Annual Meeting: Saturday August 6Coffee and Social: 9:30am Meeting: 10:00-11:30amAt the Hackensack Senior CenterGETTING TO KNOW YOUR ASSOCIATIONby Al Griggs, Vice PresidentWhat does the Ten Mile Lake Association actually do? How are my dues spent? Why are they so high? Are they going to go higher? What is going on with the Lake? Why does TMLA own tracts of shoreland? What are PUDs and why are they so controversial? What is this about new shoreline regulations? Why isn=t the fishing better? How can I get involved? Etc. . . . The questions go on and on! This year, the Board has chosen not to invite an outside speaker to our Annual Meeting. Instead, we will be addressing selected topics of important and sometimes controversial nature. Most importantly, we want our members to get a sense of what their Association is about; what we do, why we do it, and what we don't or cannot do. Inevitably, "civilization" is encroaching on Ten Mile Lake. However, as a group we can be watch-dogs and exert influence and support at critical junctures to get more positive results. Please put August 6th on your calendar. Come at 9:30 for coffee to visit with your friends and with Committee members at their appealing Committee Displays. Our meeting begins promptly at 10:00 and will end by 11:30. I believe you will find your time and effort well spent. MANAGEMENT OF TMLA-OWNED REAL ESTATE: A QUESTION OF STEWARDSHIPBy Tom Cox, President, TMLAWhat if the Ten Mile Lake Association (TMLA) could, by leveraging $200,000 worth of real estate, put $1.5 million worth of Ten Mile lakeshore under protection from development in perpetuity? Sound too good to be true? Possibly. But this is precisely the proposal your Board of Directors has been discussing seriously over this past year. Last fall, we received word that an environmentally sensitive, 70-acre parcel of Ten Mile lakeshore was about to be put on the market. Along with this news came a proposal that TMLA protect this parcel, and thus help preserve our lake's water quality and fisheries, by taking advantage of a program created by the Minnesota state legislature called Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM). Under this program, TMLA would deed its 14 acre Kenfield Bay property (the "Anderson Property") to the MN DNR in return for RIM credit, which the DNR would then use to purchase the aforesaid 70-acre parcel. Thus we would put both our Kenfield Bay property and the 70-acre parcel into State ownership as "Restricted Use Aquatic Management Areas," which would, according to the proposal, guarantee that these properties would be kept in their natural state and undeveloped in perpetuity. Not only that, but the Association would free itself of the tax and insurance burden on the Anderson property. Moreover, the transaction could be structured in such a way as to return $202,000 - the amount we paid, with interest, for the Anderson property in Kenfield - to our TMLA treasury in cash. How could this possibly be? Here are some pertinent facts:
From the point of view of the mission of TMLA, as well as its fiscal well-being, such a transaction at first looked like the answer to an environmentalist's dream. But the more deeply your Board considered the proposal, the more hesitancy we felt toward entering into such a transaction. Here are four issues that gave us pause:
The "reverter clause" at first appeared to be a solution. However, such a clause has never actually been tested in court, and the Board was reluctant to make TMLA a guinea pig in this respect. Moreover, since a reverter clause severely restricts the use of a parcel, it also severely reduces that parcel's market value. Thus, the use of a reverter clause in this case would undermine the financial viability of the envisioned transaction. And in any case, no reverter clause could be included in the deed to the 68-acre parcel, because the DNR would be buying that property directly off the market; TMLA would have no control over the content of the deed. One further consideration: classification of these parcels as Restricted Use Aquatic Management Areas owned by the state, even if it prevented their residential or commercial development, would not prevent public access for such activities as hiking, swimming and fishing. Thus in law, even if not in actual practice, the Kenfield Bay property would be open to the public for access and activity prescribed by the DNR.
It's worth noting that parcels bearing conservation easements, though reduced in value, could still be donated to the state for RIM credit, which the DNR could use to purchase additional environmentally sensitive shoreland on Ten Mile. Thus by this device we could both reduce TMLA land management and fiscal obligations and at the same time contribute to the increase on Ten Mile of Restricted use Aquatic Management Areas under the ownership and management of the DNR.
