2025 Stearns County Shoreland Workshop

Every year, the Stearns County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) sponsors a workshop on shoreland best practices.  The next event will be on Thursday, February 6th on the St. Benedict campus in St. Joseph.  A number of speakers are scheduled, including MPR's Kirsti Mahron, who developed a multi-part series on vanishing natural shorelines (that included an article about a parcel on our very own Chain of Lakes).  Dan Shaw of the MN Board of Water & Soil Resources (BWSR) will speak about establishing and maintaining native vegetation.  Shoreline owners that implemented recent restoration projects will also be presenters.  Various contractors and native retailers will have booths on-site.  You can use the QR code in the attached document to register.  The cost is $35 and includes lunch.

Click here to learn more and register.

General ice thickness guidelines

The DNR does not measure ice thickness on Minnesota lakes. Your safety is your responsibility. Learn about the different ways to check ice thickness before heading out. The MN DNR website is a great resource!

Update on the Dec 12 Cold Spring City Council Meeting

On December 12, 2024, the Cold Spring City Council joined the SRCLA in support of a study assessing the feasibility of replacing the Cold Spring Dam with a Rock Arch Rapids that will maintain the existing water level. Funding sources for the feasibility study are unknown at this time. Check out some of the details about Rock Arch Rapids and the highlights of the discussion HERE.

For more information see the Cold Spring Dam section of our Projects page.

Calling all Lake Enthusiasts!

Our Board would like to pass on this DNR Roundtable opportunity to members and non-members. We invite anyone who participates on Jan. 10th to our board meeting on Feb. 18th to share what they have learned! Details are below!

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Roundtable — an annual gathering of conservation partners to discuss fisheries, wildlife, and ecological and water resource topics and encourage partnership — will again include a no-cost, open registration opportunity.

The opportunity to register for one of a limited number of first-come, first-served slots will open at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 10. At that time, a registration link will go live on the DNR’s Roundtable webpage (mndnr.gov/roundtable).

Watch for the Lake Turnover Process!

Did you know the lakes on the Chain "Turn Over" as the water temperature drops?

Our board member, Steve Weeres, shares his interesting insights from working with the board's lake level data portal that displays both lake level and water temperature.

"Now is a time to watch the lake water/ice temperature as the cold weather settles in. The lake will cool to 39 degrees and hold at that temperature while the lake "turns over." 

This process flips the temperature profile from the summer profile with the warmer water at the surface to the winter profile with the cooler water at the surface. Once that is complete, the water will cool to 32-33 degrees, and when the lake freezes, the temperature will be 32 degrees or colder. Once the ice forms on the surface, the LAKESCOUT measures the ice’s temperature. The colder the ice temperature, the faster the ice will form and thicken."

Thank you, Steve, as these fascinating points demonstrate all of our love of the Chain.

Latest Flowering Rush Report

Thank you to the Stearns Coalition of Lake Associations for using their MN DNR New Infestation and Innovative Control Grant to find and treat invasive flowering rush in the Sauk River. Over 62 miles of the Sauk River were surveyed, and flowering rush was present from Juergens Lake to just south of New Munich. Some of the infested areas were treated but more work will need to be done to control it and prevent it from entering the Sauk River Chain of Lakes. Many thanks to all involved including Limnopro, Stearns County Environmental Services, Tigris, and the MN DNR.

Click here to access the full report.

Fall Photo Contest Winners!

Thank you to everyone that took the time to send in their wonderful pictures of the Chain for the "Fall Photo Contest"!
Our board enjoyed all of the images, it was hard narrowing it down to three winners.
Congratulations, Kerry Johnson Bechtold, Malissa Mauricio and Jennifer Dietman! We hope you enjoy your SRCLA apparel!

MN Lakes and Rivers Webinar Recording Now Available

Minnesota Lakes and Rivers (MLR) recently conducted a webinar that focused on efforts to improve the condition of the state's shorelines. Speakers included:

💦 Paul Radomski from the Ecological and Water Resources Division, who shared insights into the scientific tools we’re using to protect shorelines.

