What's New at the Lake

Sportsmen's Club Hosts CLMP+ Training Session

Citizen Lake Monitoring Program (CLMP) volunteers met for classroom training on May 6th. Jesse Anderson, MPCA research scientist, explained and demonstrated the process for collecting water samples from 8 sites on Lake Vermilion throughout the summer.

The CLMP+ program goes beyond the traditional CLMP monitoring. Volunteers record water chemistry and temperature profile data in addition to Secchi disk readings. After some on-shore processing by the volunteers, the refrigerated water samples go to the MPCA's lab to identify the levels of chlorophyll-a, total phosphorus and sulfates.

Mel Hintz [contact info] is coordinating this activity for the Club.

[Read more about water quality monitoring activities here on this website and in our May 2008 newsletter.]

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Newsletter in the Mail

The May issue of our newsletter The Vermilion Sportsman was mailed May 1st. If your copy doesn't get to you, please contact Mardy Jackson, Member Records, or any other board member.

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Sportsmen's Club Sponsors New Billboard

Invasive species continue to pose a threat to Lake Vermilion as well as lakes across the country. The key to slowing the spread is education.

For a second year, the Sportsmen's Club has sponsored a billboard to remind visitors to our lake to INSPECT and CLEAN their boat and trailer and to DRAIN their live well and bait bucket.

This year's billboard is located in Virginia on Hwy 53,  northwest of the Hwy 169-53 intersection. It's visible to northbound traffic heading to both Cook and Tower. Look for it beginning May 1st.

[Read more about invasive species prevention activities here on this website and in our May 2008 newsletter.]

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Proposed State Park on Lake Vermilion

UPDATE: The park proposal is the subject of the the cover article in the March-April 2008 issue of Minnesota Conservation Volunteer.

UPDATE: Bills to establish the park have been introduced. Use these links to track progress in the Senate and the House.

[Read more in our March 2008 newsletter and here at the DNR website.]