The North American Lake Management Society (NALMS)

Name

The North American Lake Management Society (NALMS)

Legal name

North American Lake Management Society (NALMS)

Website

https://nalms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Environmental Society Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

akta.pro primary industry

Sampling Programs & Field Services (grab/composite sampling, chain-of-custody, logistics) (EUANAJAD)

Keywords

• Lake management
• Reservoir management
• Professional certification
• Citizen science programs
• Freshwater research publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Caledonia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from individual and organizational members across multiple membership tiers including College Student, Early Career, Professional, Emeritus, Lake Leader, Lake/Watershed Association, Nonprofit, Affiliate, and Corporate categories. Individual dues range from $45 to $140 per year; organizational dues from $165 to $650 per year.
2. Annual International Symposium: Revenue generated from the annual NALMS symposium, including attendee registration, exhibitor fees, and sponsorship packages. The symposium is a key annual revenue driver and member engagement event.
3. Federal Grants: Historically, NALMS received significant grant funding through Section 314 of the Clean Water Act (Clean Lakes Program). As dedicated federal funding for the Clean Lakes Program ended in 1994, NALMS has diversified funding sources while still pursuing federal grants from agencies including EPA.
4. Donations and Sponsorships: Donations from individual members and donors through the Lake Givers Club and various named funds (Eberhardt Memorial Student Fund, Ann St. Amand Early Career Fund, JEDI Scholarship Fund, G. Dennis Cooke Symposium Fund, Dr. Robert Carlson Secchi Dip-In Fund). Corporate sponsorship of symposiums and programs also contributes.
5. Publications Revenue: Revenue from LakeLine Magazine (included with membership) and Lake and Reservoir Management journal. Professional and Nonprofit/Affiliate/Corporate members receive printed journal issues as part of their membership benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NALMS is a nonprofit professional society that delivers lake and reservoir management education, professional certification, peer-reviewed publications, citizen science programs, and an annual international symposium to a combined membership of citizens, scientists, and professionals across North America. Its revenue comes primarily from individual and organizational membership dues, conference registration, federal grants, donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

