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BRUCE CARLSON WILL BE THE FEATURED SPEAKER AT THE TEN MILE LAKE ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL MEETING
Bruce is a recently retired professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he was Chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Director of the Institute of Gerontology. He has written extensively on embryology and regeneration. In a former life, he was an aquatic biologist for the Minnesota DNR (when it was still called the Conservation Department) and got an MS degree in ichthyology (fish biology). Has has been a regular contributor to In-Fisherman Magazine, with articles that integrate scientific principles with fishing techniques. He has visited and fished on Ten Mile Lake every summer since 1955 and has spent many hours on the lake studying the fascinating parade of life beneath the surface of the lake. Many of his observations were recorded in his recent book, Beneath the Surface (2007). Bruce is also the chair of the TMLA Environment and Ecology Committee.
At The Meeting Hall, members will find displays with handouts and information presented by several of the Association’s committees, including Fisheries, Environment and Ecology, History, Lake Safety, and Conservation. During the meeting they will hear brief reports from committee chairs. The nominating committee will be presenting a slate of officers and directors for the coming year.
Plan To Arrive At The Meeting By 9:30 so you will have time to get some coffee, visit with fellow members, and view the exhibits prepared by the various committees. The meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. and end by 11:30 a.m.
FISHING CHATTER
by Bob Horn, Co-Chair, Fisheries Committee
Fishing So Far This Year has been wacky! Here we are on June 16th with a water temperature in the 50s! The only good news has been a mild resurgence in the crappie bite. Some walleyes have been caught but not with the consistency of most years in the spring.
The Minnesota Conservation magazine for May-June 2008 had two articles of concern related to fishing in Minnesota.
1. On Climate Change
How will Minnesota fish, anglers, and fish managers adapt to warmer lakes and streams? The author summarizes by saying “with climate change and development both stressing lake ecosystems, lakes are becoming more vulnerable. The future of fish populations depends on what happens ABOVE the surface of our water.”
Because Ten Mile has been selected as a “sentinel lake”, for the next 4 years the DNR & PCA will take frequent water samples to determine how climate change and other factors are affecting all the indicators. (See pages 16 – 23 in the magazine for more information)
2. A Fish Disease
The second article is about a new fish disease that could turn up in Minnesota waters: Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, or VHS virus, which attacks both saltwater and freshwater fish, causing them to bleed to death. It has shown up in all of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior, as well as in waters in other states, including Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. It has caused fish kills in muskies, walleyes, lake whitefish, and yellow perch, and can also infect other game fish. More information can be found in the article on page 64-65 in the magazine.
A Reminder To All Ten Mile fisher people: Don’t forget to attend the August 2nd annual meeting to hear our own fishing expert Bruce Carlson sharpen our skills on how to catch fish in our beautiful Ten Mile Lake.
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK . . .
by Al Griggs, TMLA President
This will be a short article! We’ve had a very cold spring, and the lake water temperature reflects that. At this writing it is still much too cold for swimming. And at least in my experience, thanks to the cold water temperature, the walleye fishing leaves something to be desired.
Cass Co. Land Use Ordinance: As you all probably know, the County Board passed the revised Section 1116 of the Cass County Land Use Ordinance. Planned Unit Developments are no more. Developers now must choose between Conservation Developments which promise to be much more eco-friendly to our lakes than PUDs were, or conven-tional Lot and Block Developments. The latter now require 25% larger minimum lot sizes than before, and 50% more open space. This does not mean that newly platted riparian lots would be required to have 25% more of frontage; the lots could be deeper.
Intralake Zoning Is Looming Closer. Both Cass County and the DNR have invested considerable time and money in evaluating the relative environmental sensitivities of our shorelands. The evaluation of Ten Mile is complete, along with Woman Lake. Other area lakes are currently being evaluated. I have asked John Sumption to begin the actual zoning process with Ten Mile Lake. He responded positively, but indicated that the County still has some minor issues to clear up. The County Web Site (http://www.co.cass.mn.us/) has a map of Ten Mile that shows the tentative Resource Protection Districts outlined. In my view, this will be an evolutionary process with issues to be resolved and questions to be answered. In the final analysis, Ten Mile and all our lakes will be far better protected when intralake zoning is in place.
After A Slow Start, The Sentinel Lakes (SLICE) program will be more active. We are starting a process to incorporate our considerable water quality data and history into MPCA’s STORET database. Indications are that these data will ultimately be useful in establishing a baseline for Ten Mile. The SLICE program which is a joint effort of the DNR and MPCA will monitor the 22 chosen Minnesota lakes for long term environmental (global warming!), and developmental impacts.
