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IMPORTANT NEWS from Otter Tail County Coalition of Lake Associations

E-Newsletter

May 2024



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In This Issue:

Upcoming Events For 2024


OTC COLA is looking forward to an exciting lake season in 2024. The Board of Directors have been working hard to put together programs and activities to attract and engage Lake Associations and lake property owners. The emphasis this year is to increase OTC COLA awareness and outreach to all lake property owners.


Currently scheduled events.

Water monitoring kickoff and meeting events are scheduled to be held at the Ottertail Community Center in Ottertail, MN on 3rd Thursdays, May, June, July and August.


  • May 16- Lake property owners meeting
  • Featured speaker: Heather Jacobson, OTC Assessor
  • June 20- Lake property owners meeting
  • Featured speaker: Chuck Becker, safewakes.org
  • July 18- Lake property owners meeting
  • Featured speaker: Jeff Forester, Minnesota Lakes & Rivers Executive Director
  • August 15- OTC COLA Annual Meeting and lake property owners meeting.
  • Featured speaker: Nicholas Kludt, MN DNR Fisheries- DNR rock rapids

Jacobson, County Assessor

Featured Speaker at May COLA Meeting


Heather Jacobson, County Assessor, will be the featured speaker at the May 2024 meeting of Otter Tail County lake property owners sponsored by OTC COLA. Heather’s presentation will focus on current values and the changes to the 2024 assessments.


Jacobson was appointed County Assessor by the Otter Tail County Board of Commissioners in August of 2023. She has been with Otter Tail County since 2011 beginning her career in a clerical position in the Otter Tail County Assessor’s office. From there she moved to an appraiser role where she valued and classified properties. Jacobson served as Chief Deputy Assessor before being appointed the Otter Tail County Assessor.


Jacobson is a graduate of Ashby High School and attended college in Boston MA where she majored in business. While in college she was fortunate to get to play basketball and travel around the world through the Semester at Sea study Abroad Program.


Otter Tail County Assessor's Department


The OTC COLA Meeting will be held at the Ottertail Community Center, 93 Lake Avenue South, Ottertail MN 56571. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early for coffee and bars and a time of socializing and networking. All OTC lake property owners are invited to attend.

 

The May 16, 2024 meeting is the first of monthly meetings held on

third-Thursdays in May, June, July and August of 2024. Get details on www.otccola.org.

OTC COLA Lake Monitoring Program Kickoff


The distribution of the sample coolers, bottles and data sheets were given out to twenty-nine sampler volunteers on April 18 at the Ottertail Community Center parking lot. At this writing an additional 8 sets were given out directly from RMB Laboratories. To obtain sampler supplies for the 2024 season or for more information contact Jeff Vansteenburg.


Jeff Vansteenburg, OTC COLA Environmental Director, 641-420-0928

How Important Is Water Quality Monitoring?


Lakes are an important resource for recreation and for nurturing family values. There is an inherent desire of lake property owners to preserve this valuable resource as well as protect investment in property values. Much of the responsibility for the protection and preservation of lakes falls on lake property owners.


Components of a Successful Lake Stewardship Program are Activism, Organization and Data. Lake property owners need to have the interest and energy to actively participate in stewardship of their lakes. They have found that formally joining together with neighbors into Lake Associations and Lake Improvement District organizations garners credibility. An uninterrupted 10-year history of water quality monitoring data is desired to adequately show the trending of lake health.

   

Members of OTC COLA have participated in its water quality analysis program for over 32 years. Volunteers have valiantly collected water samples for phosphorus and chlorophyll-a analysis and have recorded Secchi measurements. This data has been compiled and archived by RMB Laboratories in Detroit Lakes.


OTC COLA has published Water Quality Analysis Reports since 2017. The current version not only shows a 10-year lake health trend analysis but also includes information, education and direct links to MN DNR, MPCA, UMN and other lake health resources.


OTC COLA 2023 Water Quality Analysis Report Library


Components of a Successful Lake Stewardship Program


The Case for Water Quality Monitoring


Water Quality Analysis Reports


Understanding Water Quality Analysis Data Results


What is the Trophic State Index (TSI)

The Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center is excited to share an opportunity to get up close and person with aquatic invasive species: monthly tours in our containment lab!



Join us the last Wednesday of each month from 3:00 - 4:00pm for a guided tour of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center Containment Lab (MCL), where you'll get an inside look at our state-of-the-art facility and discover the innovative research underway. It's a perfect opportunity for individuals curious about the world of science. Large group or a special occasion? Use the sign up form to request a custom tour!


MORE

MN COLA May 2024 Update


Interested in an inside look at MAISRC's state-of-the-art facility and discover the innovative research underway? Register for a lab tour of the MAISRC (Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center) facility.  https://form.asana.com/?k=Ua3KramhzBkS2feUnuWQpw&d=939683240123509

 

Read about the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory's "Healthy Waters Initiative," researching the potential impacts of boat-generated waves and propeller wash on Minnesota's lakes. https://cse.umn.edu/safl/Healthy_Waters


Go HERE for a review of the benefits of joining MN COLA


MNCOLA.ORG

 

Subscribe to the MN COLA E-Newsletter


David Helgerson, OTC COLA Director Liaison with MN COLA 

Get Fishing Questions Answered


The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has a fishing webpage (mndnr.gov/fishing) to help answer angler questions. The page answers questions like:

  • What species can I fish for?
  • What kind of bait is legal?
  • What kind of fish can I keep?



