The Confluence is a monthly electronic
newsletter for members of Minnesota Waters providing up-to-date
information and resources to help citizens protect Minnesota’s lakes and
rivers. If you’ve received this newsletter and are not yet a member of
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In this
issue:
Executive Director Notes: Jumping
in with both feet
2008 Lakes and River Conference
Postponed
Minnesota Waters Presents at
Shallow Lakes Forum V
Nominations Requested for 2008
Minnesota Waters Awards
Gambling Program Seeks More
Sites
Resources for Lake and Stream
Stewardship
Conferences, Confabs and
Conglomerations
The Bucks Start Here - Funding
Resources
Lake/River news Local National
International
Executive Director
Notes: Jumping in with Both Feet
Dear Friends: Just wanted to let
you know that I survived my first month as Executive Director! My mind is
exploding like a fireworks show with all the information I’ve learned, people
I’ve met, challenges I’m solving, and ideas I have for helping citizens work to
save their lakes and rivers.
It has been encouraging to talk
with so many people from all over the state who are already doing great work on
their local waters, and to learn about the great things that MN Waters program
staff are working on. Sometimes the number of opportunities for us to get
involved seems overwhelming – so much to do, so little time and money. But
though the pool of opportunities is deep and daunting, I’m ready to jump in…with
both feet!
Please keep in
touch,
Marian
Minnesota Waters
Lakes and Rivers Conference Postponed to May 7-9, 2009
After much consideration, Minnesota
Waters has decided to postpone our 2008 bi-annual Lakes and Rivers Conference.
Originally scheduled for September, 2008, the three-day conference will now be
held in May 7-9, 2009 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN.
Current financial and staffing
challenges would have made it impossible to put on the high-quality event that
Minnesota Waters members have come to expect this fall. We have decided that at
this time it is more critical for us to focus our energy on getting out and
working with citizen lakes and river groups, to help them be more effective
during the more active summer months. Then in the fall we’ll start work on
creating the best Rivers and Lakes conference ever for May 2009, to kick off
next summer’s activities.
We’re still planning a great River
Night awards ceremony for August 13, 2008 at Harriet Island, so members and
friends will have that opportunity to get together and celebrate the successful
efforts of grass-roots groups across the state. Hope to see you
there!
Minnesota Waters
Presents at Shallow Lakes Forum V
March 27-28, 2008: Fergus Falls,
MN
The Shallow Lakes Forum is a
collaboration of public and private interest groups concerned about the current
status and management of shallow waters in Minnesota. The Forum was forged
in 2003 by a group of interested stakeholders. Minnesota Waters staff will provide a
presentation on Citizen Roles for
Protecting and Improving Shallow Lakes. To learn more or to register for the
Forum, visit www.shallowlakes.info
or call 507-389-5492.
Nominations Requested
for 2008 Minnesota Waters Awards
Minnesota
Waters’ annual River Night awards celebrate individuals and groups who have
demonstrated extraordinary commitment to improving and protecting Minnesota’s
lakes and rivers. With the gracious support of our sponsors, Minnesota Waters is
proud to honor these water heroes with a plaque, a cash award, and publicity in
our statewide publications. We are currently soliciting nominations for the
following 2008 Awards:
Lake
Association of the Year
River-Friendly
Community/Group of the Year
Outstanding
Citizen Volunteer Monitoring Program
Volunteer
of the Year
Click here for award nomination
forms.
Awards
will be presented at Minnesota Waters’ annual RiverNight celebration, August 13,
2008 on Harriet Island, St. Paul, MN.
Each winner will receive $1,000, two tickets to RiverNight, an award
plaque, and a photograph with the awards sponsor and MN Waters
staff.
Nominations
are due by May 15, 2008.
Winners
will be announced mid-June, 2008
Minnesota Waters Lake
and River Associations Survey
Have
your lake, river or watershed association board leaders taken the Minnesota
Waters organizational capacity survey?
This survey aims to better understand the organizational needs of current
and potential Minnesota Waters member associations and groups. The survey
results will be used to guide the development of new tools, trainings and
materials to help grassroots groups become lasting, thriving, and effective
organizations for locally-led lake and stream protection. If your association has yet to take the
survey, please use the following link to access the survey
online:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3zZ_2bYWploEGWbrKbI_2b2I9A_3d_3d
More Money for
Associations and MN Waters – Gambling Program Seeks More
Sites
Minnesota Waters would like to
offer our member Lake Associations the opportunity to raise money for your lake
projects. We realize all
environmental efforts require money and by joining us in our Charitable Gambling
operation we can share the proceeds with you.
If your Association talks to any restaurant, bar, convenience store, etc. that sells pulltabs and they agree to have Minnesota Waters as their designated charity we will share the proceeds. This share portion depends on your participation and could be has high as 50%.
To learn more details call our
Gambling Manager, David Bachman, at 218-245-1356.
