OCLRA Board meeting is Monday, September 9, at 9 AM

The next OCLRA Board meeting is Monday, September 9, at 9 a.m., at the ADRC building in Rhinelander, across the parking lot from Trig’s grocery. All are welcome.

The lake and conservation community flexes its muscle!
Quick action by the Oneida County lake and conversation community ensured the defeat of a county board resolution related to metallic mining on county-owned property. A resolution proposed by board chair Scott Holewinski would allow the Forestry, Land and Outdoor Recreation Committee to “entertain any unsolicited inquiries” for mining on county-owned land. The resolution failed on a 13-6 vote. The resolution was placed on the agenda for the August 20 board meeting on short notice; word about it began circulating on Saturday, August 17. Thanks to action alerts from Oneida County Clean Waters Action, OCLRA, the River Alliance of Wisconsin and others, the county board room was full. Thirty-one people spoke against the resolution and only one in favor. In addition, some 200 people sent emails to the county clerk in opposition. In urging defeat of the resolution, many opponents cited the 2018 referendum in which more than 60% of voters said no to metallic mining on a site in the Town of Lynne
near the Willow Flowage. This action demonstrates that the lake and conservation community has developed muscle and the ability to mobilize quickly.

Can you help OCLRA boost its membership?

The influence of a group like OCLRA depends heavily on the size and dedication of its members. At present our organization counts 25 lake associations and about the same number of individuals as members. We can and need to do better. Accordingly, OCLRA is looking to add a board member and membership director to help expand our roster and boost our ability to influence water-related county policies and further our mission of education, collaboration and advocacy one behalf the county’s waters. As membership director, you would reach out to the many lake associations that at present are now members and encourage them to join. You would also develop strategies to increase individual membership, and maintain and update our membership roster. If you have a passion for our waters, are well organized, and have energy to volunteer your time. We would like to speak with you. Contact OCLRA president Ted Rulseh at trulseh@tjrcommunications.com.

Six-County Meeting video available

The annual Northwoods Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting on July 12 drew attendance of 137. The highlight was a panel discussion about the interconnection of water resources – groundwater, lakes, streams, wetlands. Event sponsors, the Oneida and Vilas County Lakes and Rivers Associations, are grateful to the planners, the speakers and panelists, and the attendees who made the meeting a big success. View a video of the entire meeting at HERE (https://oclra.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=733526d172b760b79d5f3ae78&id=e4710ea847&e=3c979e360a) .

Time to apply for 2025 DNR Surface Water Grants

The DNR guidance for seeking 2025 Surface Water Grants (https://oclra.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=733526d172b760b79d5f3ae78&id=2519f53bdf&e=3c979e360a) is now available. If your lake organization is considering a Clean Boats Clean Waters project, Healthy Lakes and Rivers projects, or a lake management plan, these grants can be a great source of funds. Grants can cover water-quality improvement projects, AIS prevention and management, education and planning, surface water restoration and management, and more. Grant pre-proposals are due September 15, and final applications are due Nov 15. For information contact Jill Sunderland (mailto:jill.sunderland@wisconsin.gov) .

Trout Lake Station marks 100 years

The University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology’s Trout Lake Research Station is marking its 100th year of leading limnology with a LimnoCentennial celebration. You can read all about it in the station’s 2024 newsletter (https://oclra.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=733526d172b760b79d5f3ae78&id=87ed432bf9&e=3c979e360a) . Of particular note are three Lifetime Achievement Awards to staff members. Retired staffer Susan Knight received the Root of Knowledge award for “her continuous efforts to promote and instill the love and intrigue of aquatic plants into as many scientists as possible.” John Magnuson was recognized as the Ice King for showing “how ice can tell stories about ourselves, our climate, and our planet. He spent decades teaching us that the freeze and thaw of our lakes isn’t just a seasonal cycle, but a window into the health of our environment.” The Broken Prop Lifetime Achievement Award went to Tim Meinke, “For all
his MacGyvering and MacGrubering…to thank him for teaching us all what is possible with a paperclip and a ballpoint pen.”

More progress on enhanced wake regulation

Wisconsin townships continue to pass ordinances to limit enhanced wakes. Most recently the Waupaca County townships of Dayton, Farmington and Lind progressed toward ordinances to prohibit the creation of enhanced wakes on most of the lakes of the Waupaca Chain. A petition signed by local residents showed 95% support for the ordinance. To date, local ordinances now protect some 230 lakes, mostly in Oneida and Vilas counties.

Wakesurf boats in Portland capsize Dragon Boat paddlers

Lakes at Stake Wisconsin (https://oclra.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=733526d172b760b79d5f3ae78&id=a9211ff5a2&e=3c979e360a)) reports that recently three entrants in a Dragon Boats event on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, were capsized by artificial wake from wakeboats operating in a prohibited area of the river. “Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the incident underscores the hazardous wakes these boats produce,” said a Lakes at Stake news item. “Among the paddlers were a number of special needs individuals. Allegedly the wakeboat operators laughed and then left the scene without providing aid to the many paddlers in the water. The Dragon Boat teams took their complaints to the Multnomah County Commissioners… noting that four years of ‘education campaigns’ among the wakeboat community was not solving the problems presented by the boats.

How lakes and forests are connected

An article in the Michigan Riparian magazine (https://oclra.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=733526d172b760b79d5f3ae78&id=86ebc8a0a5&e=3c979e360a) , published by the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, describes the essential connections between forests and inland waters.

Boating by solar power

While boats these days trend toward bigger, faster and more powerful, a Michigan company offers something very different. Michigan-based Lilypad labs (https://oclra.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=733526d172b760b79d5f3ae78&id=76522d54be&e=3c979e360a)   has created a line of solar-powered boats. Two flat arrays of solar panels charge batteries that drive the propulsion system. In between is a sort of sunken living room with sofa-like seats. The manufacturer says the boats can travel at 5-6 mph. The boats run almost silently and emit no carbon-containing exhaust.

Minnesota launches Junior Lake Stewards program

This summer, Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates teamed up with high school student Judi Lee of Detroit Lakes to lead a swim camp for kids that blended swimming lessons with environmental education and stewardship. In the state’s first-ever Junior Lake Stewards program (https://oclra.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=733526d172b760b79d5f3ae78&id=5bb774bbec&e=3c979e360a) , campers learned about lake stewardship and the importance of protecting shorelines. The program ended with visits to recipients of MLR’s Lake Steward recognition, where they observed best practices for maintaining healthy lakeshores. The camp helped the kids appreciate their natural surroundings and make a commitment to preserving them.

A great read about the Great Lakes

It’s been 20 years since Michigan writer Jerry Dennis published The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas. It has not lost any of its value or relevance. It is described as “the definitive book about the history, nature, and science of these remarkable lakes at the heart of North America. From the geological forces that formed them and the industrial atrocities that nearly destroyed them, to the greatest environmental success stories of our time, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario are portrayed in all their complexity.” Dennis also shares his memories of a lifetime on or near the lakes. On his travels, he collected more stories of the lakes through the eyes of biologists, fishermen, sailors, and others he befriended while hiking the area’s beaches and islands. The new 20th Anniversary edition has a new cover with an introduction that brings readers up to date on what has happened on and to the lakes since 2004.

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