LMVP Newsletter On-line
The new LMVP (Lakes of Missouri Volunteers Program) newsletter is online and : ready to read.at http://www.lmvp.org/Waterline/2008number1/index.htm
Article topics include:
- The effect the spring rains have had on water quality.
- Boat winterization methods that protect water quality
- The 20 most sampled LMVP sites
- A DIY Rain barrel
- Algae as biofuel here in Missouri
At the Feb 19 2008 LOWA Public Meeting, Greg Stoner presented
an update on the presence of zebra mussels in the Lake of the Ozarks. Their presence has been confirmed up to about the eight mile mark of the main channel. It is critical that all boaters and fishermen be aware of this threat to the entire lake and take precautions to prevent the spread to upper regions.
Greg Stoner presented a very informative power point presentation on Zebra musse
ls at the LOWA Feb 19 meeting. The file is quite long, about 7MB, but if you wish to
know more about Zebra mussels at the Lake of the Ozarks,see the Power Point
Presentation on Zebra Mussels or read his discussion which
is contained in the minutes of the
LOWA February Public Meeting
The image on the right is not from the surface of the moon; it's from
the surface of my fishing boat.
My poor old fishing boat is too far down the totem pole to deserve a spot with a lift, so it is doomed to spend the season sitting in the water along-side my dock. When I took it out for winter storage the first of November I found the back end (stern for you nauticals) of the boat and the outboard loaded with zebra mussels. They were primarily in any of the crevices that were exposed to the water. Many of these critters were relatively large for Zebras as shown in the imag in which one of them is pictured along-side of an inch ruler.
On the left, see a picture we took of one of the zebras placed in the palm of my hand. We live at the end of McCoy Cove which is on Horseshoe Bend at about the two mile mark of the main channel. If you continue reading below, you will learn that Greg Stoner of the DNR has made a more scientific study at the eight mile mark of the the main channel. Just the one critter shown in my hand can lay from 40,000 to a million eggs, if you do the math you'll discover that there's a whole bunch of these things in this part of the lake. While fishermen should take precautions listed here elsewhere to limit the spread of the zebras, it's unlikely they can be kept from inundating the whole Lake of the Ozarks.
See larger versionTo the left is a table of the data collected by Greg Stoner in his study. In this case, a test substance was submerged in the water at the eight mile mark and left in from April to November. When removed, the zebras' sizes and concentration on the test surface were determined. Results showed a concentration of 18 per square inch with sizes ranging from less than one tenth of an inch to about 3/4th of an inch. Most were in the range of 3 tenths of an inch (see graph on right which shows sizes in millimeters).
What evidence have you seen about the presence of zebra mussels at the lake?
Go here to share your experience with others.
Testing for Quality
Test Your Own Shoreline
How To Collect Lake Water Samples
For E-Coli Testing
Collection of most environmental samples (water, air, soil) is based on scientific principles. The data obtained from analyzing environmental samples is only as good as the procedures and techniques used to collect them. The basics of collecting a surface water sample for analysis of Escherichia coli (E. coli) are presented here.
- Sample Container
First and foremost, the container used for collection of any water sample for any bacterial analysis must be sterilized. It is best to obtain a certified pre-sterilized container from the laboratory that will conduct the analysis. In most cases, the container will be some form of plastic and have some type of seal on the cap to assure its integrity. Most bacterial methods require a minimum of 100 milliliters of water, and most containers manufactured for these samples will have a minimum fill mark indicated.
- Sampling Location
The location to collect a sample is ultimately the decision of the sample collector. To avoid undue bias to the sample, however, the sample location should be one that will prevent introduction of debris such sticks, leaves, algae, insects, oil, gasoline, etc. into the sample. Avoid locations where large amounts of floating debris are noticed. Avoid locations very near any pipes or outlets that may be discharging at the time. Water depth should be sufficient to avoid disturbing bottom sediments that may interfere with the sample analysis. For this reason, wading into the water to collect the sample is discouraged. When collecting samples from a dock or boat, try to avoid disturbing algae clinging to the sides that might enter your sample container.
