NALMS Notes - June, 2007
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I am writing this column from the Florida Lake Management Society’s annual conference, which also doubles as the Southeast NALMS regional conference this year. I will leave here in time to go to the New England Affiliate’s conference, in Connecticut, not far from my office. So this is a week of NALMS travel for me, although it ends close to home. At all of the Affiliate conferences I have attended so far, there have been discussions about membership: in NALMS, in the Affiliate, in related organizations, and in unrelated but deserving organizations that want our commitment to their missions. There are limits on our time and finances, and choices must be made, but membership that has value will endure. NALMS and its Affiliates all need to seek to provide value to our membership. I believe that NALMS has worked hard to do that this year, and if you go to the website at www.NALMS.org, I think you will see some of the results. This newsletter is another tangible effort to provide value to members and the continued quality of our conferences, LakeLine, and the Journal of Lake and Reservoir Management are other examples. There is indeed value in a NALMS membership, if we can get people to give us a try. Many people join organizations relevant to them simply because they are asked to; put another way, they may not join even if it is relevant, simply because they were not asked. In discussing the membership issue with Affiliates, it appears that we have a common problem on the asking end; we don’t actively ask enough people to join. I am asking all of you to do that asking. Ask for NALMS and ask for your Affiliate, if there is one in your area. The NALMS membership form now asks if we can put the new NALMS member in touch with their closest Affiliate. I hope Affiliates will reciprocate this effort. We need to step up this effort, and if you look at what NALMS is now providing, you should be proud to ask. People stay involved in an organization because they either believe in it or get something they want from it, or hopefully both. If you are reading this, I suspect you do indeed believe in the mission of NALMS and what we represent as an organization. Given the limited support of lake (and overall water resources) management by government under what I expect will be ongoing financial stresses, we need to help people understand the value of NALMS in promoting sound lake management and making every expenditure count, and making it clear to those government agencies that money spent on sound lake management is money well spent. The mission of NALMS is to forge partnerships for better lake management, and the need has never been greater. We need more members to achieve our goals however, so we are back to getting all current members involved in recruiting new ones. Now that we have resolved a lot of computer and website issues, we are ready to go on an active membership campaign. New brochures are available. We have a list of over 5,000 names of prospective members generated mainly by our Board members. We will be using print and electronic media to reach them, but your help is needed. And for every new member who lists you as their “sponsor”, you will be entered in a drawing for prizes, including a free registration for the Orlando conference, Disney tickets, and more. If every member recruits a member, we will be well on our way to a NALMS that is sustained by membership alone, which would be wonderful. Help us make some real progress over the next 4 months!
Ken Wagner
To all of you that bestowed me with the magnificent stained glass: What a surprise to receive the amazing piece of art at the recent 20th Annual National Conference on Enhancing the States' Lake Management Programs. Under Linda Green's watchful eye, the custom stained glass artist (Peggy Corcoran out of Peace Dale, Rhode Island) captured in amazing detail the reflections, shadows, and textures of a lakeside oasis. This gift will forever remind me of 20 great years working in partnership with all of you for the health of our lakes. I finally got a minute to catch my breath this morning and hang it in my office (see photo). More than you know, I am humbled to be amongst a group of such ardent professionals -- and truly kind people.
