IMPORTANT NEWS from Otter Tail County Coalition of Lake Associations
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E-Newsletter
January 2024
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In This Issue:
- New Buchanan Lake Association Joins OTC COLA
- Lake Sample Collection Equipment
- MN Waterways Impaired Due To Chloride
- DNR Releases Invasive Carp Plan Update
- DNR Shares Accomplishments
- New Litter On Ice Law
- DNR, Sheriffs Warn Of Poor Ice
- MN COLA January 2024 Update
- McGrew Appointed To MN AIS Advisory Committee
- AIS Task Force Update January 2024
- OTC Highway Department Earns Federal Grant
- Testing For Radon
- AIS Prevention Aid Program Snapshot 2023
- AIS Prevention 2023 Report
- AIS Handbooks - Second Printing
- AIS Task Force Minutes
- OTC Board Of Commissioner Minutes
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www.lakeadmin.org -Featured Posts
- Instant Access Links -
- Newsletter Article Index
- Water Quality Analysis Reports (2023 samples)
- Lake Property Owner Directories (2019)
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OTC COLA Welcomes Buchanan Lake Association
Buchanan Lake property owners have organized and established Buchanan Lake Association. Buchanan Lake is located in east-central Otter Tail County approximately two miles north of Ottertail, MN. Buchanan Lake Association has elected to join the Otter Tail County Coalition of Lake Associations (OTC COLA).
The Organizational Meeting was held on August 17, 2023 at the Ottertail City Community Center. Officers were elected. They are President: John Therrien, Vice President: Mike Howe, Treasurer: Curt Tomhave, and Secretary: Linda Zurn. Also elected were nine members to the Board of Directors.
Buchanan Lake Association is welcomed by OTC COLA as its newest Member. The Association will begin participating in the OTC COLA Water Monitoring Program for the 2024 season.
| | Jeff Vansteenburg, OTC COLA Environmental Director | |
Lake Sample Collection Equipment
One component of a good water quality monitoring program is the collection of representative water samples. The water in our lakes is not homogenous but varies with season, location and depth. The grab method collects samples from only the top six to eight inches of water. It is preferable to get a representative sample that is taken from a larger portion of the water column. Most samplers use an integrated depth sampling device.
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67 Minnesota Waterways 'Impaired'
Due To Chloride
After the state’s first major snowfall this winter, pollution experts say people clearing snow and ice from sidewalks and driveways should avoid using too much road salt – a major pollutant in the state’s waterways.
Every year, Minnesotans use an estimated 445,000 tons of salt to clear roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots. When the ice melts, chloride in that salt runs into storm drains and nearby lakes, rivers and streams, where it’s toxic to fish and other aquatic life.
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DNR Releases Invasive Carp Plan Update
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has released the updated Invasive Carp Action Plan for the next 10 years of prevention and management efforts in Minnesota.
The plan includes a prioritized set of recommended actions that build upon the DNR’s current intensive invasive carp efforts, including additional actions in the categories of:
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DNR Shares 2023 Accomplishments
From supporting the return of rare species and connecting more people to the outdoors, to conserving and managing the state’s natural resources and providing for commercial uses of natural resources in ways that create a sustainable quality of life in Minnesota, the DNR made significant advances toward the mission and priorities laid out in the agency’s strategic plan
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New Litter On Ice Law
Ice conditions so far this season have been highly variable and safety has to be anglers’ top priority. As anglers venture out, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds them that the new law requires people to secure their trash in a container such as a bucket, garbage bag or trash bin, and makes clear that depositing sewage — whether from animals or humans — on the ice is prohibited. The latter, particularly as it relates to human waste, has been an increasing problem in recent years, with some owners of deluxe fish houses (also known as wheelhouses) dumping their holding tanks on the ice before heading for shore.
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DNR, County Sheriffs Warn Of Poor Ice
Widespread rain, wind and unseasonably warm weather during recent days have degraded ice conditions throughout the state, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
While the week between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays has become popular among the owners of deluxe fish houses (known also as wheelhouses), conditions so far this winter mean few, if any, areas of the state have the ice thickness necessary for these types of ice structures. In recent days, DNR conservation officers and county sheriff’s deputies across the state have responded to instances of fish houses and recreational vehicles falling through the ice.
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MN COLA January 2024 Update
MN COLA welcomes the addition of Don Deutsch to the Vice President, Executive Committee, position. Welcome aboard, Don!
Go HERE for a review the benefits of joining MN COLA
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McGrew Appointed To MN AIS Advisory Committee
Otter Tail County is pleased to announce that Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commissioner Sarah Strommen has appointed Spencer McGrew, Otter Tail County Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Specialist, to serve on the Statewide Aquatic Invasive Species Advisory Committee. The Committee is comprised of 15 stakeholders who are responsible for advising the Minnesota DNR on its AIS Program.
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AIS Task Force January 2024 Update
- AIS Never takes a break
- Watercraft inspectors are being hired for 2024
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Highway Department Earns
Safe Streets Federal Grant
Otter Tail County is pleased to announce that the County Highway Department has received a 2024 Safe Streets and Road for All federal planning grant. The County received one of seven grants allocated in Minnesota this year. The grant will fund the development of an Otter Tail County Safety Action Plan to improve safety on the 1,067 miles of highway in the County.
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Testing Your House For Radon
Radon is the leading environmental cause of cancer deaths in the United States and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. More than 21,000 lung cancer deaths are attributed to radon each year in the U.S. About 2 in 5 homes in Minnesota have dangerous levels of radon. Otter Tail County Public Health recommends every home be tested.
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AIS Handbooks Second Printing
The enthusiastically acclaimed AIS Handbook sponsored by the Otter Tail County AIS Task Force is doing a second printing in February 2024. 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.
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OTC AIS Task Force Minutes
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OTC Board Of Commissioner Minutes
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Featured Posts - January 2024
to learn about new and featured posts
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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 ∙ 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 ∙ Lake Lida Property Owners Association ∙ 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
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