President’s Message – Networking

Ken Wagner, second from right, enjoying a networking opportunity at the recent VLWA Conference in VA.

NALMS has been an important part of my professional life, as is the case for quite a few of us who have been involved in lake management for several decades. Certainly the technical information we glean from LakeLine and the Journal of Lake and Reservoir Management is quite valuable in my job as a water resources consultant, and the social aspects of virtually every NALMS gathering provide a respite from many pressures and a lot of comic relief. I have never come back from a NALMS symposium without a bunch of memories to keep me smiling and a variety of technical information that always seems to be needed within weeks. And now, with our improved website, I can find timely technical info on key subjects when I need it.

But there is another whole dimension to NALMS, one that can overshadow the written resources and presentations. I expect that the vast majority of people reading this know the value of networking, but I am not sure you all know what a great network NALMS provides. For me, as a member from the start, former committee member, chair and officer, and now as President, the network has grown by associations forged and maintained year after year to the point where I can find human resources to supplement written support for virtually any lake management topic or geographic area in which I have an interest. And I am a resource for others as much as they are a resource for me. In the picture above, I knew four people and not the five others when the evening started, and amidst the funny stories and shared reminiscences I learned something new about aeration, the layout of a set of lakes for which I have been doing plankton assessment for about a decade, and that CH2MHill has a bunch of really nice folks with an interest in lake work. The drinks weren’t bad either.

As I write this, I have just returned from the Indiana Lake Management Society’s annual conference, and my experience was much like that in Virginia two weeks ago. I saw a number of old friends, made some new ones, and learned about some important issues. Most notably, the new infestation of Hydrilla in Indiana has spawned a serious eradication effort. The state agencies have properly recognized the threat and the cooperation of local residents and lake users is impressive; networking in Indiana has clearly set the stage for this critical effort. I also got to thank the many NALMS supporters who helped make our 2006 Symposium in Indianapolis so successful, at their banquet and at the hospitality reception afterward. Again, the drinks weren’t bad either.

Such networking opportunities are not restricted to the leadership of NALMS, and you should take advantage of every opportunity you can to build your professional network through NALMS. It doesn’t happen overnight, but there are occasions where the network can grow fast in a short time. Virtually any NALMS Symposium or Affiliate Conference is a great place to start. You will have anywhere from 100 to 1000 people with whom to network, and NALMS members are very accessible; we like to meet new people as much as we like to hang out with old friends, partly because they add to our own networks and we all have something to learn from each other. You can meet some very useful contacts in the exhibits area, talk to anyone after they make a presentation if you are interested in their topic, and meet a mix of lake managers, agency staff, industry representatives, academic leaders, and lake enthusiasts in some great social venues.

There are a few opportunities that I would like to call to your attention as we spring into spring. The annual conference on Enhancing the States’ Lake Management Programs will be held in Chicago for a remarkable 20th year from April 24-28th. This year it will explore how to put lake data to best use in management programs, and will be attended by representatives of many states and provinces and the complete range of lake professionals and interested laypeople. We will also work with all Affiliate representatives in attendance to form the NALMS Affiliate Council, a new networking venture for NALMS and its Affiliates. The Wisconsin Association of Lakes meets at the same time, an unfortunate conflict for some, but please take advantage of one or the other. A week later the NY Federation of Lake Associations will meet in Hamilton, NY, and a month later the FL Lake Management Society hosts its annual conference as well as the SE Regional NALMS conference for 2007 in Naples, FL. To close out spring the New England Affiliate will meet at the University of Connecticut on June 8-9th. Every one of these conferences provides outstanding networking opportunities. Details can be found on the NALMS website under Conferences and Symposia on the Calendar of Conferences, with links to conference specific sites for all of these. I look forward to networking with you!

Ken Wagner
NALMS President

Within NALMS

Address Updates... speaking of networking...

We have an ongoing problem with outdated mailing and electronic (email) addresses. Members can go on-line to correct their own information now and are encouraged to do so, but telling them this in an emailed newsletter is like the old joke “anyone not present please raise your hand”. Please tell your friends and colleagues who are NALMS members to check and update their records. If they are not getting this e-newsletter, something is wrong. If they don’t have access to fix their own contact info, they can call the office at 608-233-2836 to get changes made. This goes for postal service mail addresses as well.

NALMS Products & Items

Blue-Green Algal Pages Posted

If you have not seen them yet, get online and check out the new Web pages on cyanobacteria or blue-green algae. There is a lot of useful information on those pages, plus links to many other pages with additional resources of considerable value to those working on or concerned with blue-green blooms and their effects on lakes and lake uses. Photographs of key species, a glossary of important terms, information on sampling, taste and odor testing, toxicity assessment, implications for aquatic ecology and human health, advice for risk management, and a list of useful references are all included. These pages are meant to be dynamic, with new information added and revisions conducted as we progress in our understanding and organization of data. So check them out more than once.

