High Water

A WATERWORKS Column in the Aitkin Independent Age for January 4, 2014, by Gordon Prickett

HIGH WATER PLANS

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

WATERWORKS: FIFTEEN YEARS

WATERWORKS 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.

A NORMAL WINTER

from WATERWORKS, a column by Gordon Prickett for the 3/6/2013 Aitkin Independent Age A NORMAL WINTER With plenty of snow for the trails and the snowplows, and timely thick ice on the lakes, this has been a pretty good winter in the northland. Septic mounds are safe under adequate snow cover. I’m reminded that this spring it is time for us to pump and inspect our individual sewage treatment system. It’s seventeen years old and doing fine. Last summer we replaced a two-inch drilled water well that was thirty-six years old. The quiet solitude of winter at the lake is an opportunity for bird watching and tracking critters in the fresh snow. Also, it is a good time for taking stock of tasks completed, and those still left. WHY JOIN A LAKE ASSOCIATION? Whether year-round residents, snow birds, or weekend cabin people, there are about two dozen active lake associations in the county that try to figure out how to get most of these property owners on their lakes to join and show up for picnics, boat parades, and special events. A fair number of us came up north to get away from crowds and congestion, and would just like to be left alone. Times change and lakes change, but as I remarked earlier, "quiet solitude" has its place. Our county coalition of lake associations, ACLARA, recently revised the statement of purpose that spells out how we serve the lakes. There are five ways in which ACLARA does this. For lake people and for associations who contemplate either joining or urging neighbors to join, I have included these five ideas: 1. Protect, preserve, and improve the waters and shoreland. 2. Serve as a voice to governmental agencies. 3. Inform citizens about stewardship of water resources. 4. Connect with other lake associations and coalitions. 5. Support safety and courtesy on the water and shoreline. UPDATE ON SHORELAND INDUSTRIAL WASTE This column mentioned an episode of industrial waste disposal near a lake in Nordland Township, first in the Age’s January 2nd edition, and then "The Rest of the Story" on February 6. Oily waste material was spread last summer and "inspected" on October 19th. I have just been informed by the County that still no information can be released or discussed by governmental agencies until the case has run its course and is closed. Stay tuned.

WHOSE LAKE?

WATERWORKS Column by Gordon Prickett for the 10/3/2012 Aitkin Independent Age WHOSE LAKE? When we talk about lakes and lakeshore it’s normal to refer to “my lake,” if we happen to own or use a cabin close by. And if we work for a governmental agency that provides a service in lake country I guess it’s normal to have a proprietary feeling about the water, the fish, the vegetation, the data, and the shoreline of these water bodies. Now I am talking about the “public waters” in our county. They are a local, state, and national asset that we all can share. Our merchants hope that many visitors will come in summer and share the joys of boating and swimming. A normal winter brings snowmobilers, skiers, and ice fishermen. Those of us with a conservation ethic hope that these folks can enjoy the waters and help us take care of them for the future. HOW HIGH IS THE WATER? The information about a lake is also public information, and can be accessed, to the extent that it is gathered, by an Internet-savvy keyboard artist. This summer when storms raged across our county we had an urgent need to learn how high lake levels were climbing. Dock sections were drifting away. Lake level gauges were underwater. Wellheads were underwater and propane tanks were afloat. Boat lifts, canopies, and pontoons were adrift on Big Sandy Lake. Emergency meetings of the County Board in June established Slow-No-wake boating restrictions for all lakes in the county. At the hundreds of lakes in the county the rapid rise in surface levels varied greatly. But the effects of torrential rains were everywhere, with storm water washouts and erosion of roads and shores. Elevations have been established at about 60 lakes in the county, by setting benchmarks and examining the vegetation to determine Ordinary High Water. At 28 of these lakes there are DNR level gauges where regular readings are taken, starting when the ice goes out. By working with the DNR, the Soil and Water Office, and Land Department surveyors, the Sheriff and the County Board adjusted their boating restrictions over several weeks, for particular lakes where levels were extremely high and shoreline damage could occur. The coalition of 20 lake associations, known as ACLARA, is surveying our membership to evaluate how the lakes were affected by these emergency boating restrictions. We will deliver a summary report to the County Board early next year.

