General Permit No. 2008-0401, Authorization of Dock Platforms

From a January 23, 2008 MN DNR press release

Following several months of information dissemination and gathering input from hundreds of lakeshore owners and concerned citizens, recommendations were formed by an advisory group of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including but not limited to the dock industry, real estate, planning and zoning, and natural resource professionals.  These recommendations were then sent to local units of government for the required 30 day comment period.  The resulting decision was based on the input from those who commented and participated, and on the Department’s goal of balancing reasonable use of the resource with resource protection.  This permit is responsive to the needs of the State and allows those docks and platforms that have minimal impact on public waters.

General Permit No. 2008-0401 authorizes, under certain conditions, the installation of a single, temporary platform at the lake end of a dock.  The width of the dock providing access to the platform shall not exceed five (5) feet.  The platform, if measured including the last access dock section, shall not exceed 170 square feet; if measured excluding the last access dock section, the platform shall not exceed 120 square feet.  In addition, the installation of such platforms shall be consistent with all conditions of the permit.  Docks and platforms in excess of the general permit dimensions will need either an individual permit or removal from the lake.

Highlights of the conditions of this general permit are as follows:

#11 -- Docks and dock platforms shall be the minimum size necessary to meet the water related needs of the permittee.  Docks generally should not extend to water depths greater than four (4) feet.  Typically, all structures and shoreline modifications (including docks, platforms, boat lifts, canopies, sand blankets, and aquatic plant removal) should be completely contained in an Aquatic Impact Area, defined for this general permit as an area up to 50 feet wide along the shoreline  or  one-half  the  width of the lot, whichever is less, and extends waterward to a four (4) foot water depth so that lateral and lakeward encroachment into a Public Water is only that necessary to achieve water-oriented recreational needs.  The structures must not obstruct navigation.

#13 -- The structure shall not obstruct navigation or create a water safety hazard.

#14 -- The structure shall not be detrimental to significant fish and wildlife habitat or be located in a posted fish spawning area.

#15 -- The structure shall not have walls, a roof, or sewage facilities, or be used for human habitation or as a boat storage structure.

#16 -- The structure will allow the free flow of water beneath it.

#17 -- Dock platforms on rock filled cribs are not authorized by this general permit.

#18 -- Dock platforms in locally designated sensitive areas are not authorized by this general permit.

The general permit, complete with all 18 conditions, may be found in its entirety on the MN DNR web site.  The permit expires November 30, 2012 or when new regulations regarding structures in public waters take effect.  Before last year’s special permit (now expired) and now this general permit in place, a dock platform was limited to eight feet at its greatest dimension.

If you plan on having a platform at the end of your dock, please be sure to read all provisions and limitations that are part of General Permit No. 2008-0401.  If you have any questions, please contact your MN DNR Area Hydrologist or Tom Hovey, MN DNR at 651-259-5654 or tom.hovey@dnr.state.mn.us.

 Editor’s note:  For the most part, the size of dock platforms has not been a problem on the Cullen Lakes, but it has been on several larger area lakes.  Nonetheless, CLA believes you should be kept informed of rules and regulations as they change.

 
Cullen Lakes Water Quality Report -- 2007

By Ann Beaver

 Once a month, May through September, members of the Water Quality Committee collected water samples on each Cullen Lake and took them to A.W. Research Laboratories for analysis of Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll a.  They also took a Secchi disk reading to determine water clarity.  In addition to the readings we took when collecting our water samples, CLA member Gil Swift took several Secchi disk readings each month on Lower Cullen.  We all submitted our readings to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) Citizen Lake Monitoring Program.  If you would like to see the Cullen Lakes’ Secchi disk records over the years, you can most easily access the data from the DNR web site:  www.dnr.state.mn.us once on the site, click on “Lake Finder” and enter the name of the lake.  Once on the lake page, click on “Water Clarity”.   You may also want to check out some of the other records that are available on the page.

