tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41952051697559174142024-03-14T01:06:17.789-05:00Clean Water: The Protected Waters of Aitkin County, MNAitkin County's surface is more than 50% wetlands, lakes, and rivers. Monthly commentary on water quality improvement.Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-58696684132252725242015-03-30T17:00:00.000-05:002015-03-30T17:05:57.323-05:00WAITING FOR ICE OUTWATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett for 4/1/2015 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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WAITING FOR ICE OUT<br />
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Whatever you think about the global climate today, the weather for North Central Minnesota, in the winter season that just ended, has been unusual. November was cold and snowy, with a heavy snow just before the ice formed on many lakes by mid-month. Since then we had very little precipitation, effectively doing away with snowmobiling and cross country skiing for winter tourists. But the cold temperatures over the winter have kept the heating season close to normal, and there is plenty of propane this year.<br />
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Now with reports of drought and with the wetlands lower and drier than usual, we are wishing for moisture. From record high lake levels in Summer 2012 to rivers and lakes that now are headed below normal, we listen to weather forecasts eagerly, as gardeners make their plans. Some of us are figuring how to repair the unusual shoreline damage caused by very thick lake ice that pushed into the beaches in January. Without snow cover, this thick lake ice expanded and contracted, cracked and formed ice ridges, shoving aside trees, steps, walls, and decks. Before we can put out docks and begin boating, repairs must be made. This early Spring 2015 is one for the record books for the amount of lake ice wreckage on many northern lakes. Ice out cannot come too soon this year.<br />
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PROTECT OUR WATERS<br />
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The following protective actions against aquatic invasive species (AIS) are required by state law.<br />
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Clean visible aquatic plants, zebra mussels, and other prohibited invasive species off all watercraft, trailers, and water-related equipment before leaving a water access or shoreland property. It is illegal to transport them whether dead or alive.<br />
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Drain water-related equipment (boat, ballast tanks, portable bait containers, motor) and drain, bilge, livewell, and baitwell by removing drain plugs before leaving a water access or shoreland property. Keep drain plugs out and water-draining devices open while transporting watercraft. It is illegal to transport a watercraft without draining water.<br />
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We will have an active campaign to protect our waters against these aggressive invasive species this spring, summer, and fall. Inspectors will be active at the busiest public access points, but every shoreland property owner has a duty to learn about this threat to all our waters and insure that all water-related equipment at their shore is compliant.<br />
<br />Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-91293631221543455782015-03-05T13:05:00.000-06:002015-03-05T13:08:07.852-06:00SHORELAND GUIDEWATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett A column for the 3/4/2015 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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A SHORELAND GUIDE<br />
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About eight years ago money was available to protect the waters in the Big Sandy Watershed. State agencies were funding personnel and publications with an interest in teaching residents along the shorelines how to care for their land and improve the water quality. A couple thousand copies of the "Shoreland Homeowner’s Guide to Lake Stewardship" were published in 2007, with funding from the state’s Clean Water Partnership Grant Fund, for property owners in the watershed. With extra printed copies of this Guide we have spread this valuable document around to many county lake associations in the years since it first came out. <br />
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The Guide gives instructions on how to curb pollution and reduce runoff; how to maintain a natural shoreline, and provides a useful checklist, for new and long-time lake residents, about questions we all have when living on a lake.<br />
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TIME FOR AN UPDATE<br />
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This 16-page Guide from 2007 has been completely given out, and it is time for a new revision. Fortunately, there is adequate funding available now from the state, through the Clean Water Legacy Fund, as well as Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) funding. Using these funds Aitkin County can update this Guide and include a new section containing the latest information dealing with invasive species. Lake Association representatives will be cooperating with county officials in Zoning and Soil and Water, to put an updated Shoreland Guide into service in our lake country.<br />
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A NATURAL SHORELINE<br />
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Preserving or restoring a natural shoreline is the best way to keep the shore from eroding. Buffers along the shoreline have these benefits: <br />
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Less time spent mowing and more time to enjoy the lake. Attracts birds and butterflies. Enhances the lake view by adding interest, texture, and color. Provides more privacy. Protecting water quality protects real estate value. Taller native plants create a biological barrier to Canada geese. Well-established emergent aquatic plants discourage non-native invasive species.<br />
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<br />Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-49407539737446312412015-02-05T17:08:00.000-06:002015-02-05T17:08:16.480-06:00ICE SEASONWATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett for the 2/4/2015 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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ICE SEASON<br />
Reports across the county are telling of a destructive ice pack on large lakes. Early cold temperatures have built thick ice. Absence of snow cover has led the exposed ice to expand and contract forcefully. Ice ridges and gaps are the result. Nothing can resist the advancing ice on a shoreline. When the thaw comes many repairs will be needed. Caution is needed now by skiers and snowmobilers. The ice is thick in many places, but it is moving - and it is far from level or smooth.<br />
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AQUATIC INVADERS SUMMIT<br />
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Over 400 attendees met at the Rivers Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud on January 20 and 21, to learn about the latest efforts in the state to combat Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in our waters. Since July 2014 state funds appropriated by the legislature have been flowing into Minnesota counties based on a formula that takes into account how many parking spaces are available at public access facilities. In Aitkin County the commissioners have appointed an AIS Committee to distribute these funds with an emphasis on local lake projects, education, prevention, inspection, and treatment where infestation occurs.<br />
<br />For several years the DNR has used billboards and signs and trained volunteers to persuade boat owners to clean, drain, and dry their boats and trailers, in order to “Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!” Now with millions of new AIS dollars each year the campaign is being stepped up. In the Aitkin Lakes Area decontamination equipment will be purchased and deployed near the most-used accesses, where the threat from boats that come out of infested waters is the greatest.<br />
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IDENTIFY THE PESTS<br />
There is a long list of these aquatic invaders, but clearly the most to be feared are Zebra Mussels. They are small shells that attach to native mussels, plants, watercraft, and lake equipment. They cut the feet of swimmers and dogs, clog water intakes, and damage ecosystems by reducing food for young fish. Their microscopic larvae can be moved in bait buckets, livewells, and other areas of boats and trailers, if not drained. The greatest emphasis in the AIS campaign is placed on Zebra Mussels. This species is widespread in Mille Lacs Lake.<br />
