MPCA recognizes long-time CLMP volunteers The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has presented

Transcription

1 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Winter 2001 Twenty- Five Years Gene Grazzini, Jr. Alimagnet Lake Dakota Co. Fifteen Years MPCA recognizes long-time CLMP volunteers The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has presented recognition awards for 1999 to long-time participants in the Citizen Lake-Monitoring Program. This was the fifth year for the recognition program, which thanks volunteers who donate so much of their time to protecting and preserving Minnesota s surface waters by dipping a disk for the CLMP. Awards go to volunteers who have participated for five or more years. Awards for 1999 were distributed at the county level, at events such as lake association meetings and county board meetings. This local level method not only increases local recognition for the participants, it also increases public awareness of the program and the importance of long-term monitoring. For 1999, 125 long-term CLMP participants were recognized. Eightyfive got the five-year MPCA certificate of appreciation and coffee mug, thirty-one received the CLMP ten-year pin, six received a Ten Years Awards continued on page 2 Twenty Years Dean Jahnke Lake Ida Douglas Co. Charles E. Stanley Paul Bredow Roger Fox Douglas L. Scherf Arnie Tuomi Briar Lake Lake Minewawa Snail Lake Shallow Lake Sand Lake St. Louis Co. Aitkin Co. Ramsey Co. Pine Co. You have to become involved to make a difference. No one is impressed by the won/loss record of the referee. John Holcomb

2 Awards continued from page 1 governor s commendation for 15-years of service, and two received a governor s commendation for 20 years. There was one 25- year participant for 1999, who received the gold coin clock. Five Years Congratulations Earl Dibb Frank Fourre Richard Grossman Wayne Halverson Tom Hedblom Briggs Lake Upper Prior Lake Big Birch Lake Round Lake E. Thomas Lake Sherburne Co. Scott Co. Todd Co. Morrison Co. Dakota Co. Dean Holmes Tim Mangni Steven Nelson Mike Ollig Walt Peters Long Lost Lake Pickeral Lake Linwood Lake Lake Mary Lawrence Lake Clearwater Co. Anoka Co. Wright Co. I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. Edmund Evertt Hale James Steigauf Long Lake Morrison Co. Allen Tuomela School Lake Page 2

