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- NEWSLETTER - August 2010
NEW TIME, NEW PLACE, NEW FORMAT FOR ANNUAL MEETING The last day in July turned out to have perfect weather for the Picnic at the Pavilion, staged by the Manitowish Waters Lakes Association. 180 members attended the Annual Meeting, where it was announced that local businessmen, Barry Hopkins and Tom Kramer, had been elected to the MWLA Board. The following officers were re-elected: Karen Dixon, President; Tom Joseph, Vice-President; Marilyn Gabert, Secretary; and Eleanor Butler, Treasurer. Attendees were treated to an entertaining presentation by seventh-graders from North Lakeland School, along with their science teacher, Leif Williams. Amber Gray, the new Invasive Species Coordinator at the North Lakeland Discovery Center, described AIS initiatives on the Chain, inviting those present to continue to patrol their shorelines for any sign of Leafy Pondweed and Eurasian Water Milfoil. If you’ve found a suspicious-looking weed, you can call Amber Gray at 715-543-2085. The MWLA wants to thank all its members for their dedication to the lakes and rivers that make up the Manitowish Waters watershed.
WEATHER PATTERNS CHANGE As reported in the Wausau Daily Herald on June 16, Rest Lake (and our Chain) had the highest precipitation deficit between 2003 to 2010 of any area in central and northern Wisconsin. Then a large amount of rain in July removed our area as is the only one on the U.S. Drought Monitor map to show up in red (extreme drought). As of Friday, July 30, the water- level of the Chain as measured at the Rest Lake Dam gauge, was 8ft.4in. This is only two inches below the maximum allowed under the 1939 operating order. In the same week in 2007 the level was at 7 ft. Is this a permanent change in the drought pattern that dominated the Northern Highlands District for at least seven years? Climatologists haven’t yet arrived at that conclusion. An important test is how high the ground water level is. Stay tuned.
WEATHER CONDITIONS CHANGE DNR TIMETABLE We reported in our June edition that the DNR does not plan to release its Environmental Assessment (EA) until 2011 at the earliest. The EA process is mandated by statute. Publication is not required by a certain date. That makes the waiting-game even more frustrating. Meanwhile, the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) is assisting the DNR in obtaining valuable measurements of inflows from the various tributaries to the Chain. The DNR needs the numbers to put together “a water budget”: the relationship between input and output of water. Because of the drought those inflow numbers are atypical. (over) Be aware that the DNR intends to focus on flows through the Dam in the projected operating order, a significant change from the current operating order which deals exclusively with levels in the entire Chain. Also, although an economic impact analysis is supposed to be part of the EA, the DNR has not done a survey of local businesses and property-owners. You can provide your own economic input by writing to Jon Simonsen at State of Wisconsin DNR, 107 Sutliff Ave., Rhinelander, WI 54501. His email address is: Jonathan.Simonsen@Wisconsin.gov. Copies of your correspondence are always welcome.
CARE OF EXPOSED LAKE BEDS Our shorelines have changed as a result of the drought. Biologists say that the first few yards of a lakefront are the most fragile. The Vilas Co. Lakes Assn. has issued a summary of rules that govern what to do with an exposed lake bed. Any exposed land below the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) is held in public trust. Such land is protected by state law and may involve getting approval and/or permits. An example is the placement of sand or rocks on an exposed area. Any fill, such as sand or rocks or pea gravel at or below the OHWM may require a permit from county or local government. What about vegetation growing on exposed lake bed? There is a limit for clearance to a single 30-ft.-wide path on each property. In that space all vegetation can be removed by hand without a permit. Washed-up debris can be removed via shovel, rake and wheelbarrow without a permit. Motorized removal requires a permit. Dredging rules are more complicated. To find out if you are exempt from permit requirements, google WDNR dredging permits. For information on downed wood permit requirements, go to the following website: http://dnr.wi.gov/waterways/shoreline_habitat/fish_wildlife.html.
NEW RULE SLOWS BOATS NEAR SHORE Wisconsin boaters are now required to operate at slow-no-wake speeds within 100 ft. of lake shorelines. The new rule was approved in order to make lakes safer and to protect shorelines from erosion. Boats operating in shallow waters often churn up sediment and chop up vegetation, decreasing water quality and potentially spreading invasive aquatic species. Current law had prohibited boaters from operating at speeds greater than slow-no-wake within 100 ft. of docks, rafts, piers, and buoyed areas. Personal watercraft operators must follow the new rules and not exceed slow-no-wake within 200 ft. of a shoreline or within 100 ft. of other boats, including other PWCs. Slow-no-wake is defined as the minimum speed required to maintain steering. Manitowish Waters’ Water Safety Patrol Officer, Jack Arndt, will be making a special effort this year to enforce compliance with the no wake rules.