NALMS Committee Updates

Committee Update

The committees within NALMS have been on a push to get their action items to the Board prior to our meeting on April 28th in Chicago. Many works remain in progress, but progress is tangible:

• Executive – held its monthly call, participated in a lot of other committees, and prepared for the Board meeting through a lot of communication.
• Certification – Three new CLMs have been approved and another application is under review. Renewal plates for current CLMs and CLPs have been ordered and will be sent out shortly.
• Conference Advisory – preparations for the annual symposium in Orlando in 2007 have been greatly advanced, and we expect to have a proposal for a site in New England in 2009 for the Board meeting. A more complete and concise guide for conference host committees is also being prepared.
• Development – an overview of strategic planning will be covered at our Friday session in Chicago, an Executive Director draft position description will also be finalized for that meeting, and the Affiliate Council will be formed in Chicago as well. The Membership Sub-committee could still use some more help.
• Education and Outreach – the blue-green algal pages are now up on the NALMS website. The image library is being formatted for posting shortly. The NALMS resource library will be reviewed in Chicago for out of print publications that should be turned into PDFs and made available on the website.
• Government Affairs – legislative issues have been tracked and information disseminated to interested parties. This committee could still use help in tracking issues.
• Nominations – the call for nominations is in preparation. The Board functions as the nominations committee and screens all suggestions from the membership.
• Personnel – staff reviews will be held shortly before the Chicago meeting.
• Policy – Operations sub-committee has organized and edited our policies for approval by the Board for our April meeting. The Science Advisory sub-committee has completed a position statement on toxic cyanobacterial blooms that is on the web for review; it will be considered for approval by the Board in April.
• Publications – Spring issues of the Journal and LakeLine are in final preparation, and the review of Fundamentals of Urban Runoff has been completed; we are hopeful that the final document will be available by the Board meeting.

Consult the committee directory on the website and contact the corresponding chairperson if you are interested in serving.

Upcoming Conferences & Events

Board Agenda for Chicago Midterm Meeting to be Posted

The agenda for the midterm meeting of the NALMS Board of Directors are posted on the NALMS website in the Membership Services area for your review. All members are invited to attend the informal work session on Friday afternoon in Chicago and the more formal Board meeting on Saturday as well. A number of relatively non-controversial action items are proposed, but perhaps the most critical elements will be discussion of the future structure of the NALMS Board of Directors on Friday and consideration of a motion to initiate the process of hiring an Executive Director on Saturday. Additionally, the current financial condition of the Society will be discussed, and new staff members will be on hand to be introduced. For those who can’t be there, minutes will be posted afterward on the website, in the Membership Services area.

Wednesday, April 25th, 7 - 9 PM – Meeting of Affiliates

All members of NALMS and/or Affiliates are invited to this meeting in Chicago, held in conjunction with the 20th annual conference on Enhancing the States’ Lake Management Projects; pizza will be served and the discussion will be lively!

Agenda:

Workshops for NALMS 2007 to be Set Soon

The workshops to be offered in conjunction with the 2007 International Symposium in Orlando, FL will be determined soon. If you have a workshop you want to offer, it is essential that you provide Harvey Harper with the details in the next week or so. We have plenty of options, but if you have ideas, get them to Harvey before it is too late.

American Wetlands Month - May

Many of our lakes and reservoirs are closely dependent on wetlands or in direr need of one. A healthy wetland often means a healthy lake near by. Just as we all celebrate July for lakes, May is the month-long national celebration for wetlands.

Sign up for Wetland Sights and Sounds and celebrate American Wetlands Month (May)! The 2007 American Wetlands Month theme is “Alien Invaders: Invasive Species and Wetlands”. May is American Wetlands Month and is a wonderful opportunity to conserve wetlands and help educate others about their importance. Join thousands of Americans each May in celebrating the uniqueness, beauty and importance of wetlands.

Because they are alien to North American wetland landscapes, species like Purple Loosestrife and the New Zealand Mud Snail wreak havoc on the plants and animals that are native to our wetlands. Every year, thousands more of these invasive species are introduced into our waterways, costing us billions of dollars in economic losses and causing irreversible damage to some of our most beautiful and valuable landscapes. For more information, visit www.iwla.org/pow and click on American Wetlands Month.

Lake News & Information

Invasive Species – Asian Carp Management, Invasive Species Coordination Web Site

Go to www.asiancarp.org to learn about the coordination efforts nation wide to control and manage Asian carps. This site provides a great resource tool that includes ID keys, state regulations, best management practices, a risk assessment, news releases, and even a six-minute video produced by Bill Dance and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

This video is great way to educate the public about the impacts of the Asian carp and just how prolific these fish are. Some clips show the dangers of the fish as they fly into boats. Check it out.