With sincere appreciation,
Thanks to the generous support of the US Environmental Protection Agency, NALMS is pleased to be able to offer the Spring 2007 issue of LakeLine Magazine to its affiliates and other organizations at a discounted price of $3.00 per copy + shipping. The issue will be mailed in bulk to a single address and it will be the recipient’s responsibility to distribute them as they see fit. This issue of LakeLine is focused on the theme of “Data Analysis.” In addition to our regular columnists, the articles in this issue include:
To order copies of this issue at the discounted rate or for more information, contact the NALMS office at 608.233.2836 or info@nalms.org. Minimum order of 20 copies. Supplies are limited. It is summer, when we all look forward to getting out on lakes, taking vacations, and sending in our sponsorship information for the 2008 NALMS calendar! As promised, the cost to sponsor a month will remain at $350.00. The 2007 calendar sponsors have first right of refusal for sponsoring a month in the 2008 NALMS calendar. Please confirm sponsorship by June 25, 2007. Any months without a current (2007 calendar) sponsor will be assigned to another sponsor on June 29th. Additionally, we have 15 opportunities for business-sized ads that will cost $50.00 each. These will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Photo Contest submittals will be used for the monthly pictures, unless a sponsor has a photograph of a lake that can be used. (Sponsor products cannot dominate the submitted photograph, but can appear in a primarily lake setting.) The photograph needs to have approximately 1100X860 pixels or higher to work. I think that pixel number is for a 9 by 12 photo. Photographs will be selected by July 9th. Unsolicited photographs will not be considered (those other than Photo Contest or Sponsor submittals)
Please send all information and requests to Philip Forsberg at the NALMS office. Your support is greatly appreciated. Comments to improve the 2008 calendar will be enthusiastically received. An updated issue summary on Sections 314, 319, and SRF appropriations for FY 2008 is now available on the NALMS website, under the Government Affairs Committee (under the committees tab on the left side of the home site). The news is better than the President's proposed budget but still not up to our expectations. It is not too late for members, directors, and officers to call/write their members of Congress. Summer recess also provides a chance perhaps for some face-to-face contacts at state or local fairs. See Steve Colvin’s thorough summary on the NALMS website and contact your congressional members soon! The NALMS Executive Director search is under way. The first meeting of the Executive Director Search committee was conducted on June 1st. The committee members are listed below. The Committee will be doing the usual search stuff – advertising, screening, interviewing, etc. The schedule calls for developing a notification and placing ads in June, screening and checking references in August, and interviews in September. If a candidate can be found, we could be making a recommendation to the NALMS Board as soon as October – but only if the right person can be found. This is a big step for NALMS, and the Board and Search Committee are committed to finding someone who will move NALMS to the next level. Anyone desiring information regarding the conduct of the search may feel free to contact me. Search Committee members: Sharon Anderson, Jeff Bode, Larry Butler, Steve Colvin, Harry Gibbons, Chris Holdren, Neil Hutchinson, Gene Medley, Mark Mongin, Dick Osgood, Wayne Poppe, Ann St. Amand, Jeff Schloss, Matt Scott, and Donnas Sefton. Dick Osgood, Search Committee Chair & NALMS President-Elect
You can now register for the NALMS 2007 International Symposium in Orlando, Florida at the NALMS website. If you want to send a check or simply don’t want to enter credit card info on the secure website provided, you will find a downloadable form that you can use. Exhibitor information is also on the website, allowing booth reservation. This is likely to be our largest symposium ever and being on the Disney World grounds, offers a lot of opportunities for fun events before, during, and after the symposium. All the information you need to plan your trip is on-line now. Register early – and often! With the international symposium at Disney World in Orlando this year, we are looking to make this a truly magical event. We have held registration and exhibit costs to those of recent years, so we are looking for some strong sponsorship to support symposium events at the level to which we have become accustomed and beyond. The program committee is hard at work on another spectacularly educational set of sessions with excellent speakers on highly relevant topics. The local arrangements committee has put together a couple of great tours of local projects, and we have another suite of excellent pre-symposium workshops. And of course, we are working with Disney to make our Halloween Exhibitors Reception, Awards Reception, and Family Luau to be memorable affairs. If your organization is interested in sponsoring any aspect of the symposium, get in touch with Darcy Brown at the NALMS office or Maryann Utegg of the host committee at flmshome@aol.com. The information will be posted soon, but students should be aware that support is available for student presenters at the annual symposium. Registration fees are waived and funds are provided to support travel and room costs. The deadline for abstracts has officially passed, but as usual, we will continue to accept high quality abstracts as space permits. Students (and everyone else) should submit abstracts on-line at the NALMS website and keep checking for the application information for support; it will be there shortly.
This year’s posters are available. They are a great way to get the word out and to promote your own local Lakes Appreciation Month events. This year’s blue poster is very attractive and is guaranteed to get people’s attention. Contact Amy Smagula at asmagula@des.state.nh.us. Bob Carlson sent out a message to many program coordinators about continuing computer problems that plague the Secchi Dip In, suggesting that it may have to be cancelled. Working with NALMS and the EPA, Bob has determined that we can continue, although data from this year may not be entered right away. Stay tuned for more details, but the Dip In is on!