ONE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR CHAIN AND OTHER LAKES In Oneida County’s Lake Katherine, Eurasian water milfoil is present in over 50% of the lake’s 200 acres. One-third of Lake Katherine now has EWM matting the entire surface. In those areas residents can’t boat, fish or swim, impacting both recreation and property-values. We‘ve escaped that fate in the Manitowish Chain, but there is no guarantee for the future. The State grant our Town received for this summer’s monitoring effort is conditioned on volunteer efforts. So far volunteer sign-up numbers are low. Volunteering is as simple as checking your own shoreline when you’re at your MW home, or when you are out on the water, looking around for any suspicious weeds. Another way you can help is to attend one training workshop - just three hours out of your summer activities, and our Town and the Chain will be better off. There is a pontoon boat workshop on Thurs., Aug. 19, 1-4pm. Be sure to contact the Town’s AIS Coordinator, Amber Gray, to let her know that you’re monitoring your lakeshore, or to sign up for the pontoon workshop. You can reach her either at (715) 543-2085 or at AIS@discoverycenter.net. Are you waiting for something to happen before you sign up? Please don’t wait --your help for even a short time is crucial!
MYSTERY SNAILS There actually is a large snail dubbed “Chinese Mystery Snail.” They were introduced into inland lakes from home aquariums and bait buckets, and from boats with exposure to larger lakes where ships’ ballast water has been dumped. The UW-Madison Center for Limnology surveyed 45 Wisconsin lakes and found these snails in 40%. They warn that the invaders have strong negative effects on native snails. These snails are about 2-¼” long are relatively immune from rusty crayfish attacks, so the crayfish feed on the native snails. We reported in our April edition that Mystery Snails had been identified in our Chain‘s lakes and rivers. The Trout Lake Limnology Station has a research project underway to study impacts of these kinds of snails on our waters under the direction of Missouri State U. Professor John Havel. It’s already clear that these larger snails compete with native species for food and space which may result in devastation of native species. If you want to check for the Mystery Snails, look for them along the high water mark of your shoreline, especially if it is on the downwind side of a lake. You can also see them in shallows and out into a lake up to a depth of 15 ft. For identification purposes, go to: http://www.iisgcp.org/EXOTICSP/Oriental_Mystery_Snail.htm. Professor Havel is working out of the Trout Lake Station this summer and would like to hear from you if you spotted the invaders. Email him at JohnHavel@MissouriState.edu. . GET THE LEAD OUT! That’s the name of a campaign taking place in the U.S. and Ontario to educate anglers on the effects of lead fishing tackle on fish, loons and other birds and wildlife. Lead poisoning from ingested tackle usually occurs in one of two ways: a lead jig head swallowed by a fish, or a lost lead tackle picked up along with small stones and grit at a lake bottom to help digest food. Instead of lead, anglers can use sinkers and jigs made from non-poisonous materials such as tin, bismuth, steel, and tungsten-nickel alloy. When training your kids, keep in mind that most inexperienced anglers tend to lose most of their sinkers. Outfit kids’ tackle boxes with non-lead weights. They are not toxic and safe for youngsters to handle.
WE WELCOME YOUR MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL It’s renewal-time for the 2010-2011 year. For the very reasonable price of $25, you will receive at least three Newsletters and periodic Email Alerts about issues affecting our Chain and our Town. Our representatives attend local government meetings and also keep current on the condition of our water-bodies and shorelines. We are one of the four partners in the coalition known as the Manitowish Chain Defense Fund. Please provide your email address if you would like to receive the Alerts. Your email address will not be seen by others. Pat Jastrab in our office also needs to know if your mail is handled by our local post office and if so, the dates when that local mailing-address is valid. Street addresses to which mail is not delivered cannot be used for summer mailings.
Julie King Editor ==================================================== Karen Dixon,Pres.Tom Joseph, VP Eleanor Butler, Treas. Marilyn Gabert, Sec’y Manitowish River Rest Lake Alder Lake Manitowish Lake 543-8141 543-8362 543-8401 543-8224 Jim Banovetz Bob Becker Greg Holt Jack King Wild Rice Lake Spider Lake Benson Lake Clear Lake 385-2812 543-2219 543-8168 543-2065 Merry Perkins Jim Reichert Jean Rein Fred Theisen Manitowish River Alder Lake Manitowish River Island Lake 543-2048 543-2647 543-2278 543-8860
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