Lake Carroll News, July 2016
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Lake Carroll News A publication of the Lake Carroll Association and its Members The Lake Carroll News is online! www.golakecarroll.com News & Events>Newspaper July 2016
WHAT’S
INSIDE
Recreation Dept’s Swim Lessons Page 10B
Yacht Club’s Season Kick-Off Event Page 9B OFFICE CLOSURES: July 4: Independence Day Sept 5: Labor Day BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE: Jul 22, Aug 26, Sep 23, Oct 21, Nov 18, Annual Mtg & BOD Mtg Dec 4, Dec 16 if needed.
MANDATORY HUNTERS MEETINGS
Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 21 - See page 7B You MUST attend one of these meetings to be eligble to hunt at Lake Carroll.
INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR THE LCA BOARD? There are 2 positions open on the Board this year. If you are interested in running, petition information and forms will be available at the LCA Office as of Monday, August 1, 2016. Candidate Petitions must be turned into the office by Wednesday, August 31, 2016. Ballot name order is determined by the order in which Petitions are time stamped. Please refer to your By-Laws booklet to see what being a “Board Member” entails.
MANDATORY LOT MOWINGS #2 Aug 13-21 ~ Report by 12pm Aug 22nd to mowing@golakecarroll.com or 815-493-2552 ext 27. Provide your Name, Sec & Lot, and date mowed. If you don’t report it, you will be billed for LCA arranging the mowing. Whoever mows (you or a contractor) calls in the report.
You can email your mowing report to
mowing@golakecarroll.com
www.golakecarroll.com
Vol. 44 No. 7
Lake & Natural Resources Aquatic Plants at Lake Carroll – 2016
Most of us who have been on the lake this year are aware of the greater than “normal” biomass of aquatic plants we’ve been dealing with. This article is to help you understand what we’ve seen, why we believe it’s been the problem it has, and what is being done to address the growth. First of all, there are varying opinions on the aquatic plant community at Lake Carroll. Many members can’t stand to see a “weed” in the lake and they want it killed. While others do not want ANY plants killed at all. For a few years now, we’ve been writing articles on our management plant for aquatic plants. This plan incorporates chemical treatments of invasive non-native species and mechanical cutting and removal with our weed harvester for the beneficial native plants. The reason we do NOT chemically treat all of the plants (or some say weeds) is that Joe Rush the native plants we NEED and WANT to grow. They utilize nutrients that would otherwise be used for planktonic Lake Manager algae blooms. They provide habitat for fish and invertebrates (bugs), as well as produce life-giving oxygen to the ecosystem of the lake. These are important to the health of our lake’s ecosystem. Our program is established to MANAGE native plants, not eradicate them. On the other hand, the non-native plants can be detrimental to the long-term health of the lake, and the fishery. Therefore, we treat these plants to reduce their biomass, while working to manage the beneficial native plants. Now the question arises, “Why do we have this issue now in 2016 and what is being done about it?” If you recall, the winter of 2015/2016 was extremely mild. Ice didn’t form on the lake until late December or early January. Along with the late ice very little snow cover fell on the ice. These conditions allowed for the winter growth of curlyleaf pondweed that we are facing today. Curlyleaf pondweed is known to grow all winter long and even under the ice. Although this plant can reproduce by seeds, its main reproductive means is through the production of dormant vegetative propagules called turions. Each plant can produce hundreds of turions and water currents can disperse them around the lake. Turions remain dormant in the sediment through the summer until cooling water temperature triggers their germination in the fall. The germination rate of turions is very high, with some estimates indicating between 60-80% germination. In addition to the turion issue we continue to experience increasing water clarity, which allows plants to grow in areas we’ve not experienced in the past. We consistently observe water clarity upwards of 20 feet deep into the lake. What this means is that light is penetrating at least 20 feet deep most of the year. Plants need light to grow, and therefore, are now growing in much deeper water than previously observed. Again, with the conditions we had last winter we believe it was the “perfect storm” for aquatic plant growth through the winter. Also, this is not only a “Lake Carroll” issue. Many lakes throughout central and northern Illinois are experiencing similar issues with excessive aquatic plant growth this year. Now the question of “What are we doing about it?” is frequently asked. While some members may feel we are not being active enough working through this problem, I’ll outline the efforts currently put forth to address the issues. In the past, in a bad year, we’ve had around 30 surface acres we would treat using chemical application. Along with this the harvester would work mornings, on calm days when winds were light, to harvest the various areas of the lake, routinely 5-day work weeks. This season, we’ve chemically treated nearly 60 acres for Eurasian water milfoil, curlyleaf pondweed, and filamentous algae. In addition we have hired an outside contractor to assist with the treatment of another 93 acres in various areas throughout the lake. After this is complete, we will still continue treating problematic algae, as well as the expected growth of Brittle Naiad, which doesn’t usually become visible until late July through September. The weed harvester has been in the water since before Memorial Day, running 14 hour, double-shift days. The machine’s top speed for transport to an off-load site is 3 miles per hour, and the cutting speed is 1 mile per hour, or less. I anticipate it will take more than one season’s application to reduce the growth of the curlyleaf pondweed we’ve experienced this year. With that, I’ll be requesting increased operational funds for assistance with chemical treatments for next year. I have also received a quote for a custom spray tank for our in-house operation to improve the efficiency of our program, as well as the safety of the operator doing the applications. The fixed asset budget is already done for this year, but I’m going to request this $4,000 be added to the lake’s fixed asset request for funding for 2017 anyway. Along with the chemical applications, the Facilities Manager and I are already working on future weed harvester off-load sites, as well as other ways to improve the efficiency of the harvesting operation as we move forward. While we know lake plants directly impacts the members, those that do not want a chemical treatment program and those that want all the weeds eradicated, we hope this article helps you to understand the current conditions, as well as how we are addressing them now and for next year.
Article IV in the series
“Why In The World Would We Want To Build A New Lodge” can be found on page 12A.
Additional Information: Secretary’s Notes by Jeff Howe Page 9A. Letters to the Editor Page 13A Letters to the Editor Rebuttal Page 14A Three Informational New Lodge Meetings - 10am at the Lodge July 23rd August 13th September 3rd
New IL State Law Requires BOAT SAFETY CLASS ATTENTION: On January 1st 2016 the State of Illinois implemented a new law stating any operator of a watercraft born on or after January 1, 1998 must have a valid Boating Safety Certificate issued by the Department of Natural Resource. In other words if you have turned 18 after January 1, 1998 you must have a valid Boating Safety Certificate to operate a watercraft in the State of Illinois or when your 12 year old child or grandchild turns 18 they will need the Boating Safety Certificate. This is a State law and will be enforced at Lake Carroll. More information and the ability to obtain your certificate visit dnr. illinios.gov / Boating Safety Education.