Ann Lewandowski, University of Minnesota, 612-624- 6765

When excess algae and low oxygen are a problem in lakes, the common culprit in Minnesota is excess phosphorus. Where that phosphorus comes from – and the most effective strategy for reducing it – varies from one watershed to the next. Since it is impractical to measure phosphorus runoff from every corner of a watershed, planners turn to models to estimate where it’s coming from and how much reduction could be achieved from each source.

In Minnesota, a model for analyzing phosphorus (and other water quality issues) is the Minnesota Watershed Treatment Model (MWTM). A similar model has been used for many years in Maryland and other states, but a version for Minnesota was developed recently and is now available for field testing. The MWTM, which can be useful for educating stakeholders, estimates and compares the relative phosphorus contribution from various sources. It is free and is based on Microsoft Excel so no specialized computer expertise or software is required.

Four training sessions for the MWTM are scheduled for June across central Minnesota: St. Cloud area (June 6), Alexandria (June 7), Park Rapids (June 21), and Brainerd (June 22). All sessions are from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Workshops are free, but class size is limited so please pre-register. To register, contact Ann Lewandowski (612-624-6765, alewand@umn.edu).

We have added a new feature to the From Shore to Shore Web site! You can still browse archived issues, but now you can also find articles by topic using a searchable database. To try it out, go to www.shorelandmanagement.org and click on “shore to shore news.” Under “Search for Shoreland Information,” click on the link, then type in a topic and search. As a bonus, articles are easy to cut and paste for use in your lake association newsletter.

Karen L. Terry, University of Minnesota Extension, 888-241-0843

In the last issue, we asked you to take a few moments and respond to the reader survey about From Shore to Shore. THANK YOU to all of you who have responded! If you have not yet taken the survey, it’s not too late. We value your feedback so please participate. All responses will be kept anonymous.

If you receive this newsletter as a mailed hard copy, the survey was inserted as an extra page that we asked you to fill it out, fold and mail. The survey can also be completed online by visiting www.shorelandmanagement.org, clicking on “shore to shore news,” and navigating to the January/February 2007 issue in the archive. If you receive this newsletter online, just click HERE, and you’ll be directed to an easy-to-complete online version of the survey.

Thank you.

The From Shore to Shore editors are holding a contest to find the best ice ridge photo. Do you have a winning photograph of an ice ridge or the damage left behind by one? Send your best high-resolution shots to kterry@umn.edu (sorry, digital images only) by May 15 to be eligible to win a Lake Home and Cabin Kit. Tip: the photos are most effective if they include a person or something else for scale. The winner will be announced in the July/August issue. By submitting a photo, you grant University of Minnesota Extension permission to use that photo in future publications and presentations. Please include your name and address. Good luck!

Barb Liukkonen, Water Resources Center and Minnesota Sea Grant Program, 612-625-9256

Please take a few moments and respond to the reader survey in this issue of From Shore to Shore. If you’re reading this in hard copy, there is an extra page inside - just fill it out, fold and mail. If you prefer to take the survey online instead of mailing the paper copy, go to www.shorelandmanagement.org and click on “shore to shore news” on the front page. If you’re reading this issue of the newsletter online, just click HERE, and you’ll be directed to an easy-to-complete online version of the survey.

We want to know what you think about From Shore to Shore and how we can improve it. If the bimonthly newsletter serves a purpose, we certainly want to continue and perhaps expand it. If people don’t find the information useful and timely, then maybe we don’t need to keep producing it.We will use your anonymous responses to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and educational value of the newsletter, so please help with your honest answers.

Thank you.

Barb Liukkonen, Water Resources Center and Minnesota Sea Grant, 612-625-9256

Forty-seven volunteers in Minnesota are collecting water samples from their favorite lake or stream this summer to test for the presence of E. coli bacteria. They split the sample they collect and send half to a certified lab for analysis and take the rest home where they analyze it using two simple test kits. Volunteers are monitoring 24 sites on 15 different lakes and rivers in 11 Minnesota counties. So far they’ve detected a few sites that exceed the state standard for E. coli bacteria on a regular basis and a few sites that have been occasionally high. Many volunteers have been pleased to find that the sites they are monitoring have very low bacteria counts and do not present a human health risk for recreational use.

Their work is part of a six-state regional project assessing the accuracy and reliability of those test kits when used by volunteers. The three-year study, funded through the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is evaluating six different test kits, including the Coliscan® EasyGel and 3M Petrifilm™products that Minnesota volunteers are using. The Water Resources Center is the fiscal agent and Barb Liukkonen is coordinating the project. Five other states are in the project: IA, WI, MI, IN, and OH.

