Practical Water Wisdom:

A Virtual Learning Series 

1st Thursdays at 12:00 - 1:00  

February through December 2025

 

Would you like to leave a legacy of clean water for future generations?
Have you ever wondered about the safety of your drinking water or the quality of the lakes you love to swim in, fish in, or boat on?
If either of those are true, then this series is for you!

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February 6, 2025 - Invasive Freshwater Jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) - Why Are They Increasing So Fast and What Do They Do in Lakes? 

Presented by: Dr. Beatrix Beisner, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal. She has over 30 years of experience in limnology with expertise on lake ecology, plankton communities, spatial ecology, functional traits and biodiversity.

Topic Summary: Many people have recently noticed small jellyfish floating around in summer in lakes. These are mostly a single invasive species known officially as Craspedacusta sowerbii or sometimes as the peach-blossom jellyfish. If you have seen them, you may think you are seeing things, but you probably aren’t. I will discuss some of the known history of this invasive species in North American lakes and why they are being noticed more often now. Scientists still have a lot to learn about these organisms, but we have some knowledge that I will discuss in this webinar. I will provide some insight into their life histories and ecology and how they might be affecting food webs in our lakes.

 

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March 6, 2025 - Lakeshore Development and Natural Shoreline Protection to Preserve Biotic Health

Presented By: Mike Isensee,  the Administrator of the Carnelian Marine St. Croix Watershed District (CMSCWD). He has over 20 years’ experience prioritizing, targeting, and managing water quality improvements for cherished water resources within thriving communities. He leads the implementation of the CMSCWD 10-year management plan to achieve measurable goals for 31 lakes, 21 streams, and 18 miles of the St. Croix River.

Tom Langer, is an aquatic biologist that received a B.S. from the University of St. Thomas (MN) and a M.S. from Central Michigan University where he focused on understanding how the aquatic environments and human stressors shape the biotic communities of lakes, streams, and wetlands. Tom also currently works for the Carnelian-Marine-St. Croix Watershed District as a Riparian & Regulatory Specialist in which he is focused on engaging citizens and contractors on the importance of shoreland and shoreline habitats so the trend of Minnesota’s vanishing natural shores can be restored to a balance of what landowners want and what the lakeshore or streamside needs.

Topic Summary: During this discussion, we will present valuable findings from our lakeshore monitoring program and community education initiatives. Understanding the current conditions of our lakes and gaining insight into the knowledge, values, motivations, and concerns of lakeshore property owners are essential first steps for governmental and nonprofit organizations seeking to design impactful outreach and engagement strategies.

These efforts are crucial for protecting and restoring natural shorelines. By combining active landowner stewardship, alignment among regulatory partners, and targeted education and engagement programs, we can work together to ensure our District’s lakes remain off the State’s Impaired Water List.

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March 7, 2025 - Minnesota Ice-Out Forecast for 2025 

Presented by: Dr. John Downing, Director of the Sea Grant College Program, a research scientist at the Large Lakes Observatory on Lake Superior, and a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Topic Summary: John Downing of Minnesota Sea Grant will present his 2025 ice-out forecasts and show you how you can win your ice-out pool for your favorite lake. Despite high snowfall in 2023 and nearly a winterless winter in 2024, Minnesota Sea Grant’s Ice-Out Clock yielded accurate ice-out forecasts. This year, the models are improved and now gives forecasts for any lake you choose. The new models consider snow, latitude, how big the lake is, cumulative cold and cumulative thawing. Tune in so you can plan when to put the boat in the water.

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April 3, 2025 - Beaver Dams, Ponds and Effects

Presented by: Emily Fairfax is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota and an affiliate faculty member at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory. Dr. Fairfax double majored in Chemistry and Physics as an undergraduate at Carleton College, then went on to earn a PhD in Geological Sciences with an emphasis in Hydrologic Sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder. She uses a combination of remote sensing, modeling, and field work to understand how beaver ecosystem engineering can create drought and fire-resistant patches in the landscape under a changing climate. Her research has been featured internationally in National Geographic, the New York Times, the LA Times, BBC, Vox, and others.

Topic Summary: Beavers are powerful ecosystem engineers capable of radically transforming the landscapes they inhabit. From lakes, to rivers, to streams - beaver dam building, tree cutting, and canal digging influence a multitude of biological and physical processes. This, in turn, can improve things like water quality, fish and waterbird habitat, and even the ecosystem's resilience to drought, flood, and fire. It can also be a headache when it results in things like flooded roads or loss of ornamental trees. This talk will cover what the beavers here in the Great Lakes region do and do not do, how we currently manage them, and strategies for more sustainable management in the future.