On-site Wastewater Disposal System Advice Offered

The leaders of the Lake and Watershed Association of South Carolina offered this bulletined information about on-site wastewater (septic) system management, which we found quite insightful and concise.

General Advice

• Take time to learn how your septic system works.
• Learn the indications of a failing system.
• Know the location of your tank, tank access lid, and drain field.
• Understand that no traditional septic system is ever “maintenance free”.
• Understand that the practices and actions of homeowners can significantly impact functionality of a septic system.
• Have the capability to inspect your system periodically. Install a riser with lid.
• Pump out your system as needed; learn how to calculate how often your system needs to be pumped.

Best Practices

• Additive systems bought at grocery/hardware stores are generally not helpful.
• Avoid greases, excessive bleach, or harsh detergents entering your waste system. Strong chemicals kill “good” bacteria in the system and can cause your system to fail.
• Don’t flush any solid items into the system that can be put in the trash; many of these will not degrade in the system and necessitate more frequent pumping.
  • Limit use of garbage disposals that pass solids into your system, for the same reason as above.
• Do not allow vehicles to drive over your tank or drain field. Do not build structures over the leach field either.
• Do not direct surface water or downspouts to release water over the drain field.
• It is not safe to separate wash waters/gray water to a side ditch or the woods. Gray water contains germs that can spread disease.
• Never enter your septic tank. Toxic gases can kill.
• If your tank is not pumped periodically, solids can flow into your drain field where they clog the normal action of water filtering into the soil. This begins the process leading to failure of the drain field. This is the most prevalent cause of failure.
• Never damage or remove the inlet and outlet “tee” pipe in your tank. Doing so changes the intended process in the tank, and can result in solids moving into the drain field.

Warning Signs of a Failing System That Needs Attention

• Damp, mushy ground above parts of the drain field.
• Standing water with an oily film or dark color.
• Odor problems.
• Household plumbing that backs up or doesn’t drain properly.

At Least Three Reasons to Properly Maintain Your Septic System

• Economic- The expense and time to properly maintain a system is minor compared to the cost to repair or replace a system---not to mention the mess to your yard.
• Health – You do not want to expose your family or others to disease carrying bacteria.
• Environment – Failed systems pollute lakes and drinking waters.

Campaign to Cut Drug Disposal into Waterways
(From Website: http://www.watertechonline.com/news.asp?mode=4&N_ID=66834)

ATLANTA — The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the American Pharmacists Association announced March 17 that they have signed an agreement outlining how the two groups will work cooperatively to build consumer awareness of the hazards posed by the improper disposal of unused and expired medications into the nation's waterways.

The campaign, called "SMARxT DISPOSAL," will focus on educating pharmacists on how to ramp up their take-back program for unused pharmaceutical drugs and to keep consumers informed of proper methods of disposal when their local pharmacy does not offer a take-back program, according to Joshua Winchell, a spokesman for the USFWS.

The campaign advises consumers not to flush unused medications unless directed to do so due to their abuse potential, according to Winchell; drugs to be disposed of should first be ground up and then added to a nonpalatable substance such as cat litter or sawdust, then placed in a sealed container before being placed in the trash.

Studies by the US Geological Survey have shown that unused medications that are flushed into septic systems survive through wastewater treatment systems and end up in public waterways that may be used as drinking water sources; they impact fish and wildlife dependent on those water sources.

According to Winchell, the USFWS is aware of more cases of drug-transgendered fish; this not only disrupts the life cycle of species but also is a concern if fish are consumed by humans.

EPA and USDA To Study of Winter Manure Spreading

The USEPA and the USDA have started a new study about the agricultural practice of winter manure spreading and its impact on water resources. Some farmers prefer to spread manure on their fields in the winter to avoid the cost of storage and because frozen soil can handle the weight of manure spreading equipment. Some states prohibit this practice or otherwise restrict it. Freeze and thaw cycles create a risk of polluted runoff when manure is applied in the winter. The study is intended to improve the science used to make decisions about winter manure spreading. The study is being conducted at several small experimental watersheds at a USDA research facility in Ohio. The study started in February and the agencies expect to publish results next year. It is a joint study by EPA Region 5, EPA Office of Research and Development and USDA Agricultural Research Service. More information about the study is available on EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/region5/agriculture.

Watershed Academy Offers Watershed Outreach Training

TheWatershed Academy developed by the USEAP recently posted a free, updated online training module entitled "Getting In Step: A Guide to Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns." This module offers a step-by-step system to help local governments, watershed organizations and other stakeholder groups maximize the effectiveness of public outreach campaigns to help solve Non-Point Source pollution problems and protect local waterways. The module is based on EPA's outreach guide by the same name. The manual can be viewed by going to the following site: http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/outreach/documents/. To view the new Getting in Step online training module, visit http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/gettinginstep/.

Open Invitation to add to the Next E-newsletter

If you are having a conference, 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 to be considered for inclusion in that month’s e-newsletter.