Driving a boat, unlike driving a car, doesn't require a licensed adult but the responsibilities of the driver for those on your boat and those around you remain the same.
Keep everyone safe.
Which can be even more challenging on the water. No lane markings, rarely any 'road' signs, and drivers pulling others at a distance.
The MN DNR publishes a yearly pamphlet of boating rules for boat owners. It is a good idea for all boat drivers to review the rules and their skills each year.
Here are 10 DNR reminders for all boaters to remember as Lone Lake has only 448 acres for all of our boats of many types, paddlers, skiers, and swimmers.
1. Own your wake--be mindful of what you create....don't "swallow-up" others with a huge wake. Shoreline erosion, property damage, and impaired water quality with large wakes as well as public safety hazards can occur without intent to harm anything.
2. Not even a boat, but Aitkin County has a permit requirement for rafts that remain in the water overnight to keep driving easier for boaters. A registration number, lights or reflectors, and a minimal yearly fee are required for those items. Contact the Aitkin County sheriff for more information or stop into the courthouse to pay the fee once every five years.
3. While PWC (personal watercraft-jet skis) are to maintain a 150' distance from the shore, there isn't a MN rule for shoreline distance for boats. Always watch out for swimmers no matter where you are on the lake. Remember, in Minnesota, PWC may operate between 9:30 am. and one hour before sunset.
4. Keep your tunes "in check". Remember sound travels over the water far better than overland.
5. Travel slowly in shallow waters.
6. One life jacket equals one person. Remember the law in MN for those under the age of 10 is that they must wear the life jacket anytime on a boat. Keep your "throwable" life preserver handy.
7. Rules of the lake "road"......stay right. When two boats are headed towards each other, each must angle right to give separation space. Absolutely no reason to "play chicken". Watch out for your own skier or tuber as you follow or lead another boat.
8. A sailboat has the right of way over a powerboat, but ANY human-powered vessel (kayak, paddleboard, canoe, paddleboat, rowboat being rowed), has the right of way over any other vessel. For motorboats, that does mean to slow down to keep your wake to a minimum for these slower-moving boats.
9. As the lake needs to be shared, the slower-moving boats and boards also need to think about their route. Sometimes the middle of the lake is the best spot for the bigger boats.
10. Above all......be polite. Stay away from other boats while giving a friendly wave as boating is meant to be safe fun for all. Boaters are part of a lucky community we have here on the lake. Thanks for being a part of that.
Check specific MN DNR boating rules with this link to the 2020 boating guide.
June Tidbits for the lake
REMINDERS!
LLPOA Boat parade Saturday, July 4th. Decorate your watercraft or your dock. Join other boats in the bay by the public landing. The parade will head east around the lake beginning at noon. Be in the parade or welcome them from your dock.
Annual Lone Lake triathlon begins at 8:30 am, July 4th. Meet at the public beach to compete in the swim, bike ride, and run. Teams and individuals welcome. Registration immediately before the event. Social distancing necessary. Spectators welcome.
Struggling to maintain a healthy lakeshore? Board member Dave Scott has obtained an Aitkin County grant for assisting the property owner with their desire to keep their lakeshore healthy, strong enough to resist constant wave action, and natural. We are looking for a Lone Lake property to use as a demonstration location for a workshop on how to best maintain a healthy land/shoreline environment. Other property owners would be invited to attend the hands-on workshop, learning how to create willow-wattle and plant appropriate green plants for the location. Email lonelakepoa@gmail.com with questions or to express your interest in this opportunity.
Really good news! Dave Scott, on June 1, found the Secchi disc reading for Lone Lake to be 37.5 feet. The Secchi disc is "an opaque disk, usually white, used to gauge the transparency of water by measuring the depth at which the disk ceases to be visible from the surface". That Monday was a calm, brilliantly sunny day before any algae bloom and without much boat turbulence. Thanks to all who have removed leaves that contribute to a lower reading. Lone Lake generally has an average reading between 18-27 feet. One of the best in the county.
Membership? Once again, a thank you to those who have joined LLPOA. Our current membership list is over 60, but we await many more registrations from you during this pandemic year. Thanks for joining with others to keep our lake clean and safe for all. Save our membership volunteers some time and effort by clicking here to access the LLPOA membership page rather than coming to your cabin. We would like you to be part of the group looking out for our lake.
Another reason to be proud of your neighbors....we have the cleanest ditches around! Thanks to all who stepped up and worked Looking forward to seeing more of you September 12th for the fall event.