3 1999 Award Winning CLMP Volunteers Volunteer Name, Lake Name (County) 5 Year Award Recipients: Alvar Abrahamson, Lida (Otter Tail); Tom Albrecht, Clitherall (Otter Tail); Charlotte Amland, White Fish (Beltrami); Glenn A. Austin, Spectacle (Isanti); Charles Bastis, Seventh Crow Wing (Hubbard); Dick Berg, Pelican (Otter Tail); Ralph Bjorgaard, McKeown (Cass); Lon Burgess, Chippewa (Douglas); Dennis M. Carlson, Deer (Itasca); Roger F. Carpenter, Fish (Otter Tail); John Cheli, Silver (Otter Tail); Jack L. Christiansen, Eagle (Otter Tail); Judy Cummings, Baby (Cass); Bill DeHollander, Pelican (Otter Tail); Earl Dibb, Briggs (Sherburne); Kevin Dilly, Platte (Crow Wing); Joan M. Edlund, Thunder (Cass); Vern Erickson, Hale (Itasca); Robert Fleskes, John (Wright); Frank Fourre, Upper Prior (Scott); Bob & Tom Giddings, Pokegama (Itasca); Jim Gotta, Pelican (Otter Tail); Richard H. Grossman, Big Birch (Todd); Wayne & Kathy Halverson, Round (Morrison); Rick Hamlin, Melissa (Becker); Harold Harper, multiple (Cass); Tom Hausenbauer, multiple (Le Sueur); Tom Hedblom, East Thomas (Dakota); Mel & Ellen Hintz, Vermillion (St. Louis); Dean Holmes, Long Lost (Clearwater); Don Houseman, Gull (Beltrami); Joyce Humboldt, Minnetonka (Hennepin); Mark & Jamie Isaacson, Horseshoe (St. Louis); William H. Jorgensen, Elm Island (Aitkin); R. Scott Kellin, Pleasant (Ramsey); Don King, Lida (Otter Tail); Bennie Lalim, Florida (Kandiyohi); Joe Laugen, Wynne (St. Louis); Victor Lilienkamp, Hay (Cass); Dave Lorenz, Pokegama (Itasca); Doug Magnus, Pelican (Pope); Tim Mangni, Pickeral (Itasca); Mel Mathson, Ida (Douglas); John Matteson, Silver (Otter Tail); Robert Mechelke, Crystal (Cass); Wayne Miller, Cadotte (St. Louis); Wally Morton, Dead (Otter Tail); Bob Nagle, Potato (Hubbard); Kermit H. Nelson, Crooked (Itasca); Steven J. Nelson, Linwood (Anoka); Warren Newgaard, Dunns (Meeker); Bernard Nystrom, Cedar (Aitkin); Mike Ollig, Mary (Wright); Vern Ortendahl, Inguadona (Cass); M. E. Palbicki, Sr., Big Swan (Todd); Paul Pederson, Cedar (Aitkin); Walt Peters, Lawrence (Itasca); Daniel B. Piechocki, Cedar Island (Stearns); Bill Ramsey, Blanche (Otter Tail); Charles Rheault, Comfort (Chisago); Jon H. Richardson, Rush Island (Itasca); Jack & Marylou Ruff, Francis Meeker); Ray Sampson, Vermillion (St. Louis); Cliff Sawyer, Potato (Hubbard); Russell Schultz, Big Bass (Hubbard); N. Jack Schuster, Stella (Meeker); LeRoy Slupe, Round (Crow Wing); Larry Stark, Round (Crow Wing); Jon & Margaret Steblay, Portage (Crow Wing); Roger Stecker, Boot (Becker); James E. Steigauf, Long (Morrison); Robert Steman, Goose (Chisago); John Ste- phens, Perkins (Stevens); Ken Swanson, Bassett (St. Louis); David J. Ternes, Langton (Ramsey); Albert Thiel, East Lost (Otter Tail); Tom & Iva Thielges, Stocking (Hubbard); Allen Tuomela, Shoal (Itasca); Dale Wahlstrom, Schmidt (Hennepin); Tom & Sue Warner, South Long (Crow Wing); John M. Waters, Hand (Cass); Sandy Wentkiewicz, Eddy (Carlton); Janet & Tom Wood, Ida (Douglas); Harvey J. Woods, Pearl (Stearns); Richard E. Wullschleger, Vermillion (St. Louis); 10 Year Recipients: Howard Berg, Ballantyne (Blue Earth); Paul F. Bredow, Minnewawa (Aitkin); Robert H. Buchanan, Elbow (Becker); Charles H. Corwin, Big Sand (Hubbard); Jorja DuFresne, Calhoun (Hennepin); Wolf Ridge ELC, Johnson (Lake); Roger Fox, Snail (Ramsey); Jerry Fulton, Miltona (Douglas); Donald Gordon, Long (Meeker); John E. Iverson, Owen (Itasca); Ronald M. Johnson, Osakis (Todd); Mary Kulseth, Smith (Crow Wing); Steven Lane, Cedar Island (Hennepin); Richard K.L. Libbey, Hale (Itasca); Perry C. & Shirley Loegering, multiple (Murray); Eugene D. Miller, Long (Kandiyohi); George Mitchell, Turtle River (Beltrami); Mark Ochs, multiple (Dakota); Gary Olson, Stark (Crow Wing); Marlin Palm, Mountain (Cottonwood); Ann R. Reckert, Clitherall (Otter Tail); Douglas L. Scherf, Shallow (Itasca); Fred W. Smith, Hand (Cass); Edward C. Sorensen, Island (Pine); Don St. George, Shady (Olmsted); Edward & Lee Steblay, multiple (St. Louis); Robert P. Tarnowski, Island Reservoir (St. Louis); Arnie Tuomi, Sand (Pine); Betty Unger, Trout (Itasca); D. C. Vry, Potato (Hubbard); Steve Zins, Miltona (Douglas); 15 Year Recipients: Duane H. Davis, Park (Carlton); Deborah Fuerstenberg, Clear (Washington); Frank B. & Betty L. Greenough, Six (Otter Tail); Herbert K. Lotz, Vermillion (St. Louis); Matthew Peters, Big Fish (Stearns); Charles & Barbara Stanley, Briar (St. Louis); 20 Year Recipients: Dean R. Jahnke, Ida (Douglas); Dennis A. Kral, Floyd (Becker); 25 Year Recipients: Gene Grazzini, Jr., Alimagnet (Dakota); Page 3

