Water was in the air on August 18th, when Minnesota Waters celebrated its 9th annual RiverNight! Supporters escaped the humidity to gather in a cool theater aboard the historic showboat Centennial, docked on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, to honor the recipients of the 2010 Minnesota Waters awards.
The program got underway when Executive Director Marian Bender welcomed guests and thanked the generous sponsors who made the event possible. Board Chair Kenzie Phelps, along with fellow board members Adam Ripple and Dick Fowler, and MN Waters Program Director Courtney Kowalczak, presented the awards for Lake Association of the Year, Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Program of the Year, River-Friendly Community of the Year and Volunteer of the Year. “Working with individuals and groups around the state has helped us identify key attributes of successful citizen engagement, such as collaborating, planning, and having a clear vision. This year’s award winners demonstrate all of those qualities and more, and we are honored to be able to reward them with an award, and a check,” announced Bender.
On deck for the awards presentation was nationally known eco-preneur Kim Carlson who offered an engaging address about our precious water resources. Minnesota folk artist Ann Reed rounded out the ceremony with poignant music, including Loons on Lake Calhoun from her newly released cCD, Where the Earth is Round.
Immediately following the program, attendees boarded the Jonathan Padelford riverboat for a sunset cruise down the Mississippi. Eagles were spotted both in the trees and in the sky by several guests on the open-air upper deck, while the enclosed lower deck offered a break from a humid (but storm-free!) summer night. Guests on both decks were treated to stunning views of the river, the wooded shoreline, the urban skyline and a handsome sunset.
Make sure to save the third Wednesday in August 2011, for the next RiverNight celebration!
2010 Minnesota Waters Award Winners
The Sugar Lake Association (SLA), based in northwest Wright County, was named the Lake Association of the Year, sponsored by HDR Engineering. The award recognizes a group whose committed and enterprising members achieve successful outcomes in lake management while forging productive connections with the surrounding community and government agencies. Serving residents of the Sugar Lake area since 1972, SLA boasts a membership of approximately 350 members; over 80 percent of the lake’s private shoreland owners, as well as many nearby property owners, are association members. Each year, twenty-six members of the SLA serve as liaisons to the entire lake population. Members also staff a Wright County Sheriff’s water patrol, harvest invasive plants such as milfoil and curly leaf pondweed, mark sensitive vegetation areas with buoys, plant and maintain shoreland restoration projects, and staff both public accesses on Memorial and Labor Day weekends to remind boaters to check for invasives. SLA was awarded a Conservation Partnership Grant by Minnesota Waters to restore the lake’s south public landing by installing two rain gardens and planting native species in weed-filled areas. SLA was accepted into the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR) Whole Lakes Invasive Treatment Program and, under MnDNR guidance, has treated large areas of the lake with low doses of herbicides. The curly leaf pondweed treatment was so successful last year that no cutting/removal was required for the first time in several years. Sugar Lake Association uses newsletters, a website, and emailed news flashes to keep its members educated and updated. It provides funds for members to attend local and state-wide workshops and meetings related to improving water quality. SLA also provides for member involvement by sponsoring many community events throughout the year.
The Benton Lake Watershed Conservancy (BLWC), based in Cologne, was named the Outstanding Citizen Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program, sponsored by RMB Environmental Laboratories. This award recognizes a program demonstrating sustained commitment to involving citizens in gathering water quality data, advancing citizen monitoring skills and programs statewide, using data for conservation and improvement, and collaborating with other groups involved in water quality management. In 2007, young Jacob Steinbauer was concerned about Benton Lake’s water quality and spoke with long-time community member and lakeshore resident Don Smith. Together they formed a partnership, and this relationship grew into the 100 member citizen-led BLWC. Since its formation, the BLWC has performed bi-weekly sample collections, led several community presentations to build awareness of lake issues, led clean-up activities, donated trees to lakeshore property owners to plant as buffers, and worked with elected officials and appropriate agencies such as the Carver County Land and Water Services and the Minnesota DNR. To mitigate the rough fish and water quality issues present in Benton Lake, BLWC has proposed an improvement plan for 2010-2011 which recommends installation of a fish barrier, a lake kill to remove rough fish, introduction of predator fish, and an ongoing plan for rain gardens, holding ponds, and buffer installation. BLWC’s primary goal is to increase public awareness, understanding, and involvement in water and natural resource management issues. According to Richard and Gracia Hegener in their nomination letter, “The BLWC is seen as an organization that includes all ages in its membership and supports an open invitation to future generations to help make their community a healthy place to live and work.”
The Friends of the Sunrise River, a citizen’s group in Chisago County, was named the River Friendly Community of the Year. This award spotlights a group that helps a community significantly correct and improve its relationship to its river, supports river-friendly development and zoning laws, involves citizens in active river protection, and conducts successful community outreach and education. Over 100 lakes drain into the Sunrise River, which drains into the St. Croix River. Approximately a dozen lakes and a dozen stream segments within the watershed are listed as impaired. The mission of the Friends of the Sunrise River is to protect and to enhance the long-term ecological health of the river watershed. To fulfill this mission, Friends of the Sunrise River organizes a yearly river cleanup and hosts an annual Jam at the Dam which features music, food, and activities for kids. It has made its most important contributions by drawing public awareness and attention to the multiple issues impacting the river and by facilitating a dialogue where these issues have been discussed openly. When concern arose over the proposed construction of a large, natural gas fired power plant within a mile of the Sunrise River, the Friends of the Sunrise River gathered facts and information, hosting two major workshops with expert speakers This leadership helped shape the broader dialogue through intensive research on the topic and kept the heated discussions civil. The Friends of the Sunrise River engages and informs its membership by having expert speakers at its annual meetings and by publishing an electronic newsletter several times a year.
Ken Grob, of Park Rapids, Minn., a member of the Potato Lake Association and Hubbard County Coalition of Lake Associations (Hubbard County COLA), was named Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by Barr Engineering. This award honors an individual who has given a significant investment of time and talent to improve the waters of Minnesota, including leadership and the ability to engage others and effect positive change. Grob purchased property on Potato Lake in 1995 and moved there as a full-time resident in 1999. Since that time, he has worked tirelessly to protect and improve aquatic sources not only at Potato Lake but at county and state levels as well. A member of the Potato Lake Association for 15 years and a board member for 7 years, Grob has also served as a representative of the Hubbard County COLA. During his tenure, he worked with the MnDNR to implement a new dam at the Potato Lake outlet and was actively involved when Potato Lake participated in the Northwest Foundation’s Healthy Lakes and Rivers Partnership lake management planning. He helped establish a Project and Endowment fund for Potato Lake and worked with local townships and the MnDNR to obtain grants used to fund Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) monitoring. At the county level, Grob served as the Hubbard County COLA president for five years. During this time, he helped organize and train 18 lake associations in developing lake management plans. Combating AIS in Minnesota’s lakes and rivers is one of Grob’s biggest passions. He created an AIS Task Force and volunteered to serve as its chair. Because of his enthusiasm and commitment, Grob has been asked to participate in several regional and statewide initiatives and has presented at multiple local and statewide conferences.
RiverNight 2010 Award Sponsors:
Barr Engineering
HDR
RMB Environmental Labs
Wenck
RiverNight 2010 Sponsors:
3M Environmental
Bloomberg & Podpeskar LLP
Bolton & Menk, Inc.
Cities Management, Inc.
Design Electric, Inc.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Kenzie and Mary Ann Phelps
Netgain Technology, Inc.
Rinke Noonan
Smith Partners PLLP
