Beginning Sunday, June 20, and continuing for three days, the Star Tribune published an in-depth series, "Losing Our Lakes," by Jim Spencer and Tom Meersman. The articles should be required reading for any Minnesotan—whether you own lakeshore or not.
The legacy of this state, quite simply, is our lakes. Sure, we have loons and lady's slippers, the Vikings and the Twins and 3M, Medtronic and Target, but lakes are special. They are deeply important for recreational, cultural, spiritual and economic reasons.
Highlights from the series:
"Since 2005, land-use boards in Cass and Crow Wing counties allowed hundreds of home builders to break rules aimed at preserving the state's most valuable natural resource, according to a Star Tribune review of thousands of pages of building records. Altogether, those boards approved nearly nine of every 10 requests to deviate from development standards.
"Environmentalists and econominists...fear that uncontrolled development will permanently taint Minnesota's vaunted sky-blue waters.
"State officials have put 1,205 lakes on a list of 'impaired' water bodies, which means pollution levels have reached critical levels.
"Regulators developed new standards at the request of the Legislature because decades-old rules could not keep pace with construction activity on and around the state's lakes.
"Regulators cited a number of problems with the state's lakes: more invasive species, failing sewer treatment systems and shoreline development that creates more pollution. In addition regulators said huge dock platforms turn public waters into private patios.
"Federal law requires public waters to be clean enough for swimming and fishing, and state governments are supposed to figure out how to rehabilitate all lakes and rivers that don't meet federal stands for excessive nutrients, bacteria and other pollutants. But there are no deadlines for improvements, and no penalties for inaction.
"Voters probably expected a lot more from cleanup efforts when they approved a constitutional amendment in 2008 that provides about $75 million a year to restore impaired waters, test water quality, protect drinking water and fund other water-related programs.
"In the 1990s, the EPA proposed new rules to strengthen the program and require 'reasonable assurance' that cleanup efforts would take place once studies were done. National farm groups sued, Congress slapped a moratorium on the effort and the agency withdrew the rules in 2001.
"On Minnesota's most popular vacation lakes, nutrients draining off fertilized lawns pollute the water. The drainage increases erosion and breeds algae that can smother native plants and take away places for fish to eat and spawn. Some people buy lawn mowers called weed rollers for lake bottoms. They chop down both invasive and crucial native weeds, causing more problems. Sand blankets that form man-made beaches cover natural vegetation along the shoreline. Giant, illegal dock platforms turn public waters into private patios.
"Not long ago, Shoutz (state conservation officer, Cary Shoutz) ticketed a contractor who poured several tons of rock into 25 feet of water to create a personal fishing hole for his client. Shoutz said the contractor paid a $150 ticket, knowing the state could not afford to dredge the rocks from the lake.
For other reading about this issue, please see two previous entries: Essays: Of cabins and lakes, January 23, 2010 Smart & Sustainable: Protecting lakeshore, March 13, 2008