~ Resources for Lake and
Stream Stewardship ~
The Watershed
Assessment Tool Is Now Available On The MN DNR Website
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watershed_tool/promo.html
This interactive tool is designed to improve access to information about
Minnesota's natural resources and the ecological health of our
watersheds.
LOOK FOR THESE SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Text describing the 5
components of watershed health.
- On-line interactive map that displays 40
GIS data layers and summarizes information for each major watershed.
-
Information and metadata about each of these data layers
- Downloadable pdf
MapBooks for each major watershed and each component Used together, the map and
the text will lead to a better understanding of the components, their connection
to each other and the complexity of interactions between them.
Beth
Knudsen Research Analyst
MN DNR Ecological Resources
1801 South Oak
Street
Lake City, MN 55041
Phone - 651/345-3332 ext
228
Free Kit to Help “Get
the Lead Out!”
Order a free “Get the Lead Out!” kit for your
next lake, river or watershed association gathering and help us encourage
anglers to use environmentally friendly lead-free fishing tackle. This is the fourth year educational kits
have been offered to Minnesota-based lake, river or watershed associations. The attractive kit includes a table top
sign, fact sheets, wildlife posters and sample packs of lead-free jigs and
weights.
Lead poisoning of loons, eagles and
other wildlife is avoidable. Help
us spread the word about safe and effective alternatives to lead tackle. For more information visit www.pca.state.mn.us/sinkers
or contact Dan Miller of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency at 651-297-8319,
toll free 800-657-3864 or by email at daniel.miller@pca.state.mn.us.
Urban BMP Performance
Tool
The EPA has created a new web-based
tool to provide easy access to approximately 220 studies which assess the
performance of over 275 stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs). The tool provides access to studies
covering a variety of traditional and low impact BMP types, including retention
and detention ponds, biofilters, grassed filter strips, porous pavement,
wetlands, and others. Users will
also find a series of essays aimed at improving understanding of BMP performance
and the importance of volume reduction/infiltration in these assessments. EPA plans to add more studies over the
coming year, focusing on expanding the collection of studies of low impact
development or green infrastructure BMPs.
The Urban BMP Performance Tool can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/npdes/urbanbmptool
~ Conferences, Confabs and
Conglomerations ~
Build Smart
Summit
Focusing on central MN counties of
Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd and Wadena.
April 30th & May 1,
2008 at Madden’s on Gull Lake, Brainerd MN
Day 1: Discovering opportunities in building
conservation designed communities will be explored. Day 2: Gain insight of how to
apply conservation designed concepts to specific projects.
Presenters: Nationally recognized
lecturers: Randall Arendt, Patrick O’Malley, and Ed VonThoma.
State known and respected speakers:
Dr. John Gulliver UMN, Don Burger MPCA
Local expert presenters: Dann
Siems, Tim Ramerth, Janelle Riley, Phil Hunsicker.
This summit is being offered for a
$89.00 registration fee for both days (includes morning break and lunch). Register online at www.regionfive.org or call 218.894.3233 to
request mailed registration forms. Register by April 15th to
reserve your space.
Minnesota Invasive
Species Conference
2008:
Acting Locally to Protect Our
Legendary Lands and Waters
October
26-28, 2008 in Duluth
The first annual statewide
conference on invasive species will be held for the purpose of exchanging
information on aquatic and terrestrial invasive species topics. The focus is to strengthen awareness of
invasive species issues at the local level, as well as act locally on prevention
and management activities. Expected audiences include researchers, land
managers, natural resource professionals, university personnel, landscapers,
nursery, agricultural or forestry employees, environmental specialists, lake
association members, and agency and non-governmental
organizations.
The Minnesota Invasive Species
Council (www.mda.state.mn.us/misac/) who is hosting the conference, along with
the conference co-chairs, Minnesota Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation
Society and University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program, are announcing a CALL FOR ABSTRACTS for this
Minnesota-focused invasive species conference. Those wishing to make an oral
presentation or display a poster must e-mail the title and abstract to robert.koch@state.mn.us no later than
May 1, 2008. To learn more about Abstract
guidelines, contact Bob Koch at 651-201-6549 or robert.koch@state.mn.us.
~ The Bucks Start Here -
Funding Resources ~
New Approaches to
Resource Use
Blue moon fund seeks to improve the
human condition by changing the relationship between human consumption and the
natural world. Support is provided to nonprofit organizations in Asia, Latin
America, Europe, and the United States that have developed innovative, holistic
approaches to improving human quality of life in harmony with the natural world.
The Rethinking Consumption and Energy initiative is aimed at developing
environmentally-friendly, efficient, and economically competitive transportation
and energy choices worldwide. The goal of the Balancing Human and Natural
Ecosystems is to reduce unsustainable resource pressures and to preserve
biodiversity and ecosystem function. The Reenergizing Urban Communities is based
on the belief that underpinning vibrant and resilient cities is their capacity
to self-organize in ways that maximize the economic, cultural, environmental,
and spiritual benefits of urban life. Online letters of inquiry for these three
initiatives are accepted throughout the year. Details on each of the initiatives
and online application instructions are available on the website: blue moon fund.