President Ken Wagner represented NALMS at the annual conferences of our Florida and New England Affiliates and reports well run, informative, and fun conferences in both cases. FLMS also hosted the Southeast NALMS conference for 2007 as part of its annual gathering. Over 200 people came together in Naples, FL at the very nice Grand Naples Resort and were treated to insightful workshops, a series of educational talks, and useful exhibits. While Ken knew a lot of the people at the conference, he really enjoyed meeting all of the host committee for the Orlando NALMS symposium, nearly all of who were doing double duty as the host committee for FLMS and SE NALMS; this is one busy group!
The House Appropriations Committee adopted a $27.6 billion spending measure that includes $8.1 billion for EPA, $361 million more than appropriated in 2007 and $887 million above the president's fiscal year 2008 request. The Interior and Environment bill, which includes funding for EPA, the Department of the Interior, and related agencies, is $1.9 billion above the president's fiscal year 2008 request. Within EPA’s budget, the bill includes $1.1 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund - $437 million above the president's FY 2008 request and $41 million above the 2007 appropriation. EPA’s budget also includes $140 million for sewer and water grants to local communities, which was not funded in 2007 and is roughly half of the 2006 level. Technical assistance for rural drinking water and waste water treatment plants would be funded at $16 million; $174 million would go toward cleaning up nationally significant waters like the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, Long Island Sound, and Puget Sound; and the National Estuary Program would receive $17 million. The bill is scheduled to go to the House floor for a vote the week of June 11. For more info see http://appropriations.house.gov/. Wetlands and streams that either flow intermittently or are linked indirectly to traditional navigable waters will be evaluated by USEPA and the USACE on a case-by-case basis to determine Clean Water Act jurisdiction, according to joint guidance issued by the two agencies on June 5. In the guidance, they identify which waters of the U.S. are subject to federal jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Using the guidance, the agencies will differentiate between traditional navigable waters and intermittent, non-navigable tributaries, wetlands adjacent to such tributaries, and wetlands separated from relatively permanent tributaries by uplands, dikes, or berms. In the guidance, the agencies clarified that swales, small washes characterized by infrequent flow, and ditches, including roadside ditches and uplands that do not carry a large volume of water, are not covered under Section 404. Both agencies will retain federal jurisdiction over navigable waters that are defined as those engaged in interstate commerce and subject to the ebb and flow of the tide, as well as wetlands and streams adjacent to traditional navigable waters. The guidance will be published soon in the Federal Register and would appear to be an interim step prior to additional legislation (see next item). On May 22, 2007, Reps. James Oberstar (D-MN) and John Dingell (D-MI) introduced legislation to clarify that the Clean Water Act (CWA) includes all waters of the U.S., responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in 2001 and 2006 that limited jurisdiction under the CWA. Citing the need to control pollution at its source and decisions that seem to ignore basic premises of water pollution control and land management. Oberstar offered The Clean Water Restoration Act (H.R. 2421), which replaces the term "navigable waters" with "waters of the United States." According to the bill’s sponsors, it would retain exemptions in the Act for mining, agriculture, and silviculture, which are not currently regulated by the CWA, but makes clear the intent to address all waters, not just navigable waterways. Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) is a Republican co-sponsor of the bill, which hopes to gain bipartisan support.
