This issue of NALMS E-Newsletter is combined (December-January) due to the departure of Matt Remsik, NALMS Webmaster, just prior to the scheduled December submission deadline and the need to secure web services as a higher priority.  Because NALMS’ web site is a critical communication tool, we needed to assure its core functions received priority attention.  So, rather than submit the January issue on the heels of the December issue, the two issues have been combined.

Matt has served as NALMS’ Webmaster for about one year.  During that time, Matt upgraded the site and improved its functionality.  As NALMS was contemplating further improvements to our electronic information system as well as special projects and ongoing maintenance of our web site, Matt decided to step down and seek other challenges.

We are using this transition as an opportunity to re-evaluate our web site and web-based services to consider further improvements and to create a more sustainable and integrated electronic information system.  While we anticipate some short-term inconveniences over the next couple of months, we also anticipate the very positive outcome of a much improved website and online information system.  Enjoy this newsletter and, as always, please feel free to contact me with questions, comments or concerns (dickosgood@usinternet.com).

Happy New Year

President's Message

During my tenure as NALMS President, I hope to advance an agenda that focuses on timely and critical lake management issues.  I have identified several, and I will take some time in this column to discuss these topics.  This month’s topic is – Aquatic Invasive Species.

Aquatic invasive species, or AIS, are changing the game.  AIS exploit our increased mobility as well as ecological frailties.  AIS are aggressive, impressive (if you are impressed by that sort of thing) and unrelenting in their march to infest more and more lakes.  Our approach must be similarly single-minded and focused if we are to slow the spread and protect and manage our lakes.

The problem concerning AIS is so large that some are saying there is only so much we can do - let’s just make the best of the situation.

The problem is large, but I do not share this attitude that coping and fate should be our guiding principles.  I believe NALMS and our members must be agents of positive and proactive change.  Change and action are needed in several areas:

• Laws and policies must be strengthened
• Programs must be coordinated at multiple levels
• We must be willing to accept some inconvenience
• We must re-consider access policies to provide inspections and cleaning prior to entering lakes

I am encouraged on several fronts.  The Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers campaign has successfully raised awareness and voluntary actions to prevent the spread of AIS.  New tools are being developed, such as selective herbicides, to control nasty AIS while minimizing collateral damage.  New surveillance methods are now in use.  And some states are taking the courageous, but necessary steps of border checks and quarantining lakes to prevent the spread of new infestations.  See the Fall 2007 issue of LakeLine for more details.

However, we are a long way from any sort of effective, comprehensive approach.  Let us all be agents of change to protect our lakes.

So what can NALMS and NALMS members do?

• We must clearly communicate that AIS cause serious, often irreparable damage to lakes.

• We must encourage good planning.  This means providing a comprehensive approach that includes:

• Education and awareness
• Regulation and enforcement
• Prevention and intervention
• Early detection and rapid response
• Management and control
• Adapting and coping

Too often we stop at education and awareness because that is easy; but it is also passive.  Enacting meaningful regulations and executing enforcement are required, not to be punitive, but to change behavior.  Quarantines, inspections and mandatory washings are active prevention steps that are also needed if we are to slow the spread of AIS.  Early detection and rapid response is an important element in a comprehensive approach, but make sense only if there is monitoring.  Too often monitoring is lacking, so rapid response becomes more of a slogan than a real management option.  Volunteer monitoring should be used in more situations.  Management and control, when it is an option, must be aggressive.  NALMS has adopted a position statement (see NALMS we site) that offers guidance here.  Adapting and coping, may sound defeatist, but needs to be included here to emphasize the severity, reality and consequences of the AIS threat.  Adapting and coping will be the only option if any of the earlier strategies fail or fail to be implemented.

• We must be strong advocates of laws and policies.

• We should articulate needed research in areas of AIS prevention and control.

Other Happenings

As I write this, it is -2ºF, so thinking about climate change and warming brings mixed emotions.  Ah, Minnesota in the winter.