The loons seem to be everywhere, but where is their nest? Hopefully, they have done a great job of hiding it and soon we will see babies on the lake with their parents. Please keep an eye out for them while boating.
Time to step up our lake watch for Aquatic Invasive Species
What is it? Nothing we want in our lake. Zebra mussels similar to this were recently discovered in Farm Island Lake. Not the news we wanted to hear this month.
Zebra Mussels
Now found in Farm Island Lake
On Thursday, June 11, the MN DNR confirmed zebra mussels in Farm Island Lake in Aitkin County....a mere few miles from our Lone Lake.
A Farm Island lake property owner, fishing on the lake, found the adult zebra mussel on vegetation attached to a boat anchor. The resulting investigation revealed zebra mussel larva. These larvae, also known as veliger, may "indicate a reproducing population of zebra mussels is established in the lake".
While individual zebra mussels were found in Farm Island Lake in 2018 and 2019, the DNR was unable to find the veligers. The vigilance of lake users who contact the agency when they find what may be invasive species is what helps everyone in the DNR and on the lake learn more about what is in their lake.
Zebra mussels are native to Eastern Europe and Russia. They arrived in North America in the Great Lakes with shipping vessels. Scientists know that zebra mussels cause an increase in toxic blue-green algae. These decaying algae can decrease oxygen supplies which kills fish. They may coat surfaces with razor-sharp shells and block water intake valves or take plankton from fish.
While many boats on Lone Lake do not travel to other lakes, others commonly do for fishing or recreational purposes. Please follow the recommended 'CDD' whenever your boat leaves our lake.
Clean your watercraft and trailer of aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species.
Drain all water by removing drain plugs and keeping them out during transport.
Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.
Docks, lifts, and other marine equipment must also be checked and cleaned. If buying or selling from another lake, please allow the equipment to be out of the lake for at least five days (others recommend 30 days) before moving to other waters.
This is too close for comfort. We must improve our vigilance for all invasive species if we want to keep our lake clean.
Click here for more information on zebra mussels
4th of July on Lone Lake
Summertime greetings to all on the lake!
The 4th of July weekend is just around the corner and the LLPOA is planning to hold our Lone Lake Triathlon, Boat Parade, and AIS Boat Inspections at the public landing.
The Lone Lake Triathlon, organized by the VanSlooten family, will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the public beach. It features a 1/4 mile swim to Dance Hall Point and back, followed by an 11-mile bike ride north on CR 12 to 39,. The final segment is a 4-mile run southeast on CR 81, 28, and 12. Triathlon contestants can compete individually or as a team. The LLPOA awards medals to the first, second, and third place winners in the individual male and female brackets and to first, second, and third for team participants.
2019 Lone Lake Triathlon participants
Registration sign-up is prior to the event and social-distancing is required of contestants and on-lookers. Questions and more details are available by contacting Matt VanSlooten at Mattvs14@gmail.com or text/phone at 952-210-3963
The Lone Lake Boat Parade will begin at noon on Saturday, July 4th at the bay by the public landing. A traveling trophy is presented to the winners of the best-decorated speedboat, pontoon, and dock. Last year's speedboat winners, the Olmsheid family, (lot 119-new owner/members). will lead the parade east around the lake. The VanDuesen family, (lot 148-new owner.members), will act as this year's judges and photographer. All boat parade participants are asked to have a large sign with their last name and lot number to show the judges. Due to the pandemic, no candy should be thrown-out this year. Last year's dock competition winner was the Kics' family--lot 109.
With so many events being cancelled this summer, the Triathlon and LLPOA Boat Parade are fun events to get your family involved on Independence Day.
AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) boat inspections will be held at the public landing starting on Thursday, July 2 through Tuesday, July 7 from 10 am. to 7 pm.
We ask for your cooperation and that of your guests as the county Inspectors examine your boat for AIS. This has become even more vital to our lake in light of the discovery and confirmation last week of zebra mussels in nearby Farm Island Lake. Please read the accompanying article for more details. Thanks to you for telling the AIS representative that you appreciate their efforts to protect Lone Lake.
Have a safe and enjoyable beginning of summer. See you on the lake.
Steve Frasier, LLPOA President
Lone Lake Tidbits
MAY
Road Clean-up changed to individual efforts Thanks! Check for those few areas still needing a bit of time.
