Summer President's letter

Welcome to another beautiful summer on Lone Lake. First of all we would like to thank you for your membership in the LLPOA. Memberships continue to flow in via our website, mail-ins and from our 16 volunteers making personal calls on members. And thank you also for your generous donations ranging from $25 to $450!

The LLPOA Board met on Saturday, June 3rd to finish planning summer and fall lake events. We also did some serious business getting ready for the change from my presidency to our next LLPOA President. In doing so the board passed a bylaw amendment creating a past president advisory one year position to aid in the continuity of leadership of the lake association.  

If you have been thinking about getting involved in the LLPOA this year of transition is a great year to start! Positions up for election this year are President, Treasurer, Communications, and Team Leaders for Water Quality, AIS, Land Use & Zoning and Water Surface Use as well as two at large positions. So far we have 6 announced candidates for the board. If you are interested please contact me at sfrazier@usjet.net or 612-618-4345 for details and to enter your name.

The announced candidates will in the July LLPOA Newsletter. I have loved being your president these past 22 years and look forward to helping our new leadership take our association to the next level.

Finally, members often ask “What can I personally do to protect the water quality of Lone Lake?” 

One way is to remove drifted-in leaves and vegetation from your shoreline to reduce the phosphate in the lake. I noticed a lot of drift materials on my shoreline so I bought a Lake (Landscape) Rake at the new farm store in Aitkin. Current Secchi disc reading (clarity of the water) was 28.5’. Great for the area, only “so-so” for Lone Lake. We are trending downward.

Second, let’s do our water sports in the deepest parts of our two big bays with at least 150 feet from shore for speedboats and 300 feet for wake boats to reduce wave action on our shoreline. These are best practices that we can all do. 

Thanks and have a great summer on the lake.
Steve Frazier, LLPOA President

Lone Lake need to know news

Lone Lake Jeopardy!

125.75 is the answer. What is the question?

As you hypothesize a bit, read through to the end for the fascinating answer.😉

• May 20, 9 a.m. Spring road clean-up. Planning to see many of you at the public beach for rolls & coffee, generously donated by Paulbeck’s County Market. Work off those delicious calories while doing our annual volunteer work.                        

Many hands = lighter work and get your steps counted.  

Different date work better? Please let us know what is cleaned. Thanks 

• Memorial Day weekend is LLPOA Membership drive kick-off. Best $25 investment. Please utilize the online registration with this link, LLPOA membership, mail in your check and information, or greet the volunteer at your door sometime soon. Thank you!

• June 17. 9am-2pm Rivers and Lakes Fair at the Long Lake Conservation Center Participants and volunteers both needed. Mark your calendar. More info here.

• Is the lake level up in front of your cabin? Overall, compared to Fall 2022, lake levels are currently up 8”-12”.  

Basic fact….the lake loses an inch of depth with about 10 days of sunny warm weather. How many gallons is that?

Leaves in the water in front of your place? Appreciate your effort to rake them out….far less nitrogen leaching into our clean lake.

Thanks to grant funding, AIS inspectors will again be at the Lone Lake public boat landing beginning on fishing opener and summer 2023 weekends. Please thank them for helping to keep our lake free from aquatic invasive species. (AIS)

Changes are on the way in Aitkin county for this service so your efforts, both monetary and cleaning your boat and water items will play a more important role in the coming years. Remind visiting friends of your dedication and request they also check anything going into the water.

• Many thanks to quite a few people over this past year who have stepped up with larger contributions to LLPOA and AIS.  

Several lake members have designated LLPOA to receive a contribution from current or former employer.

Perhaps your employer would recognize your contributions/volunteer efforts with a donation? Ask!

Watch for a kayaking fisherman from a (not so nearby town) who appreciates the clarity and enjoyment from Lone Lake. Tim sent a contribution for AIS education to LLPOA and wants us to know he appreciates your dedication to the lake.

• Concerned about shoreline erosion or other shoreline issues? Grant funding remains for one additional location on the lake to receive volunteer efforts and professional guidance for best maintenance along a lake with native plants. Let us know of your interest, problem and location by emailing lonelakepoa@gmail.com

Finally, the LLPOA Jeopardy answer is—-

What is the actual (Lone Lake) snowfall total for winter 2022-2023 as collected daily by LLPOA member Walt Weisser for the Aitkin County Soil and Water District. 

