NALMS is now accepting entries for the
2009 Lakes Appreciation Month Poster Contest.
View previous
entries
What is Lakes Appreciation Month?
The surface area and number of lakes in North America far exceed those of any other continent. Yet lakes are our nations most under appreciated natural resource. The public uses lakes for a variety of purposes: water supply for municipal, industrial and agricultural use; recreation including boating, swimming, and fishing; flood control; and aesthetic enjoyment. However, lakes are often considered as "free" resources by lake users and this can result in abuse and neglect.
To draw attention to the value and importance of lakes and reservoirs, NALMS sponsors an annual Lakes Appreciation Month. This is a true North American event. As such, it is intended to be celebrated throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. The celebration typically coincides with Independence Day (July 4) in the U.S. and with Canada Day (July 1) in Canada. Both of these holidays provide people with the opportunity to get out and enjoy lakes.
Lakes Appreciation Month also overlaps with The
Great American Secchi Dip-In. The Dip-In is sponsored by NALMS and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Dip-In organizes citizen volunteers in existing volunteer lake monitoring programs to measure water transparency with a simple device called a “Secchi disk.” Collected data are compiled and analyzed at Kent State University. Regional lake transparency trends are reported in a color map.
There are a number of ways you can celebrate lakes during Lakes Appreciation Month. Below we offer links to some ideas and some resources that will help you in planning a lake-related celebration.