Michigan Chapter North American Lake Management Society
The purpose of McNALMS is to promote understanding and comprehensive management of Michigan's inland lake ecosystems
Appreciate the Lakes of Michigan even after July
Lake Appreciation Month, which was designated for the month of July is over, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't still protect the lakes of the state.
Michigan is known for having over 11,000 lakes greater than 5 acres in size and more than 1000 lakes over 100 acres in surface area. Ten lakes in the state are at or more than 10,000 surface acres. The quality of Michigan’s inland lakes is ranked among the highest in the nation. However, invasive species, nutrients and other stressors continue to threaten these lakes and shorelines. Our state's Departments of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and Natural Resources (DNR) have programs to monitor lakes, manage the fisheries, permit nuisance plant control activities and promote best land management practices at the shorelines and on the shore lands. Through the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), hundreds of community volunteers are organized and trained to monitor their lakes every year; bringing education, resources and assistance to lake properties and their owners across the state. Also the Michigan Chapter of NALMS, a statewide lake organization for professionals and practitioners, engages in a collaborative effort to ensure the quality, sustainability and ecological diversity of lakes, while considering society’s needs.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed last month as Lake Appreciation Month. Let's continue to appreciate them the rest of the year too.
Wake Boat Operations and Impacts Reviewed
A review of wake boats and their operations and impacts has been written by William Scott Brown, board member of McNALMS. If you are interested in the full text copy, click on the link at the end of this excerpt.
The substantive findings of several peer reviewed scientific investigations that have been conducted in recent years clearly demonstrate that the upsurge in the number of wake enhanced boats operating on the inland lakes of the Laurentian Great Lakes region are likely responsible for rendering an array of adverse impacts on frequently exposed aquatic ecosystems. A dramatic upsurge in sales of recreational vessels that are designed and operated for the sole purpose of enabling enhanced wake dependent water sports by generating wakes that possess kinetic energy levels that greatly exceed those that occur naturally has helped gain the attention of state and local government officials, law enforcement agencies, lake managers, lake conservation advocacy groups, and the news media. In addition to their significant potential to have a negative impact on vulnerable aquatic ecosystems, regularly occurring, well publicized incidents involving high energy wake perpetrated over turned kayaks, swamped fishing boats, hazardous swimming conditions, and damage to moored boats, piers, and docks have served to help focus public attention on the frequently disruptive watercraft. Heated discussion regarding the difficult public policy question of whether operation of the increasingly popular though controversial water craft should somehow be restricted, or even banned in some cases, has now migrated from marinas to state capitols where legislators, and lobbyists representing the special interests of a powerful group of stakeholders remain deeply divided on the issue (Orenstein, 2020).
Wake boats, also referred to as wake enhanced boats, are designed to generate the high energy wakes that are required to enable wake surfing and wakeboarding (Ruprecht et al., 2015; Goudey and Girod, 2015). Wake surfing, the significantly more popular of the wake enabled water sports due to the fact that it is safer and much easier for most people to master than wake boarding (Ray, 2020), involves riders who surf the substantial wake that results from shifting ballast water to the aft (rear) corner on the side of the boat that is to be surfed (Mercier-Blais and Prairie, 2014; Ruprecht et al., 2015). Enabled by operating speeds ranging from 8 - 13 mph (13 - 21 km/h), wake surfers are not attached to their boards, and are not supported by tow ropes (Ruprecht et al., 2015). In contrast, wakeboarding, whose rise in popularity began in the late 1990’s, usually involves more athletically inclined participants who strive to perform acrobatics while airborne during high jumps that are achieved by using the enhanced wakes produced by their supporting water craft as transient ‘launch’ ramps (Ruprecht et al., 2015; Boyd, 2016). Engaged at speeds ranging from 18 - 30 mph (29 - 48 km/h) (Ruprecht et al., 2015), wakeboarders are attached to their board, and pulled along well behind their supporting boat by a tow rope of up to 85 feet (26 meters) in length (Allen et al., 2019). From: A Review of the Adverse Impacts Attributed to the Operation of Wake Enhanced Boats on Inland Lake Ecosystems
