Minnesota Coalition of Lake Associations

Chemical Contaminants in Lake Superior - October 7
2025-10-07 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
Photo: MN Sea Grant
Webinar attendees will learn the status and trends of toxic chemicals in Lake Superior and how Canada and the U.S. use key indicators to help assess the lake’s health. The webinar will also explore how PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” are transported through the atmosphere and deposited into the water. Also, learn how herring gull eggs have contributed to the understanding of chemical pollutants in the Lake Superior ecosystem.
This webinar is part of the Let’s Talk Lake Superior! webinar series hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canada Water Agency.
This webinar is on October 7, 2025, at 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. CT. It is available at no cost and is recommended for anyone passionate about the Great Lakes. Registration is required.
Click here for more information

2025 AIS Research and Management Showcase - October 9
2025-10-09 07:45 - 17:00
The University of Minnesota AIS Research and Management Showcase is an annual event that highlights the latest MAISRC research, innovations, and strategies for managing aquatic invasive species in Minnesota. This one-day showcase on October 9th provides a platform for scientists, natural resource managers, and the public to learn about cutting-edge research, engage in discussions, and collaborate on efforts to prevent and control AIS. Attendees can participate in presentations, demonstrations, and tour MAISRC’s containment lab to see some research projects up close.
Click here for more information including the agenda and presentations.
Registration is required. There is a $50 fee for the Showcase, but discount codes are available on the registration page. The event is 7:45am – 5:00pm CT.

Harmful Algal Bloom Research in Northeast Minnesota - October 14
2025-10-14 12:00 - 13:00
Harmful algal blooms are becoming more common across northeastern Minnesota, showing up in waters from remote inland lakes to the vast expanse of Lake Superior. Some produce toxins that can be dangerous to people, pets, and wildlife. Researchers across the region are working to understand better where and why HABs occur and what that might mean for Minnesota waters and communities. Topics include: HABs in northern lakes, HABs in Lake Superior, and Community science for clean water.
This webinar is part of the Twin Ports Climate Conversation series hosted by Minnesota Sea Grant.
This webinar is on October 14, 2025, at 12:00 – 1:00 pm CT. It is available at no cost. Registration is required.
Click here for more information

Smart maps, stronger conservation: Targeting land protection with GIS - October 25
2025-10-21 13:00 - 14:00
The Northern Waters Land Trust will be presenting on their project, which developed an interactive GIS mapping tool to identify and prioritize land protection projects within the watersheds of Lakes of Outstanding Biological Significance (LOBS). Each parcel within these sensitive watersheds was systematically scored to determine conservation priority.
This webinar is part of the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Lake Conservation webinar series. Paul Radomski, Mitch Brinks, Annie Knight and Ally Mazurek will be presenting.
This webinar is on October 21, 2025, at 1 pm CT. It is available at no cost. Registration is required.

Mystery Snail Impacts on Lake Ecosystems - November 6
2025-11-06 12:00 - 13:00
Sometimes the smallest organisms can have surprising impacts. This presentation will focus on invasive mystery snail impacts to continental North America and will include information on three invasive mystery snails: Chinese mystery snails, Japanese mystery snails, and banded mystery snails. This event will also explore potential mechanisms for continued mystery snail dispersal and what can be done to stop the spread.
This webinar is part of the Itasca Water Wisdom online webinar series, co-sponsored by Minnesota Sea Grant.
This webinar is on November 6, 2025, at 12 – 1 pm CT. It is available at no cost. Registration is required.
Click here for more information

MN COLA December Membership Meeting - December 9
2025-12-09 09:00 - 11:00
The December quarterly Membership meeting will be held via Zoom on Tuesday, December 9th at 9-11 AM CT. We have three important items for discussion:

Jeff Forester, MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates, will provide a preview of the 2026 Legislative session including an overview of their strategy to help retain the annual distribution of the $10 million in AIS Prevention Aid.
Finally! The MN boat wrap recycling program has begun. Sarah Bonvallet is heading the recycling program and will present early steps that are underway.
One lake association is using software designed for homeowner’s associations to streamline much of the work related to member dues, communications, accounting, document storage, and more. Margrette Newhouse is the Treasurer of the Christmas Lake Homeowner’s Association. She will discuss the software package and how the Association is benefitting.

Register here for the meeting.

Introduction to Lakes Online course - begins January 20, 2026
2026-01-26 08:00 - 2026-03-27 17:00
Registration for the award-winning Michigan State University Extension Introduction to Lakes Online course is now open! MN COLA’s Jim Kutzner took this on-line course 4 years ago and thought it was highly valuable and completely relevant to Minnesota Lakes.
This six-week online course kicks off January 20th 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 27, 2026, at 5 pm ET. The cost of the course is $115 per person. An early-bird rate of $95 is available if you register by January 5, 2026.
Click here for more information.