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Other dangerous species to be identified are Eurasian Watermilfoil, Curly-leaf Pondweed, Spiny Waterfleas, and Round Gobies (a bottom-dwelling fish). The invasive Silver and Big-head Carp from Asia have not traveled above the lock and dam in Minneapolis.<br />
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For a thorough look at these invaders and to see demonstrations of decontamination equipment don’t miss the Rivers and Lakes Fair at Aitkin High School on Saturday, June 20th.<br />
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Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-49064114714094031852015-01-13T18:00:00.000-06:002015-01-13T18:00:08.698-06:00FISH STICKS AND ICE dec 2014WATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett for the 12/3/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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TREES AND LAKES<br />
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There are some new terms that lake people are learning with the help of DNR Fisheries. When a tree on the shoreline falls into the lake it offers a new opportunity. By leaving it in place the fallen tree provides shade and a place where a web of aquatic life can thrive.<br />
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This “Woody Habitat” is sometimes called “Woody Debris” or “Fish Sticks.” It becomes a place where a number of fish species are attracted. So the message from fish biologists is let these trees remain in the shallows. Their existing roots will hold the soil in place on shore. And you are building up your fish population. The trees and branches we leave in the water serve as a dock for turtles and kingfishers.<br />
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WALKING ON ICE<br />
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The early onset of cold weather saw the lakes freezing early. By mid November most of the Aitkin Area lakes were iced over. Without snow cover you could walk out and see the depth of cracks in the ice and look under the surface. When sunlight and temperature changes expanded or contracted the ice cover the lake began booming like a huge kettle drum. The sounds of the lake echoing around and around is one our winter pleasures.<br />
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Every year we hear warnings about the necessary thicknesses of ice for walking and skating, for driving ATVs or trucks. I like to wait until I can be certain that ice near shore is solid. With cracks and upwelling and pools of sludge, the idea of “safe ice” can be an oxymoron for snowmobiles after dark.<br />
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Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-37566341591547880062015-01-13T17:49:00.000-06:002015-02-05T17:44:12.049-06:00LOON WATCHERS Nov.2014WATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett for the 11/5/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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LOON WATCHERS REPORT<br />
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It’s the time of year when loon surveys by volunteers are collected in Minnesota by the DNR. After a lower count of loons in 2013 on Nord Lake, our census was back up to seven adults and two chicks in July 2014. From three nesting pairs we had one juvenile loon survive into October. After instructing their young all summer it is surprising that the adult loons leave the lake in September, and the young instinctively can fly south on their own in October.<br />
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Kevin Woizeschke is the new nongame wildlife biologist in charge of the Loon Watch program. For Aitkin County he has openings for volunteer watchers on these lakes:<br />
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Cedar, Dam, Elm Island, Fleming, Ripple, and Wilkins.<br />
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BURNING GARBAGE<br />
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There was a time when many of us old timers carried out trash and garbage to a burn barrel. And we raked piles of leaves in the fall and burned them or dumped them on vacant land. Times change, and air quality and land use practices are different today.<br />
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Today’s garbage often contains plastics, dyes, and bleached paper. In the past it was mostly plain paper, wood or glass. Burning today’s garbage may seem to reduce volume, but cancer-causing toxins, heavy metals, and waste just move into the air and soil where they can enter our food and bodies. That is why burning garbage in Minnesota is illegal, since 1969.<br />
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Safe alternatives include recycling plastics, paper, and cardboard. And using garbage and solid waste facilities as well as composting.<br />
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AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES (AIS)<br />
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Applications for AIS funding from lake associations and other groups are being sought between now and January 12, 2015. The county board of commissioners adopted an AIS Plan on October 14th to use the new state funds. Activities to combat invasives include education and prevention and watercraft inspections. A local match of 20% is required.<br />
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For details about preventing and treating aquatic invasive species see Steve Hughes at the Soil and Water Office and Terry Neff, Director of Environmental Services, at the court house.<br />
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<br />Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-63428647066537771612015-01-13T17:17:00.000-06:002015-02-05T17:46:01.158-06:00FRESH WATER Oct.2014WATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett a monthly column for the 10/1/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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WATER AND MORE FRESH WATER<br />
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No longer in 2014 across the “Land of Sky-Blue Waters” (Minnesota), is there any talk about drought. Since the ice went out here in late April, regular rain events right up to the beginning of Fall have measured well above normal in every month at our rain gage. Six inches in May, eight in June. Four and a half in July, seven and a half in August. For three weeks in September, five inches! That’s a total thirty one inches. The normal annual precipitation for Aitkin County, according to the DNR is just under twenty nine inches. Our vegetation is lush and already Fall color intensity has never looked brighter.<br />
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Minnesota is harvesting bumper crops of corn, beans, and wheat this year, but in the Southwestern U.S. it is extremely dry and wild fires are spreading.<br />
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HOW WE MEASURE LAKE LEVELS<br />
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Over twenty lakes in Aitkin County have been selected to be in the DNR’s Lake Level Monitoring Program. At each chosen lake they install a lake level gage. Either a permanent gage is installed on a structure such as a bridge pier or dam abutment, or a temporary gage is fastened to a steel fence post and driven into the lake bed at a convenient location. Temporary lake gages are surveyed and checked by DNR crews in the Spring. Lake level gages are read by volunteers within 12 to 24 hours after a substantial rain event, and on a weekly basis.<br />
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USES OF WATER LEVEL DATA<br />
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Fluctuations of lake levels are important to document in permanent and credible public records. Lakeshore properties may be adversely affected by fluctuations causing either flooding or access problems. A lake level range of 1 foot to 2 feet each year is typical, but historically much greater fluctuations have occurred. Human activities like dams and culverts, as well as beaver activity may also affect lake levels. A ten-year graph of monitored lake levels can be found on the Lake Finder Page from the DNR website.<br />
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<br />Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-50456748666860847572015-01-13T17:01:00.000-06:002015-02-05T17:11:55.707-06:00OIL AN WATER Jan.2015WATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett A monthly column for the 1/7/2015 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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OIL AND WATER<br />