The research project team received the 2006 national Gold Team Award from the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals at the association’s annual conference in Park City, Utah, in May.

Eleanor Burkett presented a poster Sustaining Our Shores: New Research, Demonstration and Education Through University of Minnesota Extension Service Shoreland Education Program, Erosion Control for Property Owners at the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals conference held May 14 - 17, 2006, in Park City, Utah.

Barb Liukkonen presented two papers at the same conference: Does Arsenic in Drinking Water Affect Dairy Products? and Preventing the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species from Water Gardening.

Also at the conference, Barb and Eleanor received the national Gold Award for Educational Materials for the posters, tip cards, and plant sticks we produced to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species from water gardening.

Doug Jensen, aquatic invasive species program coordinator for Minnesota Sea Grant, gave a presentation, Habitattitude Baseline Survey Shows that Aquarists and Water Gardeners Can Be The Problem and Solution to Aquatic Invasive Species Spread, at the 14th International Aquatic Invasive Species Conference, in Key Biscayne, Florida, during May.

Doug also gave a presentation, Habitattitude: A Program Update, at the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network Conference in Alpena, MI, June 13, and gave a joint presentation with Marie Zhuikov, Minnesota Sea Grant communications coordinator, and Marco Yzer, assistant professor with the University of Minnesota, Integrating Audience Perspectives into Sea Grant Programming at that conference.

Renee Pardello, Minnesota Extension Service, 612-624-6479

This attractive 3-ring binder is the second edition of the popular Lake Home and Cabin Kit. A table of contents and tabbed sections guides you to answers for common lake home and cabin questions. The kit contains over 50 cards with information on septic systems, trees, shoreland, water quality, and wildlife. No lake home or cabin owner should be without the University of Minnesota Extension Service’s Lake Home and Cabin Kit. Sturdy cards are provided to keep pertinent personal information about the owner’s property and other important contacts. The 3-ring binder is an attractive addition to any cabin owner’s bookcase. The price is $29.99 and it can be ordered online through the University of Minnesota Extension services web site.

Barb Liukkonen,Water Resources Center and Minnesota Sea Grant Program, 612-625-9256

[The following is adapted from the Minnesota Environmental Action Network, May 30, 2006 Legislative Update.]

The Minnesota legislature took a step forward in cleaning up and protecting our lakes, rivers, and streams, but has failed to create a legacy yet. This year, the legislature allocated almost $25 million in one-time money to begin cleanup programs. Environmental and conservation groups have been working with business, agricultural, and local government representatives to secure the needed $80 to $100 million a year in ongoing funding, which the legislature failed to address this year.

Legislators made environmental and conservation projects a significant component of this year’s capital investment bill, which borrows money for long-term investments. The 2006 Protect Our Water package supported projects that invested in clean water, protected lands, healthy communities, and transportation alternatives. Protect Our Water projects received over $230 million in the final bill, which included $14 million for Wildlife Management Areas acquisition (WMAs), $7 million for forest conservation easements, and $60 million for the Northstar Corridor. The $230 million represents a significant commitment to Minnesota’s Great Outdoors in this $1 billion bonding bill.

The greatest accomplishment this year to protect Minnesota’s waters is the state’s new mercury emissions reduction act, which was signed into law in early May. The law requires the state’s largest coal-burning power plants to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent between 2009 and 2014. Currently, coal-burning power plants account for approximately half of Minnesota’s mercury emissions. This law will reduce mercury emissions approximately 1,200 pounds a year – roughly one-third of Minnesota’s 2005 emissions – and is one of the strongest laws in the country.

Molly Zins, Minnesota Waters, 800-515-5253

Join lake and river advocates from around the state on September 7-9 for the 2006 Lakes and Rivers Conference being held at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC). Networking, excellent speakers, new program opportunities, and fun are guaranteed in beautiful Duluth, the world’s largest inland seaport, surrounded by dramatic hills and a breathtaking historic waterfront. Take a couple of extra days and wander up the North Shore as the colors begin to turn. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and play atop Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake in North America.

• Over 35 concurrent sessions from Thur. through Sat.
• Special workshops on advanced topics
• 85 exhibitors of lake management services and products
• Field trips to view innovative projects in the Duluth area
• Local water planning track Thursday sponsored by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
• Session tracks on citizen monitoring, building healthy organizations, watershed stewardship, shoreland development, river ecology and more
• Gala Minnesota Waters Celebration overlooking the harbor
• 1,200 hotel rooms within walking distance of the DECC. An extensive climate-controlled skywalk system connects attendees to lodging, attractions, restaurants, shopping and the DECC, or stay in historic Canal Park, just three minutes away.

For more information, registration, and program agenda, check out the conference web site.