Needless to say, all these questions have given the Board considerable pause over this past year. As it happens, and perhaps anticipating that such issues might arise in the future, in 2001 the Board established its own policy restricting it from disposing of TMLA-owned land in any way without the approval of a majority of TMLA membership. But as it also happens, TMLA membership has never been given an opportunity to weigh in on the issue of the stewardship of TMLA-owned land. In the wake of its deliberations over the past year on the stewardship of Ten Mile shoreland, the Board of Directors has decided to provide time at this year's Annual Meeting for the membership to learn about these and other issues and to share its views on such basic questions of Association policy as these:
Please come to our Annual Meeting on Saturday, August 6th, to share your views with your fellow members and provide important perspectives for your Board to consider as it works with these issues over time. LAKE AND WELL WATER NEWSby Ken Regner, Chair, Ecology & Environment CommitteeLast spring the residents of the town of Hackensack temporarily lost their fresh water supply. The reason for their loss was the detection of small amounts of arsenic, found during the routine testing of city water. The city fixed its problem in short order and within a few days its water system was back on line. The Ten Mile Lake Ecology and Environment Committee decided that if arsenic were in nearby water it would be prudent for us to test our lake water and several specifically selected wells for the presence of arsenic. We sampled and tested the lake water and eight wells around the lake. The wells were selected because of their location, their depth and because in total they gave us a pretty good reading on the ground water around the entire lake. We are happy to report that our lake water and all of the wells tested negative for the presence of arsenic. Although the testing was moderately expensive in light of our budget we felt that we had no alternative but to determine whether or not we had a problem similar to the city's problem. If you think that there is anything that the Environmental and Ecology Committee should be aware of please contact any member of our committee. They are all listed in this newsletter and on the TMLA website. PHANTOM MIDGES
by Marty McCleery
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| Larvae: Phantom midge larvae inhabit lakes, ponds, small intermittent pools, and snow melt. They are usually elongated, maggot-like forms 1-10 mm in length. The larvae are called phantom larvae because of their transparency. They are unique in that their enlarged antennae have been modified for capturing prey such as insect larvae and small crustaceans. They are the only insects frequently found in the limnetic area of lakes. The larva grow and develop into the pupa stage. When fully developed, the pupa wiggle their way to the lake surface. It often takes several minutes for the pupa to get through the "surface tension" of the water before it can hatch. The process of breaking open the pupal skin, the adult crawling out, drying its wings, and flying away is usually accomplished in less than a minute. | |
| Adult: Adults look like a mosquito with feathery antenna. They are similar to mosquitoes, but mouth parts do no form a long proboscis, and wing scales when present, are mostly located along the margin. (However, mosquitoes do not normally live in our lakes due to wave action.) Adult midges are short lived, non-biting, and sometimes emerge in masses from lakes. The male has plumed antennae and wings that do not reach the tip of the abdomen. Adults do not feed, but their synchronized emergences may create severe nuisance problems around large lakes because adults are highly attracted to lights. The life span of an adult phantom midge is very brief (<6 days). Eggs (about 500 in number) are laid on the water in rafts and most hatch in two to four days. Adults swarm and mate in flight. Most lay eggs singularly or in strings while skimming over the water surface. Some species lay eggs directly on vegetation or bottom substrates. The eggs hatch into larva and form mud tubes from bottom material and mucous. |
In May, my mother (Frances Brandt) and I were sitting in the Susan and Bim Brandt cabin in Kenfield Bay. We were enjoying a bite to eat, and as is the habit of Ten Mile Lakers, periodically taking a mesmeric gaze over the lake.
Just in time, we were fortunate to look up and see the astonishing sight of a bald eagle swimming at the middle of the mouth of the bay! Have you ever seen a bald eagle swim?! Being the powerful raptor that it is, it had dived into the cold lake catching a fish in its talons. Apparently it had to go extra deep to catch the fish and/or the fish was too big for the eagle to take flight again, so it began swimming.