Steve Heiskary (past NALMS President) and I drove to Madison to attend the 48th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference earlier this month.  At that conference, it was gratifying to hear of their concerns about climate change and AIS - concerns we share with fisheries and wildlife professionals.  It was also gratifying that they serve free beer at their social events!  Thanks to NALMS Board member Don Bonneau for arranging to make connections for me at this meeting.  We will be looking forward to ways we can work together to forward better lake management for fish and wildlife protection.  Don is also working on the planning committee for the upcoming Chicago States’ Lakes meeting.

While in Madison, I spent some time at the NALMS office going through the bookstore and files in an effort to help streamline operations.  Then Steve and I had an enjoyable holiday lunch with the NALMS staff at the Edgewater overlooking Lake Mendota; unfortunately a picture is not included here, as we were in the middle of a snow storm and could not even see the shore – did I mention global warming?

NALMS Committees have been reconfigured to better reflect the governance model we have adopted.  I have asked all board members to serve on a committee and have named board members as chairs of all committees (except the Certification Committee).  Other NALMS members are encouraged and invited to participate in and serve on NALMS committees (see below).  Committee chairs should have 2008 work plans drafted soon.

I am looking forward to a productive year for NALMS in 2008.  There are positive changes internally and large challenges externally.  This confluence should put NALMS is a good position to makes lakes better.

Quote of the Month

“We risk environmental catastrophe because we no longer see the earth as holy but regard it simply as a ‘resource’.  Unless there is some kind of spiritual revolution that can keep abreast of our technological genius, it is unlikely that we can save our planet.  A purely rational education will not suffice.”

Karen Armstrong, The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Religious Traditions, 2006. Anchor Books.

Here, Armstrong reflects on the spawning of the four major religious/philosophic traditions and laments our current departure from these roots.  Interestingly, she does not advocate a religious solution for today’s challenges, rather a call to compassion and a re-acquainting with the philosophies of the axial age – ranging from Buddha, Socrates, Jeremiah and Confucius.

I bring this to attention here, not because I think we should regard lakes as holy places (although that could not hurt); rather we should be aware that as we work to manage and protect lakes, we do so in a political, social and philosophical environment where there are often conflicting values.  As practitioners or technicians, we cannot rely on purely technical or rational solutions, but must also seek to understand and attend to underlying values and world views.

Wishing All in the NALMS Family a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season,

Dick Osgood
NALMS President

Within NALMS

Word from the Executive Director – Susan Urbas
In December I learned two things about Madison in an intensely personal way:  1) is it situated in a snow belt; 2) out of a meritorious concern for the welfare of its lakes, the municipality does not allow the use of salt to manage the descent of snow and ice onto its streets.  The commitment to being green has to include a willingness to endure the sometimes consequential inconvenience.

Buried deep in Midwestern cold, ice and snow even before winter officially arrived, it is a good time to start laying the groundwork for evolving NALMS to a well deserved but as yet unattained level of influence.   Elevating NALMS’ profile on a national and international scale requires a long-term, multi-dimensional effort of artful networking, publicity, and fund-raising activity supported by a solid membership base, efficient and focused volunteer and staff efforts, and well-crafted high impact projects. 

In the early stages of this effort, NALMS may need to be a bit more of a follower than a leader.  By that I mean that NALMS must find a way to tap into issues which currently hold the greatest interest for the media and funding sources.  This is the path to getting media and funding source recognition of both NALMS’ existence and deep authority in its realm of expertise.  Once NALMS has been established as a primary source on issues of salient interest to the media and funding sources, we will then be in a position to direct their attention to what we consider to be emerging issues.

It is already clear to me that NALMS is, as it were, missing the boat, by not injecting itself into the long-standing but still growing debate over the future of the Great Lakes.  I recently attended a holiday reception hosted by the Canadian Consulate General in Chicago to which I had been invited by their Great Lakes Coordinator.  I met several key media contacts there, all of whom literally begged me for the same thing, albeit in slightly different ways: a new voice with new information and perspective on the Great Lakes.  So I ask all of you, what can NALMS uniquely add to the Great Lakes debate?  Armed with that information, I can start opening doors and begin making real inroads in the quest to raise NALMS’ profile. 