Wake boats, also referred to as wake enhanced boats, are designed to generate the high energy wakes that are required to enable wake surfing and wakeboarding (Ruprecht et al., 2015; Goudey and Girod, 2015). Wake surfing, the significantly more popular of the wake enabled water sports due to the fact that it is safer and much easier for most people to master than wake boarding (Ray, 2020), involves riders who surf the substantial wake that results from shifting ballast water to the aft (rear) corner on the side of the boat that is to be surfed (Mercier-Blais and Prairie, 2014; Ruprecht et al., 2015). Enabled by operating speeds ranging from 8 - 13 mph (13 - 21 km/h), wake surfers are not attached to their boards, and are not supported by tow ropes (Ruprecht et al., 2015). In contrast, wakeboarding, whose rise in popularity began in the late 1990’s, usually involves more athletically inclined participants who strive to perform acrobatics while airborne during high jumps that are achieved by using the enhanced wakes produced by their supporting water craft as transient ‘launch’ ramps (Ruprecht et al., 2015; Boyd, 2016). Engaged at speeds ranging from 18 - 30 mph (29 - 48 km/h) (Ruprecht et al., 2015), wakeboarders are attached to their board, and pulled along well behind their supporting boat by a tow rope of up to 85 feet (26 meters) in length (Allen et al., 2019). From: A Review of the Adverse Impacts Attributed to the Operation of Wake Enhanced Boats on Inland Lake Ecosystems
REGISTRATION deadline for Michigan Inland Lakes Convention is September 11
The biennial Michigan Inland Lakes Convention brings together lake scientists, policy makers, lakeshore owners, and conservationists to spark new ideas and inspire stewardship of inland lakes. This year’s convention theme is “Protecting Lakes Today for Tomorrow”, and it will take place virtually September 14-16 on Zoom.
The three-day event will include more than 45 engaging presentations and workshops focused on specific issues such as fish management, landscaping near shorelines, lake protection and governance, algal blooms, native freshwater mussels, communications, policy, invasive species, lake restoration, and much more. Wednesday and Thursday will also include keynote speakers who are regionally recognized for their contribution to the field of lake science and conservation.
The convention is a unique occasion for professionals and lakefront homeowners to learn from prominent lake management and conservation professionals. More importantly, it is an opportunity to learn best practices for the protection and preservation of Michigan’s inland lakes.
RegistrationRegistration is open! Registration for the event is $60, $15 for students, and free for speakers. Registration deadline is September 11, 2022. Register here. Also on the website is a link to the full agenda.
The three-day event will include more than 45 engaging presentations and workshops focused on specific issues such as fish management, landscaping near shorelines, lake protection and governance, algal blooms, native freshwater mussels, communications, policy, invasive species, lake restoration, and much more. Wednesday and Thursday will also include keynote speakers who are regionally recognized for their contribution to the field of lake science and conservation.
The convention is a unique occasion for professionals and lakefront homeowners to learn from prominent lake management and conservation professionals. More importantly, it is an opportunity to learn best practices for the protection and preservation of Michigan’s inland lakes.
RegistrationRegistration is open! Registration for the event is $60, $15 for students, and free for speakers. Registration deadline is September 11, 2022. Register here. Also on the website is a link to the full agenda.
Leveraging Experience to Manage Diverse Lakes, Landscapes, and People
The North American Lake Management Society will be hosting the 42nd International Symposium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 14-17, 2022. A draft program is now available.
Don’t miss the opportunity to network with some of the most knowledgeable leaders in lake and watershed information and technology. Positioned in a nexus between Minnesota’s rural-urban diversities and past-future legacies, Minneapolis hosts the 2022 symposium that focuses on NALMS’ more than 40 years of experience.
Videos and presentations from the 2022 Great Lakes conference are now available on the Great Lakes website. See below for more information on this past conference.
If you missed any of the presentations from the 2021 Shoreline and Shallows Conference: A New Wave of Thinking, both the videos and presentations are posted on the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership website.