COUNTING CLEAN WATER MONEY

WATERWORKS Outdoor Column by Gordon Prickett, from
The Aitkin Independent Age, 11/2/2011.

Back in July 2009 Minnesota businesses began collecting an extra 3/8% sales tax on those items that are subject to this tax. In much of the state it was pegged at 6½% before the 25-year constitutional amendment went into effect.

When this amendment received a “yes” vote in the November 2008 general election, it surprised a lot of Minnesotans. A very savvy group of state legislators, from both political parties, had assembled a coalition consisting of hunters and fishermen, environmentalists, outdoor camping enthusiasts, and patrons of the arts. The politicians then drafted a bill to send a “Legacy Amendment” directly to the voters. This procedure effectively bypassed Governor Tim Pawlenty, who had taken a “No tax increase” pledge when he battled for the nomination of his party in the 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

The receipts from this new sales tax fall into four separate pots of money, to be parceled out by four different entities every year, and subject to approval by the state legislature. The four new funds are Clean Water, Outdoor Heritage, Arts and Cultural Heritage, and Parks and Trails. In this column I am looking closely at how the clean water money is spent.

CLEAN WATER SHARE OF THE LEGACY TAX

With tens of millions of new sales tax dollars coming in every year, from 2009 through 2034, this is the breakdown among the four causes:
clean water fund 33%
outdoor heritage fund 33%
arts and cultural heritage fund 19.75%
parks and trails fund (of regional & statewide significance) 14.25%

This is new dedicated money, beyond what the legislature and the governor budget in each legislative session. It protects the “essentials” that its supporters consider will maintain Minnesota’s excellent quality of life.

The clean water money is directed to “protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, and streams and protect groundwater.” A critical balance is being struck across the state, between restoration of polluted and contaminated waters, protection of waters currently in good shape, and enhancement of waters under threat, but still “pretty clean.”

The state agencies charged with administering the clean water fund are mainly the Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR). However, the Department of Health has responsibility for water wells and aquifers, and the Department of Agriculture tests well water and monitors runoff from pastures, feedlots, and soil erosion.

These state agencies seek grant requests for clean water projects from local units of government and from engaged community groups. Projects are underway in this region to expand water testing, gather available lake quality data into assessment reports, and conduct shore restoration planting. The priorities established by updated county water plans are guiding the grant awards and the execution of clean water projects.

The Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association (ACLARA) will focus on how member associations can participate and benefit from new clean water funding in years to come.

LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

From Waterworks by Gordon Prickett, July 6 edition, The Aitkin Independent Age

County Sheriff Scott Turner has been making the rounds of lake association meetings and radio interviews lately with a message for the Aitkin Lakes Area. "Be careful out there. Be alert to danger. And be a good steward in your neighborhood."

Shortly after hearing the sheriff on KKIN I received a call from a lake association member across the lake. The previous evening at suppertime, two fisherman near the public access had climbed onto their docks and were looking over fishing equipment at waterfront residences. The owners responded quickly and the trespassers left in a hurry. Conservation Officer Bob Mlynar was notified along with the sheriff’s office.

Their pickup truck has been traced and local law enforcement is on the lookout for the visiting fishermen. “Invasive aquatic species” come in different forms, as these would-be pirates demonstrated. Half of our lake association members are connected through the internet, and we put out an alert around the lake. More than half of our lake residents are away from their cabins in the middle of a work week. Many of the boat docks are not visible from houses on shore. Our message was “Be alert and remove contents that easily could be stolen from your boats and docks.”

IS THERE A LAKE ASSOCIATION?

Fifteen years ago I asked Steve Hughes this question at the Soil and Water Office, when we had just moved onto our lakeshore. Back then there wasn’t any association. But seven years ago a committee of neighbors was interested in organizing. Today the Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association (ACLARA) has a coalition of twenty member associations. ACLARA works with folks in the county to help them start up a lake association where they live and vacation.

