July 22, 2006
Press Release

Minnesota DNR - News Releases

Your Lake, Our Lakes: Three ways to reduce pollution from your lakeshore property (2006-07-21)

Lakehome owners have a strong desire to protect their lake. Healthy lakes provide the recreational and aesthetic benefits lakeshore residents value. In addition, healthy lakes enhance lakeshore property values. There are three ways we can reduce pollution and maintain healthy lakes.

· Reduce runoff from roofs and driveways by getting rainwater into the ground near where it falls.

· Reduce lawn size by reverting back to natural shorelines.

· Maintain our septic systems.

REDUCE RUNOFF

Rainwater runoff is a major source of water pollution. Nationally, runoff is responsible for up to 15 percent of rivers and lakes with poor water quality. Rainwater runoff comes from roads, driveways, roofs and lawns. Rainwater that does not infiltrate into the ground or evaporate becomes runoff. Runoff is not only occurring when streams are full after a rain, but it also occurs when small sheets of water flow over the surface of our lawns and head down to the lake. Runoff carries pollutants, such as oil, dissolved metals, pesticides, suspended solids, pet waste and nutrients, such as phosphorous, which can lead to algae blooms.

Good rainwater management can help reduce pollutants and excessive nutrients from entering our lakes. When rainwater is allowed to infiltrate into the ground, the soil and plants can purify the water before it reaches the lake or river.

There are two ways to manage rainwater. The traditional way has been to move water off fast. This approach uses stormwater sewers, pipes and ponds. Unfortunately, civil engineers have found that this expensive approach does not work well. Often, the outcome is water quality and water quantity problems downstream or downhill.

The second way of managing rainwater is to get the water and the pollutants it carries into the ground near where it falls. This can often be a small-scale, decentralized and low-cost option. This approach uses infiltration basins, rain gardens, grass overflow parking areas, grass swales, porous or pervious paver blocks, parking lot infiltration islands and fewer impervious surfaces. Infiltration reduces pollutants and nutrients entering our lakes, thus protecting the lake water quality.

For lakeshore owners, a simple start to managing rainwater is to redirect gutter downspouts that run onto impervious surfaces, such as driveways and sidewalks so they run onto vegetated areas instead. Rain gardens are a good way to capture runoff when greater infiltration is needed.

REDUCE LAWN SIZE

Managing rainwater also includes protecting natural areas important for water transport and filtering, such as wetlands, streams, and vegetated buffers near water. A shoreline buffer of natural vegetation traps, filters and impedes runoff. The simplest and sometimes most effective way to recreate this buffer is to stop mowing down to the lake. A smaller lawn with a larger shoreline buffer will help infiltration and reduce runoff.

MAINTAIN SEPTIC SYSTEMS

Finally, for those lakehome owners who use septic systems to treat and disperse waste and recycle water, maintenance is critical. Sludge builds up in the septic tank and should be pumped out every two to three years. If sludge accumulates to the level of the outlet pipe, clogging will occur, which will damage the drainfield and reduce the life expectancy of the system. Drainfields can also fail when they are overloaded, either with too much water or too much garbage disposal waste. The average life of a drainfield is 10 to 20 years.

Lakehome owner management of septic systems is sometimes inadequate. Some government organizations and communities have developed septic system management programs that track routine maintenance and compliance with public health standards. These programs can save homeowners money, because regular maintenance and inspection costs are much less than cost to replace failed systems.

The Governor's Clean Water Initiative pilot project brought people together to create an alternative set of shoreland development standards. Citizens that worked on the Shoreland Standards Update project recommended promoting better rainwater management techniques. The Alternative Standards could serve as the foundation for local government administered ordinances.

Details of the shoreland rules update project are online at www.dnr.state.mn.us

Pheasant harvest highest in 40 years

Favorable weather and nearly 2 million acres of grassland protected under farm conservation programs made 2005 one of the best pheasant hunting seasons in 40 years.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), hunters harvested 585,000 pheasants last fall – the highest harvest since 1964 – well above the 2004 harvest of 420,000 birds. Individually, hunters also harvested more doves and ducks.

“Landowners and conservationists have put together all the habitat elements for excellent pheasant production and in the last few years it has all come together.” said Dave Schad, director of the DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife. “Severe winters in the mid-1990s and cool, wet springs more recently have limited pheasant production in the past 15 years. But in the last several years, the weather has been favorable and grassland habitat is abundant, thanks in large part to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM).”

The number of active pheasant hunters increased to 111,000 in 2005 from 104,000 in 2004. Hunters averaged 5.3 birds each for 2005, compared with four birds per hunter in 2004. Last year marks only the fourth time the pheasant harvest topped 500,000 birds since 1964, when Minnesota saw the last large-scale land retirement program expire. Under the Soil Bank program, which began in the mid 1950s, pheasant harvests of more than 1 million birds were common. In two out of the last three years, Minnesota’s pheasant harvest has topped the 500,000 mark.

“These are good times for pheasant hunters,” Schad said, “but CRP contracts that cover some 1 million acres are set to expire from 2007-2009. If CRP is drastically altered, landowners will no longer have financial incentive to protect their most environmentally sensitive lands. Pheasants and other grassland bird species will decline.”

In the immediate future, pheasant hunting should be very good again, Schad said. “Nesting conditions have been very favorable this year and habitat continues to be abundant. We will have more information on this fall’s prospects when annual roadside wildlife counts are completed in late August.”