~
Lake
News – Local, National, International ~
For
more on these stories, please click here: News
From the Confluence
For example, planning in
the Red River Basin is focused on reducing excessive sedimentation. The water
quality planning team helped design and establish a regional approach to the
more than two dozen impairments for turbidity. The team identified sources of
turbidity and sediment in the region – which is relatively flat, prone to
extremes in water quantity and dominated by row crop agriculture. The team also
identified a strategy for measuring loads of sediment.
Now,
the Red River Basin Water Quality Planning Team is working on a communications
campaign that helps property owners understand that actions on the land can
minimize excessive sedimentation and restore water quality in surface waters.
The team is reviewing implementation strategies from Wilkin County, where the
first turbidity clean-up strategy is in place. The team is also working with
local government agencies in the region to extend citizen monitoring and to
provide forums for volunteers to understand the value of their monitoring
efforts. Now, the Red
River Basin Water Quality Planning Team is working on a communications campaign
that helps property owners understand that actions on the land can minimize
excessive sedimentation and restore water quality in surface waters. The team is
reviewing implementation strategies from Wilkin County, where the first
turbidity clean-up strategy is in place. The team is also working with local
government agencies in the region to extend citizen monitoring and to provide
forums for volunteers to understand the value of their monitoring efforts.
The team meets the
4th Monday of each month; the location rotates between Moorhead and
Thief River Falls. Members receive a monthly electronic newsletter, the Red
River Reporter, that keeps them apprised of planning in the Red. For more
information, call (218) 846-0494, or send a message to
molly.macgregor@pca.state.mn.us.
Also see the PCA web site for the Red River Reporter, a basin
report. http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/basins/redriver/index.html
More
than a dozen landowners attended a Heron Lake Watershed District-sponsored
meeting in Fulda Thursday afternoon to learn about steps they can take to
improve the land and water in environmentally-sensitive areas of Bondin
Township. The watershed district is the recipient of more than $96,000 from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use as incentive to encourage
landowners and operators to practice minimum tillage methods and increase
residue on the land.
Source: Worthington Daily Globe
Michigan:
Fertilizer
Ban Could Help Lakes
Hoping
to stop out-of-control weed growth on Lake St. Clair, county officials are
eyeing a ban on many lawn fertilizers and U.S. Rep. Candice Miller wants to
implement similar restrictions statewide.
Fertilizers
that are high in phosphorus are blamed for rapid weed growth and frequent
outbreaks of algae on the lake and along the shore. The grass-growing chemicals
wash off of lawns and into the waterways - drains, streams and rivers that flow
into the lake - where they feed the aquatic plants.
Source: The Macomb Daily
Idaho: Mud
Snails Plague Western Waters
For
at least two decades the New Zealand mud snail has been expanding its boundaries
and role as pest in the West. And according to a top official from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service in Portland, it’s the very people who are trying to study
and/or destroy the tiny critter who are making the problem worse.
They
are now recognized in 10 Western states, including the Deschutes River in
Oregon.
Source: NewWest.net
California: San Francisco Bay Has Most Non-Native
Species in World
San
Francisco Bay is the most invaded aquatic region on Earth, with more than half
its fish and most of its bottom-dwelling organisms representing non-native
species, according to a new report released by the Nature Conservancy.
Asian
clams, Chinese mitten crabs, Amur River clams, New Zealand carnivorous sea
slugs, Black Sea jellyfish and Japanese gobies are just a few of the exotics
that have ended up in San Francisco Bay, usually transported in ships' ballast
water.
Source: Marin Independent Journal
Israel: Moves Taken to Protect Dead Sea,
Kinneret and Timna Crater
New legal
developments will protect the Dead Sea and Lake Kinneret - but the Timna Crater
is endangered by hoteliers.
A new governmental
organization was established last week to plan and implement the
preservation of the Dead Sea, which is drying up at an alarming rate. The
company, established by the Social-Economic Cabinet, will be tasked with
preventing the continued drop of the water level and the preservation and
restoration of the shore line.
Source: Israel National News.com
Find all the stats
and read about how various groups observed WWMD 2007 in the Year
in Review report, which is
available online at www.WorldWaterMonitoringDay.org.
Minnesota Waters
Address:
720 West St. Germain, Suite 143, St. Cloud, MN
56301
Telephone: 800-515-5253 320-257-6630
For questions regarding the Web site or Hosted Web sites please contact:
Dick Lacher, Telephone: 218-659-4511 or rglacher@paulbunyan.net
Minnesota Waters
The
mission of Minnesota Waters is to promote responsible stewardship of our water
resources by engaging citizens, local and state policymakers, and other partners
in the protection and restoration of Minnesota’s lakes and
rivers.
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