Aquatic Invasive Species: What can we do?

This article is from the Mille Lacs Lake Watershed Management Group newsletter, and was written by Steve Hughes, Aitkin County AIS Coordinator. It is an informative background piece on the efforts being made by the state, county and lake associations to contain the spread of aquatic invasive species in lakes and streams.

As we enter our 4th summer of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS)prevention efforts, it is good to reflect back on where we started and how this program has evolved. In 2014 the MN State Legislature began distributing funding to counties based upon a formula that includes the number of public accesses in a county and the number of parking spaces at those accesses. Aitkin County ranks in the top 10 counties in the State for public accesses to lakes and rivers. Aitkin County receives about $275,000 annually to be used to stop or slow the spread of AIS.

In September 2014 Aitkin County received about $125,000 to begin an Aquatic Invasive Species prevention program in Aitkin County. That initial funding was used to purchase 3 decontamination units on trailers that are placed at various public landings. In addition, we purchased equipment for AIS Inspectors to use such as safety vests, coolers, shirts, hats, etc.

In 2015 we started to implement our AIS Plan which includes education, inspections, enforcement, rapid response funds for new AIS discoveries, maintenance of AIS equipment, and administration/coordination. In 2016 we increased inspection hours to about 420 hours per access and increased our covered accesses to 16 full coverage and 4 to 6 partial coverage. We operated 3 hot water decontamination units. We completed about 10,000 inspections from mid-May thru early-September. All of the numbers reflect increases over 2015. No boats with zebra mussels were found in 2016. Some invasive plants were found. Education continues to be our highest priority. In 2016 we staffed the Governor's Fishing Opener in the Big Sandy area with additional inspectors and 1 extra decontamination unit.  In 2016 the Aitkin County Sheriff's office greatly increased their involvement with education of boaters and roadside inspections. DNR Conservation Officer support remains very strong. 

In 2017 we added 2 additional lakes and hired 26 inspectors for the summer. The majority of the approximately $275,000 funding for Aitkin County per year is spent on inspections. 

Our goal for 2018 is 30 inspectors. We will have inspectors at the major accesses in the county; we will have the decontamination units operating; and, we will continue to provide education about AIS to as many lake users as possible.  

We recently applied to fund an innovative project to provide clean water for fishermen to change their bait water when they are leaving the waterbody.  This funding is being provided through the MN Initiative Foundation.  It is unlawful to transport water from Minnesota lakes and rivers or to release bait into the water. A project regarding this issue will begin in May, 2018. Bait shops and resorts in Aitkin County will give one gallon of fresh water to those who buy bait. This project specifically focuses on slowing the spread of AIS such as spiny waterflea, zebra mussels, invasive plants, and starry stonewort.  To encourage boaters to return the bag after use, $.50 cash will be paid for the bag or $1.00 off any artificial bait in the store.  The plastic bag features information to educate users on methods to slow the spread of AIS.  This project is designed to promote sustainable practices by recycling the bag as well as preserving the consumer’s bait. More importantly, the goal of this project is to educate boaters about AIS and to prevent their spread throughout Aitkin County and Minnesota.
 
Each year we start boat inspections on the Friday before the fishing opener and we inspect through Labor Day. In July, we sample ten of our larger lakes for Zebra Mussel veligers (young). We continue to sample and analyze lakes for available calcium which may be a limiting factor for Zebra Mussel populations. 

Our existing inspection schedule covers Friday afternoons, Saturday, Sunday, and the summer holidays. We try to match the available funds with the days and hours when the highest number of boaters can be reached and educated. 

In late 2015 one of our Big Sandy Lake inspectors stopped the launch of a fishing boat that had hundreds of live zebra mussels attached. A Conservation Officer was called and the boat was sent to a decontamination station.  The owner received a hefty fine for the transport of aquatic invasives.  It is sobering to consider the damage that one boat could have caused to a large beautiful lake.  

Do AIS prevention efforts matter?  We are convinced that they do! 

If you have questions or need more information please contact Steve Hughes @ (218)927-6565 or hughes.aitkinswcd@gmail.com. 

Welcome to spring — Finally!

Hi Lone Lake members and friends,

Steve Frazier, LLPOA President

Steve Frazier, LLPOA President

Spring has finally arrived on Lone Lake and your lake association is gearing up for another great summer. Lake ice melted on May 3. Our latest ice-off date on our records was May 11, 2013. What’s ahead for the summer? The year begins with the road clean up event on Saturday. We start at 9 a.m. at the beach for coffee, divide into teams and have a group photo. The brush has been cut and cleared so cleaning should be much easier. This is a great way to meet other lake neighbors and to help keep the environment around Lone Lake clean and beautiful. Please come and join us this year. 