- Sample Timing:
The methods for E. coli analysis in water have a holding time of six hours. This means that in order to remain viable, a water sample must begin the analytical process at a laboratory within six hours of being collected. Beyond the six-hour period, too many of the organisms may die in the sample container to make analysis meaningful. Also, samples must be kept cool (less than 10° C or 50° F), but not frozen, immediately after collection to the time analysis begins. The entire analytical process for E. coli takes a little more than twenty-four hours, so be sure to check with your laboratory to assure what days of the week are appropriate. Most labs do not operate on weekends and holidays unless special arrangements are made in advance.
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Sample Collection Procedure:
When collecting the sample, cleanliness is most important. Assure that your hands are clean by washing with soap and potable water prior to sample collection. Commercially available hand sanitizers containing alcohol may be used – be certain to not introduce any of the alcohol into the sample. In waters that you feel unsafe about coming in contact with, wear appropriate protective gloves. Gloves will also protect the integrity of the sample. No matter how clean your hands or gloves may be, do not touch the inside of the sample container or cap.
To collect the sample, hold the container in one hand and remove the cap with the opposite hand. Invert the container (mouth down) and plunge into the chosen location to a suitable depth. Once submerged, upright the container, allow it to fill, and bring to the surface. Immediately replace the cap and place in an insulated cooler with ice. Collecting the sample at least six inches below the surface will help to avoid floating debris. Be sure to mark the container appropriately so that it may be identified not only by you but also by laboratory personnel. Include the date, time, and location of the collection and who collected it. Complete any required paperwork and transport to the laboratory without delay.
SHORELINE CLEAN-UP
LOWA Shoreline Clean-up
Come for the next clean-up if you can and have a good time in the process.
LOWA Volunteers Had Successful Clean-up In 2008, 2009, and 2010
LOWA Volunteers Have Helped Clean the Shoreline for the last three years.
LOWA VOLUNTEERS Cleaned 6 Miles of shoreline
in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
LOWA adopted the shoreline from
the 9 to 10 mile marker and volunteers are to be congratulated.
See Volunteers at Work
In This Power Point Presentation
Water Qulity Issue at the Lake
"E-coli Nationals Continue as Senate Elephants Kick the LOZ football Up the Field"
The Jefferson City News Tribune reported on February 28, 2010 that the report by the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee has resulted in the proposing of two new pieces of legislation Committee Chairman Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah, filed legislation Thursday that would transfer the department's (Missouri Department of Natural Resources) water-testing duties to the state health department and require the results to be publicly released within 48 hours. Committee member Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, filed legislation that would require counties around the Lake of the Ozarks to adopt plumbing codes for homes and businesses.
Read LOWA's Feb.15,2010 Press ReleaseFor some backgroud on the controversy, see
Nixon and Templeton Announce "Massive, Unprecedented Water Quality Enforcement Effort at Lake of the Ozarks and
Read
the December 2009 Report of Phase I of that initiative.
A coalition of business and local government groupshas joined forces to protect the lake from un-warranted bad publicity by initiating an educational campaign.
See their website at
http://www.lakewaterquality.org/
.
Also, read what this citizen had to say about the issue.
A Citizen Speaks What's your opinion on the subject?
Give us your comments
Nixon and Templeton Announce Enhanced Water Quality Enforcement Effort at Lake of the Ozarks
(the following information was extracted from KRMS Radio On-Line Written by Michael McSorley, Wednesday, 23 September 2009 14:35)
Governor Jay Nixon and MoDNR Director Mark Templeton announced a Lake of the Ozarks water quality enforcement effort today.
Starting immediately the Missouri Department of Natural Resources will implement a four step policy.
The governor and the director outlined a four point plan at the Pa He Tsi boat ramp Wednesday afternoon that they say will be completed by the end of the year.