* * * *

During my first three months at NALMS, I have had a lot of history lessons.  At some point it occurred to me I am but the latest in a storied succession of efforts to get this ship righted and moving ahead at full sail.  I now refer to it as “the long gray line.”  Though that has the ring of distinction to it, I want no part of it. Indeed, I intend to break it.  And I’ll reach into the politically correct environmental jargon of the day to borrow the word “sustainable” as my battle cry.  

From this point forward, everything that NALMS does has to be structured to ensure not only the efficient use of resources, but also the perpetuation of smooth functioning independent of who is filling a particular staff or volunteer role in the organization at any given moment in time.  I am not promising that getting there will be quick or easy; to the contrary, it will take a significant amount of time to get all the pieces in place, and there will be some pain along the way.  Implementing major improvements to the NALMS website and related electronic information systems is simply among the first in a series of challenges we will face in order to achieve sustainability across the board.

I hope that NALMS can continue for a time yet to count on the exceptional goodwill and patience everyone in the NALMS community has historically demonstrated.  This time, I do promise you, the outcome will be different, positive, and enduring.  That will be my legacy, at the end of the long gray line.
  
Susan Urbas
NALMS Executive Director

NALMS Committee Updates

New Year’s Resolution – Join a NALMS Committee
NALMS is a volunteer-based organization. It is the accumulative efforts of the active members participating in the committees that make the organization so successful. Please consider signing up for a committee for 2008. There is always room and a need for more volunteers. Here is a list of the NALMS Working Committees and their current chairs. Contact the NALMS staff or the committee chair if you are interested in a committee.

Board Development - The Board Development Committee works closely with the President and Executive Director to facilitate an orderly transition to a governance board. Activities for this committee include creating an organization chart and working to set the stage for formal strategic planning. Chair: Sharon Anderson, steward@cayugalake.org

Policy Committee – Develop policy/position statements, including President’s Lake Management Imperatives. Develop ways to elevate the visibility and impact of NALMS position statements.. Chair: Ron Zurawell, ron.zurawell@gov.ab.ca

Publications Committee - Assure that NALMS publications advance NALMS mission and serve our membership. Provide general oversight to the editors of LakeLine and the Journal of Lake and Reservoir Management. The Committee may organize into subcommittees, especially for LakeLine and the Journal. Facilitate/oversee the transition to an electronic Journal. Oversee other NALMS publications and coordinate with the Membership Committee. Chair: Bev Clark, Bev.Clark@ene.gov.on.ca

Certification Committee - Provide oversight to the Certification program; conduct a program review and look into establishing “NALMS-Certified” lake management projects, re-evaluate the provisional CLM/CLP, streamline program administration, produce a quarterly CLM/CLP Newsletter. Chair: Dwight Osmon, dosmon@heyassoc.com

Conference Advisory Committee - Oversee and direct the 2008 NALMS Symposium in Lake Louis and develop a plan and recommendations for a transition of conference management to staff or contractor. Consider a policy for “green” aspects of NALMS symposia. Develop a chart of responsibilities. Chair: Harvey Harper, hharper@erd.org

Membership (includes Education/Outreach/Scholarship, Volunteer Monitoring, Secchi Dip In, Government Affairs and Awards) - Oversees and directs the volunteer working committees and other membership services. Develop and implement a membership recruitment and retention plan. Coordinate and conduct program audits of the various volunteer-led committees and centralize their functions. Areas of oversight: Communication, Affiliates, Membership Development, Corporate Members. Chair: Alan Cibizar, awc@awlab.com

Upcoming Conferences & Events

NALMS Annual Symposium – Get your Passport Ready
Quick first reminder to make sure you have a valid passport for next year’s annual symposium at Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada.  Better start now to look for your passport; can you remember where it is?  If you need a new or updated passport, plan ahead.  Here is the federal website to answer all your passport questions, http://travel.state.gov/passport.