The page also is a mobile-friendly destination for information on when, where and how to fish. Users can find links to LakeFinder (mndnr.gov/lakefind), which provides maps and detailed information on lakes throughout the state, and the new StreamFinder (mndnr.gov/streamfind/index.html) tool that provides a description, species list, regulations and access information for trout streams throughout Minnesota. The DNR fishing page also includes an online version of Minnesota fishing regulations (mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing), plus online versions of the 2024 Minnesota Fishing Regulations booklet available in English (files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing_regs.pdf?v=2024.04.25-09.48.12), Hmong, Karen, Somali and Spanish.

Report Fish Die-Offs To Help DNR,

Others Respond As Needed

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources encourages Minnesotans to contact the state duty officer if they see evidence of a fish die-off in a lake or stream. Fish die-offs can result from a variety of natural and human causes.


To report fish die-offs, people should call the Minnesota duty officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798 (the duty officer line is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days a week). An early report facilitates timely water and fish sampling or other response actions, if needed. It’s especially helpful to know what sizes and types of fish people see in a fish die-off.



More information on fish die-offs is available on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/fisheries/fishkills.html).

 

Heart of the Lakes Trail Amenities Open To The Public in Pelican Rapids


The Chauncey Martin multipurpose building is now officially open to the public, marking a significant milestone in community collaboration. This project results from a successful partnership between the City of Pelican Rapids, Pelican Rapids School District, Otter Tail County, and several other organizations. A public ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on April 25 with many in attendance, including local first graders.


The building offers a range of amenities serving various interests, including bicyclists, school sporting events, and recreational enthusiasts. Managed and maintained by the Pelican Rapids School District, the facility is accessible to the public, including Heart of the Lake Trail users, during daylight hours or approximately 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.


MORE

Put the Phone Away Or Pay


The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is launching a national high-visibility enforcement effort, April 1-8, 2024, to deter distracted driving. Law enforcement officers nationwide will work together to enforce texting and distracted-driving laws and remind drivers: Put the Phone Away or Pay. This effort comes during April, which is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.


MORE

AIS Task Force May 2024 Update



  • Watercraft Inspection begins May 13th
  • Multiple self-service watercraft rinse stations planned
  • AIS Tool Stations to be deployed county-wide
  • AIS Handbook now available
  • Lake relocation of docks or lifts requires registration


MORE


Spencer McGrew, OTC AIS Specialist

AIS Prevention Aid Program Snapshot 2023

AIS Prevention 2023 Report

AIS Handbooks Now Available


The enthusiastically acclaimed AIS Handbook sponsored by the Otter Tail County AIS Task Force is now available. The Handbook will be distributed to lake property owners, resort owners, and civic organizations in Otter Tail County. Quantities can be reserved from Otter Tail County Land & Resource 218-998-8095. Besides disseminating AIS prevention best practices in the Handbooks, the AIS prevention information will also be published in area newspapers and included in social media posts.


AIS Handbook for Visitors and Residents


AIS Handbook for Visitors and Residents Cover


Spencer McGrew, Otter Tail County AIS Specialist



AIS Task Force Board Minutes



OTC Board Of Commissioner Minutes

AIS * Water Quality * Administration * Regulation


Featured Posts - May 2024




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OTC COLA Board of Directors

David Helgerson ∙ Jeff Stabnow ∙ Jeff Vansteenburg

Roger Neitzke ∙ Ronald Christensen ∙ Scott Gaudette ∙ Sylvia Soeth

 

OTC COLA Members

Bass Lake Underwood Association ∙ Berger Lake Association ∙ Big McDonald LID ∙ Boedigheimer Lake Association ∙ Buchanan Lake Association ∙ Clitherall Lake Association ∙ Dead Lake Association ∙ Devils Lake Association ∙ Eagle Lake Lakeshore Association ∙ East Battle Lake WS Association ∙ Elbow Lake Association ∙ Franklin Lake Association ∙ Hoffman Lake Association ∙ Jewett Lake Association ∙ Lida Lakes Improvement District ∙ Lake Lizzie Lakeshore Association ∙ Lake Seven Association ∙ Lake Six Association ∙ Leaf Lakes Association ∙ Little McDonald Kerbs and Paul Lakes LID ∙ Long Lake at Vergas Association ∙ Loon Lake Association ∙ Marion Lake Association ∙ McDonald Lake Improvement Association ∙ North Long Lake Association ∙ North Turtle Lake Association ∙ Otter Tail Lakes Property Owners Association ∙ Pebble Lake Lakeshore Association ∙ Pelican Lake Property Owners Association ∙ Pickerel Lake Improvement Association ∙ Pine Lakes LID ∙ Prairie Lake Lakeshore Association ∙ Round Lake 56-214 ∙ Rush Lake Association ∙ Silent Lakes Association ∙ Silver Lake Property Owners Association ∙ South Turtle Lake Improvement District ∙ Spitzer Lake Property Owners Association ∙ Stalker Lake Association ∙ Star Lake Property Owners Association ∙ Stuart Lake Association ∙ Swan Lake Association ∙ Sybil Lake Association ∙ Tamarac Lake Association ∙ Ten Mile Preservation Association ∙ Trowbridge-Leek Lake Association ∙ Wall Lake Association ∙ West Battle Lake Association ∙ West McDonald Lake Association ∙ Wymer Lake Association

John Kruse, OTC COLA Administrative Assistant  



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