-
Step 1:
The first step will be an inspection sweep of over 400 area facilities that are permitted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to dump their treated effluent into the lake. The state will enforce a zero tolerance policy and administrative penalities will be issued by the MoDNR. Further enforcement is possible from the state attorney general's office. The sweep is slated to take eight to ten weeks to complete. - Step 2:
The second step is the implementation of the zero tolerance policy, that will eventually lead to administrative action and referral for prosecution. - Step3:
The third step, which will be implemented at the same time as the inspection sweep, is a comprehensive baseline survey of the entire lake. That comprehensive baseline survey will test the water for contaminants including bacteriological, petroleum based contaminants, and pesticides. That survey is to be submitted to the governor by December 31st. Nixon says this will lead to future long term enforcement efforts. - Step 4:
The final step is the impelementation of the what the governor calls the most rigorous possible standard for new applications for waste water permits in the lake of the ozarks watershed. The MoDNR will apply a new standard when reviewing requests for permits that would allow discharge of waste water or land disturbances that might affect water quality in the lake.
Nixon has given the MoDNR the power to make full use of their authority to deny permit applications or revoke existing permits where necessary.
A Citizen Speaks Out
The below email letter was sent to the West Chamber of Commerce:
My name is Stan Schultz and I am a partner in Schultz & Summers Engineering, Inc. Our Lake office was originally in Laurie but it is now located in Osage Beach. The chamber supported my largest client at the Lake, the Gravois Arm Sewer District, when it was asking for $30 million in bonding 7 years ago to start building sewers in the unincorporated area of the west side of the Lake. Your support was very valuable to our eventual success. We are presently finishing our Phase II project and will have about 400 customers at project completion. Phase III is already partially funded with a $1 million congressional appropriation and will add over 200 more customers when completed. The Gravois board is to be commended on their determination and dedication. They refuse to take ‘NO’ for an answer from the funding agencies and have won funding in some tough times.
I have been a participant in many activities at the Lake promoting centralized sewers in the last 7 years and that has led to my association with the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance. LOWA approached me several months ago about helping them with water quality issues and I attended a couple small gatherings to brainstorm on how to be proactive with centralized sewers at the Lake. The issues are complicated and challenging at best. I asked attorney Bill McCaffree to help and he has enthusiastically agreed to provide legal advice to the effort. You will know Bill from his work with the Gravois Sewer District, the City of Laurie, and the Village of Sunrise Beach.
Most recently, LOWA asked me to author one of their two DNR 319 grant applications. The application I authored will accomplish the necessary water quality testing at the Lake to determine what human effects, if any, are contaminating the Lake and/or the local aquifer. Before writing the grant request I reviewed three reports on the Lake’s water quality accomplished in 1985, 1996, and 1999. All three made the statement that the geology at the Lake and the Lake’s aging septic tanks are reasons untreated sewer is able to enter the Lake and its shallow drinking water aquifer. However, none of the reports backed up their statements with any test data. The 1985 report cited a 1981 study conducted by the City of Osage Beach that found elevated levels of nitrates in private water wells. The 1981 study was accomplished for Osage Beach as part of its effort to secure about $14 million in grant funding to build its first central sewer system.
I feel strongly that LOWA is the organization that can organize and promote a lakewide sewer authority that will be able to promote special legislation to make the Lake eligible for large government appropriations to start building a system of ‘hub and spoke’ sewer systems in the most needed areas of the Lake. LOWA has a good relationship with the Governor, DNR, EPA, local and regional news outlets, and newspapers across the Midwest. I believe strongly that the business community should organize an effort to support them and Governor Nixon. The positive publicity a united effort will create will help tourism at the Lake and promote good will with our regulators.
I have spent many hours researching how the Lake could have 40,000 septic tanks without an organized effort to try and get them on central sewer. What I believe I have discovered is the Lake area is so large that it does not have the appropriate structure in place to speak with one voice to our political and agency leaders on water quality issues. LOWA can be the ‘voice’ that the Lake is missing. LOWA desperately needs the Lake’s business leaders to unite with them in their efforts to promote the Lake and help it receive special attention from our state and federal leaders.
Missouri is a unique state. It offers great cities but, I firmly believe its most valuable asset are the waterways that make their way through the state. Water is an attraction that many of our neighboring states do not have. We have to realize this and go to work protecting our waterways so that recreation remains an important part of Missouri’s economy.
Please contact me at your convenience should you have questions.
Stanley J. Schultz, P.E., R.L.S.
Schultz & Summers Engineering, Inc.