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Much ink has been used to describe what the Canadian firm Enbridge Inc. wants to do with its pipelines across Minnesota. As of December 2014 Enbridge is petitioning the Public Utilities Commission in Minnesota to allow a newly-proposed Sandpiper Pipeline Project to cross the center of Aitkin County. At first this new corridor was to transport light crude oil from the Bakken Formation in North Dakota. In recent months Enbridge has added a replacement 36-inch diameter pipeline (Line 3) into the requested Sandpiper Corridor. This oil is diluted bitumen from the Athabasca Tar Sands of Fort McMurray, Alberta.<br />
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Our county commissioners are in favor of a positive decision by the Minnesota PUC, citing several millions in tax revenue from the North Dakota oil flowing through Aitkin County. Opponents testifying before the county board and the PUC refer to oil leaks and spills from Enbridge pipelines in recent times. Both the light crude oil and the heavy bitumen pose threats to Aitkin County’s rivers and wetlands when leaking from beneath the surface. Normal depth of pipe is about four feet, but when crossing the Mississippi River below Palisade, Sandpiper will tunnel down to 30 feet beneath the river bed.<br />
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Enbridge claims they operate their lines safely today and have invested in new technology and control centers to detect any interruptions. The Line 3 pipe is 46 years old and must be operated at reduced capacity on its 34-inch diameter pipe. Inspection digs are scheduled to check on its condition. When this line is replaced it will be emptied and cleaned; then left in the ground.<br />
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WHAT ABOUT REFINERIES?<br />
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Currently the heavy Canadian Oil is transported to the nearest refineries at Superior, Wisconsin, and Rosemount, Minnesota. However, the three native tribes on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota have plans to build an oil refinery. The economics of the global oil marketplace are changing with increasing supply from North America. The price of a barrel of crude oil has been cut in half in 2014 - from $110 down to under $55 per barrel. Extracting the sand and clay from the Alberta open pits and piping light crude up to the tar pits so a diluted mixture will flow through a pipeline is costly.<br />
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Similarly, in North Dakota large quantities of water under high pressure, mixed with volatile organic compounds and quartz sand from Wisconsin sand mines, are injected in wells two miles deep to fracture or separate the tightly-bound shale and oil. Not the least of the costs for this new oil source is the production water required and the disposal and treatment of waste water.<br />
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Then there is costly “Off-shore oil,” raised from distant ocean platforms. Scientists have tracked our Common Loons from Minnesota to their winter homes in the Gulf of Mexico - the very region where the BP oil platforms exploded and leaked. The dispersants used on that fugitive oil made the harm to coastal wetlands worse than if it had sunk to the bottom. We have indications that BP’s spill may be responsible for recent lower loon counts.<br />
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Petroleum engineers can produce oil much cheaper from the vast shallow reserves in Saudi Arabia and Iran than from other global suppliers. As North America moves towards “Energy Independence” and starts producing oil and gas for export, we can begin to see the effect on some other natural resources - clean water and wildlife.Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-64138852630561998602014-08-30T18:03:00.000-05:002015-02-05T17:48:05.460-06:00SIXTH GRADERS Sept.2014WATERWORKS a column by Gordon Prickett for the 9/3/2014 <br />
Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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SIXTH GRADERS RETURN TO LONG LAKE<br />
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On Monday and Tuesday, September 15th and 16th, sixth graders across Aitkin County will again experience an Environmental Education Day at Long Lake Conservation Center, for the 20th time in as many years. Last year 127 students from Aitkin, Hill City, and McGregor schools spent the day at Long Lake Conservation Center. They enjoyed a hands-on lab experiment about Lake Bottom Organisms, presentations by the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Minnesota Zoo, and a unique presentation about Frogs and Toads in Minnesota. This special program serves to kickoff their year’s science education.<br />
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This Environmental Education Day is hosted by Aitkin County Environmental Services and the Long Lake Conservation Center with the help of donations from county lake associations. At this environmental gem in our county we are making a contribution for conservation, ecology, clean water, and habitat into the future.<br />
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DECISIONS ABOUT OIL AND WATER<br />
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There’s a new crude oil pipeline called Sandpiper that is being planned across Minnesota. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will decide sometime next year whether Enbridge Energy, a Canadian company, will be permitted to lay about 400 miles of pipe in Minnesota to move oil from North Dakota to Superior, Wisconsin. The first decision is whether this oil supply line is necessary, and the second decision is approval of the proposed route.<br />
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Sandpiper, as proposed, will cross 42 miles of Aitkin County. It will bring local jobs, lease payments to land owners, tax money to governments and schools, And the chance of oil spills and leaks into our habitat of lakes, woods, and wetlands. At this time there are alternate routes being considered that avoid Aitkin County. This light crude oil from the Bakken Formation is moving across the midwest now by rail to refineries and terminals. <br />
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Citizens are hearing from many voices about the benefits of a pipeline here, and what happens if it ruptures. I expect to hear much more before the questions are decided.Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-51122326588397575272014-08-04T17:07:00.000-05:002014-08-04T17:10:50.843-05:00THOUGHTS OUT ON THE WATERA Waterworks column by Gordon Prickett for the 8/6/2014 Aitkin Independent Age.<br />
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As my canoe rolls in the wake of a wake boarder, I turn to stay upright, and begin pitching in the waves. Now I remember the fun we used to have as teenagers at a lake cabin behind a fast boat on water skis. On a summer weekend paddling a canoe or kayak is best done in the early morning.<br />
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Boaters here have been pretty good at practicing courtesy, looking out for small craft and the loons. One of our nesting pairs had a successful hatch this summer, and their two juvenile loons are now getting diving lessons so they can soon feed themselves.<br />
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STATE FUNDING FOR AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES (AIS)<br />
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The state legislature has appropriated funds for combating invasive species, and the money became available starting this July. For Aitkin County over $120,000 is available in the first year, and more than $270,000 may be granted in following years. Local units of government need to forward requests for this project money, and they will be the fiscal agents.<br />
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In Aitkin County the Soil and Water Conservation District and the Environmental Services Department are the key places where we can go for assistance with invasives in our lakes and rivers.<br />
Project ideas for prevention and education about aquatic invasive species, such as zebra mussels and curly leaf pondweed, will be welcomed, as well as treatment projects when and where they are discovered. Portable boat washing stations are a possibility.<br />
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ELECTIONS ARE COMING<br />
