bonestroo, Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation, Cities Management,
Fortin Consulting, Smith-Partners, RMB, Watermark Initiative, Whole Foods &
Xcel Energy.
We hope you join
us for our annual RiverNight event. All proceeds help support Minnesota
Waters continued efforts
to help citizens
protect and improve their lakes, rivers and watersheds in
Minnesota Waters’ Lakes
and Streams Conservation Partnership 2007 Grantee
Projects
At RiverNight 2006 Minnesota Waters
announced a partnership with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and
Anheuser-Busch/Michelob Golden Draft to establish a pass through grant program
called the Minnesota Waters Lake & Stream Conservation Partnership. The
program supports shoreland habitat improvement and restoration projects, aquatic
invasive species management, and/or lake and river inventorying and assessment
projects to guide lake and river improvement, restoration and management. Seven
organizations were awarded grants in November 2006. Grantees and their projects
will be highlighted at RiverNight 2007.
Briggs Lake Chain
Association
(Sherburne County) Restoration and Education Action project will increase the
number of lakeshore restoration and other conservation projects on the chain of
lakes, including an education component and a “coupon process” allowing
information providers to assist their customers with funding and technical
assistance for conservation projects.
Friends of the Minnesota
Valley (Hennepin
County) New Auburn Stormwater Rain Gardens project, in partnership with Sibley
County and the City of New Auburn, will collect the City’s stormwater in the
newly designed and installed rain gardens, providing water filtration and
purification, before draining into High Island Lake.
Geneva Lake
Association
(Douglas County) Rain Gardens project, in partnership with the Douglas Coalition
of Lakes Association and the Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District, will
improve infiltration and reduce the volume of water that reaches the lake
through a washout gully by providing financial and technical rain garden
development and implementation assistance to homeowners in the critical lake
watershed.
Lake Hattie
Association (Cass
County) Aquatic Environment Assessment project will conduct a comprehensive
assessment of the aquatic environment in the Upper Pine River and Lake Hattie to
utilize in lake management planning and protection
initiatives.
Middle Fork Crow Watershed
District (Kandiyohi
County) Rain Garden Education and Implementation project will provide
educational workshops for landowners to learn how to design and install their
own rain garden, focusing on implementing rain gardens with workshop
participants.
Spirit Lake
Association (Wadena
County ) City of Menagha Stormwater Management Showcase project, in partnership
with the Laestadian Church and Wadena Soil and Water Conservation District, will
develop effective stormwater practice designs for implementation at the new
Church building site and as a community showcase example for protective and
on-site stormwater management in the Spirit Lake watershed.
Stearns Soil and Water Conservation
District Shoreland
Restoration Projects will restore shoreland properties through removing
unnatural structural elements and/or non native vegetation and replacing with
stabilizing and protective native shoreline vegetation.
Thank You National Fish
& Wildlife Foundation and Michelob Golden Light
Draft!
Other Development
News….
Database
Update
In mid 2006 Minnesota Waters
purchased ResultsPlus a member and donor database software to
handle the more than 19,000 contacts, members and donors that came together with
the merger of Minnesota Lakes Association and the Rivers Council of Minnesota.
With almost a year into the new software we are still working through a few
glitches. Please bear with us as we continue to learn, update and purge
duplicate information.
Remember to let us know if you
change your address or email. Or, like the lake associations below…change your
leadership!!!
“Lost” Lake
Associations Contacted
Terry Frazee, Minnesota Waters board
member, took on the challenge of calling 297 “lost” lake associations in our
database to update their contact information, addresses and emails. Some we had
lost contact with after presidents resigned and/or primary contacts changed.
From his winter home in Florida he made calls every weekend back to Minnesota!
Thanks Terry and to the 291 lake associations who participated and updated their
information!
Advertise in Minnesota
Waters September Newsletter
“Minnesota Waters” our quarterly
print newsletter is going into production in August for September delivery to
nearly 6,000 constituents (individuals, groups, associations, businesses and
government agencies in Minnesota). Advertising is affordable and gets your
message to a targeted audience. Member discounts apply. Call the Brainerd office
for more information 218-824-5565 or email lindah@minnesotawaters.org
Give the Gift of
Minnesota Waters: A legacy for Minnesota’s Waters
Gift Memberships or gifts in memory
of a friend or loved one support our mission to protect and improve our lakes,
rivers and watersheds for years to come. To order a gift membership or to make a
memorial gift call the
Brainerd office at 218-824-5565 or email lindah@minnesotawaters.org
2008 Lakes and Rivers
Conference—Mark Your Calendars Now
If you enjoyed the 2006 Lakes and
Rivers Conference in
Minnesota Waters
promotes responsible
stewardship of our water resources by engaging citizens, state and local policy
makers and other like-minded partners in the protection and restoration of our
lakes and rivers. We achieve our mission through watershed education,
citizen monitoring, supporting conservation stewardship, influencing public
policy and empowering citizen groups to manage their local water
resources.
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MINNESOTA WATERS TODAY!
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