Our organizing purpose on Nord Lake was to preserve and protect the lake and get to know the neighbors around the lake. Now another purpose is clear - to help provide for the safety of us all.

WATERWORKS October 6th 2010

Aitkin Age wednesday weekly

CLEAN WATER AND SAFE BOATING

When the representatives of the Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association (ACLARA) gathered on October 1st for our Fall Banquet, this was my toast at the beginning of our dinner to those present, “Here’s to Clean Water and to Safe Boating!” This Coalition, that now consists of 19 Lake Associations, was called together for three training sessions in the summer of 2004, and it formally organized in April 2005. Each year since then we have grown and provided a place where lake associations can share news and ideas, training and programs for their members.

ACLARA is currently streamlining its by-laws, and as part of the drafting team, I was very satisfied with the updated language in the Statement of Purpose.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE (proposed)

The Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association, referred to as “ACLARA,” serves in Aitkin County to:

A. Protect, preserve, and improve the waters and shoreland of Aitkin County, enhancing aesthetic, economic, and recreational values.

B. Serve as a voice of the membership to governmental bodies and their agencies.

C. Inform and persuade citizens of the County in becoming more effective stewards
of our water resources.

D. Connect and communicate with individual lake and river associations and with coalitions in Minnesota.

E. Support safety and courtesy in the use of county waters and the use of shoreland, and support compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.


That’s what ACLARA is about.

After the meal last Friday we had a program of telling favorite fish stories. Getting out on the water and onto the ice is just a lot of fun. As docks are taken in and we pull our boats onto the shore, Fall colors have never been brighter and water clarity is reaching its peak.

Yes, indeed, clean water and safe boating for all!


(Gordon Prickett is President of the Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association)

WHAT IS NORMAL?

as seen in WATERWORKS 11/4/2009 The Aitkin Independent Age

Water scientists look at sampling results on our lakes and will only talk about trends in water quality after years of observations. But cabin people like to talk about the look of the lake and the weather we’re having “right now.” “What’s all this about global warming? It’s been cold in October!” Now that the last week of October has seen a little sunshine, and outside chores are finished, I’m still convinced that this is not a "normal" fall season.

In September we had a month of warm summer weather, which kept the green foliage on trees and shrubs. Then a week into October, when brilliant maple colors were reaching a delayed peak, we had sudden snowfalls and a killing freeze that withered our gardens.

Confusion everywhere. Snow collected on green oak leaves. Two inches of snow covered green lawns. Box elder trees shed leaves quickly in connected bunches. Surprisingly, the tamaracks stood out boldly in their finest gold. Deciduous trees around the lake were still green when cold weather forced the last holdout to skip a boatride to view the fall colors. Time to put away the boat and remove the dock ahead of an early freeze-up.

Sure, the glaciers somewhere may be disappearing, and the polar icecaps are getting thinner. There are songbirds are moving their nests north. We can discuss “climate” at another time. But can you recall ever experiencing “weather” like this?

ORGANIZING LAKE ASSOCIATIONS

About five years ago a new lake association got off the ground with help from neighbors and the Soil and Water office. Our stated purpose at Nord Lake was pretty simple - to protect and preserve the lake, and to get to know the people living around the lake. In my experience as a vacationer, and more recently as a cabin owner, I have observed that some folks come North to “get away” and are not looking for new social networks.

But there were some on our lake who urged us on - to organize, in order to preserve the lake, and to get better acquainted. It turned out that about half of the people near our lake have become association members, with a core group willing to lead picnics, road pick-ups, boat parades, and send out newsletters.

In the summer of 2004 the Aitkin County Water Planning Task Force sponsored a series of workshops on lake stewardship to help reorganize a previous coalition of county lake associations that had become inactive. Today this new Aitkin County Lakes And Rivers Association, or “ACLARA,” is planning some initiatives for its 20 member associations in the coming year. An educational event about the movement of Aquatic Invasive Species into our area, and demonstrations of stormwater management will be offered. Lakes that are looking for help in forming new associations, or support with existing ones, will find experienced organizers ready to work with them.