It swam all the way to the long narrow spit on the east side of the mouth of the bay. The way it swam was fascinating. It resembled an Olympic swimmer using the butterfly stroke. Simultaneously it would bring its huge wings over the top of the water and then down below the surface thus pulling itself forward. As the eagle assiduously swam in this method, it never let go of the fish beneath the water.
When it finally reached shore, the eagle dragged its prey up on the land and commenced to chow down. After a long lunch, it flew off leaving behind the crows to scavenge the remains.
My mother adds that when the eagle flew away, it was so full it could barely fly above the water.
We were spellbound as we watched this amazing spectacle of a bald eagle swimming instead of soaring high above our heads. It was one of those wonderful sights from the magical giving of Ten Mile Lake. It was so astounding that it is well that this is not a fish tale.
Water level readings continued their rise in June. Walt Kane reported a level of 1380.08!0 on July 2nd, up from 1380.05! on June 26th (that's an increase of about 3/8" over a week of heavy rains and storms).
Walt's reading on July 2nd was 11.64" higher than a year ago; 5.04" higher than on May 21 this year; and 10.44" higher than on November 1st, last fall. Ten Mile is now 20.28" or 1' 8.28" higher than it was at its low point on October 26, 2003.
It was good therefore to receive the news from Birch Lake Association President Terry Gardner on June 22nd that Cass County's work on a new Birch Lake outlet structure had begun, and would be finished that Friday, the 24th. The new structure opened about noon that day. It reflects the DNR's design, and represents the culmination of a five-year cooperative effort on the part of the Ten Mile Lake Association, the Birch Lake Association, the Pleasant Lake Association, the office of the Cass County Highway Engineer and DNR Waters to assess the need for a more adequate structure, to study the Ten Mile-Boy River-Birch Lake hydrology, design a new structure and win approval and financing of the construction project by the Cass County Board of Commissioners. Several TMLA members also contributed privately to the project's financing.
Our Ten Mile loon residents have been moderately successful in ensuring their ongoing population. As of June 24th, 2005 we have counted 2 chicks hatched on the south side of Angel Island, 2 chicks hatched in the narrows of Long Bay and 2 chicks hatched on Flower Pot Bay (1 survived). Another pair continues to be on the nest in the Boy River area. Platform nests were placed in 6 locations on the lake; 3 of these were used for nesting sites this spring.
The loon adults will now have the task of raising their chicks to fledgling stage, or 8-12 weeks of age. As neighbors to the loons, we can continue to help them be successful by following some simple guidelines:
Watch the loons only from a distance of several hundred yards.
Do not disturb or chase the family. This can exhaust the chicks or the adults may decide to abandon the chicks.
Do not fish in areas were loons are feeding to avoid their becoming entangled in your fishing line.
If a loon acts disturbed when you are near it, by splashing and calling out, it is trying to tell you to move out of its territory. You are TOO CLOSE...LEAVE IMMEDIATELY!!
We can all enjoy watching the young loons grow and we must help to protect them until they are ready to leave Ten Mile in the autumn. The survival of the young loons helps to ensure that there will be loons for the future generations to watch and listen to. We want to enjoy them as our neighbors in the years to come!!
At the June 18 Ten Mile Lake Association Board meeting, John Sumption, Director of the Cass County Department of Environmental Services (ESD), presented a report on the proposed Intra-Lake Land Use Reclassification for six lakes in the County. TML is one of the six lakes under consideration in this pilot project for reclassification of portions of the land abutting the lake.
Sumption pointed out that with hundreds of lakes in the County and dramatic increases in development pressure, Cass County and its partners have recognized the need to look more closely at land use impacts on our lakes. It is generally recognized that areas within lake basins may vary greatly, having different ecological characteristics, providing different habitats for wildlife and fish species, and performing different water quality functions. However, the current lake classification system assigns one class to an entire lake basin without regard for these varied characteristics.
