Minnesota Coalition of Lake Associations

MGLP: Conservationists' perspectives of governance in the Iowa Great Lakes
2023-04-18 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | In Person, 1st Street Southeast, Little Falls, MN, 56345, United States
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Multiple activities within watershed boundaries impact the quality of freshwater systems. Since many of these systems are managed by complex governance structures, there is a need to understand how social settings and interactions between stakeholders can impact governance. This presentation examines stakeholders’ perspectives of governance in the Iowa Great Lakes region. These lakes are a valuable freshwater system because they are a popular tourist destination and drinking water source for communities, but they reside in a watershed with large amounts of agricultural production and development. Because of these various interests, conservationists must work within a complex governance structure to protect these lakes. This presentation examines conservationists’ perspectives on the region’s environmental pressures, barriers they encounter, and solutions within this system. Our results highlight the difficulties of working with this system to mitigate environmental pressures as well as possible solutions.

MGLP: On thin ice: Are lakes feeling the heat?
2023-04-18 13:00 - 14:00 | In Person, 1st Street Southeast, Little Falls, MN, 56345, United States
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Our planet is experiencing accelerated climate warming, with dramatic consequences not only on lake ecology, but also on the ecosystem services we rely on from our freshwater resources. Lakes with seasonal ice cover, which represent more than half of the world’s lakes, are especially sensitive to a changing climate, as ice cover is a strong determinant of lake ecosystem functioning. Lakes are losing ice cover at unprecedented rates. On average, ice duration is shorter by 17 days/century. However, in the past 25 years, lake ice loss is 6 times faster, with some lakes not freezing every winter. By the end of the century, over 200,000 lakes may no longer regularly freeze and almost 6,000 lakes may permanently lose ice cover with climate warming. With reduced ice cover, lakes may stratify earlier which can lead to elevated water temperatures, primary production, and likelihood of algal blooms, some of which may be toxic. Mitigation of greenhouse gases is essential to preserving this ecological, cultural, and economically important resource.

MGLP: Managing for RADical lake change: applying the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework to support walleye management in Wisconsin
2023-04-11 13:00 - 14:00 | In Person, 1st Street Southeast, Little Falls, MN, 56345, United States
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Managers facing transforming lakes can benefit from considering broader objectives beyond a traditional focus on resisting change. They can also consider whether accepting inevitable change or directing it along some desirable pathway is more practical and appropriate under some circumstances (the RAD framework). Here, we’ll introduce the RAD framework and highlight a decision-support tool for the walleye recreational fishery in Wisconsin as an example of how to link the RAD framework to real-world management of a large recreational fishery.

Clearwater River Watershed District’s 4th AIS Forum
2023-04-06 17:00 - 18:30 | In Person, 1st Street Southeast, Little Falls, MN, 56345, United States
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The Clearwater River Watershed District (includes counties of Wright, Stearns, Meeker) is hosting its 4th AIS Forum. A great line up of speakers is planned, along with information about the District’s enhanced carp management.

The event is free, but registration is required. Click here for more information

Speakers include: Ariana Richardson, Meeker Co AIS Coordinator Cole Loewen, Stearns County Environmental Services Alicia O’Hare, Wright Co Water Resources Specialist Paul Pattee, Clearwater Lake Property Owners Assoc – Clearwater Lake AIS Action Plan & Results from Recent Sediment Studies Bruce Hall, Clear Lake Property Owners Assoc – Clear Lake Harvester Success Story Curt Forst, Wright Co Coalition of Lake Assoc – AIS Strategies for Wright County Associations Jeff Forester, MN Lakes & Rivers Advocates – MN Legislative Updates on AIS

MGLP: Dissolved oxygen in warming lakes
2023-03-28 13:00 - 14:00
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Dissolved oxygen (DO) is a fundamental component of lake ecosystems. It is an important attribute of habitat in that low levels make habitat unsuitable for most aerobic organisms like fish. In addition, because of its role in redox reactions, DO strongly influences water chemistry. Low oxygen can result in internal loading of limiting nutrients, accumulation of the greenhouse gas methane, as well as formation of the toxic form of mercury in the water column. Therefore, changes to lake DO strongly impact the functioning of lake ecosystems with implications for drinking water quality, biodiversity, and possibly, fish toxicity. In theory, DO should respond to warming surface waters through a variety of mechanisms. This talk will summarize recently published work that used long-term and geographically extensive lake water quality data to explore the relationship between warming of surface waters and DO.

MN COLA Round Robin
2023-03-14 11:00 - 12:00 | In Person, 1st Street Southeast, Little Falls, MN, 56345, United States
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The Round Robin event is an “open mic, ask any question” event. This is your chance to get your topic on the table and find out what other lake and river professionals and supporters think. Just stay online following the Membership Meeting.

MN COLA March 2023 Membership Meeting
2023-03-14 09:00 - 11:00 | In Person, 1st Street Southeast, Little Falls, MN, 56345, United States
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Winter is still here, but the 2023 season on the water will be here before you know it. Like most of you, MN COLA continues working during these shorter days to help protect our Minnesota waters. Join us at our March Membership meeting to find out what’s happening in St. Paul related to our priorities and take in the next session on Lake Resiliency. This meeting will feature Rob Karner, Watershed Scientist (Glen Lake Association, Michigan) presenting Riparians in the Driver Seat: Collective Action Can Make a Difference. Joining him will be Dennis Wiand (Zerogravity Aerial) and Ron Reimink (Freshwater Solutions) who leverage drone technology for water quality projects and how they have partnered to move projects forward. We will have updates on our MN COLA Legislative Agenda. The Legislature is no longer divided so we this is a very interesting year and you won’t want to miss this update.