Send us your 2008 Calendar of Events
This is a great way to share with others what your lake group is doing.  If you want your conference or event posted, send details to Steve Lundt at slundt@mwrd.dst.co.us.

Lake News & Information

What is Lake-Effect Snow?
WeatherBug Meteorologist
Adam Bell

Locations along the southern and eastern shores of the Great Lakes are famous for the tremendous amounts of snow they receive.  When the snow starts to fall, people start tossing out the phrase "lake-effect snow."

Primarily a late-autumn and early-winter phenomena, lake-effect snowstorms are instigated by the movement of cold, arctic air over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes.  Ideally, the temperature difference between the lake water and the overrunning air should be at least 20o F in order for clouds and subsequent snow to form.

As the cool air crosses the waters of the Great Lakes, the lowest levels of the atmosphere begin to warm and pick up moisture.  This newly warmed layer is lighter than the cold air above it, so it starts to rise.  As the modified air continues to climb higher into the atmosphere, it encounters much colder temperatures.

This cooler air forces the moisture to condense into water droplets and ice crystals, forming clouds.  After this process repeats itself a number of times, the cloud becomes weighed down and is forced to precipitate in the form of snow.

Out of all the meteorological factors that determine snowfall intensity, the most important might be the direction of the wind.  If the wind direction is running perpendicular across the lake, there won't be ample time for clouds to develop.  However, if the wind runs parallel to the length of the lake, clouds should form without a hitch.  The longer the cold air travels over the lake, the more moisture it is able to accumulate, which in turn leads to greater snowfall totals.

The highest annual lake-effect snowfall totals are found across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, northwestern Pennsylvania, and the far southwestern and upstate sections of New York.  In these locations, which are all located along the southern or eastern shores of the Great Lakes, recording over 100 inches of snow in a winter season is a common occurrence.

Senate Panel Considers Clean Water Act Jurisdiction
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee recently held its first hearing on the impact of Supreme Court decisions regarding the jurisdictional scope of the Clean Water Act on the nation’s wetlands.  More hearings will be held in 2008 on legislation that would remove “navigable” from the Act’s references to ‘waters of the U.S.’ and try to clarify congressional intent regarding the Act’s jurisdictional scope.  In the 2001 SWANCC decision, the Supreme Court said the presence of migratory birds could not be used to claim federal jurisdiction over isolated, non-navigable, intrastate bodies of water and instructed the corps to define the federal scope of wetlands regulations (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159, 51 ERC 1833 (2001)).  

In the 2006 Rapanos decision, the Supreme Court ruled that a hydrological connection alone was insufficient to establish Clean Water Act jurisdiction over a wetland.  The court split on defining a standard to establish jurisdiction, however (Rapanos v. United States, 126 S. Ct. 2208, 62 ERC 1481 (2006)).  Justice Anthony Kennedy's concurring opinion noted the need for a "significant nexus" test, and this has been widely cited by federal appeals courts.  Legislation that is pending in the Senate would replace the term "navigable waters" with the definition of waters of the United States that the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have used to assert federal jurisdiction over intermittent, permanent, and ephemeral streams, ponds, lakes, and wetlands.  Similar legislation is pending in the House of Representatives.

Testimony from Thursday’s hearing is available on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee website: www.environment.senate.gov.  A number of professional groups have commented on the legislation, mostly in favor of it.  However, when one delves into the details as NALMS has, it is apparent that this is only a partial solution to current water regulatory problems and comes with additional problems such as overlapping jurisdiction between states and the federal government and an increased permit load when the responsible federal agencies are unable to process what they now receive in a timely manner.  Yet the need to protect out waters, and most certainly our lakes, is great and not adequately addressed in the current Clean Water Act.  NALMS has not yet provided comment on this legislation, but welcomes your informed opinion on how we can better manage lakes and their watersheds through better legislation.