TML is currently classified as a General Development Lake. This classification sets the criteria for lot sizes, structure setbacks, sewer system setbacks, etc., for residential lots, lots with guest quarters, and Planned Unit Development (PUD) areas. Under the new classification system, certain areas of land abutting the lake that are environmentally sensitive would be reclassified as RESOURCE PROTECTION AREAS.
The purposes of a Resource Protection Classification are
| to accommodate limited residential housing, agricultural uses and forest management activities in order to conserve sensitive land areas in which more intensive development would adversely affect water quality, wetlands, lakes, shore land, slopes, productive habitat, biological ecosystems, or scenic and natural values, | |
| to prevent damage from erosion, floods, siltation, and water turbidity, | |
| to prevent the loss of vegetation, fish, wildlife, and natural habitat, | |
| to protect the quality of ground and surface waters, and | |
| to conserve natural and scenic areas within and adjacent to riparian areas for the community's benefit. |
The areas of TML under consideration for reclassification include, for instance, Flower Pot Bay, Lundstrom Bay, Kenfield Bay, and Long Bay. The TMLA Board approved the general concept presented by Sumption, and encouraged him to make a full and complete presentation to all TMLA members when the specific areas and new regulations are developed. It was tentatively decided to hold such a meeting in August for the membership, and in particular for those land owners with property in the new classification areas. Appropriate notices will be sent out to all concerned. In the meantime, if anyone has any specific questions concerning this proposal, they should contact John Sumption at the Cass County ESD.
It was with gratitude and appreciation that we received word in May, a year ago, that TMLA was the residuary devisee of the estate of Vela F. Devoe, a long-time summer resident of Ten Mile's north shore. That gratitude and appreciation deepened when, last November, we received confirmation of the bequest and our treasurer, Joyce McManus, received a check payable to the Ten Mile Lake Association in the amount of $116,000.
In keeping with TMLA policy, Joyce deposited these funds in TMLA's James W. Schwartz Environmental Protection Fund (JWS EPF). That fund is used exclusively for special environmental and conservation projects that are not funded out of our annual operating budget.
According to our By-laws, Article VIII, all funds received as undesignated gifts or bequests are deposited in the JWS EPF to endow preservation activities impacting Ten Mile Lake, including research, education, lake management, emergency response to environmental threats, and protection of environmentally fragile areas. Annual distribution from this fund can be no more than ten percent of the fund's value as of July 31, including interest. Distribution of an amount of more than ten percent requires an affirmative vote by two-thirds of all of the members of the Board of Directors.
Prudent investment of Association funds is the responsibility of the Chair of the Finance Committee, the President, the Vice President and the Treasurer.
All of the assets in the JWS EPF are currently invested in government-guaranteed, mortgage-backed securities.
Ms. Devoe's bequest is the largest single gift received by the Association since the 1970s when an initial $50,000 from the late Lloyd Sundin helped make the establishment of the TMLA possible. Gifts such as these, over and above our annual dues, ensure that TMLA will be prepared over the long term to address environmental issues that significantly affect the quality of the lake and its environs.
Pat Carey, a member of the Fisheries Committee, has compiled some interesting data regarding fish in the south side of Ten Mile Lake. The study shows statistics covering some eight years of angling by Pat and his family. While this information is too voluminous for the Newsletter, copies of this report are available for TMLA members who are interested. Please contact Pat at (218) 675-6572.
Dear Dave,
...My family had the good fortune to be located next door to your family starting way back in the 1930's, on Ten Mile Lake. In the early years we watched you water-ski, drive fast boats and sail on the lake. On land we often watched you play a high grade of tennis on the Garbisch tennis court. My parents not only enjoyed your company but also greatly appreciated all the help you gave them over the years. Mechanical aptitude has not been a prominent trait in our family (continuing through me). Since my parents died, you have been amazing in the help you have given my sister [Judy Bryngelson] for which she is so appreciative.
