NALMS Notes

Ken enjoying ice hockey. Just one of many winter pursuits.

I love the holiday season at the end of the year. Well, mainly I love the last week of the year, after the preparation is over. We spend time with family and friends, and I do not go to the office or even check messages. I also like the start of the New Year, full of promise and representation of a fresh start. The lakes where I live are usually frozen and snow blankets the ice and earth (although less and less in recent years, and there is no ice or snow out there as I write this!). Some think of this as a dormant period, but I see as much recreational and research opportunity as in summer. I know that there is a lot going on in a lake even in winter.

And so it is with NALMS as well. The annual symposium is over, the late year glut of membership renewals has been handled, the financial year has ended, and a new Secretary or Treasurer takes over in alternating years (this year it is the Secretary). While some think of winter as a slow time for NALMS, things are so hot right now that we may be the cause of the lack of ice and snow in the North Country!

NALMS has hired a new office administrator and a new webmaster, let a contract for website programming support, filed for a new EPA grant, started planning for the spring "midterm" conference in Chicago, furthered the already extensive planning for our 2007 annual symposium in Disney World, and nearly completed work on a state-of-the-art, on-line conference registration system. Our committees are bulging with new members and are busily attempting to complete assigned tasks as part of an ambitious plan of action for 2007. I encourage you to read about these efforts elsewhere in this newsletter and in ones to come. There is nothing dormant about this winter within NALMS!

Ken Wagner
NALMS President

Changing of the Guard: NALMS Secretary

Ann at the Indy Childrens'

The offices of Secretary and Treasurer change officers in alternating years, each being a two year position, and they change with the calendar year, allowing for financial aspects or meeting minutes from the annual symposium to be addressed before the new person takes office. This year, we bid farewell to Ann St. Amand, departing Secretary from St. Joseph, MI. Ann isn't going far, however, as she remains very much involved with NALMS on several levels, most immediately as a guest editor for an upcoming issue of our Journal and in her role in the soon-to-be released blue-green algae web pages. Thanks, Ann, for a job well done.

Tom at the Indy Registration

The incoming Secretary is Tom Conry of Waco, TX. Tom is a Past-President of NALMS, the first-ever to return to the Executive Board after his Presidential term. Some people never learn, but in Tom's case this is a matter of desire to serve NALMS, and his commitment is genuine as it gets. Tom was responsible for the very nice 2007 NALMS calendar that many of you now have gracing your office walls. Tom's experience is a great aid to NALMS at this time, and we look forward to a great pair of years with him.

NALMS Welcomes Two New Staff Members

Darcy Brown

Meet Darcy Brown
We are pleased to announce Darcy Brown as the new Administrative Assistant in the NALMS office in Madison, WI. Darcy has over 7 years of experience in office management, including working for both private businesses and a non-profit organization. She has a strong background in administrative disciplines, including accounting with the software we use at NALMS and has already come up with a number of efficiency-improving ideas and record-keeping enhancements. Darcy enjoys the interaction with our members, mostly by phone now, but will probably know most of you by name or voice by next November when we convene in Florida. As she is still getting to know NALMS as an organization, you can help her by identifying yourself by name, location, and role within NALMS when you talk to her or send email. She can be reached at the NALMS office (608-233-2836, dbrown@nalms.org) if you need assistance.

Grumpy Gus

Meet Matt Remsik
We are pleased to announce Matt Remsik as the new Webmaster in the NALMS office in Madison, WI. We are fortunate to have found someone of Matt's capabilities willing to devote mornings to NALMS on a part-time basis. Everyone with computer savvy who has interacted with Matt so far has been very impressed, and he has already updated and enhanced the NALMS website to the extent possible within our current framework. Matt will be overseeing the overhaul of the NALMS website, doing some of the work himself, and coordinating with the contract firm that has been hired to provide programming support for such things as the on-line registration process and a new membership database. Particularly relevant is his experience with Dane County, for which he was involved in soil and water conservation website work, giving him some background in technical areas related to NALMS. He can be reached at the NALMS office (608-233-2836, mremsik@nalms.org).

Indy Conference Input Still Sought

An on-line survey relating to the recent Indianapolis International Symposium was created by Conference Advisory Chair Jeff Schloss. This electronic survey takes about 15 minutes to complete and will help us with future planning. While we anticipate closing out the survey by the end of January 2007, we are still very much interested in getting feedback from those who attended our annual conference in November of 2006. Please take the time to fill it out and help us make our conferences the best they can be.