4 Dear Professor: What causes that green floating stuff in my lake that looks like fluffy clouds or cotton candy? Signed, Joe Curious Dear Joe: Professor Lim Knowledgy Ask The Professor Topic of the day: Scum? What you ve described sounds like filamentous algae (a.k.a. moss or pond scum). This is a common and troublesome aquatic weed that forms dense hair-like mats. It forms on near-shore bottom sediments or submerged objects in ponds and lakes with good transparency and where sunlight reaches the bottom. As the algae grows, it produces oxygen which gets trapped within its strands. This causes the algae to rise to the surface. Some of the more common forms of filamentous algae can be identified by their texture. Cladophora feels cottony, Spirogyra is bright green and slimy to the touch, and Pithophora (or horse hair ) has a very coarse texture like horse hair or steel wool. The best way for lakeshore owners to remove filamentous algae is to rake out the floating clumps and limit the amount of nutrients reaching the water from your property. You can compost the algae or use it in your garden as mulch. Remember, chemical control requires a permit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. You can contact them at (651) or check their web site at Until next time, - Professor Lim Knowledgy If you have a lakerelated question, you can send it to Prof. Lim Knowledgy at: The Secchi Reader MPCA, Environmental Outcomes Division, 520 Lafayette Rd. N. St. Paul, MN 55155, or if you prefer, you can fax it in at: (651) Depending on content and length, one to two questions will be selected for answering in each issue of the Secchi Reader. DNR puts CLMP data to use Water-clarity data collected by volunteers for the Citizen Lake-Monitoring Program were recently used in a report published by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Fisheries Special Publication No.155, Fall stocking of rainbow trout in Bad Medicine Lake: a bioenergetics assessment of impacts on the Daphnia pulex population, used volunteer Secchi-disk data from 1974 to historically describe the lake s water clarity. Bad Medicine Lake (Becker County) has a history of excellent water clarity with average summer Secchi depths in the 20-foot range. Bad Medicine is managed as a two-story trout lake (i.e., managed for both warm-water fisheries such as walleye or panfish and cold-water fisheries such as trout). Rainbow trout have typically been stocked in this lake annually in the spring since 1977; however, as an alternative management strategy, a limited number of trout also were stocked in the fall of The zooplankton (microscopic aquatic animals) community in Bad Medicine Lake is dominated by a large water flea called Daphnia pulex, which is typical of many clear and deep lakes. Daphnia are very efficient grazers of algae and can help maintain good water clarity. They re are also the main food source for rainbow trout stocked into these lakes. Therefore, this recent study focused on the potential impacts the fall-stocked rainbow trout could have on the D. pulex population and, in turn, the lake s water quality. The outcome of this study showed the fall-stocked trout appeared to have little affect on D. pulex populations and there were no significant changes observed in water clarity. Limited bound copies of this publication are available for the public at no cost from the DNR s Division of Fisheries, Box 25, 500 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN or call (888) MINN-DNR. You can also check out the DNR web site at the report will be there shortly. Jodie Hirsch, aquatic biologist, MDNR Page 4 Page 4