EPA Requests Comments on Draft Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program
EPA announced the availability of draft policies and procedures for initial screening under the agency's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) in the Dec. 13th Federal Register.  Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with biochemical activity within organisms and often lead to developmental disorders.  This is particularly a concern downstream of wastewater treatment facilities that may not adequately remove these contaminants from the waste stream, and many forms of aquatic life may be affected.  The EDSP was established under section 408(p) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which requires endocrine screening of all pesticide chemicals.  The draft document provides specific details on the policies and related procedures that EPA is considering adopting for initial screening under the EDSP.  According to the announcement, EPA has tried to develop policies that could be used in subsequent data collection efforts but expects that the policies may be modified as a result of experience gained to date.  The draft document also discusses the statutory requirements associated with the test orders, as well as EPA's procedures for fair and equitable sharing of test costs and data confidentiality.  Comments must be received on or before Feb. 11, 2008. The Federal Register notice is available at www.epa.gov/scipoly/oscpendo/pubs/regaspects/index.htm.

Towns may Shut off Tap on Home Car Washing
Initial article written by Jim Carlton (12-04-07) for the Wall Street Journal
[This article does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of NALMS.  However, Steve Lundt has provided in BOLD some commentary for your enjoyment and intellectual benefit.]
----------------
The surging environmental movement appears poised to claim a common American pastime: washing the family car.
In King County, WA, local officials are mulling a move to prohibit residents from washing their cars on the street over concerns that the runoff is sloshing into Puget Sound.  In Fairfax, CA, fearing similar runoff pollution, officials have proposed a ban on washing cars in front of one's home, with citations and possible imprisonment for violators.
AT THE CAR WASH

• The Issue:  Municipalities are trying to limit at-home and charity car washing, saying it wastes water and pollutes.
• The Debate:  The car washes are popular with fund-raising groups and drivers; some say the concern is overblown.
• What’s Next?:  Some towns are seeking alternatives, like waterless cleaners or asking commercial car washes to sell discount tickets that groups can resell to raise funds.

In Santa Monica, CA, city officials drafted a plan in October to rein in car washing by groups such as the Boy Scouts or soccer clubs.  The city deems such car-wash fund-raisers "one of the biggest water wasters and pollution-generating events of this type," according to its proposal.  So it wants to set up a pilot program in which at least some fund-raisers will be asked to volunteer to use a new "waterless" cleaning product.

Across the country, environmental worries are fueling a crackdown on the automotive bucket brigades that have been a staple of American culture.  Many towns -- particularly those on the eco-friendly West Coast -- cite reports showing that soap and grime from home car washes can run into the nearest stream or creek, poisoning the fish and other wildlife.

In Santa Monica Bay, for example, 30 million to 40 million gallons of urban runoff from sources such as car washing flows into the bay every day when it doesn't rain, according to Heal the Bay, an environmental group.  The environmental groups don't take much issue with commercial car washes, because most of those funnel runoff into municipal sewer systems for treatment.

Be careful here, even though it may sound good that the dirty wash water goes to a wastewater treatment facility, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it gets cleaned.  Most treatment facilities are not tertiary, therefore, the phosphorus continues on to cause algae problems downstream.  Also watch out, have you seen how many options there are at your local power washer/commercial car wash?  Talk about unnecessary chemical gimmicks – “grime remover, lemon wax, salt remover, undercarriage cleaner, wheel polisher, etc…    I suggest taking your own bucket, rag, and non-phosphorus car soap to the power washer, use $2.00 to power rinse, lather up your car, and then spend another $2.00 to rinse clean with just water.  The other option is to wash your car at home on the lawn.  You get a clean car, a watered lawn, and your neighbors think you are cool.