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With the Primary on August 12th and the General Election November 4th, there is no better time than right now to seek out the candidates and incumbents with your questions and opinions. Within one block of the downtown stoplight in Aitkin the two major political parties can be found in their temporary offices. Just look for all the signs in their windows. This is the best time to raise your most important issue with the candidates and their volunteers - when they are looking to meet and talk with voters.<br />
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Here is my issue list for starters: clean water, good jobs here, copper-nickel-platinum mining exploration, the Sandpiper Pipeline Project by Enbridge Energy, rail haulage of coal and crude oil and the danger of derailments, the safety of oil and gasoline trucks on our highways and bridges.<br />
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As we consider America becoming independent of fossil fuels from overseas, a major question for me as I fill my propane tank and gas up my boat motor, lawn mower, and vehicles, is how do we increase the safety of producing and moving this petroleum product?Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-25315114489407449382014-06-27T12:37:00.000-05:002014-06-27T12:43:06.932-05:00ENBRIDGEWATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett <br />
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A Column for the 7/2/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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ENBRIDGE ENERGY CROSSING MINNESOTA<br />
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As I mentioned in my columns in March and April there is a crude oil pipeline proposed to carry oil from the Bakken oilfield in North Dakota over a new route across Minnesota to Superior, Wisconsin. This is a project of Enbridge Energy, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and it is known as the Sandpiper Pipeline Project.<br />
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At the Rivers and Lakes Fair in Aitkin June 14th I sketched the 42-mile proposed Sandpiper route across our large ACLARA county map which displays our 20 member lakes. From west to east the corridor passes through these townships: Lemay, Macville, Bain, Waukenabo, Logan, Workman, Jevne, McGregor, Spalding, and Salo. There was considerable interest and discussion at the fair about Sandpiper Pipeline. Six public information meetings were held in March at the Minnesota counties along this route. The period for comment has concluded. Public hearings will be held before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission reaches its decision about the need for this pipeline and a final route.<br />
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COMMENT TO DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE<br />
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Following my attendance and testimony at the McGregor information meeting March 13, I wrote a letter to Larry Hartman, Environmental Review Manager, Department of Commerce, who chaired the meeting. These are some of my statements:<br />
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“I have serious reservations about the history of Lakehead Pipeline and the renamed Enbridge parent company. Their pipeline spills and cleanup attempts in recent years have left the environment of the Upper Midwest in damaged condition.”<br />
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“Aitkin County is a global bird watchers destination. We have many clean lakes and rivers that attract families looking for recreational beauty. We also have developed a thriving sustainable forest products industry. This scenic county is threatened by a future of crude oil pipelines operated by companies with a record of accidental leaks and spills.”<br />
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“Installing a pipeline and operating it here in Aitkin County, crossing the Mississippi River and passing through rich wetlands habitat and woodlands will greatly disturb wildlife and people living here.”<br />
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WHAT NEXT?<br />
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No matter what you may have heard, this is not a “done deal.” Domestic oil will be transported across the Midwest by trucks, railcars, and pipelines to terminals, tank farms, and refineries. In Minnesota there are two refineries - at St. Paul Park and at Rosemount. We need petroleum fuels. But managing this transport in the safest possible manner is a challenge for all levels of government. I urge our citizens to pay close attention to what has been proposed for Aitkin County. Your voice matters.<br />
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<br />Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-74157029421412977812014-05-31T15:09:00.000-05:002014-06-02T21:46:16.089-05:00RIVERS AND LAKES FAIR TIMEWATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett A column for the 6/4/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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IT’S RIVERS AND LAKES FAIR TIME<br />
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Every year at this time - for 18 years - there is a place to learn more about our lakes and rivers in Aitkin County. Because of the ventilation repairs this summer at Rippleside Elementary School, the Rivers and Lakes Fair will be at the Aitkin High School, Saturday, June 14th, from 9 am to 2 pm.<br />
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The DNR will have a live fish exhibit with some beauties they have netted nearby. The Audubon Center will bring amphibians and reptiles to meet and interact with fair goers. Lunch and snacks will be available at low cost. Minnow races and the building of bluebird and bat houses will be featured again for kids. Learn about bogs, enhancing shoreline habitat, and preventing the spread of invasive species. There will be a gym full of exhibits to show the many features of our lake country.<br />
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STORMWATER AT THE LAKE<br />
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Stormwater is rain water that does not soak into the ground during a precipitation event, and typically runs off from hard surfaces like roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and lawns into nearby receiving water bodies. <br />
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It carries sediment, pollutants, and nutrients. If not effectively managed, runoff erodes shorelines. One simple way to protect the lake from stormwater effects is to leave a “no-mow” zone of at least 15 feet along the shore, mowing just a path for beach access. This buffer zone of native growth acts to filter and absorb rainfall. Prevention of stormwater runoff can be accomplished by limiting the area of impervious surfaces, installing a rain barrel, and creating a rain garden, berm, or swale.<br />
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At the Rivers and Lakes Fair we will show some examples of stormwater treatment in the ACLARA booth.Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-76619136026936936442014-05-28T12:27:00.000-05:002014-05-28T12:27:46.730-05:00LOONS ARRIVETitle: LOONS ARRIVE - A WATERWORKS column by Gordon Prickett<br />
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for the 5/7/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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OPEN WATER AND LOONS!<br />
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The ice went out on Nord Lake Monday, April 28th, and this was another year for the record books. We have records going back to 1976, and this year was definitely late for ice-out. In all that time this was the third latest date. Previously the ice has gone out on April 29, 1979, and on May 10, 2013. Summarizing all this data, we have an average ice-out date of April 15th. The earliest date in our records was March 22, 2012.<br />
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While a strong east wind was pushing high waves against the retreating ice shelf on Sunday afternoon, our first returning loon splashed down into the wind. By Wednesday our pair of loons on the east end of the lake was back together, and their calls announced the return of open water and the boating season once again.<br />
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I just received the DNR report of the loon counting for Aitkin County. Counters on 22 lakes observed 91 loons and 17 chicks in the summer of 2013.<br />
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LET’S BAN LEAD TACKLE <br />
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A new flyer from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has evidence of the killing of loons and eagles. The title is “Get the Lead Out!” Research around the nation has found that lead poisoning from lead fishing tackle is responsible for from 12 to 50% of adult loon deaths. The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota has monitored injured bald eagles for lead since 1980. Lead poisoning has been the cause of admission of 315 out of a total of 1,398 eagles (23%). Eagles are exposed when they eat fish that have ingested lead tackle. <br />