By: Department of Fish and Game "The surge in weekend boating traffic heightens our alert to guard against this invasive aquatic species," said Susan Ellis, a Department of Fish and Game (DFG) invasive species coordinator. "If the Quagga mussel establishes itself in California, the environmental and economic impact would be huge. Our efforts give California its best chance to block the spread of Quaggas through border checkpoints and the voluntary compliance of the state's boating public." In early January, Nevada state officials discovered a wide spread infestation of Quagga mussels in Lake Mead. The reservoir serves as one of the primary recreational destinations for California boaters. Concerns developed immediately that the mussels could attach to the hull of watercraft, or survive in the craft's ballast water, and move from Nevada to California. DFG formed a multi-agency taskforce to determine whether the mussels had established in California. Searchers found mussels in the Colorado River, Lake Havasu, and the Colorado Aqueduct. Taskforce members included DFG, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Department of Water Resources, Department of Boating and Waterways, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Traditionally, the Memorial Day weekend marks increased recreational boating activity throughout the state. Because eradication of an established population of Quagga is extremely difficult and costly, DFG's strategy remains to block entrance into California. Inspectors anticipated thousands of vehicles with boat trailers traveling through the check stations over the three-day weekend. Check stations at Yermo, Needles, and Vidal Junction were operated continuously by DFG and CDFA. Any driver towing a watercraft was directed to the side, where the vehicle, the trailer, and the watercraft were inspected. Inspectors have checked more than 15,000 boats since January and have found and cleaned seven boats that carried adult Quagga. Mussels from Lake Mead were sent to the University of Texas, Arlington, and examination indicates that they may have been in the lake as long as four years. Lake Mohave, which separates Nevada and Arizona, is also infested, but preliminary results suggest a relatively sparse population. Although Quagga mussels range from microscopic to the size of a fingernail, they are prolific and attach themselves to any hard surface. In the Great Lakes area, Quagga mussels have covered everything from boat engines and steering equipment to water transport facilities. They wreak havoc with the environment, disrupting the natural food chain and releasing toxins that affect other species. Spread of the Quagga could result in millions of dollars in damage to water transport facilities. A public toll-free number, 1-866-440-9530, has been established for boaters and anyone involved with activities on lakes and rivers that seek information about the invasive mussels. The toll-free number is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the Quagga mussel response, visit the DFG Web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/quaggamussel/. After you have thoroughly explored the NALMS website, check this out. Lakenet is a global network of more than 1,000 people and organizations in 100+ countries working for the conservation and sustainable management of lakes. The LakeNet Secretariat is a U.S.-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing together people and solutions to protect and restore the health of the world's lakes. Explore this site and the global lake database to learn more about what is being done to protect and manage lakes and how you can help. Aquatechnex is an established aquatic herbicide company located in the Pacific Northwest. Their clients range all along the Pacific coast and the western states. Their mission is similar to NALMS in that they help with development and implementation of effective lake management programs using an integrated approach. Aquatechnex has just started a program of registering their best customers as members in NALMS for the first year. This idea is a great one. A lake group can work with a professional lake management company and gain access to the entire lake management tool box that NALMS has to offer. NALMS encourages other lake professional companies to follow this model and encourage your customers to become NALMS members. (This might bring back Opening Plenary memories for those of you who attended the 2002 NALMS Symposium in Anchorage, AK when Tom Mielke from Mercury Marine spoke about their fuel-efficient marine engines.) On April 17th, EPA released a new clean air proposal that sets strict standards for most lawn and garden equipment and small recreational watercraft. In the near future, those boating out on the water and those spending hours mowing their lakeside lawns will be using more efficient, combustible engines. The proposal is groundbreaking in several areas. To meet the new exhaust emission standards, manufacturers are expected to use catalytic converters for the first time ever in many types of small watercraft, lawn, and garden equipment. After rigorous analysis and extensive work with diverse stakeholders, EPA determined that such a strategy was feasible and safe. This proposed rule by EPA also includes the first ever…
Americans spend more than three billion hours per year using lawn and garden equipment. Currently, a push mower emits as much hourly pollution as 11 cars, a riding mower emits as much as 34 cars, and a recreational watercraft can emit as much as 348 cars an hour. By 2030, recreational watercraft powered by gasoline engines would see a 70 percent reduction in smog-forming hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), a 20 percent reduction in carbon monoxide (CO), and a 70 percent reduction in fuel evaporative emissions. When fully implemented, the rule would result in annual emission reductions of 630,000 tons of HC, 98,000 tons of NOx, 6,300 tons of direct particulate matter, and 2.7 million tons of CO. The next step is a comment period through Aug. 3. If the EPA adopts the rule as proposed, it could start taking effect for outboard engines and personal watercraft by 2009 and mowers, leaf blowers, weeders and other garden equipment by 2011.
If gas prices are ridiculously too high, you can’t wait until 2030 for more efficient gas motors, or you are tired of dealing with the mess in general, you might want to consider an electric motorboat. There are many boat manufacturers out there that now build and distribute durable and beautiful electric boats. They do produce no direct pollution to your lake water. They also have a battery life of over 10 hours per charge, have low maintenance, have no fumes, and are quiet. Do a web search and you will see there are several companies out there. Here are just a few examples that you can quickly check out, www.duffyboats.com and www.electricboatsintl.com.