Industry officials say the trend is likely to spread east.  "Without a doubt, this is not going to be just a West Coast trend but a national one," says Mark Thorsby, executive director of the International Carwash Association (ICA), an industry trade group based in Chicago, whose members could see a boost in business where amateur car washes are banned.

As populations grow and the drought issues continue to cycle, I agree that our social norms dealing with water will need to change everywhere.  ICA?  Everything has a group I guess.  Wonder if they have state chapters or affiliates?

Still, many cities find that not all of their residents are so eco-conscience -- at least when it comes to the dirt on their cars.  Many locals complain that the pollution caused by washing a car is miniscule compared to how much oil, grease and other waste gets swept off roadways during a storm.

After Fairfax proposed its car-wash ban two months ago, about 100 residents crowded the town council chambers to protest the idea.  "We have homeless people washing in the creek," fumed one of the protesters, 61-year-old Anne Moos.  "Why don't we stop that first?"

I.E., don’t mess with our cars – Americans associate automobiles with complete freedom to do just about anything so bans, citations, and imprisonment for car washing do seem quite ridiculous - but then again, so does getting in trouble in Minnesota for using phosphorus lawn fertilizer or getting a ticket in Florida for not picking up your pet’s waste.

Residents in the northern California town, 20 miles north of San Francisco, grouse that the car-washing ban was coming on top of some already strict water rules.  Businesses in Fairfax are already restricted in how they can hose down their sidewalks, for instance.

In October, Fairfax officials began considering a less onerous version of the ordinance, to merely "encourage" people to change their practices, such as washing the car on the grass instead of the street to limit the runoff.
In some communities, officials are looking to emulate a program launched in 1995 by the Puget Sound Car Wash Association.

The association, an industry group, sells discounted tickets for commercial car washes to fund-raising groups.  A participating Boy Scout group, for example, would resell the tickets to auto owners to have their cars washed commercially instead of washing the cars themselves.

In Santa Monica, city officials want water to be eliminated from residential car washing as much as possible.  They have seized on a product called Green Earth Waterless Carwash (www.greenearthcarwash.com), made from liquid organic soaps and other ingredients that is buffed off, not rinsed.  The product was developed earlier this year by Jeff and Lisa Peri, a Los Angeles couple, after doctors diagnosed their toddler daughter as suffering allergic reactions after inhaling fumes from chemicals, including those used in commercial car washes.

Santa Monica officials saw a demo of the waterless product two months ago.  "I was convinced this type of car wash has serious potential to save water, eliminate water runoff and make a car look really clean and shiny," says Kim O'Cain, Santa Monica's water-resources specialist, who has applied for funding to test it for one year.
Yours truly will test this project from the mag-chloride streets of Denver – stay tuned!

Low Lake Levels in Wisconsin Trigger new Water Quality Study
Wisconsin is undertaking a new study to help determine the cause of the low lake levels in the state’s central region.  The study will examine how lakes, rivers, and groundwater are connected in the region and at specific sites.  Many lakes in central Wisconsin are at or near record lows.  Of particular concern: the Central Sands area, a four-county area where some lake levels have dropped by five feet or more.  Findings will go to the Groundwater Advisory Committee, a panel appointed by Gov. Jim Doyle (D) to develop new water policies.

U.S. Dam Safety is a Concern
Clean Water Act Report

More than 100 dams pose a potential hazard to Americans if they fail and more than 1,300 are structurally deficient, the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) says.  Part of the problem is a lack of oversight and identification.  The typical U.S. dam inspector is responsible for more than 400 facilities, when a more responsible workload would be only 50 dams, says American Rivers.

The United States also has no accurate count of how many dams exist nationwide, the ASDSO assessment says, largely because organizations and states have different definitions of the term.  In Missouri, for example, a 34-foot high structure does not qualify as a dam, while Alabama lacks a dam safety program altogether.

The Army Corps of Engineers maintains the National Inventory of Dams, a list that contains 80,000 structures.  Adding state-administered dams pushes this total above 100,000.  Ohio had the most dams classified as deficient by the state, with 825 such structures.  Pennsylvania had 369 and Georgia had 156 says ASDSO.  Minnesota only had 148 deficient dams out of a total of 1,151 dams for the entire state.

