You’re invited to the presentation “Examining the Impact of Lake Associations: Social Capital and Temporal Change in Water Quality” by University of Minnesota Duluth Water Resources Science graduate student Anna Peterson-Bauman on September 3, 2025.
In-person attendees are invited to the Large Lakes Observatory room 200 for networking, sandwiches, and plenty of fresh water at 11:30 a.m. The online and in-person presentation will begin at noon. Sadly, the Zoom option is sandwich-free.
This event is free and open to the public.
Location
Large Lakes Observatory (Research Laboratory Building), Room 200
2205 E. 5th St.
Duluth, MN 55812
Parking
Attendees can park in the Research Laboratory Building parking lot for free during the event, or if the lot is full, park along E. 5th St. and walk up to the south/main entrance through Old Main Park.
Registration
Event schedule
- 11:30 a.m. Lunch and networking (in-person only)
- 12:00 p.m. Attendee announcements
- 12:05 p.m. Seminar
- 12:45 p.m. Moderated question and answer session
- Adjourning by 1 p.m. at latest.
Speaker Bios
Anna Peterson-Bauman completed their undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth in biology and geography in 2022. While an undergraduate, they worked as an intern for Minnesota Sea Grant, an analytical chemistry lab technician at Natural Resources Research Institute, and as an outreach assistant for UMD.
Peterson-Bauman began as a graduate student in the water resources science program in January 2023, working with Afton Clarke-Sather and Nathan Johnson. They defended their thesis in July 2025.
Presentation Abstract
Understanding the factors that determine long-term water quality trends in lakes is critical for informing effective conservation and management strategies. This study investigates the extent to which social capital in Lake Associations, as indicated by outreach/recruitment, membership rates, budget, and attendance at meetings is related to changes in water quality over time (ΔWQ) in Minnesota lakes.
Trends in water quality, as defined by change in tropic state index (TSI) per year, are evaluated in the context of lake characteristics including ecoregion, lake area, lake depth, shoreline development, and lake activity/business. Using both multiple linear regression (MLR) and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses, we assessed the individual and combined relationships among Lake Characteristics, Lake Associations, and ΔWQ. ΔWQ differed by ecoregion and was strongly related to lake area. Results from the MLR indicate that recruitment efforts are significantly associated with ΔWQ, even though they explain relatively little of the variance in ΔWQ. Neither budget nor collaboration were related to ΔWQ. CART analysis revealed that more developed shorelines, higher Lake Association membership, and to a lesser extent budget, all have an association with ΔWQ.
These findings suggest that while financial resources may not be a consistent predictor of water quality improvement, social engagement and participation within Lake Associations as well as the lake development could have important relationships to water quality improvement. The results also highlight the importance of considering lake characteristics not associated with Lake Associations when evaluating the effect of collective action on water quality outcomes. This research highlights the importance of local social dynamics in shaping environmental outcomes and offers practical insights for lake management and policy.
About TPFF
Twin Ports Freshwater Folk (TPFF) is an informal gathering of people from the Twin Ports who are engaged in freshwater research, policy, or regulation issues. Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of every month and include networking, informal discussion, and a seminar.
Event Sponsors
- Minnesota Sea Grant
- Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota Duluth
- Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth
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Contact:
Alex Frie, research and fellowship coordinator, Minnesota Sea Grant, University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Duluth.
Image credit: Anna Peterson-Bauman.