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Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont have banned the use or sale of lead sinkers. The European Union has banned lead in all consumer products, including fishing tackle. The MPCA flyer has pictures of the many non-lead weights and jigs now available, and made in Minnesota. It is past time for this action in Minnesota.<br />
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Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-9679991616864766342014-03-28T10:40:00.000-05:002014-03-28T10:40:01.706-05:00HOW MUCH WATER?A WATERWORKS column by Gordon Prickett<br />
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for the 4/2/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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HOW MUCH WATER?<br />
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My “Weatherguide” Calendar from the Freshwater Society has a message in its March section that bears repeating here:<br />
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How much water do you use? Most of us probably don’t know. According to the EPA, an average American household uses 320 gallons every day. One third of that is used to irrigate the landscape and 50% of that is wasted due to inefficient landscape methods. March is a great time to plan a water-friendly landscape for the coming growing season. When rain falls, why not harvest all the fresh, free water for your gardens and lawns?<br />
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One inch of rain on a 1000 square foot rooftop can yield 600 gallons of water. Incorporate more native plants into your landscape. They are drought tolerant and require less maintenance. Keep the water on your land by adding a rain garden this year. There is more to learn at freshwater.org. <br />
STATE OF WATER CONFERENCE<br />
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Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake near Brainerd is the location for a conference on Thursday and Friday, May 1-2, 2014. Sponsors are Conservation Minnesota, Freshwater Society, University of Minnesota Extension, MPCA, and DNR. This is a revival of the biennial state-wide conferences that formerly were put on by the Minnesota Lakes Association, that became Minnesota Waters, before its closure.<br />
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Two full days, starting with breakfasts, will feature workshops, breakout sessions, exhibits, and major speakers on issues of clean water, aquatic habitat and invasive species, watersheds, groundwater, and shore restoration. Details of the programs, cost, and registration can be found on this website: conservationminnesota.org/state-of-water-conference and at 612-767-2444.<br />
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OIL PIPELINE REGULATION<br />
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As introduced in last month’s column and reported on the front page in the March 19th Independent Age, the Enbridge Sandpiper Pipeline Project was explained before a packed hall in McGregor for four hours on March 13th. Public comments and routing alternatives will continue to be received by the state commerce department until April 4th. Then a year’s worth of government actions and public hearings are planned, with a final decision from the Public Utilities Commission expected about March 23, 2015. If approvals are received, Enbridge estimates that construction might begin in late 2014 or early 2015. The Sandpiper Pipeline could then be operational in 2016. Crude oil from the Bakken field in North Dakota would flow across 42 miles in Aitkin County on its way to a Superior, Wisconsin, refinery, Enbridge’s tank farm, and other connecting pipelines.<br />
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Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-13803945757190435212014-03-03T10:54:00.000-06:002014-03-03T10:54:48.617-06:00WINTER'S TALEA WATERWORKS column by Gordon Prickett<br />
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for the 3/5/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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WINTER’S TALE<br />
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It’s been hard to avoid talking about the weather lately. We are sick and tired of below zero forecasts week after week. Wind chill warnings, winter storm warnings, ice that clings to pavement after plowing. The depth of snow across the area increases without any thawing, and no warm up is in sight. A newscaster remembered the heavy snowfall of April 1965 the other night, reminding me of the extreme high water and flooding in St. Paul and North Mankato that spring. We were back in Minnesota from the Navy, and I was attached to a reserve helicopter squadron out at Wold Chamberlain Airport. It was the only time I ever lifted people off their roofs from a hover. The Minnesota River had flooded out homes where it makes a sharp turn to the northeast.<br />
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The depth of snow now on the ground and the prospect of some more snow followed by a rapid warm up lead me to consider how to get ready for high water once again. Our ACLARA group of high water planners has reviewed the records from the flooding events in the county in the summer of 2012. We have consulted with lake associations where the highest lake levels occurred. In case of another extremely wet season we will work closely with the county board, sheriff, soil and water, and the DNR to advise governmental units and to spread the news around lake country of any emergency measures.<br />
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PIPELINE CROSSINGS<br />
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Whether it is crude oil, natural gas, or propane, pipelines are making news these days in the Upper Midwest. The Bakken oil field in North Dakota and the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, are the origins of most of these stories. Increased fuels production is getting attention as oil and gas companies expand their operations across the northern tier of states and provinces.<br />
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For us in Aitkin County the imminent issue deals with crude oil. It concerns routing the Endbridge Sandpiper Pipeline Project across county from west to east. The preferred route from Enbridge would enter south of Swatara along existing electric tranmission lines. After crossing Highway 169 and the Mississippi River it would swing north and east of McGregor, leaving the county along east-west transmission lines into Carlton County.<br />
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Before this pipeline can be constructed the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) must do two things: grant a certificate of need, and issue a pipeline route permit. In six affected Minnesota counties, from Polk to Carlton, public information meetings are being held in the first half of March, to give citizens the opportunity to ask questions and state their opinions about this pipeline.<br />
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In Aitkin County our meeting will be held at the McGregor Community Center, 41442 Highway 65, on Thursday, March 13th, from 11 am to 2 pm. Minnesota PUC and Commerce Department staff and pipeline officials will be on hand.Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-32670454690695397392014-02-12T14:18:00.000-06:002014-02-12T14:19:42.694-06:00WHY IS LEAD IN THE LAKEA WATERWORKS column by Gordon Prickett <br />
For the 2/5/2014 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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WHY IS LEAD IN LAKES?<br />
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Years ago reports from state government told us that common loons ingested lead sinkers and jigs and were poisoned. Years ago we also had learned about the consequences of the lead shot in shotgun shells. Waterfowl hunters are now forbidden to hunt with lead shot, but there is no restriction for upland birds. Once there was tetraethyl lead in our gasoline to improve combustion. And lead sulphate was the pigment in white paint. But no more; the damaging effects on small children due to both of these uses was proven, and lead has been removed from gasoline and from paint. Chemists and metallurgists know where to find substitutes. What are we waiting for with our fishing tackle? Talking to the hardware store and bait shop owners in Aitkin did not stop their sales of products that contain lead. Setting up lead tackle exchanges at our Rivers and Lakes Fair moved a few lead-free sinkers and jigs into tackle boxes. But until the State of Minnesota outlaws these deadly weights, we will keep on killing loons. My suggestion is getting action from the legislature on this problem.<br />