Harmful Algae DVDs still available

NALMS taped a series of talks at the Madison Symposium on harmful algal blooms and had them rendered into DVD format last year, with unveiling at the Indianapolis Symposium. These are excellent talks with a lot of data and useful information on what is a very hot topic in lake management and water supply. The two-DVD set with an additional CD with the original presentation graphics can be obtained at a cost of $100 plus shipping and handling from NALMS, a much lower cost than offered by other organizations for comparable video products. Check it out!

Website Upgrade Update

The NALMS website is a product of many years of additions and changes which has created clutter and a need for a fresher format. We feel a pressing need to improve both the look and content of our site, with a focus on providing information useful to the general public and more material that our members would desire, the latter held in a membership services area available only to members. Additionally, there has been a problem with the membership database that has caused names or passwords for many members not to be recognized, and there is no built in method for members to update their own information. The staff has been working to "clean up" the database, but this is a painstaking process. Soon you will be given the opportunity to go on-line and check your personal information, make any corrections, and choose a new password. We will make accommodations for those who can't even get to their information, and a whole new database is under construction that should solve a number of nagging problems.

The website is also being moved to a new hosting system. A system with access and capacity that will be better suited to the needs of NALMS members. The site will be organized in what we think is a more user-friendly manner. Also, a lot of new material will be added, including technical and educational publications we think the public and our members will want to see and an image library that will help create presentations or just illustrate lake features, processes, and management techniques for better understanding. You will have ample opportunity to provide feedback and offer both suggestions and additional material. This is a work in progress, and we have a target date of February 1 for unveiling the new and improved website. However, it will really take several more months to get all features incorporated, and updates and additions will of course be an ongoing process under the direction of the webmaster. We'll keep you posted on the status of this effort and apologize for any temporary inconvenience it creates.

NALMS Local Lake and Watershed Protection Grants For Teachers Grades 6 - 12

Would you like to have your students become actively involved in a project associated with lake ecology, management, or protection? Would you like to give your students practical field experience? Is all that is holding you back a funding source?

The North American Lake Management Society and the Environmental Protection Agency are offering grant funding to lake and watershed oriented projects throughout North America.

Grants for up to $1500 are available for grades 6-12 with projects that promote lake and watershed protection initiatives. Grant money will be available to you for September 1, 2007.

If you are interested, please send a cover letter, completed grant application, and letter(s) of Support via email to the NALMS Education Committee Chair, Amy Smagula, no later than April 30, 2007. Grant award notifications will be made to you by June 1, 2007.

For a grant application form and information or if you have any questions, please contact Amy Smagula at 603-271-2248 or asmagula@des.state.nh.us.

Government Affairs Committee Update

As of January 4, 2007, the new U.S. Congress has begun. The new members have been sworn in, House and Senate leaders selected, and now the first session of the 110th Congress is underway. This promises to be a busy year as Congress wraps up the federal fiscal year 2007 appropriation, sets up appropriations for fiscal year 2008, and debates major policy legislation like the Farm Bill reauthorization. Over the course of the year the Government Affairs Committee will periodically update members on pending legislation, provide summaries on select issues, and encourage members to contact their Representative or Senator on priority bills.

This is also a good time for a brief primer on how Congress works. The United States Congress is bicameral, that is, composed of two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate. There are 435 Representatives representing the 50 states proportionally according to population size. House members are elected all at the same time, every two years. House members more closely represent the views of local citizens and advocate for the needs of their districts. You can obtain more information about the House of Representatives or e-mail your Representative by visiting the House of Representatives website.

The United States Senate is composed of 100 members-2 from each state. Senate terms are six years, and a third of the Senate is elected every other year with the House of Representative elections. The overlapping and longer terms allow the Senate to temper short-term popular interests and provide for continuity. Information on the Senate and access to Senators is available at the Senate website.

