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Water Level | Ecological Notes | Testing Program | Watershed Report
Water Level Report
by Tom Cox
Chair, Lake Level Management Committee
Due to heavy late winter snows and spring rains, Ten Mile waters are at their highest level in three years. On June 2, Walt Kane reported to the TMLA Board a June 1 reading of 1380.03 ft. - 5.9 inches higher than a year ago, and 8.3 inches higher than on November 1st. This is 1.56 inches above the DNR's Ordinary High Water Mark for Ten Mile (1379.90'), but 2.16 inches below the highest level recorded since 1973 (1380.21' in 1979). Contrary to your Water Level Committee's expectations, the Birch Lake outlet structure stop log has been in place all winter. Your Committee Chair is working with the newly formed (September, 2000) Tri-Lake Management Board and the County Engineer to remedy this situation. Meanwhile, warm, dry weather is our best hope of an early lowering of levels.
Ecological Notes from All Over
by Jim Schwartz
Chair, Environment & Ecology Committee
- FROM A MINNESOTA LAKES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE:
ATTENDING CONFERENCES on lake issues almost always produces nuggets of information that are worth stowing away in the think tank. Case in point: the conference sponsored in early May by the Minnesota Lakes Association. Here are some of the ideas that surfaced:
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As lakeshore development increases, water quality declines, clarity decreases, organics increase, ecological habitat dwindles and human concerns about noise, crowding, over-fishing and aesthetic considerations mount. |
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Water clarity remains the major measuring standard for determining water quality, primarily because so few lakes are studying such other factors as total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chloro-phyll-a, dissolved oxygen and other indicators. (Ten Mile is gathering data on all of these.) |
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Perhaps the most important management issue that needs addressing is the public's perception of how a lake should be treated and what regulatory measures are realistic. |
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Rock riprap is an effective approach to controlling beach erosion and most nearly duplicates natural shoreline in its impact on fish life. |
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More development means less woody debris in the lake, less area devoted to forest, less emergent vegetation, less macrophyte (large, rooted plants) variety and a decreasing population of fish species intolerant of these changes. |
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Any lake management plan must consider the lake's entire watershed and incorporate mechanisms for dealing with the problems arising from that geological area. |
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The importance of maintaining a natural shoreline area cannot be overemphasized and can best be done by minimizing lawns, restricting nutrient use (don't fertilize) and planting and nurturing native vegetation. |
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Most exotic species, including eurasian water milfoil and the zebra mussel, are established, not by a single or sporadic exposure, but by repeated introductions. |
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Nuisance aquatic species carry an estimated annual price tag of $138 billion, more than the combined cost of such natural disasters as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and the like. |
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Large, deep lakes (e.g. Ten Mile) are less susceptible, but not immune, to eutrophication and, therefore, should adopt and practice measures and programs that will insure sustainability. |
THERE WAS MORE, of course, much of it in the nature of elaboration and emphasis. The bottom line is that lakeshore development is inevitable. The trick is for "settlers" to engage in behaviors that will sustain the resource for the enjoyment of future generations.
[If you sometimes wonder what your Association officers and board members do on behalf of the lake and its residents, one important factor is taking the time to attend and participate in meetings and conferences!]
- AND FROM A WISCONSIN STUDY:
A WISCONSIN STUDY tends to confirm what many observers have suspected for a long time: motorized watercraft can have a markedly negative effect on a lake's ecosystem. As reported in the March/April issue of the Minnesota Lakes Association Reporter, here are the problems that were identified:
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A decrease in water clarity, particularly in shallow areas, due to turbulence and wash. |
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Addition of metals, nutrients and hydrocarbons to the water column, which may affect pH (acidity) and dissolved oxygen, both important indices when evaluating a lake's health. |
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Disturbance of plant communities, either directly through contact with the propeller and boat hull, or indirectly through turbidity and wave damage. |
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Creation of waves from boat wakes that can lead to shoreline erosion, especially in areas where shoreline vegetation has been removed or the bank is compacted. |
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Toxicity to certain fish species from motor exhaust. |
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Disturbance of fish feeding, nesting and spawning areas by boat traffic. |
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Disturbance and even disruption of the nesting habits of loons as well as other waterfowl species, and destruction of habitat or food sources in shallow water areas. |
The Wisconsin study suggests that the most important area of a lake to protect is the shallow- water, near-shore habitat known as the littoral zone. So what can be done?