NALMS is a nonprofit professional society offering a portfolio of publications (LakeLine Magazine, Lake and Reservoir Management Journal, NALMS Notes & Lake News), professional certification (Certified Lake Manager/Professional credentials), citizen science programs (Secchi Dip-In, Inland HABs Program), educational outreach (Student Programs, JEDI Program), annual conferences, and digital tools (NALMS Shiny Apps). The core offering centers on forging partnerships among citizens, scientists, and professionals to foster lake and reservoir management and protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LakeLine Magazine NALMS's primary periodical magazine covering lake management topics, distributed in print and electronic formats to members. Aimed at NALMS members including lake management professionals, citizen lake enthusiasts, students, and organizational members.
• Lake and Reservoir Management (LRM) Journal A peer-reviewed research journal covering scientific research on lake and reservoir management. Aimed at academic researchers, limnologists, environmental scientists, and professional lake managers seeking peer-reviewed publication.
• NALMS Notes & Lake News Electronic bi-monthly newsletter focused on NALMS activities and lake management news. Included with all membership levels and available for non-member subscription.
• Professional Certification Program Certification program offering Certified Lake Manager (CLM), Certified Lake Professional (CLP), and Lake Management Trainee (LMT) credentials for professionals with training and experience in lake management. Recognized credentials across the lake management profession.
• Secchi Dip-In Program Citizen science initiative where volunteer monitors take transparency measurements on lakes and reservoirs during July, generating a database of over 41,000 records on more than 7,000 waterbodies. Open to any volunteer participant across North America.
• Inland HABs Program Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) program providing educational materials and resources on cyanobacteria monitoring and management. Aggregates information for NALMS members and the public.
• Lakes Appreciation Month Annual awareness campaign held each July to focus attention on lakes and reservoirs, their value, and management issues they face. Targeted at the general public, lake communities, and members.
• Student Programs Collection of student support initiatives including a mentorship program, travel grants, sponsored student memberships providing free membership through member donations, and a student video series. Aimed at graduate and undergraduate students in environmental science, limnology, and water resources.
• JEDI Program Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion program promoting equitable treatment and inclusive spaces within the lake management community and in lake management outreach activities. Open to NALMS members and the broader community.
• NALMS Shiny Apps Interactive web applications for data visualization and analysis related to lake management and monitoring. Available as a digital tool for members and the public.
• International Symposium Annual premier international conference bringing together lake management professionals for oral and poster technical presentations, hands-on workshops, field trips, exhibition hall, and networking opportunities. Available to members, certified professionals, researchers, and the broader lake management community through registration.
• NALMS Membership Annual membership program offering tiered individual and organizational subscriptions (College Student $45, Early Career $85, Professional $140, Lake Leader $75, Emeritus $75, Lake/Watershed Association $165, Nonprofit $330, Affiliate $330, Corporate $650) with access to publications, certification pathways, conference discounts, and member directory.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41,000+ transparency measurements collected by citizen scientists across 7,000+ waterbodies through the Secchi Dip-In program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Aquatic Plant Management SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNALMS maintains a partnership with the Aquatic Plant Management Society. NALMS representative Terry McNabb and Chris Doyle serve as liaison contacts between the organizations, coordinating on conferences and professional development activities relevant to aquatic plant management.
• Consortium of Aquatic Science SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNALMS is a member of the Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies, a collaborative body bringing together aquatic science organizations. NALMS representatives Diane Lauritsen and Perry Thomas serve as liaisons to this consortium.
• National Water Quality Monitoring CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2006, NALMS expanded its partnership with the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, a scientific advisory committee to federal agencies. NALMS facilitates the Council's biennial conference and has a representative on the Council's parent organization, the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI). Representatives Jeff Schloss and Sara Peel serve as NALMS liaisons.
• Reservoir Fisheries Habitat PartnershipsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNALMS partners with the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership, an organization focused on reservoir fisheries habitat conservation. NALMS representative Reed Green serves as liaison.
• Source Water CollaborativesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNALMS is a partner in the Source Water Collaborative, an organization focused on source water protection. NALMS representative Matt Kerby serves as liaison.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreOthersHistorically, NALMS focused on funding Section 314 of the Clean Water Act, the Clean Lakes Program, which provided funds through states to clean up individual lakes. NALMS actively supported EPA funding appropriations and implementation of this program. The Secchi Dip-In program received support from the EPA. The Clean Lakes Program dedicated funding ended in 1994.
• Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNALMS has a representative on ACWI, the parent organization of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, providing a link between NALMS and federal water information programs.
• Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentioned as a collaborator in NALMS's Partners Program, GLEON is a network of collaborators focused on lake ecological observation and research that aligns with NALMS's mission.
• Citizen Science AssociationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentioned as a network collaborator in NALMS's Partners Program, supporting citizen science initiatives including the Secchi Dip-In program.
• Kent State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Secchi Dip-In was founded in 1994 by Dr. Robert Carlson at Kent State University. NALMS has been a key partner of the Dip-In from the beginning, and in 2015, Dr. Carlson transferred management of the Dip-In to NALMS.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Source Water Collaborative: Source Water Collaborative is a coalition of organizations focused on protecting drinking water sources through partnerships and education. Comparable as a listed NALMS partner in adjacent source water protection work.
• Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON): GLEON is a grassroots collaborative network of lake observatories and researchers. Comparable as a listed NALMS partner operating in adjacent lake ecological data/research with shared membership overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Water Environment Federation (WEF): WEF is a large, established water quality professional organization covering wastewater and water quality broadly with major conferences and technical publications. Comparable as a larger incumbent serving overlapping water-quality professional audiences with broader scope than NALMS.
• National Wildlife Federation (NWF): NWF is a large national conservation organization with significant freshwater and habitat programming, fundraising capacity, and policy engagement. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating in overlapping lake/watershed conservation advocacy space.

Direct peers

• Society for Freshwater Science (SFS): SFS (formerly NABS) is a scientific society for freshwater science with peer-reviewed journals and annual meetings. Highly comparable to NALMS as a peer society serving freshwater researchers with overlapping limnology and lake ecology membership.
• American Water Resources Association (AWRA): AWRA is a multidisciplinary professional association focused on water resources management, with publications, conferences, and policy engagement. Comparable as a membership society serving water professionals with overlapping audiences on watershed and water-quality issues.
• Aquatic Plant Management Society (APMS): APMS is a professional society focused on aquatic plant management with publications, conferences, and regional chapters. Directly comparable as an adjacent NALMS partner society serving overlapping aquatic management practitioners and audiences.
• Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS): SWS is an international professional society for wetland science and management with peer-reviewed publications and annual meetings. Comparable as a peer scientific society with adjacent aquatic ecosystem management scope and overlapping professional audience.
• American Fisheries Society (AFS): AFS is the oldest and largest professional society representing fisheries scientists, with peer-reviewed journals, certifications, and an annual meeting. Comparable as a peer society in aquatic science with overlapping limnology/fisheries membership and reservoir management focus.
• American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO): ASLO is the premier international scientific society for limnology and oceanography research, publishing peer-reviewed journals and hosting major scientific conferences. Highly comparable to NALMS as a peer scientific society serving the freshwater research and management community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nalms

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The North American Lake Management Society (NALMS)