💦 Kirsti Marohn from Minnesota Public Radio, who discussed her reporting this summer on the issue of vanishing shorelines.

💦 Sue Henken-Thielen, who shared her experiences as a dedicated Lake Steward.

💦 Steve Corbin, one of our valued shoreline evaluators.

The webinar provides a lot of useful information, including insights into the Lake Steward program, which the SRCLA board sponsors along with many other lake associations around the state.

You can view a recording of the webinar via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa4O-7RtHao

Stearns County Planning Meeting Rescheduled

The Minnesota DNR is considering the possibility of restructuring the Cold Spring Dam, replacing the fixed barrier with a natural spillway. This has been done on other MN rivers recently, including the South Fork Crow River in Hutchinson, Pelican Rapids, and the Mississippi at Cass Lake   Potential benefits include more stable lake levels and restoring the ability of fish to migrate upstream.

The first step would be to conduct a survey to assess potential effects, both positive and negative. The SRCLA board supports the proposal to conduct a survey, although support for replacing the dam would depend upon the results of the survey.

A meeting to discuss this had been scheduled for Wednesday, October 23rd with the Cold Spring City Council and representatives from the DNR and Stearns County. Due to conflicts, the meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, December 11th at 6:00 pm in the City Council chambers. This meeting is open to the public, and the SRCLA will publish periodic updates about the proposal via our website and social media channels.

For more infomation, check out the Cold Spring Dam section on our Projects page.

MNLR Sept Post

Check out the September posting from Minnesota Lakes and Rivers (MLR)!  It has an update on the research being conducted by the University of MN's St. Anthony Falls Lab (SAFL) on wake dynamics on shorelines and lake beds.  The final report has been delayed until early 2025 to allow late-breaking data to be included, but this month's report has some interesting information about what has been learned so far.

There's also a fascinating article about Bigmouth Buffalo, a native Minnesota species with lifespans that can exceed humans, although there's growing evidence of how few hatchlings reach adulthood, putting the species at risk long-term.

And of course, there's an update on the Lake Steward program, which the SRCLA has been promoting on our Chain for the past three years.

Check out the full post here.

And Then There Were Seven!

Congratulations to Sheila on Little Cedar Island Lake, whose shoreline has qualified for the Lake Steward program! Sheila recently replaced 60 feet of turf grass along her shoreline with native grasses and wildflowers, helping to reduce nutrient runoff into the Chain.

Several other parcels are being evaluated as possible Lake Steward sites. We'd love to have you take the quiz to see if your property qualifies: https://mnlakesandrivers.org/lake-associations/lake-association-programs/lake-steward/

Join the club!

You’re Invited!

Join MNLR to celebrate the incredible work of Lake Stewards and discover how YOU can get involved in preserving water quality from your own yard!

Hear how Lake Stewards are protecting our lakes.

The Lake Steward Webinar will include firsthand stories from passionate Lake Steward property owners and shoreline evaluators dedicated to preserving the beauty and health of our lakes. Representatives from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will also share their expertise on vital collaborative efforts to preserve Minnesota’s waterways.

Whether you’re a lakeshore property owner or simply love our environment, this is your chance to learn about the impacts of this exceptional program and gear up for next summer!

Save the date! October 15th, 2024 6:00-7:30pm (CDT)

Let’s celebrate our Lake Stewards together!

Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired and learn how you can help safeguard the stunning lakes that define our beautiful state!

Together, we can protect the beauty of our lakes. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be part of the change!

Learn more here: MLR Lake Steward Webinar

It is a GORGEOUS time of year and we have the perfect subject - the Chain of Lakes.

We'd like to showcase the beauty of the Chain of Lakes through a Fall Photo Contest. Submit your best photos of the Chain by October 14th.  

All submissions must come through our Facebook page and be centered around the Chain of Lakes as the subject.  No limit on the number of submissions.

SRCLA members and non-members can submit. 

What could you win?  The SRCLA Board will select the top three submissions and those three will have their choice of available SRCLA apparel!