5 News and Notes and other fun stuff Mark your calendars! The Minnesota Lakes Association and the Rivers Council of Minnesota are joining forces to hold a Lakes and Rivers Conference May 3-5, 2001, at Cragun s Resort in Brainerd. Topics covered will blend both professional and citizen interests, including aquatic plant management, building sustainable organizations, cumulative impacts from development, exotics, lake inventory tools, mercury, water management, and much more. Contact the MLA at (800) 515-LAKE or lakes@mnlakesassn.org for more information. What can you do about zebra mussels? The recent spread of these invaders into Midwestern lakes and rivers demonstrates the need to track the spread, distribution, and abundance of zebra mussels in Minnesota s inland waters. You can join this important statewide effort by inspecting your lake or river for zebra mussels. Monitoring is simple, requires no specialized equipment, and only takes a few minutes of your time. To obtain more information on the Zebra Mussel Watch, contact the Minnesota Sea Grant Program at (612) or bpeichel@d.umn.edu, or the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at (651) or (888) MINN-DNR. The results are in for on-line CLMP data entry in This year, 12 percent of volunteers entered their data on-line. We listened to your comments and there will be a few new improvements to the on-line entry system for 2001 to make it easier for you to enter your data. Watch for more information on this in the monitoring instructions that will be sent out later this spring with your 2001 data sheets. The annual CLMP report will also be sent out later this spring. This photo was submitted by Chet Angulski (Pelican Lake, Stearns County). It s a snapping turtle that was washed up on the shoreline after an encounter with a boat-motor prop. Chet also tell us he s rescued seagulls entangled in monofilament. These are good reminders that our lakes are home to others besides humans, and we need to be diligent so that our activities don t harm other creatures in the lake. CLMP in the Olympics? Well, not really; although volunteer Richard Herman (Caribou Lake, St. Louis County) had a relative participating in the recent Olympics. His son-in-law s daughter, Melissa Mueller, is a member on the U.S. women s polevaulting team that competed in the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. She s a two-time American record holder in this sport, and although she did not medal this time, Melissa will be back in Olympic competition for Caribbean dreams. In November, CLMP volunteer Wayne LeBlanc saw a lot more water than usual as he sailed in a rally called the Caribbean Wayne routinely monitors Peltier Lake in Anoka County, which covers 465 acres with a maximum depth of 16 feet. The Caribbean 1500 is an annual ocean crossing of about 50 sailboats that sail south for the winter, covering about 1,500 miles. Wayne shared the ocean experience with two other crew members and the owner/captain. The crew left Hampton, Virginia on a 40-foot, cutter-rigged Hans Christian Christina sailboat on November 5, 2000 in cold winter weather and arrived at Spanish Town on the island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands on November 15 in shorts and t-shirts. The water temperature was 58 degrees F on departure, but when they entered the Gulf Stream, the temperature shot up to 74. The seas became bigger and much more confused. During their trip, dolphins played at their bow and a small (and very tired) bird rode with them for two days. The crew also practiced celestial navigation. Wayne reports the British Virgins are beautiful and their waters crystal clear. (Unfortunately, he didn t bring his Secchi disk along for a reading.) He did Caribbean continued on page 6 Page 5

6 New Clarity Test for Big Turtle Lake,? Puzzle solved! Congratulations to last issue s puzzle winners Rick Hamlin, Wally Morton, Charles Pugh, Ken & Betty Simonson, and Larry Stark. About the artist Harold Dziuk is Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota s College of Veterinary Medicine, where he taught and conducted research for over 30 years. He and his wife Betty had a home on Big Sandy Lake in Aitkin County from 1986 to 1999, when they moved to Big Turtle Lake in Itasca County. Harold s hobbies include oil painting and volunteering on watershed projects and lake-protection efforts. His dedication to the environment and Minnesota s lakes is to be commended, as it s volunteers like Harold that keep our waters looking great. Thanks Harold! Caribbean continued from page 5 note that with all the beautiful waters, he was bewildered by the lack of pumpout facilities for on-board toilets. He said it was a great trip with good weather. The rally is an informal race with seven different divisions. Wayne and crew managed to take first place in their division. Way to go Wayne! For more information on the Caribbean 1500, click on Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 520 Lafayette Road North St. Paul, Minnesota Bulk Rate U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 171 St. Paul, MN Page 6