Past Research Projects Funded in 2020
The Michigan Chapter North American Lake Management Society (McNALMS) and the Michigan Lakes and Streams Association (MLSA) announce two recipients of the 2020 Lake Research Student Grants Program. They are Emily Neuman from Grand Valley State University and Emmet Smrcka from Central Michigan University. Each will receive $2000 toward their research project.The student grants program is a joint collaboration between McNALMS and MLSA. The purpose of the program is to promote student efforts to work with lakes and lake communities to enhance lake management. The program seeks projects that increase the understanding of lake ecology, strengthen collaborative lake management, address inland lakes fisheries, build lake partnerships and/or expand citizen involvement in lake management.Neuman’s project will deal with Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa), a macroalgae that has invaded many of Michigan lakes. Its excessive growth is thought to interfere with fish spawning habitats and change microbial communities.
Chinese Mystery Snails. Photo by D. Spalsbury, Kansas Dept. Wildlife and Parks, Bugwood.org
Starry Stonewort with bulbils. Photo by Pam Tyning
Her research, titled, Star Wars: Phenology of Nitellopsis obtusa in Pentwater Lake, Michigan will help to determine when peak biomass of the species occurs and how changes in climate might affect plant growth from fragments. She will also utilize databases and herbarium records to look at which physical, chemical, and biological parameters may be important in the supporting the successful establishment of starry stonewort in lakes. She hopes that the results of this research will help inform management plans for Pentwater lake and other lakes in the region.Smrcka’s research will focus on three invasive snails that have invaded some Michigan lakes: Chinese, Japanese and Banded Mystery snails(Cipangopaludina chinensis, Cipangopaludina japonica, and Vivaparus georgianus, respectively). These snails have been found to alter lake ecosystems, feed on fish embryos, and possibly transmit parasites that can kill waterfowl. They could also clog water intake pipe screens. The extent of these snail populations are not well known. By sampling a subset of lakes, Smrcka hopes to determine which lakes have one or more of these species. He also hopes to provide key lake characteristics that could be used in predicting whether other lakes could support the snails if they are introduced and which lakes may be at a higher risk for invasion.Both McNALMS and MLSA congratulate these two grant recipients.
Shoreland Stewards Program Releases Videos
Five videos have been released by the the Shoreland Stewards Program, a part of the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership. The videos explore the four zones of lakefront property and teach lakefront property residents how to be a "Shoreland Steward." The Shoreland Stewards program was created to recognize inland lake property owners who are maintaining their property in a way that reduces negative impacts that development can have on inland lakes to ensure healthy lakes for future generations for both people and fish and wildlife. The videos can be accessed on The Partnership's YouTube channel. Find out more information at: www.mishorelandstewards.org
Conservation Planner Tool Provides Lake Data for Great Lakes Region
The Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership (MGLP) has released its new MGLP Conservation Planner, which provides lake data to inform communicators, managers, and researchers about lakes throughout the Great Lakes region. Specifically, the MGLP Conservation Planner provides data on likely suitability for fishes, land cover along the shoreline and in the lake’s watershed, and conservation recommendations to supplement existing information for each lake. Its recommended uses include provision of data to inform single-lake management, establishment of a framework for conservation strategies in each lake, identification of patterns in fish habitat due to climate and land use change, and as a supplement during potential prioritization of limited resources among lakes.
Great Lakes Conference 2022 Presentations Available
The Great Lakes are one of Michigan’s greatest resources, providing recreational opportunities, a premier fisheries resource, water for agriculture, manufacturing, and other industries and multiple other uses. They are also subject to major problems such as invasive species, climate change, and harmful algal blooms. The 32th annual Great Lakes Conference, The Great Lakes: Connecting Science and Management, was held Tuesday, March 8, 2022 in East Lansing. Topics included environmental justice around fish consumption; predator prey studies; lake trout in Lake Michigan; addressing health with environmental surveillance; freak waves and meteo-tsuanmis; water level variability, inundation in coastal communities and high water level impacts for the last few years; and connecting people with Great Lakes information using wireless buoys. To view the recordings and presentations, visit the Great Lakes website.