❄️❄️☃️Really. 125.75 inches of snow☃️❄️❄️

Walt is one of 11 Aitkin County daily collectors, measuring, melting to determine water content, and recording the precipitation right here on our lake. Thank you for your years of effort Walt!

BTW, the Lone Lake area was on the low side for Aitkin County. Usually all areas are within a couple of inches from each other. This year, the old Aitkin county record of 135.4” was smashed by 139” for this past winter.  

Nothing to add to that except sore muscles. Enjoy the summer!

May 2023 | President's letter

Hi Lone Lake Neighbors

We greet spring with glee after the long winter and things are looking great on Lone Lake. The LLPOA Board held its first meeting on Saturday, May 6th and put finishing touches on our spring, summer and fall programs and events. Our first event is coming up is on Saturday, May 20th, our spring road clean-up at 9AM at the public beach. This is a family friendly event so come join us for coffee and rolls donated by Paulbeck’s, cleaning assignments and a group photo as we work to keep the area around the lake beautiful!

There are many changes occurring on the lake: membership, cabin renovations and leadership. This is my last year as your president; having served over two decades. It has been and honor and pleasure and now it is time for new leadership to take our lake association to the next levels. If you would like to serve on the Board please contact Bev Napurski, David Scott or me. Currently we have candidates for President, Treasurer, Communications, Water Quality, and one of two At Large positions. So we need candidates for the positions of At Large, AIS, Land Use & Zoning and Water Surface Use Team Leaders. We would like to have a candidate that could bring the viewpoint of the wake boat perspective on the board. Elections will be held at the Annual Picnic and Meeting on July 15th.

Finally, thank you for your LLPOA membership and support of our lake association. You can join online at www.lonelake.org ;  by mail to LLPOA, Box 10, Aitkin, MN 56431 or starting on Memorial Weekend when one of our membership team will come calling at your door. Dues remain at $25.  

Thank you again and we’ll see you on the lake!  

Steve Frazier, LLPOA President

2023 and Survey results

Lone Lake 2023

Thanks to the almost 100 Lone Lake responders for completing the survey sent out last month. (If life was too busy for you this time around, know that your input is always appreciated. Email lonelakepoa@gmail.com with additional thoughts or to help in 2023.)

Boat Parade

Results will be evident as the year progresses. While it was a close call, just a few more people prefer to watch or participate in the annual LLPOA 4th of July boat parade/dock decoration on the actual calendar day of July 4. Noon was also the slightly preferred time; know that you can now add that to your 2023 calendar—Tuesday, July 4, 2023, annual boat parade

Newsletter

Input for our newer form of communication, this online newsletter, as well as the Facebook page, was positive. We do look for information and knowledge to be shared, so again, if you have historical facts about our lake, are a longtime resident with stories to share, or other important information for those interested, please let us know with an email.

Social Media

We all enjoy the online photos, updates from lakeside when we aren’t there, and the real reason LLPOA exists….to keep our lake clean and safe years into the future.

Volunteering

Thanks to those who volunteered to help either for the membership drive or to join the board. More of you may have volunteered but your email wasn’t shared. If you do not hear from the board or President Steve Frasier in the coming weeks, please email us at lonelakepoa@gmail.com as we look forward to “the more the merrier”.

Membership Drive

Lastly, the final topic of the survey concerned the membership drive. For years and years, many volunteers have set aside time to knock at your door, share lake information, welcome spring to Lone Lake, and ask for your membership in promoting a healthy lake.

Results suggest many residents prefer an online method. An online opportunity has been in existence for a number of years, using PayPal, but more promotion will be utilized in 2023. The hope is, as it has always been when going door-to-door and we miss you or you don’t have the cash or checkbook right now, we are counting on you to take the time to use the online system or print and snail mail it in, whatever is preferred.

We hope for every resident on the lake to join together to keep our lake clean. Your $25 is used or saved for needs now and in the future for the best interests of the lake.