I’m sure you noticed the abundance of aquatic vegetation last summer as well as the very low water level of the whole Cullen chain.  These conditions were caused by the lack of snow cover on the lakes for most of last winter, the unusually warm spring weather, and the continuing drought.  All this took a toll on all the lakes in central Minnesota.  We hope these conditions will reverse themselves in the near future.

 Water clarity is determined by the depth at which the observer can see a white Secchi disk lowered into the water.  The typical range of water clarity for our ecoregion is 8 - 15 feet. Last summer both Lower and Middle Cullen remained within this range for the entire testing season.  It is not unusual for Upper Cullen to have a water clarity of less than 8 feet by late summer, but its water clarity last summer worsened dramatically by early July and its September reading of 4 feet was the worst fall reading since 1991. 

Total Phosphorus (TP) is measured by an integrated column sample taken in the top 6 feet of a lake’s water. The typical range for TP in our ecoregion is 14 - 27 micrograms per liter.   Although Lower and Middle Cullen remained in this range until early September, their TP levels were significantly higher than in 2006.  Upper Cullen had elevated TP levels from early July on.   The most common ways for phosphorus to enter the lakes is from rainfall (of which we’ve had very little and about which we can do nothing), run off from the shore land (soils in our area are naturally high in phosphorus, which run off carries into the lake, so we must be vigilant in preventing run off from our shore land), and from dying aquatic vegetation (aquatic vegetation absorbs phosphorus as it grows and releases it when it dies).

 

The overall health of a lake is represented by the Trophic Status Index (TSI) , which classifies lakes into four categories:  oligotrophic (relatively nutrient-poor, clear, deep, with bottom waters high in dissolved oxygen);  mesotrophic  (nutrient levels midway between eutrophic and oligotrophic,  with temporary algae and aquatic plant problems);  eutrophic (nutrient-rich, usually shallow, “green”, with limited oxygen in the bottom layer of water and persistent algae and aquatic plant problems), and  hypereutrophic (extreme algae and aquatic plant problems and well on their way to being “dead”).

 All lakes undergo eutrophication, the aging process by which lakes are fertilized with nutrients.  “Natural eutrophication” will very gradually change the character of a lake.  “Cultural eutrophication” is the accelerated aging of a lake as a result of human activities.   Most of the lakes in our ecoregion (the north central part of the state) fall into the mesotrophic range, many having an occasional eutrophic period during the growing season.

As a rule, Upper Cullen is mesotrophic for most of the spring and summer but almost always becomes slightly eutrophic by early August.  2007 was an exception to that pattern, with the lake becoming eutrophic by early July. Middle Cullen usually remains in the mesotrophic range, with an occasional early season foray into oligotrophic and an occasional late season nudge into eutrophic.   Lower Cullen generally follows the same pattern as Middle Cullen, remaining in the mesotrophic range most of the time.

Upper Cullen is very different from the other two lakes in that it is the shallowest, with 69% of the lake being considered “littoral” (shallow enough for rooted plants to grow).  Middle Cullen’s littoral zone is 33% of its total area and Lower Cullen’s littoral zone is 35 % of its total area.  Upper Cullen also serves as a filter/sediment basin for water entering the lake chain from Rice Creek and several wetlands.

Lake Level Readings

I recorded lake levels, as measured by a DNR water level gauge at the outlet of each lake, each month on the same weekend we took our water samples.  As I’m sure you noticed, lake levels were way down again for much of the season, although they were slightly up from the previous year. 

 Low water levels cause many inconveniences, including problems with docks, boat lifts, and navigation.  They also affect aquatic life and water chemistry.  Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do but adapt (my rain/snow dances haven’t worked!).   As I write this article, the Cullen Lakes area has received no measurable snowfall since early December‘s 18 inches.  Snow on the ground now measures only 6-8 inches in most places.

