Most citizens believe that the MN DNR has the responsibility to protect and manage our public waters, and they would be right. But what most do not understand is that while the MN DNR has the authority and responsibility, lake associations do most of the planning and actual work, and pay the majority of the… Read more »
By Jeff Forester, Executive Director MLR On February 17th Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates hosted a webinar featuring a presentation by Jeffrey Marr and Andrew Riesgraf, St. Anthony Falls Lab, SAFL within the University of Minnesota. Their study of the wake energy and height produced by different watercraft in different configurations has been much anticipatedRead More
Over the last few years the number of boats on our lakes and rivers as well as the power and capacity of those boats has been increasing dramatically. This has led to an increase in boating related injuries, conflicts among different user groups, and negative impacts to shoreline and lake sediments. In partnership with MN… Read more »
In 2019 MLR began receiving reports that large wakes were creating conflicts among different lake users, eroding shoreline, and creating other problems. During the pandemic lake based recreation increased dramatically as did the sale of watercraft. Industry data shows that consumers gravitated to the ends of the boat spectrum. Sales of large, powerful watercraft like… Read more »
Your Friends, Family, and Neighbors will Thank You! Starry stonewort and other Aquatic Invasive Species disrupt lake and river activities once they are introduced to the ecosystem. By cleaning your boat after each use in an infected lake or river, you are protecting your community members that appreciate other nearby lakes from having to manage… Read more »
The 2021 Minnesota Lakes and Rivers “Water Connects Us All™” Annual Meeting was held December 1st, 2021 via online technology. Executive Director Jeff Forester gave a detailed report on our accomplishments together over the last year, including millions of dollars in funding for AIS research, Stop Starry efforts, and lake association plant management grants. In… Read more »
Lloyd Thyen’s grandparents originally purchased 100’ of lakeshore on Lawrence Lake in Cass County in the 1940’s with a vertical log cabin on site. Some believe it to have been the oldest structure on Lawrence Lake. Eventually the cabin had to be torn down and the family used the ice house as the cabin until… Read more »
Connecting with new shoreline owners as they are starting to make decisions about how to develop their lots is critical to protecting water quality. Including Lake Steward in the Land Use Permit Application is a huge step in accomplishing this. This is the first time that any Local Government Unit has included specific shoreline management… Read more »
As lake leaders you know that the threats to our lakes, and MN’s lake heritage, are mounting. In 2020 the MPCA, after extensive testing, listed 56% of Minnesota’s lakes as impaired. This year they added another 305 water bodies to the list. Agricultural runoff, industrial pollution, salt from our roads, phosphorus from lakeshore management, are… Read more »
Jeff Forester, Executive Director of MN Lakes and Rivers Advocates welcomed about 75 Lake Association leaders to the virtual meeting. His opening presentation focused on a Civic based strategy to vertically integrate lake and river advocacy in MN. Lake and rivers are a key resource for local communities, providing quality of life, property tax base,… Read more »