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GULF OIL IMPACT<br />
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It has been more than three years since the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. On April 20, 2010, the offshore oil rig that recovered petroleum from far beneath the ocean floor blew up with loss of life, and a wide spread contamination of the Gulf waters and shores. Days after the spill the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a damage assessment process to evaluate the impact on seven bird species including the common loon. Scientists from the Biodiversity Research Institute who are conducting a thorough study of loons in this area are noticing toxic hydrocarbons in the blood of loons. As these concentrations increase it appears that hydrocarbons unleashed by the spill are working their way up the food chain to top predators, including loons. Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) may soon be high enough to harm immune systems or damage organs. The February/March issue of National Wildlife has the story “Secret Lives of Loons” by Laura Tangley.<br />
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<br />Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-1040135633979224282014-01-14T11:10:00.000-06:002014-01-14T11:13:57.401-06:00High WaterA WATERWORKS Column in the Aitkin Independent Age for January 4, 2014, by Gordon Prickett<br />
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HIGH WATER PLANS<br />
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Following the extremes of summer flooding in 2012 the ACLARA lake association representatives have considered how to prepare for the next high water event. We learned a few things when the lake levels were rapidly rising back then. For instance, every developed lake, whether it has a lake level gauge or not has an elevation known as the Ordinary High Water Level (OHWL), established by the DNR. Commonly, this is the point where the natural vegetation changes from predominately aquatic to predominately terrestrial. And we learned that just 28 lakes in Aitkin County are provided every spring with a calibrated gauge where DNR staff and volunteers plan to take readings of the lake levels during summer months.<br />
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How fast the waters rise depends on the rainfall and the amount that runs off, plus the size of a lake’s “watershed.” When a lake has a large watershed it may take a few days for all the collecting streams and ditches to find their way downhill. <br />
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Each lakeshore property has its own connection and vulnerability to fast rising flood water. In the spring of 2012 when ice went out early some shore land residents placed docks and boatlifts in the water earlier than normal. When heavy rains came the docks were under water and had to be reset.<br />
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Led by Sheriff Turner, the county government acted with the approval of DNR Commissioner Landwehr to restrict boating traffic on all county lakes to slow no-wake speeds during the height of extreme high water in June and July. This measure prevented damage to vulnerable shores from wave action. Getting the word out to all boaters in the county was not simple. Problems developed when the restrictions were relaxed for part of the county, and then on certain lakes where lake elevations could be measured and high waters had receded.<br />
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Lakes that experienced unusually high water in 2012 have discussed where the “trigger elevation” above OHWL should be, that calls for slow no-wake boating until conditions return to normal. ACLARA will be cooperating with the County and with the DNR to assist in advising and informing their members during high water conditions in the future.<br />
<br />Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-44464809431341244302013-11-29T23:25:00.000-06:002013-11-29T23:25:19.934-06:00CLIMATEA WATERWORKS Column by Gordon Prickett<br />
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for the 12/4/2013 Aitkin Independent Age<br />
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CLIMATE AND WEATHER<br />
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We hear a lot about “global warming” or “climate change” in the news cycles of today. There are many places to get your updates on this topic: browsing new on-line media, watching the many kinds of TV, leafing through newspapers, magazines, and books. Not to mention radio, both public and commercial.<br />
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Some of the stories are alarming, like sea level rise and wildlife extinction. But how one responds depends a lot on who you believe and one’s attitude towards new information. Can I see and feel anything different going on? We live in the day-to-day weather. <br />
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This fall I am reporting ice-in on our lake as November 23rd. Ice-in is never as dramatic as ice-out in the spring, with its sudden break up and shattering of ice crystals. But going back 18 years it appears that this year is pretty-much normal. Our lake records for ice-out have been kept since 1976, and show a lot of variability. The two extreme dates occurred in consecutive years - March 22, 2012, and May 10, 2013.<br />
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WHAT’S NEXT?<br />
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Humankind certainly has had an impact on life in these parts in the past couple centuries, and I believe we are impacting the climate right now in the way we dig, drill, and consume energy fuels. We cannot change the way our forefathers clear cut the woods, plowed up the prairie, and killed off the native animals. We can however give serious thought to how we use modern discoveries of technology and science. Sensible limits to population, economic development, and comfortable lifestyles can go a long way towards a future our kids will want to inherit.<br />
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Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-79643172270624375542013-10-31T23:08:00.000-05:002013-10-31T23:10:55.526-05:00TITLE: READY FOR FREEZE-UP A Waterworks Column by Gordon Prickett for the 11/6/2013 Aitkin Independent Age
READY FOR FREEZE-UP
Our boats and dock were the last to come off the lake. That good October fishing weather that I waited for never happened, but otherwise it was a pretty good season. Now in the next month we should be making ice - for skating, snowmobiling, and fishing on our lakes. Once again I am reminded that there is no such thing as absolutely “Safe Ice,” as I will step out with an ice chisel to measure the thickness. I’ll be sure to do my skating near the edge of the lake, for starters.
KEEPING THE LAKE CLEAN
Water clarity in the lakes of this area continues to attract people. Those who live at the water’s edge for a time have the opportunity to help maintain this clean water. Using natural vegetative materials like grass clippings left on lawns, and composted wastes as soil amendments to borders and gardens, can take the place of chemical fertilizers. With an unmown buffer zone next to shore, limited impervious surfaces beside the lake, and creating rain gardens, we can control runoff and erosion that muddies the water.
SEASON OF MIGRATION
Whether it’s juncos and finches, “V” formations of geese, or the snowbird neighbors bound for the Florida Keys, many creatures are now on the move. Birders are noting dates when species arrive at their feeders. And warm-blooded retirees bid us goodbye until Spring. Some of us wouldn’t want to miss the Fish House Parade for anything!
Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-40666618199111536822013-10-06T17:53:00.000-05:002013-10-06T17:53:35.366-05:00TITLE "WATER AND WILDLIFE FOR SIXTH GRADERS" A Waterworks Column by Gordon Prickett for the 10/2/2013 Aitkin Independent Age
WATER AND WILDLIFE FOR SIXTH GRADERS
Aitkin County sixth graders spent a day in early September at the Long Lake Conservation Center just east of Palisade. This year I followed the money that ACLARA, the Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association, donated to County Environmental Services to put on this “Environmental Education Day.” I attended Tuesday, September 10th, and joined the Hill City Sixth Grade through four hours of instruction and ate pizza with them at lunch time.