Currents On the Cullens

New owners & Map/Guide changes

Lower Cullen:  Jim & Nancy Bierma (L30),  David & Janis Larsh (L55),  Johnson Heirs (L35), Michael & Colleen Nelson (L100)

Middle Cullen:  Joe & Tina Avery (M 20), Darin & Jeanene Ness (M118), Debra Pearo (M19)

MEMBERSHIP

by Charlie Boudrye

On January 7, 2008, 292 dues notices were mailed to property owners and Associate members.  As of January  31,  125  memberships have been paid.  At the current time, 7 complimentary memberships have been extended to new property owners, bringing the total membership to 132.. I7f you have not yet mailed your dues for 2008, please send your payment of $15 to Cullen Lakes Association, P.O. Box 466, Nisswa, MN  55468.

Our members continue to show support for the Association’s  activities by sending a tax-deductible donations with their dues payment.  So far this year,  43% of the dues payments have included a donation in an amount of $5 to $185.  To date, members have donated over $2,000.

Membership in the Association is not limited to one membership per property nor is it limited to Cullen Lakes lakeshore property owners.  If there are co owners of your property, they too can be a member of CLA.  In fact, CLA encourages them to do so.  And  if you have family members who would like to receive CLA newsletters and other communications from CLA, they can join as an Associate member and have the same benefits as a member who is a property owner.   Property owners within the Cullen Lakes watershed are also eligible to be members of CLA.  To become a member, simply complete the Membership Application in the printed newsletter.

CLA Treasurer's Year End 2007 Report

by Charlie Boudrye

 As of December 31, 2007 we had the following balances in our accounts:

 Cash and Bank Accounts
            Operating Checking account                                   $575.38
            Project Checking Account                                       $518.21
            Project Savings Account                                      $2974.58
            Operating Savings Account                                 $2099.98
            Sub Total                                                              $6168.15

 Certificates of Deposit
            Projects Matures 6/17/08                                    $16180.74
            Exotics Control Matures 4/17/08                        4648.92
            Sub Total                                                          $20829.66 

            Total                                                                    $26997.81

The total amount is an increase of $4075.65 from last year.
 We raised funds this year by selling CLA caps and mugs.  The caps brought in $565 and the mugs $830, for a total of $1395.

The Operating Account is funded by member dues and is summarized below.  Total income exceeded expenses for the Operating Account.
             Income                                      

            Ad Sales                                                              $10.00
            Member Dues                                                $3405.00
            Total income                                                $3415.00

          Expenses
            Administration Committee                             $801.88
            Annual meeting                                               $375.44
            Education Committee                                    $1161.22
            Membership Committee                                 $457.84
            Printing & Postage                                             $79.74
            Total Expenses                                           $2876.12

             Excess over expenses                                       $538.88
             Interest Income                                                      $ 8.91

             Total Excess                                                         $547.79

 
The Projects Account is funded by donations, fundraisers, and memorials.  Income also exceeded expenses for the Projects Account.

Income                                                         

            Donations                                                         $2815.00
            Sale of caps & mugs                                     $1395.00
            Memorials                                                            $50.00
            Total income                                                   $4260.00

             Expenses
            Education Committee                                        $94.40
            Invasive Species Committee                           $348.02
            Land Development Committee                          $11.94
            Water Quality Committee                               $680.00
            Postage                                                               $0.63
            Caps & mugs                                                     $710.87
Total Expenses                                                       $1845.86

             Excess over expenses                                   $2414.14
            Interest income                                                     $12.83
             Total Excess                                                      $2426.97

An audit of the CLA accounts is planned for early 2008.

CLA caps and mugs will once again be on sale beginning in May and throughout the summer.  Caps are $20 or 2 for $30; mugs are $10.  Half the purchase price is a donation to the CLA Projects Fund.

