LMA Not allowing boats to Launch if at Prior Lake clean up!

[acharpenter]

More info received via email:




Dear Divers,

I've received a few emails regarding our new policy this year towards boats from off of Lake Minnetonka and dive equipment.  I wanted to forward on one of the emails and the response from Dick Osgood, our  Executive Director.  Please take a moment to read Dick's response, as it contains some important details about Saturday (in bold).

First, a quick note about two things, weather and parking.  It looks like we might have rain on Saturday, but the event will not be cancelled unless there is thunder and lightning.  If you are driving a long distance, please take that into consideration.  Parking is available in the Bayside parking lot across the street from the Bayside Grille & Event Center.



Mr. Hickman,
    After reading the contents of your "important new policy" I sent this e-mail to my fellow divers.  While I agree with the intent of the policy,  I.E. keeping the invasive species in check, I think some serious leeway is due the divers here.  As described in the message
most divers will rinse out their Boyancy Compensator air bladders, with clean tap water, after each dive.  The reason for this is to keep bacteria from collecting in these bladders, which may sicken the diver, and to prolong service life of the unit.  During a dive these unit may be inflated manually by inserting the mouthpiece into the divers mouth .  So you can see the importance of rinsing out these ubladders on a regular basis.  As I mentioned it is almost impossible to get all this rinse water out of the bladders afterwards.
please reconsider your stance on this.  I am open to suggestions as to how you can determine contaminated lake water from clean tap water.  Perhaps a simple litmos test for clorine or ??  I am in no way suggesting a boycott or no show for a fun and productive event just that this policy will certainly dicqualify almost all divers who have made a dive in the last 3 weeks or so as the only way to remove all the water from these bladders is through very slow evaporation process. You may contact me by returning this message or call me at (612) 803-0012 if you wish to discuss this matter.
Thanks,
Dave Ruark


Dave:


Justin Hickman forwarded an email you had sent to him expressing your concerns regarding the Lake Minnetonka Association's policy regarding extra preventions steps we will require of the divers this year.  Justin asked me to respond, as I was the one who developed the policy.


First of all, thanks to you and the other divers for your participation and support of the dive event, now in its ninth year.  We do appreciate your work during this event and your role in highlighting the need to help keep Lake Minnetonka clean.


Secondly, I trust you will appreciate our growing concern regarding the introduction of zebra mussels and other unwanted plants, animals and viruses that are finding their way into Minnesota's lakes.  I believe it is everyone's job to take extra steps, especially since once in a lake, there are no remedies - these become permanent problems.  The dive event is a good way for the divers and the Lake Minnetonka Association to demonstrate a new ethic.


Finally, your points are well taken,  I trust the divers' indeed have experience and knowledge regarding the residual water in your BC's and how to handle it.  On the other hand, this does not guarantee they are 100% safe.  However, the precautionary steps, I believe, are simple and easy to comply with.  I have spelled out below what will be required and expected, so you can properly prepare and we can all be comfortable that the lake is adequately protected.




Our Special Event permit from the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District contains these requirements:


"All watercraft that participate in a similar event on Prior Lake on 6/5/10 are prohibited from participating in this event on Lake Minnetonka.  However, divers that participated in the Prior Lake event are allowed to participate, subject to complying with the additional steps outlined in your AIS Prevention Plan.  These steps include:


- The removal of aquatic plants, animals and mud from all scuba diving equipment.
- The draining of water from your buoyancy compensator, regulator, tank boot, and other containers.
- The rinsing of the suit and the inside of the buoyancy compensator with hot water.


To comply with these requirements, we will ask the divers, upon arrival at Bayside Grille, to show their equipment and demonstrate it is completely dry or completely drained.  For divers' boats that are being launched at Grays Bay (between 6:30 and 7:30 am.m), the inspector will inspect the boats and any divers' equipment being carried in the boats.  Boats and trailers will be inspected for visible, attached vegetation and zebra mussels, then the operator will be asked to demonstrate their boats, trailers and other equipment are completely dry or completely drained.


To all - I appreciate your vigilance and understanding with regard to these new procedures and practices.  The Lake Minnetonka Association, through events such as this one, wants to model this ethic some more and more people will become aware of and take the necessary precautionary steps to keep aquatic invasive species from harming our lakes.


I am looking forward to seeing the divers and all the cool junk they haul from the lake.


Thanks,


Dick Osgood







Event: The 9th Annual LMA Lake Clean Up

Date: Saturday, June 12, 2010 from 7:15 AM - 12:30 PM (CT)

Location:
Bayview Event Center
687 Excelsior Blvd
Excelsior, MN 55331


For more information click here: The 9th Annual LMA Lake Clean Up

Please download and print your electronic tickets.  Click Here to Download your Tickets