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Report on the TMLA Annual Meeting, August 7, 2004
by Al Griggs, Vice President
What a great turnout for the Annual Meeting! Heidi Hoppe counted 177 people in attendance. This was one of the better-attended Annual Meetings in recent history, and approached the capacity of the Senior Center. Fortunately our new seating arrangement facing the west wall helped to accommodate the numbers.
A number of really excellent informational kiosks were set up for audience browsing before the meeting. These included shoreline development and maintenance by the E&E Committee; Safety Committee information and handouts, History Committee, DNR Handouts, and the new large and small Ten Mile Lake Area Street Maps, which I have found very useful.
The meeting was called to order at 10 AM by President Tom Cox. Tom recognized Kay Ball Helcher of Boone Point who first came to Ten Mile in 1921. He also acknowledged Mr. Harlan Fierstein of DNR Fisheries, and our guest speaker Dr Howard Mooers of UMD.
Phoebe Alden read the names of TMLA members deceased this past year. These include: Willa Shonkwiler-Martin, Mary Ann Schmidt, James Kuehl, Helen Anderson, John Vilipski, John Hillis Anderson, Richard Carson, Patty Larson, Fred Shrimpton, Douglas Kohl, Clyde Thomas, Judy Mason, Kay Pauly, Pauline Bagenstos, John Gardeen, and Jerry Horn.
Watershed Coordinator, John Alden, reported on three issues:
- Governor Pawlenty's Initiative on updated and revised Shoreland Regulations, for which the DNR has set up a pilot project encompassing five counties, including Cass, to develop and propose changes and new controls for shoreland management.
- Organization by thirteen townships in Cass County, including the four townships surrounding Ten Mile Lake, of a Joint Powers Board to address Surface Water Use Management (SWUM).
- The recent discovery of Eurasion Milfoil in Leech Lake. John is and will continue to be deeply involved in all three issues.
Selected Committee Reports:
Environment and Ecology:
Lake clarity is good, Secchi Disk readings have improved since 1975. Well water testing (72 wells) showed 16 positive for coliform, with retesting recommended. A pilot lakescaping project has been initiated. Our lake water testing protocol is being reviewed to see if improved and more cost effective information can be obtained.
Fisheries:
A slow start but fishing is picking up. Harlan Fierstein, DNR Fisheries, reported that test netting indicated the walleye population is very good in Ten Mile. Release of larger fish is recommended.
History:
Lorraine Stromquist is urging all Ten Milers to submit family histories by Memorial Day 2005. These will be incorporated into a published Ten Mile Lake History Book.
Water Level:
Down 2.4 inches from last year, up 7 inches from November 2003.
Zoning:
Kenfield Pines is a planned unit development (PUD) currently proposing 8 set- back houses to share 300 feet of shoreline in Kenfield Bay, with a single dock and one slip for each house.
Dr. Howard Mooers of UMD discussed the glacial geology of the area. Ten Mile is a "gouged out" lake with resulting higher elevations to the west and somewhat south. The main body of Leech is a dammed up lake caused by the glacier-formed Itasca and St Croix moraines. The main line of glacial advance during the most recent ice age was from the east northeast along the Superior corridor, with the "gouged out" lakes having hills to the west and somewhat south. Time constraints precluded a summary of his recent work on ground and surface water flowages in the Ten Mile area, but his work showed that ground water flows from the west and south while surface water comes mostly from a northerly direction. About half the water coming into the lake is ground water (springs), and half is surface water . The 26 inch average annual rainfall is about equal to the long term evaporation loss from the lake so that the Boy River outflow is roughly equal to ground water inflow over time. Lake level fluctuations are of course a function of short term surface water inflow.
New business included election of Elinor Chase and Jerry Mills to the Board as permanent residents and Ray Black and Don Harris as seasonal residents. The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 AM.
