Inspiring Shoreline Stewardship and Community Action
Lake Steward supports lake associations to improve water quality, increase visibility, and boost membership efforts. Now available statewide, the program has succeeded where other efforts have failed by using a simple, personal quiz to get lakeshore owners interested in learning about the relationship between their land and the water. Centered on the individual lakeshore owners, Lake Steward, by its nature, builds the feeling of community and responsibility around the lake.
The idea is simple but powerful. Your lake association sends out a simple ten question quiz that your members can take to “score their shore.” Results are sent to a volunteer from the lake association, who then visits with the property. If the candidate meets the Lake Steward standards, they are awarded a beautiful sign displayed at the end of the dock, visible to other lakeshore owners, designating them as a Lake Steward. If their shoreline does not meet the criteria, your Lake Steward volunteers can talk with the property owner about steps they can take, if they want, to improve their shoreline in order to meet the criteria.
The results speak for themselves. The Gull Chain of Lakes Association (GCOLA Lake Steward) developed this neighbor-to-neighbor model for the program to show that their members cared deeply about their lake and water quality; they were simply waiting for an opportunity to act. Of 614 GCOLA members contacted to take the quiz, hundreds have done so. In only 3 seasons, 63 Lake Stewards have been awarded, and there are currently more than 90 owners working to become Lake Stewards. For the statewide program, Minnesota Lakes & Rivers (MLR) has a designated Lake Steward Coordinator who provides training, tools, and contacts for volunteers so they can provide information to the property owners about companies/resources that can help them do restoration work and identify matching grant opportunities.
Getting started with on your lake is easy. Here it is broken down into 5 core steps:
Step 1: Assemble a Lake Steward volunteer team
A successful program is led by a small group of landowners (1-3 depending on the size of your lake) that can help respond to surveys, visit properties, and share resources with the shoreline owner.
With support from MLR, your volunteers only need to be shoreline enthusiast with foundational knowledge to help mentor waterfront property owners and connect them with shoreline restoration guides, professional services, and grant opportunities that can help cover project costs. MLR also provides ongoing support through a Lake Steward Program Coordinator who assists volunteers, troubleshoots challenges, and presents at lake association meetings. Each spring, MLR also hosts a webinar to prepare and energize volunteers for the upcoming season.
Once you have your team, contact the MLR Lake Steward Coordinator to add your lake to the quiz and get started with training.
Step 2: Distribute the “Are You a Lake Steward?” quiz to Your Members
The 10 question survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete and helps shoreland owners compare their landscaping and management to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource’s best practices for water quality and enjoyment. The quiz serves as a starting point to get lakeshore owners interested as they are informed about what practices are beneficial for the lake. GCOLA found that emailing the survey link directly to members generated the strongest participation. Additional outreach methods also proved effective, including posting the survey on the GCOLA website, providing paper copies at meetings, including information in membership mailings, and encouraging members to contact neighbors directly.
Step 3: Contact Quiz Responders and Ask to Visit the Property
A personal email was set to each quiz respondent thanking them for their interest, replying to any comments, and asking for a site visit, no matter how high or low the score was.
High scorers set a good example, but low scorers have the most impact if they make changes to their property. Usually the team chose a date and asked to be allowed to visit the property within a 2-hour time window, and stated that the property owner did not need to be present. That was the most efficient method for owners as well as the Lake Steward team. If the owner is not present, 10 or 15 minutes is sufficient for a site visit.
Step 4: Conduct Site Visits
On site, the Lake Steward volunteers from your lake association will check whether the lakeshore owner meets criteria for the award by making observations and taking photos and measurements. A list of criteria will be provided by MLR during the Lake Steward training in April, 2021.
Some of the more rewarding visits have been when owners are present, but contact can also be made by phone or email afterward. The site visit can provide an opportunity to listen to property owners’ concerns and goals, and in some circumstances to award the sign and take photos of the new Lake Steward with their award sign. If changes are needed, the team can offer advice/respources about obtaining grant funds to defray costs.
After the site visit, an email is sent thanking the participant, describing the findings and either offering congratulations or advising on what changes could lead to the award. Even if changes have been discussed in person with the owner, it is important to write them down in an email for everyone’s reference.
GCOLA found that participants fell into three groups: Already a steward, Want to Be a Steward, or just Curious. All three groups are very important to the program. The curious have lots of questions and the team was prepared to answer.
Step 5: Order Signs
The Lake Steward signs are 12×18 inches, aluminum, UV coated. They are $45 each. They are Minnesota made and should last a long time. There is space at the bottom of the sign for the lake association logo.
MLR has developed a grant to pay 50% of the costs for the first 100 signs with the participating lake association paying the other half. At a time that works best for your lake association (after site visits), email Jeff Forester at jeff@mnlakesandrivers.org with a high resolution copy of your Lake
Association logo, and include the number of signs that you need. MLR will invoice your lake association for half the cost.
Step 6: Use the Awards to Promote the Program
Once the program is up and running, the awards will promote additional participation:
- Encourage people to put the signs at the end of their docks where they are most visible. How are they attached? Screwed?
- Publish a Google map of properties that have received the awards. That helps residents to find and view properties from the water, but the map also reinforces how many residents are on board with water quality efforts and is encouraging to all.
- Publish photos and family stories of Lake Stewards in lake association publications, thanking them for protecting the lake.
Watch as a new standard is set, neighbors come on board for better water quality, and a cultural change for clean water, healthy habitat starts to happen.
To see a video of Dorothy Whitmer talking about the Lake Steward Program on Gull Chain of Lakes – CLICK HERE: http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EE57D980814931