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May 1, 2025 - Climate Change Effects on Fisheries

Presenter and Topic Summary: Details Coming Soon

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June 5, 2025 - Septic Health Check: A Deep Dive into Inspections & Manitenance

Presenter and Topic Summary: Details Coming Soon

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July 10, 2025 - Biology and Management of Starry Stonewort

Presented by: Dr. Daniel Larkin is a Professor & Extension Specialist in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a Fellow with the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center. He and his research team work on applied challenges in invasive species management and ecological restoration in lakes, wetlands, and terrestrial habitats. Through his extension program, he trains volunteers and professionals to support invasive species response and ecological restoration efforts. Dan has a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and studied Biology as an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Topic Summary:  Dr. Larkin will talk about the history of starry stonewort in North America and Minnesota, what we know about factors that influence its spread, its impacts to native aquatic plant communities, and control methods and outcomes.

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August 7, 2025 - Harmful Algae Blooms and Climate Change 

Presenter: Chris Filstrup is a limnologist at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute, an applied research institute that delivers integrated research solutions that value our resources, environment, and economy for a sustainable and resilient future. His research focuses on harmful algal bloom ecology, nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems, watershed nutrient reduction strategies, and freshwater resources management. His research interests take him from small farm ponds to the Laurentian Great Lakes and involve analyzing datasets from a single Minnesota lake to thousands of lakes scattered across the continental United States. 

Topic Summary: Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, present a complex management challenge in lakes because they can rapidly form dense surface scums, or blooms, that are difficult to predict. Under the right conditions and with the right types of cyanobacteria, cyanobacteria blooms can become harmful when certain cyanobacteria strains produce potent toxins that make people sick and can kill pets and wildlife. Worldwide, cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cHABs) are anticipated to become more prevalent, more frequent, and more severe under future climate and land use scenarios. While cHABs have long been known to occur in warm water, nutrient-rich lakes, such as those in southern Minnesota, their expansion into colder, low-nutrient lakes of northern Minnesota, including recent occurrences of cyanobacteria blooms in nearshore Lake Superior, signifies that cyanobacteria are already responding to global change. In this talk, I will discuss how cyanobacteria are well adapted to future climate conditions, what factors may be contributing to their expansion into lakes where they were previously rare, and what potential strategies we can use to mitigate severe cHABs.

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September 4, 2025 - Water and Drainage Infrastructure in Changing Climate

Presenter and Topic Summary: Details Coming Soon

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October 2, 2025 - Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Lake Management

Presenter and Topic Summary: Details Coming Soon 

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November 6, 2025 - Banded Mystery Snail Effects on Lake

Presenter and Topic Summary: Details Coming Soon

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December 4, 2025 - Water Wishes for the Holidays

Presenters: Dr. John Downing, Director of the Sea Grant College Program, a research scientist at the Large Lakes Observatory on Lake Superior, and a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

 

 

Hilarie Sorensen is the Water Resources Extension Educator with Minnesota Sea Grant. Her work focuses on helping Minnesotans address complex water quality issues in Lake Superior and inland lakes and streams by delivering accessible, credible science, resources, and programs to meet their needs. Hilarie's background includes research on species range shifts due to changing environmental conditions, marine trophic ecology, partnership development, the incorporation of interdisciplinary and ecosystem-based approaches to watershed management, conducting water quality monitoring, and finding research-driven solutions to address complex water resource challenges. Hilarie holds a Master's of Marine Biology from the University of Oregon and a Master's of Environmental Studies from Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada.

Sawyer Lorentz received her B.S. in Biology from Thomas More University, a small liberal arts school in Northern Kentucky that provided an interdisciplinary education with a lot of hands-on experiences to kick start her career in aquatic sciences. She then attended the University of Minnesota for her M.S. in conservation science where she focused on using participatory science to model zebra mussel occupancy, suitability, and dispersal dynamics within and across Minnesota lakes. Her interests include freshwater ecology, invasive species, and conservation. She now works as an environmental scientist at an engineering firm in central Ohio where she helps run a native mussel survey program.

Holly Ristau is our story teller. She is a retired librarian and storyteller who spent the majority of her professional years teaching on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota.  She was the library director for the three libraries in the Mahnomen Public School District and the White Earth Tribal and Community College.  She used storytelling as a teaching tool at all levels and favored folk tales, Native Legends and “Why” stories

Topic Summary: This is a special holiday edition of Practical Water Wisdom to help you shop for good books for the children and young folks on your list. Minnesota Sea Grant’s Hilarie Sorensen and John Downing will review and discuss several books with water themes, giving ideas about the books that are both entertaining and (of course) scientifically accurate. They will also be joined by Sawyer Lorentz, the author of a special water-themed coloring book. Holly Ristau, a former storyteller with the Manomen School District will give us insight into how to tell your water story.

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Practical Water Wisdom Series Planning Committee

Cary Bates, Turtle Lake

Gail Blackmer, Deer Lake

Kathy Cone, Itasca Waters Director

John Downing, Itasca Waters Director

Bill Grantges, Itasca Waters Director

Bill & Deb Hagenbuck, Siseebakwet Lake

Rose Lawler, Hubbard County near Nevis

Jan Sandberg, Pokegama Lake/Committee Chair

Wesley Sisson, Itasca Waters Director

Christina VanDeventer, Deer River

Glen Bergstrand, small lake north of Duluth

Brian Whittemore, Big Bass Lake, Cass County

Bethann Perendy, Itasca Waters Coordinator