Use this link to download the membership form. Payment online can be made via PayPal. As it is 2023, the membership drive has begun if you prefer the online method.

We would like to offer another online option to pay and currently are researching any other methods. (PayPal does charge a fee so LLPOA does not receive the entire $25.)

If you have any background or information concerning how non-profits can utilize another online payment method, please share that information with us. Beginning research seems to indicate options are very slim. (Of course, you may print the form and pay using a stamp and an envelope.👍)

We will continue to have some volunteers visit those not choosing to register or re-register ahead of time. (We promise to try to not bother you if you have prepaid.). The door to door membership drive will start again around Memorial Day weekend.

Neighbors helping out

As with the recent MLEC outages during the heavy snowstorm in late December, we appreciate neighbors taking the time to check on other neighbors and online communications to keep all cabins and residents safe.  

Enjoy this wonderful winter season which allows all of us to smile when summer arrives.

Native Trees and Shrubs now available to order from Aitkin County

Various trees and shrubs best for growing in the Aitkin County area are now available to order. Pick up will be in early May. Descriptions, photos, and more information available. Supplies are limited. AitkinSWCD information here. Many residents have utilized this service for updates to their property. Great to think about when the thermometer reads -10F!

2022 Extras! Updates

Do you have …..a matching opportunity? …..Extended knowledge ready to share?

As we wind down 2022, LLPOA wonders if:

1. Your employer has a donation program to encourage volunteering and non-profit organizations.

Medtronic sends a donation check thanks to retirees Jerry Nelson and Dave Scott. Even after their employment with Medtronic, their volunteering activates a few dollars to go to their choice of organization, and they chose LLPOA.

XCEL Energy sent dollars thanks to current employee Mark Sauerbrey.

Huge thanks to them for their additional contributions.

Does your employer or former employer have such a policy? Do you as the entrepreneur add this to your policies? If so, now may be the time to explore this opportunity. Thank you for your efforts.

2. Calling all Lone Lake property owners. The LLPOA board is looking for more and varied talents and points of view. Hours and hours not necessary. Usually 5 board meetings each year and can be a zoom/call in meeting if that works better for you.

We are all “on the lake” as that is what we enjoy. The current board has both working and retirees with the common goal of keeping our lake as wonderful as it is now for future generations. We want to represent all owners. Please consider joining us.

3. DNR information just out presents this news within 25 miles of Lone Lake.

Property owners on West Rabbit Lake contacted their lake association and posted information on social media about finding zebra mussels in the lake. A DNR invasive species specialist searched several areas of the lake and found at least one zebra mussel at each location. East Rabbit Lake, Clinker Lake and Turner Lake will also be listed for zebra mussels because they are connected to West Rabbit Lake.

“Lake property owners and lake service provider businesses can play an important role in detecting invasive species by carefully examining boats, docks and lifts when they are being removed from the water at the end of the season,” DNR Invasive Species Unit Supervisor Heidi Wolf said.

Lake property owners should carefully look for invasive species on the posts, wheels and underwater support bars of docks and lifts, as well as any parts of boats, pontoons and rafts that may have been submerged in water for an extended period.

Not good news. We need to stand together to keep our lake clean.

One last 2022 item

We are looking for input on several topics. Please watch for and respond to the short survey to come early November. Thanks!

2022 Update | Planning & Zoning

Planning & Zoning Team Report – 2022:

There was considerable construction on Lone Lake this year but to our knowledge all work done was by permits and no variances or special permits were requested that required public hearings.

Director Andrew Carlstrom met with us on several occasion either in person or phone/email on inquiries by lake residents. Of all the inquiries, only one remains to be resolved by the Planning and Zoning Department. They hope to have that concern resolved by this fall as they are working short staffed.

Thank you LLPOA members for getting permits for work on your property and following the guidelines that help us all protect the environment around Lone Lake. Steve Frazier

2022 Update | Surface Water Use Report

by Steve Frazier – Surface Water Use Team Leader Pro-temp.

​The Surface Water Use team has two items to report on this past summer. The first was a situation of use and abuse of Steven’s Point. The presidents of the Steven’s Point Association and the LLPOA worked together to resolve the conflict and to bring member awareness to the issue.