To learn more about the safety of your dam or dams across the country, go to www.damsafety.org.

EPA’s Revolving Fund Program Helps Pickerel Lake, South Dakota
Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 office issued the following news release:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented a Performance and Innovation in the State Revolving Fund Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) Award to the Pickerel Lake Sanitary District, Grenville, S.D. for constructing a new wastewater collection and treatment system.

"This EPA award recognizes the innovative use of South Dakota's Clean Water State Revolving Fund program funds to improve water quality for the 950 permanent and seasonal residents of the Pickerel Lake area," said EPA Region 8 Administrator Robert E. Roberts.

The Pickerel Lake Sanitary District constructed a small collection system and an artificial wetland treatment system when it was determined that the residents' on-site, individual septic systems around the lake were failing.  The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources concluded that the on-site systems were likely contributors to the presence of fecal bacteria levels in the lake.

The district was awarded two Clean Water State Revolving Fund low interest loans totaling more than $1.5 million and two state grants totaling $600,000 to help finance the project that replaced the individual septic tanks with the new water treatment system.

The State Revolving Fund programs, authorized and funded by the Clean Water Act, allow states to provide low interest loans to wastewater systems to assist them in meeting wastewater infrastructure needs.  The states then use these monies to select projects for funding.

For more information, please visit the Capitalization Grants for State Revolving Funds Web site at http://www.epa.gov/Region8/community_resources/grants/grantmedia/grantwater.html#cap.

“Ice Heaving” –Lake Front Property Owners get the Chills whenever they Hear this Phrase
Property owners occasionally return to their cabins in the spring only to discover they are dealing with property damage caused by a phenomenon called "ice heaving" or "ice jacking".  This powerful natural force forms a feature along the shoreline known as an "ice ridge".  The result may include significant damage to retaining walls, docks and boat lifts, and sometimes even to the cabin itself.

Ice damage to shoreline property is often caused by the "pushing" action of an ice sheet.  Cracks form in ice because of different contraction rates at the top and bottom of the ice sheet.  This is especially true in years lacking an insulating snow cover.  Ice cracks also develop because the edges of the ice sheet are sometimes firmly attached to the shoreline.  When water rises in the cracks and freezes, the ice sheet expands slightly.  When rising air temperature warms the ice, the additional expansion exerts a tremendous thrust against the shore.  The expanding ice sheet moves soil to create ice ridges (also know as "ice pushes" or "ramparts") as high as five feet or more.  Alternate warming and cooling of an ice sheet causes additional pushing action that possesses enough power to nudge masonry bridge piers out of plumb and push houses off their foundations.

Website of the Month –  www.greendimes.com
(NALMS does not necessarily agree, support, or promote the contents of this website)

The little things do matter.  By simply reducing your junk mail, you can help save water and trees – which easily relates to happier lakes, reservoirs, and watersheds.  Greendimes is a group that helps reduce junk mail.  The cost of this life-time service is $15.00.  You can see on their home page that they claim to have stopped close to 3 million pounds of junk mail since September of 2006, which equals to almost 400,000 trees saved/planted and 8 million gallons of water conserved.  (These estimates are based on counters on their website – no information is provided on their calculation methods.) 

We want to Know How We are Doing with this E-newsletter
Over the past year, we have heard from a few of you about what you think about this monthly e-newsletter, but we want to hear more.  We want to make sure we are doing a good job and giving you what you need.  Please send us your thoughts and comments about this e-newsletter.  Let us know what is good, what is bad, should it be quarterly or monthly, are there specific topics you like to read about, are we duplicating articles, are we favoring specific regions of the country, how can we better serve affiliates and other unique lake groups, or let us know if you even read it.  Send your feedback to Steve Lundt at slundt@mwrd.dst.co.us.

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, 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.