All submissions may be spotlighted on SRCLA.org 

Fall 2023 Winner - photo by Susan Drucker

Road Clean Up October 26

The Sauk River Chain of Lakes Association will be conducting its fall "Adopt a Highway Cleanup" on Saturday October 26. We will meet at 9am at the Horseshoe Lake Public Landing just off Highway 22 in Richmond.  Our stretch of road cleanup extends from the public landing South to Cozy Corners Resort. We invite you to participate to help remove litter from this stretch of highway that borders 5 of the lakes on the chain.  If we can get 10-15 volunteers we can accomplish the cleanup process in less than 2 hours.  If you are able to participate drop an email to Wayne Karg at ontraxtruckrepair@embarqmail.com so if any updates are necessary you can be alerted. I look forward to greeting and meeting you as we complete this task helping to keep litter out of our lakes.

Please watch this short educational video from the MN DOT prior to the clean up day. This video is also on our SRCL Educational Videos page.

Gambling Season Opener!

Our biggest fundraisers start back up next week - all at Shady's Long Shots!

• Horse Racing is on Sundays at 1 starting Oct. 6

• Bingo starts back up on Wednesdays at 6:30 starting Oct 16 (we start selling packs at 6)

• Our Meat Raffle is at 6 on Fridays and that starts up on Oct 18

Check the SRCLA Calendar for more dates!

How Well Do you Know Minnesota? Part 5

There are so many water quality issues for which there is no simple solution. But the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species has a simple solution - if everyone thoroughly Cleaned, Drained and Dried their boats and water related equipment after each use, and then inspected it prior to each use in a new water body, AIS would not spread. This is why education is the cornerstone of all efforts to protect our lakes and rivers from aquatic invasive species."~Jeff Forester, Executive Director, Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates.

Seeking Feedback: Channel Catfish Regulation

Association members - Do you have feedback regarding the channel catfish regulation on the Chain of Lakes?  

The DNR is seeking comments regarding the review of the current Experimental fishing regulation for channel catfish on the Chain.

 A little history, channel catfish were stocked into Horseshoe and Cedar Island lakes from 1976 – 1988 in an effort to decrease the abundance of bullheads and black crappie with the goal of increasing the growth of black crappie. While abundance of both species decreased, the abundance of channel catfish increased to point that the DNR was receiving complaints regarding their abundance. Starting March 1, 2015, the channel catfish possession limit was increased from five to 10 while allowing one fish > 24” in the possession limit.  

Since 2013, data indicates that the channel catfish population (based on gill net data) has been decreasing from a high of 27.4/net in 2013 to 3.9/net in 2024. However, the average size has increased from 16.6 inches and 1.4 lbs. in 2013 to 21.7 inches and 3.7 lbs. in 2024. Angler surveys conducted between December 2014 and October 2015 indicated that about 50% of all catfish caught were released indicating that harvest is unlikely the cause of the population decrease. DNR ageing data also found that this population is an ageing population with 82% of the population being age-10 or older indicating that these fish are starting to age out of the population.

.Your input is appreciated and can be submitted via engage.DNR.state.mn.us as well as by emailing Area Fisheries Manager Joe Stewig at joe.stewig@state.mn.us. Input will be received through 10/11/2024.  The DNR will make a decision in November with any changes being implemented March 1, 2025.

Lake Level Update

As you know lake levels across the chain have stabilized and are almost to normal high water levels.

You can always view the current status here: https://srcl.org/water-level-horseshoe

Enjoy a safe and relaxing Holiday weekend!

MPR Series On MN Shorelines

Kirsti Mahron, a correspondent for MPR News who covers central Minnesota, has been working on a series of articles and on-air segments focusing on diminishing natural shorelines on upper Midwest lakes and the environmental impact of highly-developed shorelines on water quality. A number of segments have been released, including one that highlights a shoreline project on Great Northern Lake on our very own Chain!  Keep checking this link as MPR will be releasing additional segments in the near future (click here to view).