With summer here and Lakes Appreciation Month just around the corner, here are several great ways to experience and appreciate a lake without using fossil fuels:
So whether you will silently canoe around the littoral zone in the early morning, use the gentle afternoon breeze with your sailboat, or just simply swim, the goal is to enjoy your summer day out on the water without gas (I am sure there is a childish joke here pertaining to Ken Wagner but I will refrain).
Livestock operations and other agricultural activities contributed to nutrient over-enrichment and fish kills in Bass Lake in northeastern Wisconsin, forcing it to be added to the state's 303(d) list of impaired waters. The Marinette County Land and Water Conservation Department (LWCD) led an effort to reduce polluted runoff by installing state-of-the-art barnyard control practices combined with other in-lake treatment techniques that reduced phosphorus levels in the lake. The Bass Lake restoration project achieved total maximum daily load (TMDL) targets by reducing the average phosphorus concentrations from 490 µg/L to 10 µg/L, and the lake will be removed from the state's 303(d) list in the next listing cycle. For more information about this success story, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/Success319/state/wi_bass.htm.
Field work for the survey of the nation’s lakes is underway in some states, will start soon in others, and will be completed by September. This is a statistically designed study intended to address national questions of lake quality, and could have major implications for lake management support in coming years. NALMS has been involved in discussions of design issues and data use, helping to make this survey as useful as possible. Especially interesting and useful aspects of this survey include an assessment of historic conditions from the sediment record, a shoreline survey that will collect data rarely acquired in other studies, and evaluation of algal toxins, an emerging hot issue for lakes. Concerns certainly remain, and lake enthusiasts should recognize that the single sampling of randomly selected lakes will not provide adequate information for managing those lakes and will not provide enough data for any state to facilitate a valid assessment of lake quality at the state level. Additional work is needed to satisfy those less national objectives, and some states have opted to expand the survey to meet state needs. Volunteer monitoring groups should also take advantage of this standardized sampling to get comparisons to their own results. And all NALMS members should be aware of the elements of this survey, as we will undoubtedly want to help our politicians (who asked for this survey) interpret the results. The USEPA is looking for our help to get the word out about the survey, and provide useful resources for informing Affiliates and other sub-groups. See the article below for more details. Those at the April 2007 Lakes meeting in Chicago heard much about the Survey of the Nation's Lakes that EPA is doing with the states this summer. At the lakes meeting, we discussed the new survey and the need to get the word out about the lakes survey, including getting articles into the newsletters of state lake organizations, including NALMS Affiliates. Your assistance in getting the word out about the Survey of the Nation's Lakes would be much appreciated. Following are several resources that you can use if you want to develop an article for your newsletter or online listserver.
Thanks in advance for helping EPA get the word out about the Survey of the Nation's Lakes. If you do write something for your newsletter, Anne Weinberg (Weinberg.Anne@epamail.epa.gov) at the EPA would love to see it and could also add a link to your article from the EPA web site. Thanks! Dear Michigan: It’s time for the 303(d) and 305(b) Integrated Report(s) updates. If you have data and information about a water body that is highlighted a priority on the state’s DEQ website (www.michigan.gov/deqcalendar), please submit that information for consideration for the reports. 2008 SECTION 303(d), 305(b), AND 314 INTEGRATED REPORT – REQUEST FOR AMBIENT WATER QUALITY DATA FOR MICHIGAN SURFACE WATERS. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Water Bureau (DEQ-WB) is requesting ambient water quality data (chemical, biological, or physical) that has been obtained by other governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, or the public for Michigan surface waters since January 1, 2005. All water quality data submitted to the DEQ-WB before July 9, 2007, will be evaluated and potentially used to help prepare Michigan’s 2008 Section 303(d), 305(b), and 314 Integrated Report. Every two years, the DEQ-WB prepares and submits an Integrated Report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to satisfy the listing requirements of Section 303(d) and the reporting requirements of Sections 305(b) and 314 of the Clean Water Act. The Integrated Report describes the status of water quality in Michigan and includes a list of water bodies that are not attaining Michigan Water Quality Standards and require the establishment of pollutant Total Maximum Daily Loads. All ambient water quality data (including associated quality assurance/quality control information) provided for Michigan surface waters should be sent, preferably electronically, with a short cover Email note/letter to Kay Edly, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Water Bureau, 525 West Allegan Street, P.O. Box 30273, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7773, 517-373-4633, or Email at edlyk@michigan.gov. 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. |
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