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ESTABLISH NO-WAKE ZONES. Such zones are the most effective way of reducing boating impacts. Extending the no-wake zone to 200 or even 300 feet has the most protection potential.
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ESTABLISH RESTRICTED AREAS. In some critical areas, it may be wise to restrict all boat traffic. Even at no-wake speeds, boats can disturb sediments, plants and wildlife.
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SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION. While enforcement of existing regulations is important, more dividends are likely to be realized by raising the awareness of boaters through education initiatives.
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ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGY. Phase out old two-stroke (pollution prone) engines, phase in the newer, cleaner-burning models and, even better, four-stroke motors that are far cleaner and more efficient.
- AND FROM TML FISHING DAYS:
THE WALLEYE/NORTHERN PIKE OPENER was, as usual, a mixed bag: slow for most anglers, productive for others. The weather was reasonably cooperative but water temperatures were hovering around the 50? mark, a bit cool for active feeding. In the days that followed, if the number of boats clogging Lundstrom's Bay and lining up along the Northwest Shores fishing beds mean anything, angling success improved steadily in the days following the opening weekend.
BY WAY OF CONTRAST, the bass season dawned as the best in my memory, and that goes back more than 40 years. Numbers were plentiful, the fish were aggressive and sizes ranged from smallish to lunker proportions, with 2- to 3-pounders predominating. One negative: more than half of those we saved for table fare were carrying full egg sacs, meaning that the spawning process was still under way. Time was, when I was in my teens, that the Minnesota bass season did not open until after spawning was completed.
Lake Water Testing Program
by Jim Schwartz
Chair, Environment & Ecology Committee
OUR LAKE WATER ASSESSMENT REGIMEN is slightly different this year from what it has been since 1994. Instead of taking samples at monthly intervals from May through September, we will, instead, be on a May, July and September schedule. The reduced schedule was prompted by budget considerations.
This year, we will be testing the Main Lake, Kenfield Bay and Long Bay, as usual, and Lundstrom's Bay, which alternates with Flower Pot and Robinson's Bays on a three-year cycle.
We also sampled ten perimeter swamps for total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) and are re-running a laboratory experiment on two swamps to determine the feasibility of using a treatment process to reduce phosphorus inflow to the lake.
INCLUDED IN OUR MAY SAMPLING was a zooplankton study at two lake sites: the deepest part of the main lake and a 75-foot deep spot directly in front of Pinewood Resort. Two sampling methods were used. One involved lowering a collection net to the bottom, then raising it to the surface and emptying its contents into a sterile container. The other made use of a motorized pump that was lowered into the lake at set intervals to determine zooplankton concentrations at those levels.
The study was made because zooplankton are critical to the survival of game fish fry. If zooplankton are not plentiful the newly-hatched fry will starve. A report on the findings of our study will appear in a later issue of the Newsletter.
A report from the Watershed Coordinator
by John Alden
A ROAD WARNING:
COUNTY ROAD 71 west of Batcheller's Bay has flooded again this Spring. This new body of water is known by locals as Twin Fawn Lake. I walked the length of the road bed on May 27th (in waders) and found that as much as 10 inches of water covered the road. I also found there is a large washout toward the north end of the flooding. The washout is about eight feet wide and up to 42 inches deep. Drivers should not attempt to drive through this flooded area -- no matter what kind of vehicle you drive! This problem has been reported to the Highway Department.
ROAD PLANNING FOR COUNTY ROADS 50 & 71:
The Cass County Highway Department has hired WSB & Associates to help with the engineering for the County 50 and County 71 projects. WSB crews have set stakes along County 71 as part of a preliminary survey of the road. These control points are random in nature and are intended to provide survey sight lines and GPS locations.
WSB also has a two person crew delineating wetlands along County 71 this spring. You may have seen the small red flags stuck along the edges of wetlands. The crew conducted transects in the wetlands to establish an inventory of plant life. The good news is that the crew identified only a few non-native plants. The Association will be provided with a copy of the report summarizing the delineation when it is available.