Each "Congress" lasts for 2 years, beginning the January following House elections and ending at the end of their term. They are numbered sequentially from the first Congress in 1789. We just began the 110th Congress. Within each Congress, there are 2 sessions-1 for each year. Therefore, 2007 is the First Session of the 110th Congress. Any bill that is introduced remains alive for both sessions, until it is enacted, vetoed, or until that Congress ends. In recent years, only a very low percentage of introduced bills-5 to 6%, have become law. The Thomas website provides additional information on how Congress works, including committees, leaders, and status of bills. It also contains a searchable database of federal laws (U.S. Code).

The NALMS Government Affairs web page contains informative summaries on lake management issues from past sessions and links to numerous other informative Web sites on environmental issues and governmental activities.

Stay tuned for 2007 issues as they come up!

NALMS '07 Symposium Update: Disney World, Orlando, Florida

Planning continues for our 2007 symposium, which will be in the Coronado Springs Resort complex in Disney World. Virtually everything we would want is at the complex, auto rentals should be unnecessary for the actual conference portion and even before or after the conference for those wanting to stick to the Disney venue. The folks at Disney are now providing free shuttle service from the airport for conference attendees, so this will both reduce costs and make it easier to get to the conference center and surrounding lodging. The Host Committee is working on both the program and the evening events. The challenge is choosing among the many possibilities and working around the needs and desires of attendees and their guests. We will most likely be asking for your input over the next few months on a few of those choices. Stay tuned, and get those presentation abstracts ready!

Check out the Coronado Springs Resort website to get you excited!

20TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Enhancing the States' Lake Management Programs: Interpreting Lake Quality Data for Diverse Audiences

April 24-27, 2007
Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza
Chicago, Illinois

Join us as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this popular conference dedicated to achieving quality lakes through partnerships between local, state, and federal lake organizations. Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Chicago Botanic Garden, and the North American Lake Management Society, this year's gathering will explore creative ways to translate myriad lake quality data into meaningful information that can be understood by technical audiences, policy and decision makers, and perhaps most importantly, the general public. Lake quality data collected under the U.S. EPA's National Lake Survey will be a focal point of conference discussions. Lake program staff from state and federal agencies -- as well as statewide "grassroots" lake organizations that these programs serve -- are encouraged to attend.

Full program and registration information will be available later in January. To be placed on the conference notification list, contact Bob Kirschner at the Chicago Botanic Garden, bkirschn@chicagobotanic.org

Introduction to Urban Watersheds - great CEU opportunity for those interested

For the first time, the Center for Watershed Protection is bringing its instruction right to your computer through the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) online education program. Online education makes it possible for you to attend class at any time of day in any place you choose!

Introduction to Urban Watersheds (Environmental Management 360) is a 15-week, 3-credit undergraduate university course conducted entirely online! The course introduces you to the basics of watersheds and why their management is important. It will emphasize human impacts and effects on watersheds and will cover:

an introduction to watersheds

understanding the science of watersheds

how the land development process impacts watersheds, and

an introduction to managing urban watersheds.

Those of you that have attended a Center workshop or Institute will find this course both an excellent refresher and an in-depth look at the science behind our methods.

Instructor: Karen Cappiella, Director of Research, Center for Watershed Protection

Hurry! Class begins January 24th, so register now online!

Water Quality in the News

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Habitation Restoration

Puget Sound's (Hood Canal) Oxygen Problems Caught on Underwater Video

Over the past several years, low-oxygen events in Puget Sound's Hood Canal have caused significant die offs of marine life, including multiple species of fish, shellfish and invertebrates. While low-oxygen levels are not new, these low-dissolved oxygen events have become more frequent and longer lasting in recent years.

Hood Canal is an underwater fjord where normal oxygen exchange in the water takes place slowly because of the depth of the water and the canal's shape. Nitrogen entering the water from human sources stimulates algae blooms in the canal. When algae decomposes, it absorbs oxygen from the water. Under certain weather and wind conditions, the level of life-sustaining dissolved oxygen in the water drops so low that fish and other underwater species suffocate.

Parts of Hood Canal are prime habitat for slow-reproducing species, such as rockfish and lingcod. These fish are most susceptible to low-oxygen events because they normally live as long as 25 years before reproducing offspring.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) filmed underwater conditions in Hood Canal during a Sept. 19, 2006, low-oxygen event. This underwater video was filmed near Sund Rocks on the west side of Hood Canal by WDFW Research Scientist Wayne Palsson.

