RICE LAKE ASSOCIATION, V O L U M E 1 6, I S S U E 1

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1 RICE LAKE ASSOCIATION, Check RLA website for the 2015 membership listing on the membership page at Newsletter RLA BOARD OF DIRECTORS RLA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Please contact board members for questions or any concerns about Rice Lake. Please contact board members for questions or any President concerns about Rice Lake. Susan Anderson President Susan Anderson Vice President Ralph Klassen Vice President Ralph Klassen Treasurer Treasurer Mary Mary Jo Jo Wieseler od.mn.us Deb Henry Deb Henry Newsletter Editor and Membership Newsletter Editor and Membership I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Tim Keane tim.keane@kutakrock.com Board MLR Member 2 Advocates Tim Keane Water 3 Jeff Blankenheim Monitoring jeff@omni-tronics.com tim.keane@kutakrock.com Treasurer s 4 Report Board Peter Review Anton 5 pja2u@aol.com Jeff Blankenheim jeff@omni-tronics.com What s News 5 ship Member 6 List Peter Anton pja2u@aol.com V O L U M E 1 6, I S S U E 1 Stearns County Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) The state bill that was passed last year provides funding over time of $10 million to Minnesota Counties for the fight against the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS). $4 million of funding was provided to the state this year. In order to support the management of these funds for the counties, individuals from Lake Associates, COLAs, and Environmental Services were involved in developing a County wide AIS Plan. The AIS Plan includes the creation of three on-going committees with specify responsibilities. County AIS Committee, who is responsible for the oversight management and implementation of the plan. AIS Request For Proposal Evaluation Committee, who is responsible for the reviewing and ranking of the applications or RFPs for local funding. AIS RFP Award Panel, who is responsible for assuring the selection process of applicants is fair. The Stearns County Environmental Services has oversight to the complete program. Stearns and Meeker County AIS Plans were approved by the Board of Commissioners in first quarter of this year. Since the approval, funds were distributed to Stearns County of over $240,000 and Meeker County $111,500 to continue the fight against the spread of AIS. The NFCRWD applied to Stearns County earlier this year for a grant and was awarded $35,000 for the inspection program and other initiatives for Rice and Koronis Lakes. The AIS Plan address seven key areas for the program: 1. AIS Program Management: the AIS Committee will review the Plan annually for effectiveness and Lake Associations, Stearns COLA and Environmental Service will have responsibility for different com- Update S U M M E R ponents of the AIS Program Management. 2. Education and Awareness: will focus on Boat launch signage will be verified and improved at launches. Private launches - through specially designed AIS risk training. Awareness for private parties & Businesses purchasing/selling docks and lifts. Plan development for roadside signage to address AIS. Development of both child and adult learning opportunities. Review if fines can be increased for AIS violations. Promote additional Lake Associates where practical to assist with sharing AIS knowledge and the County wide AIS Plan. 3. Inspection/Decontamination: focus on developing a decontamination unit within the county and inspection programs. 4. Population Assessment and Management: focus will be on conducting baseline of vegetation and animals and managing efforts for waters with new small infestations that can yield big results in control. 5. Rapid Response Time: Lake Associations will be encouraged to develop an individual plan for reporting incidents of invasive species 6. Enforcement: develop plan to increase enforcement capacity in the County 7. Risk Reduction Opportunity: plan includes several ideas that can be reviewed for implementation that could reduce the overall risk to AIS infestation within the County. More details regarding the AIS Plan are available at: E n v i r o n m e n t / W a t e r r e s o u r c e s / AquaticInvasiveSpecies

