Working together to help lakes

During the planning sessions for the 2022 North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) conference, a three-person committee (Joe Bischoff, James Johnson, and Matt Kocian) was tasked with finding ways to connect with more water resources professionals in Minnesota. That effort led to discussions of starting a Minnesota affiliate for NALMS.

Although there were many water resources groups in Minnesota, we believed that greater connection and collaboration between these groups could lead to more effective lake management. We envisioned a new group that would focus on a broader range of topics (limnology, stormwater, fisheries, water quality, invasive species,...) and highlight the complexities and interdisciplinary nature of real-world, holistic lake management. 

Our Goals for MLMS:

(1) Foster more interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration to overcome the problems that affect Minnesota lakes by including professionals from a wide range of lake-related disciplines.

(2) Promote a more holistic and regional focus by offering a forum to discuss Minnesota lake problems, management strategies, and project outcomes (good and bad), so we can all learn from each others' successes and failures.

(3) Create opportunities for new connections: Enable greater collaboration and connection between different water resources groups to foster more effective lake management projects.