The 2006 pheasant hunting season begins Oct. 14.

MOURNING DOVES

Although fewer Minnesotans pursued mourning doves in 2005 than in 2004, those who did had better results. The estimated harvest per hunter rose from 6.2 birds in 2004 to 7 birds this past fall. According to the DNR, about 5,000 fewer dove hunters took to the field last year, harvesting a total of 78,000 birds. In 2004, hunters harvested 107,000 doves.

“It’s not uncommon for hunter numbers to fall after the first year of a new season,” said Bill Penning, farmland wildlife habitat leader. “We’re creating a new dove hunting tradition in Minnesota. We expect those numbers to slowly build in the coming years.”

To help encourage more dove hunting, the DNR this summer began managing 14 three- to five-acre public fields to attract doves. The fields were planted this summer with small grains, sunflowers or other crops known to attract doves.

The fields, located on wildlife management areas across southern and central Minnesota, will be posted with signs. Hunters must use nontoxic shot. Because the fields are considered baited under federal regulations, waterfowl hunting will not be allowed.

A complete list of public fields managed for dove hunting appears in the 2006 Hunting Regulations Handbook. It will be available later this month wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.

DUCKS

Overall, the duck harvest declined as hunters took 677,000 ducks in Minnesota – 50,000 fewer ducks than in 2004, a year many duck hunters felt was one of the slowest in recent memory. However, the average harvest per duck hunter increased in 2005 to 7.3 birds, compared with 6.9 birds in 2004.

Part of the reason for the lower overall harvest is duck hunter numbers, which declined from 105,000 in 2004 to 92,000 last season. The harvest numbers also reflect the long-term decline in the quantity and quality of waterfowl habitat in Minnesota.

To help improve Minnesota duck hunting, the DNR recently updated its duck plan with a new long-term goal of restoring more than 2 million acres of wetland and grassland habitat in Minnesota.

DNR to study hooking mortality on Rainy Lake

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has enlisted anglers to help estimate how many walleye die after being caught at depths greater than 35 feet and released in Rainy Lake.

Hooking mortality rates are increasingly important in managing walleye fisheries. This study could have long-term implications on regulations governing walleye harvest on Rainy Lake.

"Data gathered in this summer's study will help define hooking mortality rates that are specific to Rainy Lake," said Kevin Peterson, area fisheries supervisor for the DNR Section of Fisheries. "With the support of anglers through this project we will continue to advance our understanding of the Rainy Lake fishery," Preliminary results of the study will be available spring or summer 2007.

Walleyes caught for the study will be placed in net pens in the lake for a minimum of 48 hours to observe any deaths. Pens will be six feet wide by six feet across in size and reach the lake bottom in 32 to 50 feet of water.

"Anglers on Rainy Lake use a wide variety of methods, most of which have already been evaluated in previous studies," Peterson said. "However, Rainy Lake anglers also commonly use some methods that need more examination, such as fishing at depths 35 feet and greater during the summer. In addition, we will look at the effects of water temperature and water depth on hooking mortality."

The project, scheduled to run through late August, will involve collecting walleye caught by volunteer anglers Peterson said. "Data we are gathering now will help ensure the long-term health of the walleye population."

Anglers who volunteer to participate in the study will fish from their own boats. When an angler catches a fish, they will signal a DNR employee to retrieve the fish and record information on fishing method, hooking location, handling time and other information.

Rainy Lake is one of the most popular walleye fishing destinations in Minnesota. In the past five years, anglers have spent an average 250,000 hours each year fishing Rainy Lake. The lake is also managed for northern pike, smallmouth bass and black crappie.

Rain barrels: A way to collect and use rainwater

Have you ever watched a river of rainwater run down your driveway into the lake or storm sewer? Or even worse, seep into your basement? Collecting roof runoff in rain barrels is a good solution to these problems. Rain barrels also help to alleviate stressed water systems and conserve limited resources.

Although they have been around for thousands of years, people are now encouraged more than ever to use rain barrels as a way to protect our lakes and rivers while saving money on water bills. Rain barrels help prevent roof runoff from quickly washing into natural waterways and sewer systems. Runoff can carry nutrients and other contaminants into lakes and rivers. Some storm sewers lead right into surface waters without treatment to remove pollutants.

You can help reduce the problem by keeping storm water on your property. A rain barrel is a rainwater harvesting system that is connected to a downspout from any building. Downspouts that empty directly on paved surfaces or onto vegetative areas with limited ability to soak up runoff are priority locations for rain barrels. The water is collected and stored for later use. There are many possible rainwater collecting systems. Costs vary considerably. You can spend anywhere from about $70 to $300. Your best bet is to review and compare the options commercially available to find out what’s in your price range and is really needed for your home.

The Internet is a good source for information available on how to construct and install rain barrels. One website is www.ci.superior.wi.us/publicwks/wastewater/RainBarrelInstructions.html

Making your own rain barrel will reduce costs. Sixty gallon plastic barrels are sometimes available at no or little cost from firms that deal with bulk food items. So what do you do with the water in the rain barrel? The most common use is watering gardens. Rainwater can improve the health of your gardens, lawn and trees? This is because rainwater is naturally soft and devoid of minerals, chlorine and other chemicals found in city water.

By placing rain barrels around your house, you will keep runoff from entering your lake or storm sewer; and you will be teaching and encouraging others on your lake or in your neighborhood to do the same. And your garden will benefit from the added rainwater.