ICOLA website, hosted by Minnesota Waters
Sensitive Lakeshore Identification project beginning in the summer season of 2013. DNR staff member Kristin Carlson (email - Kristin.Carlson@state.mn.us; phone - 218-833-8646) is asking for volunteers from each lake association on lakes over 500 acres in size to be identified as loon watcher volunteers to record loon nesting sites.
For more information on the sensitive lakeshore identification project see: http://www.minnesotawaters.org/group/iccola/sensitive-lakeshore-identification.
Please be sure to click on the additional pages in the sidebar to find information on the water testing of county lakes being done at the behest of our Itasca Water Legacy Partnership. See also the information on the DNR's Sensitive Lakeshore Identification Project.
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NEW IDEAS: Below you will find a draft of a protocal lake associations can use when considering a variance application.
Please reply to Bill Grantges (<Bill@Grantges.net>)
Protocol - Response to an Itasca County Variance Application
(click for document)
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Our officers are:
Jack Milinovich – President – jmilinovich_308@yahoo.com
Stephanie Kessler – Vice-President – stephakneeatoe@yahoo.com
Catherine McLynn – Secretary – cat@mclynn.net
Michelle Brauner – Treasurer – travelermb@yahoo.com
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Donald George St. Aubin 1937-2010
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DUES are DUE!
At the July annual meeting, we agreed to distribute via email the minutes of each meeting and the agenda for the next meeting. On your invoice, please indicate those board members who would like to receive these via email. We ask that you then forward this information to your Lake Association members. Please remember that we BCC (blind carbon copy) your name and email address so that it is not displayed in the mass email. Also, when there are any other important information/topics that we feel needs to be distributed throughout the year, we will email it to those indicated on the invoice.
One of our goals is to improve the attendance at our meetings so we are asking for recommendations on what kind of programs, speakers, or agenda items you would like presented and discussed at the meetings. Please give us your recommendations in the space provided on the invoice. Also, let the members of your Lake Association know that they are always welcome to attend the ICOLA meetings.
We look forward in seeing you at the meetings and hearing what is new on your lake. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact any of the board members.
| Basic dues for first 20 memberships is $10.00 | ||||
| Each membership over 20 is $0.50 each |
| Make check payable to ICOLA. | ||||||
| Mail check with invoice to: | Michelle Brauner | |||||
| 40283 W Turtle Lake Trail | ||||||
| Bigfork, MN 56628-4326 | ||||||
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Welcome to the Itasca County Coalition of Lake Associations Website. Founded in 1981 as a non-profit 501c-3, our organization brings together all of the lake associations throughout Itasca County, Minnesota. Currently there are 29 lake associations in the coalition. All members of these local lake associations automatically belong to ICOLA as well. The Minnesota Lakes Association is our statewide partner in keeping Minnesota’s lakes useable for future generations. I urge you to check their website (just click the logo on the upper left-hand corner of our homepage) and consider joining to help their efforts to promote citizen stewardship of Minnesota's waters and to influence and support public policy for water resource management.
Lake Associations have continued to grow as neighbors and friends have organized around maintaining water quality. Our intent as members is to educate, advocate and promote lake stewardship that exemplifies a model that will maintain and improve water quality for generations to come. ICOLA understands that the water in the county is public water and there are different ideas as to its proper use. The water resource in Itasca County is unsurpassed by any other region in Minnesota when you consider the clarity and the number oligotrophic and mesotrophic water bodies. Perhaps for this very reason Itasca County lakes are experiencing increased densities from development.
It is imperative, therefore, that our lakes be carefully monitored to prevent irresponsible development from exceeding the carrying capacity and destroying the water quality. Protecting lakes and economic growth are compatible; decreased water quality depresses the value of the shoreland. ICOLA believes that it is prudent to set high standards in order to preserve the fragile ecosystem that we all enjoy. In recent years ICOLA has been active in addressing ordinance issues to maintain safeguards for shorelines, we have published a brochure and other publicity which helps visitors and residents understand best management practices around the shoreline, and we have prompted lake associations to write lake management plans in collaboration with Itasca county Soil and Water.
Our meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month except for October, December, February and April, beginning at 7PM. The meetings are held in the Itasca County Board Room in the county courthouse located in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. We often have guest speakers or other topical programs in addition to sharing reports from our member associations and exchanging ideas. Please plan to attend—everyone is welcome.
David Lick, ICOLA Past President
From the Webmaster This is the Itasca Coalition of Lake Associations new website. Please take a look throughout the pages. More are sure to come in the future with your help and suggestions. Please send your ideas, written content and pictures to me, Tom Nelson, the ICOLA Webmaster. A link to my email can be found below. Thank you! Tom Nelson, webmaster tom_nelson@deerlakeassn.net  |