Protecting and Preserving our Lakes
Our Mission:
To preserve, protect and improve Cass County lakes, waterways, and watersheds through leadership and through communication to lake associations, property owners, and recreational users about important issues, such as aquatic invasive species, water quality, and lakeshore management.
Our latest project, AIS cleaning stations and tools.
The Association of Cass County Lakes (ACCL) working with Cass County SWCD, ACCL Lake Association members, private resorts, and Lake Service Providers (LSP), is completing the installation of 100 Self-Service AIS Cleaning Station Signs & Tools at public and private Cass County water accesses and has identified 200 additional locations for Cleaning Station installation.Our leadership team bring years of experience to bear on the greatest challenge of our time. We are results driven, with a proven record of previous successes.
Our Membership
We are comprised of 38 large and small lake associations representing over 5,500 people in Cass County, Minnesota. It is the objective of every association in the county to keep our waters clean and healthy, and as the “association of associations” we strive to support each others’ efforts by sharing information, expertise and skills to maximize our financial and volunteer resources. Member meetings give participants a time and place to network, to brainstorm and to learn from each other. ACCL leadership also participates in regional environmental association coalitions, such as Minnesota Rivers and Lakes Advocates, Northern Lakes Land Trust, and MNCOLA, and information about work beyond our county borders is spread among our members.
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Committee
While only 10 percent of our lakes are known to have AIS infestations, member lake associations work diligently to prevent and manage the spread of AIS. ACCL works with the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC) to conduct bi-annual AIS Detector Workshops at no cost to participants. These workshops have trained individuals in Cass and surrounding counties to be able to identify AIS and to develop early-response and AIS management strategies.
ACCL was also proud to be one of the key sponsors of the 2023 MAISRC AIS Showcase, in which scientists and field specialists came to Cass Lake to hold classroom and field workshops on the latest AIS research and management techniques. Attendees learned about DASH (Diver-Assisted-Suction Harvesting), Rusty crawfish harvesting, eDNA studies and more.
Education and outreach are key elements of our AIS program, and, as such, we feature AIS topics at member meetings. ACCL has produced give-away items for purchase at-cost to build awareness about AIS prevention: for example, a blue Swedish wash-cloth featuring an AIS message has been a popular element in associations’ AIS promotions.
Fisheries Committee
The health of our fisheries is critical to our up-north ecology, economy and recreation. The mission of this committee is to work with regional Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) personal to monitor, investigate, sustain and/or improve the fisheries resources of Cass County lakes. Cass County is fortunate to be the home to both the DNR – Walker Office, and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Department of Resource Management, where ongoing fisheries research and management are headquartered. Both organizations generously share their expertise with members through meetings and research.
Lake Stewardship Committee
Preserving and protecting our lake shorelines and upland areas is necessary in maintaining the quality of our waterways. This committee initiates projects to motivate lake shore property owners to practice healthy shoreline habits, such as leaving an ample buffer zone along their lake shorelines, to avoid using chemicals, to use native plants to filter run-off and keep the shoreline natural and undisturbed. A tour of lake shore properties along the Gull Lake Chain of Lakes, for example, was organized in the summer of 2024 to showcase homes where owners tackled common lake shore land issues using best practices. ACCL also regularly features lake stewardship as a topic in member meetings, including presentations by the Cass Soil and Water Conservation District on resource availability and the MN Lakes and Rivers on the Lake Steward program.
ACCL also facilitates water quality testing, by …[MORE COPY TO COME]
Work with ACCL member Lake Associations to encourage the consistent monitoring and reporting lake quality data into the MPCA/ RMBEL or other appropriate data systems.
Provide an annual, spring RMBEL communication and sampling supplies pick up date for all Cass County sampling volunteers.
Loon Restoration
Minnesota’s state bird, thousands of Common loons make Cass County their breeding and summer homes. Healthy, native shorelines and clear, clean waters are extremely important for their survival. ACCL makes education about loons and their habitat requirements a high priority through our member meetings and communication. We strongly urge boaters to switch to lead-free tackle and to boat considerately to eliminate injury and stress to our special birds. New initiatives are starting to find ways to deepen support for loon rescue and rehabilitation programs. Stay tuned….
Civic Engagement
As a collection of lake associations in the heart of Minnesota’s lake country, we have potential to be a powerful voice on issues related to water quality, recreational practices, shoreline and property development regulations, fisheries management, aquatic invasive species funding, and state environmental funding.
We live in an amazing place and, as a body of lake associations, we can be influential. Cass County, population 31,274, consists of three Minnesota Senate districts and four House of Representatives districts. We have 50 townships, 11 towns over 150 people, a Board of County Commissioners, a Soil and Water Conservation District Board and staff, in addition to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, its reservation and governance. US Army Corp of Engineers owns and operates the Federal dam on Leech Lake; U.S. Forest Service manages the 672,167- acre Chippewa National Forest; DNR and County-managed recreational trails, campgrounds, and scientific and wildlife areas. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR study, monitor and report on the condition of our water quality, lake and land vegetation, and fishery and wildlife. We support Minnesota Rivers and Lakes Advocates who advocate on behalf of Minnesota lake associations at the Minnesota State legislature.
We strive to stay informed about environmental State and Federal activities, and alert members to new legislation, in which they may wish to provide comment. We encourage lake association members to follow good governance practices and are available to assist lake residents who want to start an association on their lake.
Let’s meet up in real life to share information at our member meetings.
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