The second is an ongoing discussion item as the LLPOA Board follows the U of M – St. Anthony Falls research on wave action using various types of boats. This research is in its beginning phases but bears watching.

St Anthony Falls Laboratory Healthy Waters Initiative
You can signup to receive updates directly from the team conducting the study.

The take away of the report confirms the LLPOA’s ‘best practices’ recommendation to conduct water sports in the middle, deep portions of the lake and not in shallow areas.

Quoting from the report, “Here, operational distances greater than 425 ft were needed to decrease wave height, energy, and power of the wake/surf boats to levels similar to the non-wake/surf boats at operational distances of 200 feet.” Report from February 2022

The Board will continue to follow and monitor the research as it has not yet dealt with how wave action affects the shoreland or lake bottom in terms of water quality.

The team suggests that one of our LLPOA members who have a deep wake boat become a board member to bring that perspective to the board of directors.

2022 Update | Water Quality

Great Lone Lake facts for you

by Dave Scott

LLPOA wouldn’t exist without water.

Lake Levels facts

• Fall 2021— 13” below Spring 2021 level

• May 2022— 4.5” below Spring 2021 (snow & precipitation brought the lake up 8.5”)

• June 2022— 2” above Spring 2021 (a rainy spring)

• August 2022– 2” below Spring 2021 (lost 4” over the summer)

Lake level summary……Lake levels go up and down, fall of 2022 is down, not as badly as 2021, but we will hope for good fall and winter precipitation amounts.

Water Clarity

• June 8, 2022. Deepest Secchi disc reading 30.5’

• August 25, 2022. 23.5’ Secchi disc

Please continue your efforts to haul out dead leaves, maintain a 6’ strip of natural land near the shoreline, and keep chemicals away from the lake.

(The Secchi disc is black and white. Lowered into the water, we watch it carefully until the water makes it too cloudy to see. Nothing techie. A true snapshot of clarity in Lone Lake.)

Veligers

(A precursor to zebra mussels)

Lone Lake is tested as we are an “uninfested” lake.

No signs of them as of August.

Let’s keep it that way.

Shoreline Stabilization Program

Only one participant this year for the two year grant to expire 10/23.

With our lakeshore volunteers, we were able to complete our part of the grant with volunteer hours of in-kind labor.

Consider applying for assistance for your lakeshore in 2023. Email now if possibly interested. lonelakepoa@gmail.com

Check your lakeshore for stability this fall.

2022 Update | Treasurer's report

Treasurer’s recap by Linda Kics, LLPOA board member

LLPOA is in good financial standing. Our records indicate 121 paid memberships. If we missed you on this year’s membership drive you can still pay your dues online or by sending a check to:

LLPOA
PO Box 10
Aitkin, MN 56531

A special thank you to those that included extra funds for AIS (aquatic invasive species) education, inspections and to fund future eradicator if required.

LLPOA made donations to the following organizations:

• ACLARA $25

• Aitkin First Responders $100

• Rivers and Lakes Fair $200

• Conservation Minnesota $150

• U of M St. Anthony Falls Research $200

If you would like a more detailed accounting of our financial standing please contact me at lonelakepoa@gmail.com

Taking over the remaining term of treasurer this year after the passing of Karen Frazier has been quite an education. If anyone with a bookkeeping or accounting background (or just good with numbers!) is interested in serving on the board please us know.

Thank you,

Linda Kics

2022 Update | AIS

by Linda Szymanski, LLPOA Board member

Lone Lake participated in the county AIS inspection program this year. We are waiting for the final recap from the county on the results of the inspections. These inspectors do such a great job preventing the spread of AIS between lakes.

Starry stonewort

This summer a vigilant inspector prevented the spread of Starry Stonewort into Lake Superior. See the article below for more information. Lake Superior is a very used waterway. The DNR has tracked the spread of AIS down the 35W corridor and across the state from 35W. We are very grateful for the work the inspectors do to keep our lake safe.

Starry stonewort introduction to Lake Superior prevented by watercraft inspectors.

Watch next year for information on how we can keep our own shorelines safe from AIS and how to inspect the vegetation for early identification of AIS.