The first hour was about “The Earth’s Water,” presented by the Minnesota Science Museum from St. Paul. For more than four billion years the same amount of water has cycled around the earth in clouds, rain, ground water, and surface water. Just 3% is fresh water and 97% is salt water. The ice caps hold 2% of this fresh water. The lesson is clear that we don’t want to waste any of the 1% that is left.
Next we learned about the wild creatures in the state and met a few of them from the Minnesota Zoo. We have 78 kinds of mammals, and 22 amphibians. In Minnesota there are 31 kinds of reptiles, including 17 snakes. And there are 428 kinds of birds, with about 45 to 50 remaining year round. The traveling zoo visitors included a red-tailed hawk, an opossum, and a snake.
After lunch naturalists from Long Lake presented a program about frogs and toads. Next we went down to the shore of Long Lake to scoop up sediment and water samples. We collected this material back in the laboratory and identified numerous lake bottom organisms with the aid of charts and microscopes.
A BEAUTIFUL TIME OF YEAR
Days and nights are now the about same length. Warm afternoons and crisp sleeping nights. Grass cutting is just about over for the season, and the water craft are calling. Before taking in our boats and docks, it is a fine time to enjoy the clear water and the colors that are beginning to turn around the shore.
A few years ago we traveled across the Arrowhead, down the North Shore, over into Northern Wisconsin to observe the Fall colors of early October. But when we returned to Aitkin County, the most spectacular show was right here! Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-3768465945237920552013-09-02T09:19:00.000-05:002013-09-02T09:19:10.930-05:00TITLE - SURFACE WATER USE A Waterworks Column
by Gordon Prickett for the September 4th Aitkin Independent Age
SURFACE WATER USE
I just finished a very close look at my 2013 Minnesota Boating Guide. At a recent meeting the topic of boating safety came up, and I raised two concerns. The first was about operators of motor boats under twelve years of age. There is absolutely no age limit in this state for a child running a boat and motor with a rating of 25 horsepower or less!
My second concern was about the speeds at which watercraft in Minnesota may travel on our lakes and rivers. There are no limits. You can’t be drunk or chase wildlife, and you should give the right-of-way to sailboats, canoes, and kayaks, but so long as you’re not careless or reckless, boat speed is unlimited.
When I am out in my canoe, paddling well below the slow, no-wake speed of 5 mph, I’ve got to wonder how the operators of high speed motor launches can see me, and the loons on the lake, in time to avoid a collision. The best I can do, in the absence of any sensible safety regulations about little kids and speedboats, is wear my bright orange life jacket.
THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE
Last year we saw severe flooding and extreme high water in the County. Surface runoff was heavy in June and July before the rains let up. This caused much sediment and litter flowing into our lakes and rivers, with unusually poor clarity from summer into fall. After a late ice-out this May, and a lot of rain in May and June, our lake levels were pretty high, but lake water transparency at area lakes is returning to normal. Though no residents talk very much about it, the fishing isn’t too bad either.Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-66869290962524818162013-08-02T09:44:00.000-05:002013-08-02T09:44:13.282-05:00TITLE - STATE ENFORCEMENT IN AITKIN COUNTY A WATERWORKS Column by Gordon Prickett for the 8/7/2013 Aitkin Independent Age
STATE ENFORCEMENT IN AITKIN COUNTY
A year ago SarTec Corporation from Anoka, Minnesota, was observed emptying 275-gallon canisters containing a dark oily liquid on a 20-acre hay field in Section 4 of Nordland Township. Repeatedly, over a period of weeks, neighbors watched as a SarTec truck hauled trailer loads of this industrial waste into the middle of the field, where a backhoe had prepared pits to receive this material. The pits were then covered. Towards summer’s end, they didn’t bother digging any more pits, but poured the contents directly onto the sloping land, farther in from the township road. The oily liquid collected in pools in a wetland that drains into Nord Lake.
The current owner of this land is an officer of SarTec Corporation. Placement of such material on land in Aitkin County requires a permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This action was reported to Aitkin County Planning and Zoning in October, and an inspector was on site the very next day. SarTec has been fined for this violation, but it has appealed its penalty. An administrative judge will hear the case in St. Paul in September. It is being prosecuted by the State Attorney General’s office.
Violations of our shoreland regulations do have consequences. The neighbors are waiting to learn about the chemistry of these waste products and what remediation is planned.
HOW MANY LOONS?
After the BP Horizon oil platform fire and spill in the Gulf of Mexico there has been concern by Minnesota’s Non-Game Wildlife Division in the DNR, because loons from this region winter over in the Gulf. As a loon watcher for the DNR, I take a yearly census in early July. In 2012 I counted eight loons on my early morning patrol. We have observed three nesting pairs, six adult loons, on our lake for several years. In the census this year I counted only three adult loons, and there appear to be only three resident adults as the summer progresses. We have observed no surviving loon chicks for 2013.
Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-38187353508410951712013-06-27T13:18:00.001-05:002013-06-27T13:18:55.159-05:00TITLE WHAT PRICE SAFETY?
A WATERWORKS Column by Gordon Prickett for the 7/3/2013 Aitkin Independent Age.
Every year drowning victims are reported in the news - starting before ice-out until a solid freeze-up state-wide. One of the best safety posters I have ever seen shows two enlarged pieces of fishing tackle. On one side is a Bobber and on the other a Sinker, with the word "OR" between them. Near the bottom of the poster is the command "WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET!" It is one of the DNR’s better messages.
I thought about that poster early last week shortly after sunrise as I saw two guys standing in a small fishing boat with large outboard motor, speeding from the public landing. It’s now the time when loon chicks have just come from the nest, and they are vulnerable to speedboats and other quicker predators. We have three nesting pairs of loons on our lake which is only 400 acres in area, less than a mile across it.
This was a concern a week ago when a brand new neighbor brought two jetskis to the lake, and his kids and guests displayed no knowledge of the restrictions on these watercraft. Like "slow, no-wake speeds until 150 feet from shore." Some lake people have complained that nobody can estimate such distances. Maybe they have never seen the 50-yard-line on a football field. The jetski can speed up when it gets to the goal line. Each yard is three feet. (old math)
Boating safety becomes a major concern on summer Saturdays when every type of watercraft is afloat. Canoes, kayaks, and sailboats, dodge among power boats towing wake boarders or their tiny tots hanging onto rafts. And some of us are quietly fishing. As boat traffic increases, now that a very short spring has left us and summer is here, I just hope that all of these fragile bodies have life jacket protection.
Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-57936561985602268682013-06-23T06:57:00.000-05:002013-06-23T06:57:36.655-05:00
TITLE - LEARNING AT THE LAKE - A WATERWORKS Column for the Aitkin Independent Age, June 5, 2013.
Before settlement a hundred and fifty years ago our lake country was pristine, the pines and hardwoods had not yet been clear cut. Shorelines of the lakes and rivers were natural. Bands of the Dakota and Ojibwe people had lived many years in the region without impacting the wildlife and forests. Today our children are being given an environmental education, and older folks can learn how to make a smaller footprint beside our beautiful waters.
On Saturday, June 15th, at Rippleside School in Aitkin, from 9 am to 2 pm, the 17th Annual Aitkin County Rivers and Lakes Fair will be celebrated. We will learn about beaver, the floods of 2012, aquatic life, and bats, to name just some of the topics. Stop by our ACLARA booth for an exhibit about the 20 lake associations that make up our coalition. If you live by a lake without an active association we have outreach workers to lend a hand.
When new folks buy lake property or families inherit the cabin in which they have grown up, there is a lot learn about: individual sewage treatment systems, water wells, fire regulations, seasonal road restrictions, limits on impervious surfaces, private road funds for grading and snow plowing, and watercraft and dock regulations. At least four state and county agencies have something to tell you about your life at the lake. A good place to look for answers is our Rivers and Lakes Fair. The many booths in the Rippleside gym will inform you about what is new up here. There are classroom programs and hands-on activities for all ages.
FISH STICKS
The DNR Fisheries Division wants you to leave the trees that fall into the water at the shoreline. No need to clear away branches or trunks. In fact, these trees enhance the fish habitat along the shore. Shelter and shade provided by this downed timber makes a place where the population can grow. Once again we can regain some of the natural aspect of our lakes.Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-87307343086039900882013-04-26T15:41:00.000-05:002013-04-26T15:43:34.214-05:00WATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett
A monthly Outdoors Column for the 5/1/2013 Aitkin Independent Age
WEATHER GUESSING
One of the veteran pilots in my Navy Air Anti-submarine Squadron had been trained as a meteorologist and had served in that capacity at the Jacksonville, Florida Naval Air Station. Commander “Red” Reider was his name, and he introduced me to the term “Weather-Guesser” when we needed a weather briefing for a scheduled launch. Red had a sense of humor and always emphasized that forecasting the weather was a shaky business. These are memories from the 1960's. With modern atmospheric models for the 21st Century we might expect some improvement.
Just maybe we have had our final “Spring snowstorm.” It is the First of May. But forecasts and predictions have been shaky for the entire month of April. Last year the ice went out in March on our lake - the earliest in at least 36 years, and this year it will surely be the latest ice-out date in as many years. It’s fair to say that we have had weather extremes in recent years. Severe rainstorms and flooding last June and July were followed by the dry spells of September and October. In the words of my shipmate Red Reider, what will come next is “anybody’s guess.”
IMPERVIOUS SURFACES
One of the best little water quality booklets that I’ve come across has just been published by the University of Wisconsin Extension Center for Land Use Education. Its title is "Impervious Surfaces - How They Impact Fish, Wildlife and Waterfront Property Values." Copies are available from the county zoning office. It is illustrated with underwater photographs of fish, pictures of waterfowl and wildlife, as well as good and not-so-good treatments of shoreline. There are graphics to show what happens to runoff volume, phosphorus input, and sediment input when shoreland is managed in different ways.
Certainly when you pour concrete and spread asphalt near the lake there will be harm, but is gravel considered impervious? Here is a quotation that I found to be helpful:
“A common question is whether gravel driveways and walkways are considered impervious surfaces. Noncompacted gravel “mulch,” such as that used as landscaping material, is generally not considered impervious. On the other hand, gravel used for driveways, parking lots or other high-use surfaces, becomes compacted. After compaction, gravel driveways and parking areas will create runoff even during minor rain events. If gravel is used, it should be free of clay and other fine particles to help prevent compaction and “clogging” of spaces between gravel particles. Half-inch or 3/4 inch “clear” crushed rock is a good choice for this application. “Clear” indicates that the gravel is virtually free of fine particles.”
Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4195205169755917414.post-67971802278089535192013-03-28T23:16:00.000-05:002013-03-28T23:16:24.381-05:00WATERWORKS: FIFTEEN YEARSWATERWORKS by Gordon Prickett
A column for the 4/3/2013 Aitkin Independent Age
FIFTEEN YEARS!
This monthly column called “Waterworks” has now completed fifteen years in the Sports and Outdoors Section of the Aitkin Independent Age. Back in 1998 the Citizens Water Planning Task Force was looking for a way to get the attention of the public. We were a group of citizens and agency people who had come together a decade earlier to write a Comprehensive Local Water Plan for Aitkin County. I had written letters to newspapers while living in several states over a number of years, and I volunteered to gather the ideas from the task force each month and submit an edited outdoors column. Marcia Thurmer was the member who coined the name “Waterworks” for our column. Publisher Dick Norlander agreed to run the column for us every month.
After a year of collecting input from the task force, I announced that the source of Waterworks content would usually be from this writer. Since that time I have concentrated on water quality topics within Aitkin County, and the current publisher, Matt McMillan, has continued to carry Waterworks once a month.
SOME MILESTONES
Eight years ago this month a revitalized coalition for county lake associations, called ACLARA, was launched. The new Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association grew out of three educational meetings arranged by the Citizens Water Planning Task Force and the Executive Director of the Minnesota Lakes Association. From a corps of leaders in five lake associations, ACLARA has expanded to include twenty active member lake associations. Regular meetings and programs are held in April through October.
A major emphasis by ACLARA has been upgrading and publicizing the shoreland standards by which the state government mandates how county and local governments manage the shoreline of the water bodies within their jurisdictions. After several years of development by a DNR-led pilot project, a set of alternative standards was published for our five-county area. Within three years the Aitkin County Commissioners amended our Shoreland Management Ordinance to include new shoreland standards that were most appropriate for Aitkin County, effective January 1, 2009.
The time has come for a Fifth Generation of the Comprehensive Local Water Plan. Citizens will be asked once again for their views about the quality of our waters, and what measures we should take to insure that healthy surface and ground water will be here for future generations.
Gordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10592382425082113910noreply@blogger.com0