2 P A G E AIS Boat Inspections Recap The North Fork Crow River Watershed District (NFCRWD) employed 5 Level 1 watercraft inspectors during The inspectors were trained by the MN DNR to inspect boats entering and exiting public boat accesses on the District s recreational lakes. Contributors to the project included the MN DNR, Koronis Lake Association, Rice Lake Association, Grove Lake Association, City of Paynesville, Meeker County, Paynesville TWP, Union Grove TWP and the NFCRWD. During each watercraft inspection, the inspectors completed a DNR survey, discussed MN AIS laws and completed a visual and physical inspection of boats entering or exiting our waterways. Completing these processes with boaters increases the knowledge of AIS and selfinspection techniques, reducing the AIS risk for the District s waters. The boat inspections went well and most boaters were very cooperative with the inspection and survey. Most inspections/ surveys took less than 5 minuets, unless there was a issue with the boat, i.e. weeds on the boat, plug in the boat, water in the live well. The NFCRWD will be continuing the AIS inspections program in The graphs in this report are the results from the DNR survey that boaters completed.

3 V O L U M E 1 6, I S S U E 1 P A G E AIS Boat Inspections Recap Continued What was learned from Inspections Zebra Mussels are transferred when attached to boats, trailers or other equipment that are placed in water. The juvenile mussels can be transferred from lake to lake in a very small amount of water. Having a drain plug in a boat can greatly increase the spread of zebra mussels. Zebra Mussels can also survive out of a lake on boats for 5 21 days, depending on weather conditions. A boat coming from a contaminated lake that is not dry for 5 21 days or decontaminated (high pressure wash with 140o F water) can spread zebra mussels. What s New Findings During Incoming Inspections Yes (Plants) 85 Yes (Water) 21 Yes (Mud) 1 No 3854 JULY 4th BOAT PARADE ANNUAL BREAKFAST MEETING Boat Parade Rice Lake, Sat, July 4 th. Starting from Fisher s Resort. Boats participating in the parade can start gathering in front of Fisher s Resort at 12:30 PM. Parade will start at 1:00 PM. Boats will be judged and cash prizes will be awarded immediately after the parade back at the starting point in front of Fisher s. Rice Lake Association Annual Breakfast Meeting Saturday, August 8th Rain or Shine Camp Ojibway TTT Road 8:30 AM Breakfast Buffet 9:00 to 10:00 AM Business Meeting Aquatic Invasive Species Update Legislature and Water Quality Updates Door Prize drawings. Membership sign up available at breakfast meeting. Breakfast is $8.00 for Non-Members attending. Rice Lake Association is Online check out website and Facebook Our website is Visit us online and find Membership information, Newsletters, Meeting Information, and articles of interest for lake property owners. Our Facebook page is also a great way for the RLA Board and members to communicate. This is a great forum for members to communicate with each other, ask questions or make suggestions by posting. Look for Rice Lake Association- Stearns County on Facebook. Like us on Facebook and post information and photos you would like to share.

4 P A G E RLA Scholarship Awarded The RLA Scholarship was presented to Jacob Stetzel at Eden Valley/Watkins High School. Jacob will be attending Minnesota State Community & Technology College in Wadena. Jacob currently works at Scherber Dairy Farm in Richmond. He is an avid fisherman, duck and deer hunter and lives on Cedar Island Lake in Richmond. Congratulations Jacob! We Did It! Thank you RLA Members!! Thanks to all of you who wrote to your State Representative and Senators asking them to VOTE NO on the bills that would have repealed the County AIS Prevention Aid. Close to 2,500 s were received by the Legislature from Lake Associations, COLAs Rough start to spring this year for our boat ramps, damaged by the winter ice jams and spring thaw. The DNR was able to repair both public access ramps before the fishing opener. RLA members who helped at the boat launches: John Hanson Ray Van Brunt Al Schmidtbauer Ralph Klassen Susan Anderson Peter Anton Opener Fishing and Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates on this matter. Our voices were heard and the effort paid off. The bills to repeal the funds for fighting AIS were dropped and did not reach the house or senate committees for vote. A big THANK YOU to those RLA members who were at the boat launches on Fishing Opener, Sat. May 9th. While the NFCRWD inspector checked the boats, the RLA members greeted the boat owners, gathered information about other lakes they were at and provided information about Ed Bies AIS regulations in an effort to increase awareness for boaters. Ted Durkees YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE Donella Schmidtbauer Tim Keane Kent Anderson