Shallow Lakes: Deep Insights into Management Challenges
2026-02-03 08:00 - 16:00
For this late-winter, full-day event, we bring together a group of lake management experts to present research, case studies, regulatory overviews, and lessons-learned on specific lake management topics. We leave lots of time for informal discussions and networking as well.
Come join us and help to advance lake management in Minnesota by learning from others and sharing your own knowledge and experiences.
Registration for our annual symposium typically opens in early January. If you are not yet ready to become a member, but want to be notified about MLMS events, add yourself to our contact list. You can unsubscribe at any time.

What Lakes do in Winter
2026-02-05 12:00 - 13:00
For many years, lake researchers focused mostly on open-water seasons, leaving the ice-covered months relatively understudied. Today, growing concern about rapidly changing winter conditions has led to a surge of interest in lake winter ecology. In this presentation, Dr. Ted Ozersky from the U of MN – Duluth, will explore what scientists are discovering about the physics, chemistry, and biology of lakes during winter—and what these shifting winter patterns could mean for lake health and the vital ecosystem services lakes provide.
This free webinar is from noon to 1 pm on February 5. Register here.

Minnesota Ice-Out
2026-02-19 12:00 - 13:00
So, this is a different kind of ICE Out than what’s been in the news.
John Downing of Minnesota Sea Grant will present his 2026 ice-out forecasts and show you how you can win your ice-out pool for your favorite lake. Minnesota Sea Grant’s Ice-Out Clock yielded accurate ice-out forecasts for 2024 and 2025. This year, the models are improved and now give forecasts for any lake you choose. The new models consider snow, latitude, how big the lake is, cumulative cold and cumulative thawing. Tune in so you can plan when to put the boat in the water.
This free webinar is from noon to 1 pm on February 19. Register here.

Strategies for Recreational ﻿Watercraft Governance
2026-03-05 12:00 - 13:00
This practical webinar will be exploring why and how boat traffic is legally managed on lakes and rivers—and what that means for communities, recreation, and water protection. A panel featuring a water- and coastal-law attorney, a boat-traffic enforcement officer, and the director of a public-interest organization that helps people navigate lake and river issues will explain the legal foundations for restrictions, real-world safety and enforcement considerations, and how communities can balance recreation, property rights, and environmental protection. Ideal for lake residents, local officials, lake associations, and anyone interested in fair, effective watercraft management.
Panelists include Terra Bowling from the National Sea Grant Law Center, Jeff Forester from Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates, and Matt Miller, a Conservation Officer with the Marine Unit of the Minnesota DNR.
This free webinar is from noon to 1 pm on March 5. Register here.

Safeguarding Amphibians ﻿from the Invisible Invaders
2026-03-12 12:00 - 13:00
Chytrid fungi are microscopic aquatic pathogens that have caused severe amphibian declines worldwide and represent one of the largest biodiversity losses linked to disease. In Minnesota, the emerging chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, is of growing concern for conservation and aquatic ecosystem health.
Amy Kinsley, an Assistant Professor at the U of MN College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Fellow at MAISRC will fill us in on this interesting research.
This talk introduces MN-SNAPS, Minnesota’s amphibian chytrid surveillance program, which combines field sampling and education to support prevention and early detection. The presentation will explain how chytrid fungi spread, why they matter, and how risk modeling can be used to prevent their spread. This work emphasizes the value of planning, awareness, and prevention in safeguarding amphibian health and aquatic ecosystems.
The free webinar is on March 12 at 1 pm CT. Register here.

MN COLA March Membership Meeting - March 17
2026-03-17 09:00 - 11:00
The March Membership meeting will be held on March 17, 2026 at 9 – 11 am. Click here to register anytime before the meeting. The Zoom link for the meeting will be provided following registration in an email from Zoom. Watch for it and be sure to save the email.
Here’s what’s on the agenda:

Dr. Nick Phelps from MAISRC will talk to us about compelling new research on the value of the AIS Prevention Aid. That is the program that provided $10 million annually for AIS prevention. As you may recall, the $10 million was at risk in the 2025 Legislative session but was retained for another 2 years. It is slated to be back on the chopping block, so it is vital that we all understand what it has delivered to Minnesota.
Jeff Forester from MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates will provide an update on the 2026 Legislative session that began in the middle of February. Hopefully some action will happen this year, but it is a challenge as the House is evenly split and the DFL holds a one-seat majority in the Senate.
Keegan Lund from SePro will talk about a creative approach to proactively stop the spread of starry stonewort in Minnesota. We ended 2025 with 37 waterbodies infested since the first infestation was found 10 years ago at Lake Koronis. Getting a handle on this high impact AIS is critical now! Keegan has been with us before, and you may also remember him as an AIS specialist at the DNR.

Register here.

