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<br />Does develop ent decrease lake clarity?
<br />by Johanna Schussler, WRS Graduate Student
<br />Between 1980 and 2000, Minnesota
<br />added almost 900,000 people to its
<br />population. By 2010, another 500,000 will
<br />be living in the land of 10,000 lakes. Part of
<br />our identity as Minnesotans lies in those
<br />lakes, and in the experiences that we have
<br />with them: fishing and swimming, boating
<br />and water skiing, going up to "the cabin,"
<br />and watching the sun set over sparkling
<br />waters on warm summer evenings. As the
<br />population of the state continues to rise,
<br />how will our lakes be affected?Are there
<br />steps that we can take now that will ensure
<br />their future health and clarity?
<br />These are the questions that inspired
<br />the project "Hotspots of Landscape
<br />Change: Identifying Key Linkages
<br />between Water Quality and Land Develop-
<br />ment Patterns in Riparian Areas of the
<br />North Central Region."As a Water
<br />Resources Science Master's student, I
<br />have been working for the past two years
<br />with Larry Baker of the Water Resources
<br />Center and Stephanie Snyder and Robert
<br />Potts of the U.S. Forest Service to collect
<br />data that traces urban development in
<br />eleven northern Minnesota watersheds
<br />from 1980 to 2000. We have also gathered
<br />water clarity data for those watersheds
<br />over the same time period. Our hope is that
<br />by analyzing the effects of past urban
<br />development on lake water clarity, we will
<br />begin to understand what kind of develop-
<br />mentpractices maintain clean, healthy lake
<br />ecosystems for future generations.
<br />In our study, we have focused mainly
<br />on determining the changes in nutrient
<br />inputs (specifically phosphorus) to lakes
<br />in the study watersheds. We are focusing
<br />on the following factors that contribute to
<br />phosphorus inputs to lakes (above
<br />background levels):
<br />• changes in the number of Lakeshore
<br />homes, and changes in the numbers of
<br />seasonal versus permanent homes,
<br />the area of each watershed that is
<br />sewered,
<br />• the functionality of individual sewage.
<br />treatment systems in unsewered areas,
<br />• the number of feedlots in the watershed
<br />• the number of facilities in the watershec
<br />that discharge to surface water, and
<br />• the percentage of each watershed that i
<br />cultivated agriculture.
<br />To determine changes in water clarity,
<br />we have collected Secchi disc measure-
<br />mentrecords for the time period covered
<br />by the study. Gaps in the Secchi measure-
<br />mentrecord are being filled. bysatellite-
<br />inferred values of clarity (see "Minnesota
<br />lakes get checkup from space" in Duluth
<br />News Tribune, January 13, 2003, at
<br />www. duluthsuperior.com/mld/
<br />dulu th superior/news/4934579. htm).
<br />When we began our research, we
<br />expected to find that lakes in areas that
<br />had undergone population growth and
<br />increased development had experienced
<br />declines in water clarity. Preliminary data
<br />analysis has proved this assumption to be
<br />Hotspots continued on page 4
<br />it i
<br />by Roland Sigurdson, MinnAqua Aquatic Education Specialist
<br />Have you ever flown a fish kite, cast
<br />a fly rod, or wondered how to build a
<br />fishing net?
<br />Have you wondered how the
<br />Minnesota Department of Natural
<br />Resources manages fish populations in
<br />our state, how many kinds of fish live in
<br />our waters,. or what equipment is needed
<br />to go fishing?
<br />Visitors found answers to these and
<br />many other delightful questions at the
<br />First Annual Festival of Fish organized
<br />by the MinnAqua program. The fish
<br />festival theme was chosen for the event
<br />because of the bountiful water resources
<br />we are fortunate to enjoy in Minnesota,
<br />and because fish and fishing are a
<br />heritage shared by all of the people in
<br />our state.
<br />The Festival of Fish was a wonderful
<br />opportunity to share our cultural
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<br />A Festival of Fish volunteer teaches
<br />children about the diverse species of
<br />fish present in the Mississippi River.
<br />traditions with fellow Minnesotans of all
<br />backgrounds. It brought people together
<br />to celebrate the role fish play in the
<br />history, foods, traditions, art, recreation,
<br />and social customs of Minnesota's many
<br />cultures. Agency and citizen presenters
<br />took time from their busy schedules to
<br />share their knowledge and skills with
<br />members of the public.
<br />Some of the presentations included
<br />traditional Afro/Caribbean dances
<br />performed by the EI Arco Iris perfor-
<br />mance school, woodcarving, net making,
<br />and antique lure collectables. In addi-
<br />tion, partners like the Minnesota
<br />Department of Natural Resources,
<br />National Park Service, Adopt-A-River,
<br />Three Rivers Park District, and Minne-
<br />sota Department of Health all shared
<br />knowledge and information with the
<br />public. Volunteers assisted children and
<br />adults in making fish hats and fish
<br />prints, Teaming to tie f shing flies, and
<br />even casting a fly rod.
<br />The MinnAqua program hopes to
<br />make this an annual event and has
<br />already scheduled next year's Festival of
<br />Fish forAugust 6, 2005, at Fort Snelling
<br />State Park.
<br />3 September 2004
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