5 V O L U M E 1 6, I S S U E 1 BOARD Minutes April 11, 2015: Board members reviewed 2014 AIS inspection reports from NFCRWD. RLA board has committed $3,000 to the 2015 AIS NFCRWD inspection program. Chris Lundeen of NFCRWD and Kevin Farnum of KLA are working on the schedule. DNR to also assist with inspection program. RLA committed to a $1,800 contract with DNR for inspectors. RLA will be present at the ramps for opener fishing. Henry to call volunteers to cover shifts. Anderson will pickup AIS materials and check on NFCRWD inspector. A second lake level measuring stake was requested from the DNR, if no response, RLA will purchase a second stake to be put at Fisher s Resort. Board discuss TMDL Implementation plan and possibly doing another survey of our vegetation. Boat Parade and timing was discussed. Blankenheim volunteered to line up judges and take names of boat participants at the start of the parade. Henry to check if parade start can be moved to Fisher s. Greg Berg has been contacting property owners about the shoreline restorations project and grant money available. Discussed property tax values and some property owners saw double digit valuation increases from Sterns County. Wieseler to send out to property owners on steps to appeal. Reviewed Treasury report. May 16, 2015 : AIS Inspection Program. Anderson received contract from DNR for inspectors, Anderson will give DNR inspector schedule to Chris Lundeen of NFCRWD, so he can schedule NFCRWD inspectors on days not covered by DNR. Anderson discussed a Plant Survey this year with Chris Lundeen The Board decided to put off a survey to a future year. Board members will do informal identification of weeds in their area. Boat parade will start from Fisher s this year. Wieseler gave update on Treasury report. Henry and Wieseler brought printed membership P A G E 5 materials and supplies for mailing. Board members prepare membership drive information for mailing. Keane delivered to post office. Anderson secured Camp Ojibway for the annual meeting August 8th. Board discussed topics and speakers for annual meeting. Several board members terms are ending. Will need to be reelected. Anderson, Wieseler, Henry and Klassen confirmed their intention to run again. Newsletter will go out by end of June. Wieseler and Blankenheim gave update on pricing for RLA apparel. Board discussed attending Stearns County Board Meeting to raise awareness of lakeshore property owners issues. Anderson to bring schedule to next meeting. North Fork Crow River Watershed Review By Chris Lundeen Early season rainfall of 5+ inches in the watershed contributed to high lake levels for most of the summer. It also brought nutrients and sediment down the NFCR into Rice and Koronis Lakes, increasing the amount of algae and decreasing the water clarity (observed from monthly lake samples) during the 2014 summer. The NFCRWD is continually working with landowners to install agricultural BMP s (Best Management Practices) including alternative intake rock inlets and volume control boxes. These practices slow the flow of water from the field, which help to control fluctuations in water levels downstream. These practices are also designed to decrease the amount of sediment and nutrients entering local waterways. The NFCRWD is also working on a number of wetland restoration and enhancement projects in the upper end of the watershed, which are intended to reduce flooding downstream and provide some nutrient removal. The NFCRWD worked with project partners to install BMP projects around the Rice and Koronis during 2014.These projects are intended to reduce nutrient runoff that may enter lakes. In the summer of 2014, the NFCRWD AIS Inspection and Prevention program inspected incoming and outgoing boats from local boat accesses on Rice, Koronis and Grove. More information about the 2014 inspection program can be found on page 2 and 3 of the newsletter. The NFCRWD will continue the inspection program during the 2015 season.