In your quiet and unassuming way, you probably think your legacy will be the South Shore, Hackensack and Pacific Railroad system you constructed in the back woods. As imaginative and creative a project as it has been, not to mention the pleasure it has already given to so many children and adults, it is dwarfed by the positive impact you have had on countless people just by being yourself. Your traits of kindness, a great sense of humor (combined with a memorable chuckle), a strong competitive spirit as exemplified by your successful tennis career and sailing in the Ten Mile Lake Regatta in your 79th year, and your willingness to help others have provided a high standard that we can all aspire to. Your example is indeed a powerful one, and has had an impact on more people than you can imagine.
...As I write this in late October, you are engaged in a battle against a foe far more formidable than any opponent you've met on the tennis court. With treatments of radiation and chemotherapy you are fighting bravely, and your many friends and relatives are hoping for a miracle. Whether or not the miracle occurs, you should take immense pride in a life well lived.
... John Bryngelson
On June 11, at 8:35 in the morning, I was having breakfast and watching a red-breasted merganser on the end of my dock who looked like he was having a bad hair day. He sat there for about ten minutes when suddenly, out of nowhere, a large black monster reared up out of the lake at the end of the dock and swept him away! It all happed so quickly and unexpectedly that I didn't know what was happening till it was all over and the loon was quietly floating off the end of the dock. (The loon's lady fair had drifted up to join him.) The loon must have swum under the water to the end of the dock and flown up in the air, spreading his wings and swinging one wing over the dock to knock the merganser off. I knew loons were territorial, but never thought they would physically remove other kinds of birds from "their territory." I'm so glad my husband and I were watching the merganser or we would have missed it, as it was over in a second. That loon shot up like a whale out of the water, and as quickly was quietly floating, minus the merganser.
Cass County Recycling has made some changes in its recycling policies. Flyers spelling out these changes can be obtained from any of the recycling sites. You can also get questions answered by calling the Pine River Transfer Station, at 1 888 910 2425 ext. #1. This article provides a brief review of both new and existing policies.
| Old Clothing and Linens
Cass County now accepts old clothing and linens for recycling, including
fabrics, sheets, and curtains. All items must be clean and dry with no
mildew. Boxed or bagged items may be taken to the Pine River Transfer
Station. Do NOT put these items in the brown recycling bins at any recycling
site. | |||||||||
| Furniture and Appliances
If you have furniture or appliances IN USABLE CONDITION and have not been
able to sell them or give them away yourself, please do not simply throw
them away. The Cass County Environmental Services Department wants to keep
these items out of the landfill. Take them to the Pine River Transfer
Station. They will be given to families who need them through the Cass
County Family Service Centers. | |||||||||
Old Batteries
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| Florescent Bulbs (and other mercury-containing devices).
(All types of fluorescent light bulbs, and all mercury-containing devices
such as thermostats, monometers, and some switches, must be disposed of
properly.) Take these materials to any of the County transfer sites. Bulbs
may also be accepted at local hardware stores. | |||||||||
| Household Hazardous Waste Product Exchange
These materials, including paints, paint thinners, and any products
labeled CAUTION. WARNING, DANGER, POISON, FLAMMABLE, COMBUSTIBLE, or ,
CORROSIVE must be turned in to the County by MAKING AN APPOINTMENT - call 1
888 910-2425, Ext. #2. Dropoffs are usually scheduled for Thursdays. EMPTY
and CLEAN containers from hazardous items , LIDS OFF, may be thrown in your
garbage. | |||||||||
| Cardboard, Newspapers, Paper Bags, Office Paper, Magazines, and Catalogs
These paper and fiber materials are to be placed in Bin Number 4 of the
recycling bins at County sites. Flatten boxes. Do not include cereal-type
boxes. | |||||||||
| Glass
Glass bottles, and broken window glass are to be placed in Bin Number 1
at any recycling facility. Do not include auto glass, lightbulbs, or any
caps and lids. Colored glass and labels are OK. Glass must be separated from
plastic and cans. | |||||||||
| Commingled Containers
Plastic bottles and aluminum or steel cans are to be placed in Bins Number 2 and 3 at any recycling facility. Rinse containers and remove caps. Labels are OK. Do not include styrofoam, toys, garden hose, PVC pipe, plastic bags, or motor oil containers. |
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