Genetic Options for Controlling Invasive Carp Species - May 6
2026-05-06 13:00 - 14:00
Improvements in our ability to re-write the genetics of living organisms that have been developed in the past few decades are rapidly accelerating the ability of biotechnology to address problems in medicine, agriculture, and the environment. In the area of pest and invasive species control, innovative new genetic methods are already making an impact for organisms such as mosquitoes. Our group has been developing and refining genetic methods to control aquatic invasive species. In this webinar, I will introduce the diversity of genetic pest control methods that exist, share our current progress in translating these into common carp, and forecast what still needs to be done before these approaches can impact local populations of invasive fish.
This free webinar is from noon to 1 pm on February 19. Register here.

Genetic options for controlling ﻿invasive carp species
2026-05-06 13:00 - 14:30
Improvements in our ability to re-write the genetics of living organisms that have been developed in the past few decades are rapidly accelerating the ability of biotechnology to address problems in medicine, agriculture, and the environment. In the area of pest and invasive species control, innovative new genetic methods are already making an impact for organisms such as mosquitoes. Our group has been developing and refining genetic methods to control aquatic invasive species.
Michael Smanski, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics and Research Fellow at MAISRC will fill us in on this interesting research.
This webinar will introduce the diversity of genetic pest control methods that exist, share our current progress in translating these into common carp, and forecast what still needs to be done before these approaches can impact local populations of invasive fish.
The free webinar is on May 6 at 1 pm CT. Register here.

MLR Leadership Summit
2026-06-03 14:00 - 17:00
The leadership summit will be held in Alexandria at the Legacy of the Lakes Museum. It is an opportunity for lake association leaders to connect, get a legislative update from Jeff Forester, and hear from the DNR.
The summit is planned for June 3 from 2 – 5 pm. Admission will be $15 which covers the cost of light snacks and includes entry into the museum.
Expect more information soon but block the date on your calendar.

Potential impact of fireworks ﻿on lakes and other waters
2026-06-04 12:00 - 13:00
Each year in the U.S., hundreds of millions of pounds of fireworks are used, releasing perchlorate—a key fireworks ingredient and a known drinking water contaminant—into the environment. Perchlorate can disrupt thyroid function, and studies have shown that fireworks can elevate perchlorate levels in nearby surface and groundwater.
Dr. Andrew Jackson from Texas Tech University will be leading this interesting topic. He will explore how fireworks may affect drinking water sources by examining field studies, aerial deposition measurements, and national water surveys conducted before and after major fireworks events. And he’ll discuss how factors such as the amount of fireworks used, waterbody size, dilution capacity, direct deposition, runoff, and natural attenuation influence perchlorate levels and potential risks to water quality.
This free webinar is from noon to 1 pm on June 4. Register here.

MN COLA Annual Membership Meeting - June 16
2026-06-16 09:00 - 11:00
Hold the date. The Annual Membership meeting will be held on June 16, 2026.

Genomic Surveillance of Zebra Mussel Populations Using Genotyping by Sequencing - July 8
2026-07-08 13:00 - 14:00
Zebra mussels have expanded to at least 32 states in the USA, and the cost of prevention and mitigation of zebra mussel infestations continues to grow. Timely information on sources of spread is critical for advising prevention efforts. Previous research carried out by our group utilized population genomics to characterize zebra mussels in >60 waterbodies to infer infestation scenarios and source waters among MN lakes. We are expanding this analysis to include newly infested lakes in Minnesota and throughout the Upper Mississippi River Basin, making this information accessible through an online web app to help inform AIS management strategies.
This free webinar is from noon to 1 pm on July 8th. Register here.

Restoring our Underwater Forests: Can Native Revegetation Enhance Invasion Resistance in Lakes? - September 9
2026-09-09 13:00 - 14:00
Current efforts to manage invasive plants in lakes rely on repeated herbicide treatments, which are costly and rarely lead to long-term control or native plant recovery. Revegetation, or the active reintroduction of native plants, may be a means to improve long-term resilience by making lakes more resistant to reinvasion. We are conducting in-lake restoration trials in partnership with local managers to reintroduce native plants post-treatment and monitor outcomes. Regional data analyses are underway to identify plant traits and environmental conditions that may best predict restoration success, alongside greenhouse trials to increase technical capacity for growing aquatic plants from seed. Ultimately, we hope our work will broaden the AIS management toolbox, enabling the establishment of more invader-resistant lake plant communities across Minnesota.
This free webinar is from noon to 1 pm on September 9th. Register here.

MN COLA September Membership Meeting - September 15
2026-09-15 09:00 - 23:00
Hold the date. The September Membership meeting will be held on September 15, 2026.

MN COLA December Membership Meeting - December 8
2026-12-08 09:00 - 11:00
Hold the date. The December Membership meeting will be held on December 8, 2026.