Annual Membership drive online/snail mail. See https://www.lonelake.org/membership to work towards 100% membership.
JUNE
Rivers & Lakes Fair annual gathering in Aitkin--Cancelled for 2020
JULY
4th--Lone Lake Boat Parade ON as scheduled. Noon on 7/4. Meet at public landing with your decorated boat of any sort to head east around our lake.
4th-Triathalon is ON! Train now!
Aitkin County Fair cancelled until 2021
18th--LLPOA annual meeting and potluck delayed for now
GREAT NEWS!
Thanks to those have taken leaves and other materials OUT of the lake in past years, the Secchi disc reading on a perfect lake day, May 12, was 25.5'. This reading in the spring allows our lake to lead the county in water clarity. See the June news brief for more details.
BIG NEWS!
Dave Scott has again obtained for our lake a grant for shoreline restoration. Are you in need? With the goal of making our lake cleaner, using willow wattle, native plantings, and elbow grease, we can learn with a master gardener and practice on your lakeshore. Please email the lake association about your needs, lake lot number, and plans asap. lonelakepoa@gmail.com Thanks!
GOOD NEWS
Missing some leaves? Due to the strong northerly winds, the public beach had many! LLPOA volunteers raked out 5 trailer loads of leaves, and thanks to Aitkin County workers, the last loads were hauled away this week.
May is Road Clean-Up Month
Looking for that pot of gold? Dick P. found plenty of surprises! Could be it still lies in a ditch somewhere along one of the roads surrounding Lone Lake?
Please take a bit of time with your family--or alone if that is the time you need--to assist with the annual spring road clean-up. As with so many other activities, the group clean-up had to be cancelled but as individuals.....it continues.
All you need is a bag and the desire to go for a walk. Parts of all surrounding roads have been cleaned, so huge thanks to those who have already participated. Cruise by to see the condition of the ditch if you want to make the biggest impact.
In one hour, two bags of recycling and garbage were collected along Ditch Bank Road between CR-81 and CR-51 so a short time equals big results. Depending on your definition of the pot of gold, plenty of aluminum and plastic were found, new bricks and assorted signs, papers, and plastic. Assuming the best, there are many people out there with only one glove or sock, or picking up something to drink that is served in a red cup!
Any size group can turn just a short time into a wonderful service to the area. Wear bright colors, watch for traffic, and know you are appreciated. Thanks!
PS.....looking for a spot to clean? We hear the furthest west on CR-28 (find the LLPOA sign) section still needs some TLC.
Dick P. helping with our spring road cleanup
2020 LLPOA Membership Drive
Happy Memorial weekend to all!
The LLPOA membership drive will be conducted online and through 'snail mail' this spring due to the Covid-19 virus. Lonelakers are asked to go to our website at lonelake.org, click on "Donate", then click on "Annual Dues" and follow the prompts to pay online using Pay Pal.
Prefer to write a check? Print the membership form from the website and mail your $25 check to LLPOA at P.O. Box 10, Aitkin, MN 56431 Donations to sponsor a shift for AIS Boat Inspections of $45 (or any part thereof) are appreciated.
Thank you for your membership during this month of May. (Membership drive is on now although we accept memberships at any time.) Please share this with any members you think may not have received the information.
Why join the LLPOA? What do you receive from your donation? Here are the top 11 reasons to join.....focusing on protecting Lone Lake and your investment for the future.
A lake management plan that sets goals every 5 years for Water Quality, Protection from Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), Zoning and Planning, Fish and Wildlife, and Water Surface Use.
Citizen Volunteer Monitoring Program on Lone Lake-measures water quality, clarity, transparency, and chemical analysis with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for 32 years.
AIS Program providing summer weekend inspections to help prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive plants and organisms.
Timely news briefs via email to keep members informed of lake issues and events.
Lake community communication through our: website, email, Facebook, and Instagram. Links to all at the bottom of this email.
LLPOA Board of Directors elected by members which meet monthly, May-October to coordinate programs, grants, act on lake issues, and oversite of LLPOA Action Teams.
Provide lakeshore restoration grants, workshops, and oversite of projects.
Provides an LLPOA Program Calendar of activities and member events for the lake.
Provides paid members with a roster of lake residents.
Provides an Emergency Alert System to notify lake residents of catastrophic events.
Acts as a spokesperson with the county and state on issues, grants, and legislation affecting Lone Lake.
We thank you for your membership and flexibility this year. Let us know if you have any questions, issues, or lake worthy news to share.