Have you seen LLPOA’s new website? Go to www.LoneLake.org and be amazed. It is a wealth of information and visual stimulation, plus you can pay your dues and make donations online through PayPal. Thanks to Bev Napurski for all the work that has gone into its design and implementation.

At the final board of directors meeting last fall the board decided to have the county AIS inspectors take over the AIS Inspections for the coming summer months. The members’ survey conducted last year showed that 53 percent of you favored having Aitkin County provide this important boat inspection function. The cost is about $750 per year and provides weekly coverage throughout the spring, summer and fall boating and fishing season. If you would like to contribute funds to support AIS educational and inspection efforts, you can do so online or with your check for this year’s LLPOA membership Importantly, everyone has a role to play to keep the lake pristine. Don’t forget to inspect your boat every time you go in and out of the water. Drain all water from your watercraft (this goes for jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards, too) and dry them. This will help keep invasive species from invading our lake and spreading. Tell your friends and family who come up to visit, too.

Finally, on a sad note, we said goodbye to several of our members who passed away in the past few months. Roy andJane Carlson and Gladys Honnold were all long-timemembers of the lake association and were active in our organization over the years.They will be remembered at our annual meeting on July 21.

Thank you for your support of our lake association and we’ll see you on the lake!
- Steve Frazier

We close the year seeking your thoughts

Hi Lone Lakers,

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As 2017 closes, the LLPOA Board of Directors would like to thank you for your membership, support and volunteer involvement.  Thank you to the 17 members who came out to the Road Clean-Up on Sept. 9. Some simply enjoyed coffee and rolls and socializing with neighbors; nine members stayed on to clean the roads and ditches.  Thank heavens the roadways were very clean and the team finished in record time.

Later on that afternoon the LLPOA board met, conducted business, and welcomed new board member Maureen Sanford. I’m delighted to report that we now have a full board of directors.

The Board evaluated 2017 and then turned to planning the 2018 program and calendar.  The meeting was filled with thoughts about how to improve our program.  We tossed out lots of questions and ideas that we felt might meet members’ needs.

We know that what really matters is what you think. So, we created a short survey and would love it if you’d fill it out and give us your thoughts. You will have received a link via email.  Just reply once.  We’ll compile the answers and report back to you in the spring.  Thanks!

It is our goal to keep the Lone Lake Property Owners Association a vital organization that changes with the times and meets the needs of our members.  Thank you again for your membership, support and participation in the LLPOA.

We’ll see you in 2018 for another great year on Lone Lake.

— Steve Frazier, president

 

County shares results from AIS inspections

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Lone Lake was one of fourteen lakes participating in the Aitkin County Aquatic Invasive Species inspection program this year.  The lakes included Big Pine, Big Sandy, Cedar, Clear, Farm Island, Hill, Lone, Long, Minnewawa, Ripple, Round (Haz), Spirit, Sugar and Wilkins. Of all county lakes, Lone Lake was the 9th in the number of the total inspections conducted with no significant issues. In 2018, LLPOA will apply for a county grant to assist us with inspections.  Your responses on our member survey will help us determine if we continue with volunteer inspections or have the county do all inspections at the launch.

Thanks go to all the volunteer inspectors who inspected over Memorial Weekend to help us with the in-kind goal.

Thanks to every watercraft owner who drained, dried and disposed bait correctly.

— Linda Szymanski

(Click on charts to see larger)

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Meet Maureen Sanford

NEW BOARD MEMBER Maureen Sanford

“I have been coming up to Lone Lake with my family since I was 5.  The ‘cabin’ my parents purchased in 1988, was the original Maude Klingelhoffer family farmhouse.  Currently, the cabin is owned by two of my siblings, along with their spouses, and me.  Most of our time at the lake is in the summer but we do come up in the winter when there is snow for winter sports.  When not spending time at the cabin, I reside in the Twin Cities suburb of South St Paul.  I am not yet retired from my position as an elementary reading teacher/specialist.  I am serving on the lake board because someone needed to fill the open spot!  I have been an AIS volunteer for several years and I love the lake!”

 

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Maureen Sanford: “Here’s a picture from this past summer – fishing in Kodiak, Alaska

How clear is Lone Lake? See how water clarity is tracked

Every year, as soon as the ice goes out, Dave Scott, LLPOA board member and Water Quality team leader, begins to measure the clarity of Lone Lake’s water.  He sends those readings to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). His back-up testers have included Jerry Nelson and others. We’ve presented his numbers to you before, but it’s interesting to see the raw data, as he tracks and reports it.