As CO2 Goes, So Goes Temperature

from Minnesota Environment, an MPCA publication

Paleoclimatology is the study of past climate, for times prior to instrumental weather measurements.  Paleoclimatologists use information from tree rings, ice cores, cave stalactites, fossils, ancient pollen, corals, and ocean and lake sediments that record variations in past climate.  Information about past climate from these sources is important because instrumental records of climate are limited in many parts of the world to the past 100 years.

Paleoclimatology helps us to better understand the roles of natural climate variability and human-induced climate change.  It also tells us how much temperature change occurred in the past when carbon dioxide levels were different.  Studies show that the reduction in CO2 during the last glacial period was accompanied by a 3 degree C cooling in the western tropical oceans.  Changes at higher latitudes (like Minnesota) were much larger and included the growth of large ice sheets.

Earth has experienced other warm times in the past.  Although these warm periods were due to complex causes, it is clear that Earth’s temperatures correlate with the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. 

 

 

Reflections From a Beaver Lodge

by Ann Beaver

 In the fall 2007 edition of Minnesota Environment, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s magazine, I read the following article and thought I’d share it with you in this newsletter.  It has a certain relevance to what we have seen happening in the Brainerd lakes area the last few years.

Rain and snow seem to avoid us more often than not, causing lake and groundwater levels to be down.  Spring arrives early, with unusually high temperatures, causing aquatic vegetation to abound.  Warmer spring and fall temperatures result in an abundant deer tick population, causing an increase in tick borne diseases among area residents and visitors.  Drier than average summers result in fewer mosquitoes, a good thing for us humans but bad for the song birds that rely on them for food. 

All these things may be just a temporary deviation from “normal”, or they may be a harbinger of things to come.   If they are the latter, we need to do what we can to slow things down. 

Minnesota:  Climate Change Means More

 Than a Hot Summer Day

by Anne Perry Moore

Climate change brings good news and bad news to Minnesota.  The good news is that farmers and gardeners will enjoy longer growing seasons of a wider range of plants and crops.  The bad news is that temperature increases are much greater in northern latitudes, so it’s happening here faster than in southern locations.  While the entire state of Minnesota warmed an average of one degree F during the last hundred years, parts of northern Minnesota warmed an average of five degrees F.

As a general rule of thumb, climate and vegetation zones shift northward about 60 miles for each one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees F) increase in temperature.  As warming continues, northern cities like Hibbing may grow to look more like Albert Lea or even Des Moines.

Although Minnesota is certainly getting warmer, it is less clear whether we will be dry, like Nebraska, or wet, like Missouri.  Southern Minnesota experienced a 20 percent jump in precipitation during the last hundred years.  Yet many of the state’s lake levels -- including Lake Superior -- and groundwater tables are at historic lows due to lack of precipitation.

Spring now arrives more than a week earlier than it did earlier in our lifetimes.  Daffodils in February?  We may see them this century.  Migratory birds and animals are even now beginning to arrive before food sources bloom or hatch, which bodes ill for those populations.

Pests and diseases new to Minnesota are already threatening native trees and creatures.  Insect pests make headway more easily on trees weakened by stress.  Animals such as moose, dependent upon cold weather or certain food sources, are struggling or moving north to more hospitable destinations.

As some species exit or die, others will adapt to new conditions.  The Boundary Waters Canoe Area will become a   place   of   oak   and   grassland   instead  of  boreal  forest, making a hospitable home for acorn-loving black bears and oak-loving white-tailed deer.

Climate change leaves a ripple effect on our landscape and our economy.  Declining forests (from shifting weather patterns, drier soils, and wildfires) will affect the logging industry and tourism.  Fewer or different species of fish will alter Minnesota’s fishing industry.  Skiers in search of deep powder will travel to higher altitudes or farther north, leaving Minnesota’s winter tourism industry in trouble.

Our citizens’ health will be affected, both through extreme heat in summer and warmer winters that allow disease bearing mosquitoes and ticks to survive.  Cases of encephalitis and other insect-borne diseases are likely to grow.

While it may be too late to stop climate change, it can possibly be slowed by taking immediate action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.