We'll see you (at a social distance) on the lake!
Steve Frasier,
LLPOA president
PS-Remember, LLPOA has converted to paperless communications. Unfortunately, this may leave your neighbor out of the loop. Please help out, letting them know they need to get their email to us or printing this out for those without techie tools. Thanks!
5 things you can do to preserve Lone Lake
With events on hold or cancelled during COVID-19, there are many things we can do as lake shore owners to protect the health of Lone Lake. On this topic, there is good news and bad news to share....
Good news: Lone Lake continues to be the clearest lake (6.8 meters/22.31 feet) in Aitkin County as per the data from the "Water Quality Standards for Aquatic Recreation in the Mississippi River-Brainerd Watershed"
Bad news: The same 2019 report and the MN Pollution Control Agency Report of Aitkin County impaired lakes (2020) shares the news that Lone Lake is declining in water quality and clarity.
The culprit? Total phosphorus (decaying organic materials) going into the lake or being brought up by boats from the lake bed.
The 5 simple steps we can all be part of to reverse this trend
Remove leaves, sticks and washed-up dead debris from your shore and beach.
Keep a natural buffer between your lawn and the water to filter drainage.
Have your septic system checked for cracks and leaks the next time you have it pumped.
While cruising the lake (i.e. little or no wake) stay out in 15-20 feet of water to prevent prop disturbance of the lakebed. (LINK TO DNR DEPTH MAP HERE)
Prevent shore erosion by conducting water sports and deep wake surfing in the deepest parts of the two large bays.
As the LLPOA we can all work together to reverse this decline in water quality and clarity. We will then see our lake's name disappear from the list of declining water quality lakes! Thanks for your commitment to work on improving our lake quality to what is can be again.
See you on the lake,
Steve Frazier, President
2020 LLPOA Membership Drive Changes
What to do? While Memorial Day weekend is the start of the LLPOA annual membership drive, you may not want any visitors at this time, Even 6' away is too close they say.
To keep everyone at a more healthy social distance, we would like to try another new opportunity.
Online membership payment via PayPal or printing a membership form from the LLPOA website and mailing it and your check to the address listed are both easy options.
Please take the opportunity to do this within the next few weeks. Using the dues money for important things such as keeping our lake free of invasive species makes more sense than spending dues to mail members a form..
Watch your email for the current LLPOA membership roster. A perk for you, the LLPOA member.
Know a lake neighbor who doesn't have email or internet? Please help us out by printing a form for them, dropping it off, and reminding them to mail it in. Good neighbors.....that is what we all want to be for our lake. Thank you.
You can make a difference.
Join LLPOA in helping keep Lone Lake clean & healthy!
Your cabin neighborhood needs you this month of May!
Need to stretch? Take a walk? Ready for double duty?
(Share your event photos at #lonelakecleanup please.)
Hmmm? With the continued concern about COVID-19 and social distancing, the annual spring road clean-up by Lone Lake residents will happen because YOU will be there to help.
Many participants of the annual spring cleaning are over age 65, so we are looking for you, the "under age 65" Lone Lake resident, to join us in cleaning the roadsides that surround our beloved lake. (All are invited but especially looking for new participants!)
No need to sign up for a certain section or arrive at a given spot at a specified time. (Unfortunately, no delicious Paulbeck's treats either.....stop and pick up your own soon!)
Please take that walk this month of May for the wonderful springtime air WITH a bag for garbage (and one for recycling) if you can.
Choose a location near your lake home....along Cty Road #28 (290th/Ditch Bank), Cty Road #81 (380th/Beach Road), the short section of Cty Road #12 (Deer Street), or Cty Road #39 (Oak Ave.)
How far? How far can you go? Some have said they can walk the entire north side of the lake! Can you do a quarter of a mile? 100 or 1000 feet? Out and back will make both sides clean.
As long as there is something to pick up, please pick it up. We are the ones who see garbage most often and we can take care of our neighborhood. This year we do ask you to dispose of the litter with your own household garbage.
Please make safety your first concern:
"Gloves" can be old bread bags or something similar as desired.
Wear bright/fluorescent/easily visible clothing
Be focused on traffic. Stay vigilant and out of the way of vehicles.
This is a great opportunity for family volunteering during this unique time. Thank you!
Please send a photo of your family participation using the hashtag #lonelake-cleanup so we can celebrate involvement of a little bit of time and effort. We are all in this together.