WDFW is monitoring conditions in Hood Canal and is working to improve and restore Puget Sound's habitat as a sponsor of the Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership and an active participant in Gov. Chris Gregoire's Puget Sound Initiative. View the underwater video.

Invasive Species - Zebra Mussels in Lake Mead!!!!

Thanks to a lake volunteer (Wen Baldwin) at Lake Mead, Zebra Mussels were discovered while conducting underwater inspects of a dock. See correspondence from e-mail below by Wen Baldwin, dated 1-09-07:

Today NPS divers dove at Las Vegas Boat Harbor to inspect the west breakwater and moorings and "R" dock and its moorings. I am sad to say that they found well established zebra mussels. They were primarily between 25 and 30'. This would account for my not picking them up on my substrates which hang at about 5'. The heaviest concentrations seemed to be on the concrete anchor blocks at about 45'. The mussels ranged in size from 1/8th " to ¾". The water temperature had a very small variance from 13.42°C at 1 meter to 13.34°C at 9 meters. If I am correct, that is the low end of the suitable spawning temperature for zms. The density appeared to average approximately 3 to 6 adults per square foot on the top surface of the 3'x3'x3' concrete mooring blocks. There was enough silt kicked up that juveniles were tough to see so there is no real accurate density count.

The divers will be diving at Lake Mead Marina next week on Tuesday 1-16-07. I would expect similar finds there since that is the only deep water launch area in the lower Boulder Basin. Please, let me be wrong.

Ask the Lakespert

Q: My lake seems really hot to me during the summer, especially at the surface when I am floating on my back? Can a lake get too hot?

A: Water temperature is a big deal. Many states even have water quality standards for lake temperature. Colorado is currently developing a statewide temperature standard, and the Pacific Northwest has been dealing with water temperature for years because of anadromous salmonids.

Lakes majority of the time cannot get too hot because of the wonderful, natural properties of water. However, there are rare situations. Lakes can be over heated due to natural, geothermal inputs or from anthropogenic, thermal pollution from certain industries like power generating plants. In these unusual situations, fish, people, and other aquatic life can usually avoid the hot spots by going elsewhere in the lake. But for the most part, the top water in a lake gets only as hot as the sun can make it due to the water's high specific heat properties.

So this leads to another question - so just how does a lake get its heat? This simple question has a very complex answer. Many dynamic factors control just how hot your lake gets; time of day, time of year, your lake's latitude, lake elevation, wave action, organic content, suspended sediments, cloud cover, and the overall climatic condition around the lake.

Infrared is the major portion of the solar spectrum that does most all of the heating for a lake. The interesting fact is that all of the thermal energy, infrared, is absorbed or attenuated within the first 3 feet of any water. In other words, a lake acts like a blackbody, absorbing all of the radiant energy that comes into contact with it. Therefore, by floating on the surface of your lake, you were experiencing the extreme, natural temperature of water and floating on a blackbody.

This is why when monitoring a lake or developing a temperature standard for lakes, it is important to not include any surface readings. The true temperature of the epilimnion is the isothermal mixing layer which is typically just below the water surface.

Open Invitation to add to the Next E-newsletter

If you are having a conference, have a lake-related question, need advice, looking for similar lake problems/solutions, have an interesting story to share, are selling something, or just want to be heard throughout NALMS, please send your material to Steve Lundt at slundt@mwrd.dst.co.us.

All e-newsletter material is due to Steve Lundt by the first Friday of each month and will be included in that month's e-newsletter.

NALMS Notes

2007 - Issue 1

In this Issue

President's Message

Changing of the Guard: NALMS Secretary

NALMS Welcomes Two New Staff Members

Indy Conference Input Still Sought

Harmful Algae DVDs still available

Website Upgrade Update

NALMS Local Lake and Watershed Protection Grants For Teachers Grades 6 - 12

Government Affairs Committee Update

NALMS '07 Symposium Update: Disney World, Orlando, Florida

20TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE Enhancing the States' Lake Management Programs: Interpreting Lake Quality Data for Diverse Audiences

Introduction to Urban Watersheds - great CEU opportunity for those interested

Water Quality in the News

Invasive Species - Zebra Mussels in Lake Mead!!!!

Ask the Lakespert

Open Invitation to add to the Next E-newsletter

20TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Enhancing the States' Lake Management Programs: Interpreting Lake Quality Data for Diverse Audiences