Nearly 150 lake enthusiasts attend this year’s joint conference in Portland, highlighted by a river cruise
The joint annual conference of the Washington State Lake Protection Association (WALPA) and Oregon Lakes Association (OLA) October 9-11 drew nearly 150 attendees to Portland. With a theme of Limnology-The Next Generation, the event featured three plenary speakers who gave terrific talks on “Exploring Aquatic Biodiversity with eDNA” (Brooke Penaluna, USDA Forest Service), “Monitoring for HABs in the Columbia River” (Patrick Moran, US Geological Survey), and “Zebra-Quagga Mussel Monitoring and Planning in Washington State” (Brian Turner, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife).
CD3 partnered with non-profit Wildlife Forever and USFWS to protect the Columbia River Basin from aquatic invasives
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The Columbia River Basin provides critical habitat and water resources for the State of Washington and the region. While the state has a robust decontamination program to address interstate movement of zebra/quagga mussels, little infrastructure is available to address intra-state movement of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Additionally, human and financial resources to address this problem are limited.
A lake-scale test of zero valent iron for mitigating hazardous algal blooms
by Jeffrey Tepper (University of Puget Sound), Kyle Steelhammer (Northwest Aquatic Management, LLC) and Don Russell (City of Lakewood Lake Monitoring Program)
Over the past several decades, many lakes in the Puget Sound region have experienced an increase in the frequency and severity of hazardous algal blooms (HABs). Lake Steilacoom, located in Lakewood, Washington, is one such lake. Every year between 1998, when recordkeeping began, and 2017, when county funding for monitoring ended, the lake experienced at least one HAB advisory related to high Microcystis levels, some lasting as long as 17 weeks.
Herrera’s objective approach to lake management plans
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by Rob Zisette, Timothy Clark, Katie Sweeney, and Eliza Spear, Herrera Environmental Consultants, Inc.
Herrera has been busy evaluating algae and aquatic plants in Washington lakes to develop plans aimed at improving public use and wildlife health. Over just the past two years, our team has been fortunate to work on seven lake cyanobacteria management plans (LCMPs) and four integrated vegetation management plans (IAVMPs) for lakes, primarily funded by Washington State Department of Ecology grants or legislature provisos. Here we provide examples of how we objectively evaluate management alternatives to best meet the needs of the lake and its community.
Secchi Disk Award goes to Ben Peterson for his tireless work on aquatic invasive plants
The 2024 Secchi Award winner, announced at October’s conference, was Ben Peterson (King County Noxious Weed Control) for his work of many years to reduce the impacts of aquatic invasive plants in lakes throughout King County. The award was presented by Wes Glisson (Washington Department of Ecology), who had this to say about Ben in his speech:
Testing lanthanum-modified bentonite as an arsenic treatment in the field
by Sasha Vinogradova, University of Washington, Tacoma, winner of the WALPA 2024 Undergraduate Scholarship
Arsenic contamination in freshwater is a growing problem for local citizens due to pollution from historic arsenic sources such as smelters and herbicides. While many smelter and herbicide activities have been stopped, the remnant arsenic continues to create health concerns due to its carcinogenic properties. Research has found that arsenic can remobilize in lakes from sediments and enter the water column and freshwater organisms consumed by humans.
An adaptive approach to urban lake management
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by Annmarie Delfino, In-Situ, Inc.
Como Lake inspired the founding of Saint Paul (MN)’s Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD). In 1998, community members petitioned the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources to create the district after expressing concerns about poor water quality in the lake. CRWD’s work encompasses a variety of projects, but its origin story points to Como Lake’s importance to the community.
“It’s one of the most recognizable and well-loved water resources in our area,” says Sarah Wein, Water Resource Project Manager for CRWD. “People really care about it and want to see it improved.”
Inspiring the next generation: highlights from the 2024 Early Career Panel in Water Quality and Environmental Science
by Katie Sweeney, WALPA Board Member
On Friday September 27, a virtual room was filled with engaged students and aspiring freshwater career professionals, hoping to glean practical advice and learn about regional opportunities from the perspectives and experiences of early career professionals in limnology and related fields.
Changes are coming to WALPA membership structure
To meet our financial goals as a non-profit organization, WALPA updated its bylaws at the fall conference to adopt an annual membership fee structure. To remain a WALPA member in good standing, all current members will need to renew their membership for 2025 and pay annual dues.