6 P A G E 6 Lake Property Value Increases 2016 Property Valuation. There was feedback from lake property owners, stating that they are experiencing double digit percentage increases in their property value over prior year. If you have any concerns regarding your value, here are some recommended steps to follow: First, contact the Stearns County Assessor's Office at If your questions or concerns are not resolved, you have 2 formal appeals options. You may appear before the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization If still not resolved, you may bring your case to the County Board of Appeal & Equalization. This information is printed on the 2016 Valuation Notice. Keep in mind that it will be too late to appeal when it is time to make your tax payment. So act this year if you plan to appeal. Fishing Statistics Minnesota s May 9 fishing opener was expected to draw 500,000 people into state waters for the start of the walleye and northern pike seasons. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources estimates 1.5 million licensed anglers live in the state. The DNR manages about 5,400 of the state s 11,842 lakes Minnesota waters contain 162 species of fish. Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Around the Lake.Triple Crown Event Lake residents gathered at Fisher s Resort to watch the last of 3 horse races this year. Did you know. American Pharoah won the Belmont race and is the 12th horse to win the Triple Crown. It s been 37 years since the Triple Crown was won.

7 V O L U M E 1 6, I S S U E 1 GOT WEEDS P A G E 7 This year it seems lakeshore property owners of Rice Lake are experiencing an abundance of vegetation, particularly the littoral zone (shore area where sunlight penetrates all the way to the sediment), where we swim, fish and boat. The significant growth of aquatic vegetation we are seeing, including invasive curly-leaf pondweed, is primarily due to the limited amount of snow cover this winter and the good water clarity this spring. What should you do if you want to remove some or all of this vegetation to make it easier for your family to enjoy water activities? 1. Review the DNR regulations regarding aquatic plant removal, and consider the affect it might have on the lake and on your neighbors. 2. Know the appropriate amount to remove. It is ok to remove aquatic vegetation in an area up to 50 feet or half the length of your property s shoreline, (keeping it less than 2,500 square feet in total). 3. Understand the right way to do weed management and avoid incorrect removal. Pulling the plants including the roots without causing shredding of the plants is the recommended approach for removal. After you have pulled aquatic plants, you need to dispose of them on land to prevent them from drifting onto your neighbor's property or washing back into the lake Don t leave the vegetation in the water, it decreases the water clarity, adds phosphorus to the water and potentially results in more plants Cutting versus pulling the plants may cause weeds to grow back thicker. Use of draglines, hydraulic jets, and automated aquatic plant control devices is illegal. 4. DNR Permit is required if you are planning: Removing emergent vegetation like bulrush, cattails, or wild rice; removing floating vegetation, like water lilies, in an area larger than a 15 foot channel. The DNR will help determine the best location for the channel. Pulling or using other means to remove vegetation from an area larger than 2,500 square feet or wider than 50 feet. Installing or operating an automatic plant control devise (such as a Crary Weed Roller, Beachgroomer, or Lake Sweeper). Using herbicides, algaecides or other chemicals to control aquatic plants.. 5. Permits are issued by Regional Fisheries Managers. All four DNR regions are staffed by Aquatic Plant Management Specialists. Permit application can be made at a Fisheries Management Office or online at the DNR website at AIS Monitoring on Rice Lake Sauk River Watershed District (SRWD) is monitoring select lakes within the county this summer. They will be monitoring for both adult and larval zebra mussels to obtain baseline data for the county. Many of the lakes within the county have never been monitored for zebra mussels presence. Rice Lake, Koronis Lake and a number of other lakes in the surrounding area are on the list to be monitored. The SRWD has asked for support from community residents and Lake Association members to volunteer as boat drivers. This allows for more efficient means of taking the samples on selected lakes, reduces the cost of the equipment needs and minimizes transferring boats to different sites. Ralph Klassen, Vice President of Rice Lake Association, has volunteered to work with Adam Hjelm, SRWD, on this program, and will drive his boat while the SRWD collects sample from Rice Lake. Each lake will be sampled twice, once in early July and once at the end of August.

8 Rice Lake Association PO Box 288 Paynesville, MN Welcome New Lakeshore Property Owners OUR MISSION Improve the water and recreational quality of our Lake through promotion of sound lake management practices; Educate our members regarding issues that affect their lakeshore; Advocate our members' interests before governmental bodies in matters involving our lake; Promote research and appropriate standards for proper management of our Lake, the North Fork of the Crow River and other surrounding tributaries; Seek enforcement of laws that affect Minnesota lakes and watershed.