Q: What’s a Secchi Disk?

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A: A Secchi disk is an 8-inch (20 cm) disk with alternating black and white quadrants. It is lowered into the water of a lake until it can no longer be seen by the observer. This depth of disappearance, called the Secchi depth, is a measure of the transparency of the water.

Transparency can be affected by the color of the water, algae, and suspended sediments. Transparency decreases as color, suspended sediments, or algal abundance increases. Water is often stained yellow or brown by decaying plant matter. In bogs and some lakes the brown stain can make the water the color of strong tea. Algae are small, green aquatic plants whose abundance is related to the amount of plant nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen. Transparency can therefore be affected by the amount of plant nutrients coming into the lake from sources such as sewage treatment plants, septic tanks, and lawn and agricultural fertilizer. Suspended sediments often come from sources such as resuspension from the lake bottom, construction sites, agricultural fields, and urban storm runoff.

Transparency is an indicator of the impact of human activity on the land surrounding the lake. If transparency is measured through the season and from year to year, trends in transparency may be observed. Transparency can serve as an early warning that activities on the land are having an effect on a lake.  -From www.secchidipin.org/

 

Interested in learning more?

Learn more about how University of Minnesota scientists are researching solutions to aquatic invasive species problems in our lakes and rivers CLICK HERE

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Are you a citizen scientist? You can become part of a network of trained volunteers eager to make a difference around the state. The AIS Detector program, started last year by the University of Minnesota Extension, provides participants with high-quality training, which was developed and reviewed by AIS experts.  Learn more HERE

Does snow in winter mean we’re in for a tough winter?  No? Yes? Read what the DNR says (published October 30, 2017): CLICK HERE

Summer peaks with parades & annual meeting

Hi Lone Lakers, Wasn’t the 4th of July weekend great this year? We hope you had a great time with family and friends in our beautiful weather.

LLPOA events went off without a hitch. The boat parade on Saturday, July 1st had 10 participants: the Zacharias family (Lot 136) won the speedboat decorating award; the Wagenknecht’s earned the pontoon award; and newcomers, the Feist family (Lot 105), won the dock-decorating contest. Winners will get their engraved LLPOA traveling trophies at the annual meeting. With regards to the contest, the board of directors voted at their July 9 meeting to allow anyone on the lake to compete in the contest -- even board members who have previously been omitted. They also voted to request that the contest winners be the judges for the following year’s competition, because winners cannot win two years in a row. To be a judge, you simply need to boat around the lake and pick the best speedboat, pontoon and dock - about an hour of your time.

2017 Triathlon Participants

2017 Triathlon Participants

Early July 4 we cheered on 11 contestants who participated in the 16th annual Lone Lake Triathlon. Individuals and teams swam 500 yards, biked 10 miles and ran 4 miles. Twenty-five or so people cheered them on with many event spotters present. LLPOA awarded medals to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of each category. This great event is organized and sponsored by the VanSlooten family.

Our next event is the annual meeting/potluck on Saturday, July 22 at 11 a.m. at the Preiner’s storage facility on Oak Avenue, on the north side of the lake. This year Chris Perrine of Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative will talk about the new Fiber Home Internet Project, their Right-of-Way Tree Trimming program and electrical safety. Chris’ presentation and information will virtually affect every lot on Lone Lake one way or another.

Also on Saturday LLPOA will conduct a short business meeting and members will elect LLPOA officers and directors. Up for election are president, treasurer, communications director, and three director positions. So far the incumbents have indicated that they will run again. We have one open director position to fill a vacancy. If you would like to run for an officer or director position, please let me know and I will place your name on the ballot by July 19. Board member duties include attending and actively participating in monthly meetings (approx. 2 hours) on a weekend (typically April - Oct.).

Thanks for your membership and support of the Lone Lake Property Owners Association.
Steve Frazier, LLPOA President

Help is needed to keep trees & shrubs thriving on hillside

Will you volunteer to help keep the tall grasses and weeds down around the fledgling trees and shrubs growing on the hillside near 297th and 296th, just south of the beach, (SE side of Lone Lake)?

Due to the redesign of a road in 2015, the the hillside was “re-arranged” and re-planted with deep-rooted native trees and shrubs to keep run-off out of our pristine lake.

A group will gather Sat., May 27 at 10 am to clear weeds from around plants.  

Please join us!  Other times can be scheduled as per the volunteer's available time.  Questions? Contact Jennifer (jennyanyspot@gmail.com) or Beth-Anne (browe06@gmail.com)   Thanks!