The Spring Meeting was well attended and packed with valuable information for Wright County Lake Associations. Over 12 lakes were represented by 30+ people. The agenda included:
–Networking with Wright County officials.
–News from Wright Soil and Water Conservation District about their AIS, Access Monitoring, and Volunteer Water Quality Sampling programs.
–Review of MN legislative session important water issues that are in flight, including Boater Operator’s Education, AIS research funding, funding for lead tackle reduction, and more.
–Latest news on the U of M Wake Boat research on prop wash. Click here for a video about the research by Jeff Marr, lead researcher.
–Information about the expansion of the Wright County watercraft cleaning stations–called CD3–program.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Has your lake association paid their 2023 WCCOLA dues? Dues remain at $25/year, but if your association can afford a bit more, it would be great. Click here for a membership form.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Check out the new MN COLA website!
- The look is current
- It feels fresh and new
- The content is topical and current
- Meeting educational lake resiliency videos are readily available
- It provides a wealth of links to other relevant sites
- Membership renewals are handled online
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
U of Minnesota Wake Boat Research on Prop Wash
Phase I of the wake boat research focused on the waves generated by wake boats in comparison to other watercraft. The results showed that wake boats require greater distances to reduce their wave characteristics. Building on Phase I’s findings, U of M researchers will now focus on characterizing propeller wash, which is a general term for the turbulent jet produced by the boat motor and propeller. The propeller wash produced by large recreational boats is powerful, and has the potential to cause mixing of the water column and suspension of inorganic sediment (silts and sands) and organic detritus. Learn more about propeller wash here.
Click here for more information about how to contribute to this research.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates | Lake Steward Program
Minnesota Lakes and Rivers has a great program for your lake association to promote shoreline stewardship. Tools, program administration, and all the details are in a tidy package. This is a great project for your lake association; click here to take a short 10 question quiz to “score your shore”.
Click here for more information.
______________________________________________________________________________
Starry Stonewort: Our newest Foe
Starry stonewort is one of the newer aquatic invaders–particularly fearsome due to its aggressive nature and ability to mat and interfere with habitat and recreation. Here are a couple of great videos to provide more information:
Overview of Starry Stonewort from U of Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center
4 Minute Video on How to Identify Starry Stonewort
______________________________________________________________________________
Wright County Coalition of Lake Associations Directory
Want to connect with other lakes in your area? A Wright County directory of lakes is available. Please email Kathy Jonsrud at kjonsrud@yahoo.com and a copy will be mailed to you.