I Was Recently Invited To Speak at the Ada Lake Association annual meeting. As I talked about our Association’s activities, I was struck by the similarity of concerns between our two Associations. And I was impressed by the dedication of the Ada Lake people in protecting their lake. Ada is in the process of shoreland sensitivity evaluations by Donna Perlberg for the Intralake Zoning program, and has concerns about the possibility of exotic species contamination, how to get more walleye stocking, and lastly, how to grow their Association― made me feel right at home!
Our TMLA Annual Meeting is August 2 at the UCC Friendship Hall. Bruce Carlson will be our featured speaker and will speak on lake ecology and, (I hope!) how to catch more walleyes in Ten Mile.
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TML HISTORY BOOK STILL AVAILABLE: TEN MILE LAKE HISTORY, 200 YEARS
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Copies of the history book published by the Ten Mile Lake Association’s History Committee are still available. Ten Mile Lake History, 200 Years has been enthusiastically received by everyone who has seen it. Every Ten Mile Lake cabin should have one of these books on the coffee table! You will also want them for family and friends who have come to love Ten Mile Lake. Copies are available at Swanson’s Bait in Hackensack, at the Little Apple Book Store and the Cass County History Museum in Walker and at the Northwoods Arts Council Arts Festival and Book Fair on August 23rd in Hackensack. You may also
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purchase the book directly from the following History Committee members: Lorraine Stromquist 218 675-6037 E-mail lorstrom@tds.net Sue Eikenberry 218 675-6183 E-mail tenmile@tds.net Tom Cox 218 675-6844 E-mail tbcoxreston@aol.com The cost of the book is $35.00, plus $5.00 if it is to be mailed to you. |
IF YOU’RE BURNING GARBAGE, YOU’RE MAKING POISON
By May Xiong, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
For Generations, many rural Minnesotans have burned their own garbage on-site; usually in a burn barrel. It was free, convenient, and easy to do. The problem is that burning your garbage is far more harmful to your health, our health, and the environment than previously thought. Whether it’s done in a traditional burn barrel, wood stove, fire-pit, or at the cabin… if you’re burning garbage, you’re making poison.
Fifty To A Hundred Years Ago, most household garbage contained only untreated paper, wood, metal, and glass. Today’s garbage, however, contains plastics, chemically treated materials, and other types of packaging waste that release a hazardous mix of toxic materials, such as dioxin, lead, mercury, and arsenic, when burned. Even seemingly harmless items, like paper, mail, packaging, and cardboard can give off toxic emissions.
Among The Health Risks posed by backyard garbage burning, dioxin, a cancer-causing substance, is one of the main concerns. Dioxin is classified as a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollutant because it is a long lasting substance that can build up to harmful levels in the food chain. Dioxin is formed through many natural and industrial processes including backyard garbage burning. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now estimates backyard garbage burning to be the number one source of dioxin in the United States. The EPA has found that one family’s burn barrel can actually produce as much dioxin as a full-scale, 200 ton-per-day municipal waste combustor! That’s because municipal waste combustors burn at a very high temperature (over 2000 degrees) and have sophisticated emission controls to minimize and collect pollutants before they enter the environment. Burn barrels burn at a very low temperature (which is ideal for dioxins to form) and don’t have emission controls to minimize and trap pollutants before they enter the environment.
From There, Dioxins settle onto our plants, water, and soil. Animals eat the plants and the dioxin builds up in the food chain. When people eat meat and dairy products, the dioxin is absorbed into our bodies. The EPA estimates that over 90 percent of our dioxin exposure occurs through our diet. Small amounts of exposure occur from directly breathing contaminated smoke and from absorption through the skin by coming into contact with contaminated air, soil, or water. Backyard garbage burning is hazardous because it can have significant impacts on our immune, developmental, and reproductive systems.
According To Minnesota DNR, backyard garbage burning also contributes to nearly half of all wildfires in Minnesota each year. Moreover, open burning of household garbage is illegal for most Minnesotans and it has been since 1969. Despite these risks, nearly 45% of rural Minnesotans still burn their garbage on-site today creating a serious source of pollution that impacts all Minnesotans.
What can you do?
DON’T BURN GARBAGE!! Use local recycling and garbage service or drop-sites. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Reduce your waste when possible; compost or chip yard waste; buy items with less packaging; and educate your family and neighbors about the hazards of backyard garbage burning. Not sure where to go to recycle or dispose of your garbage at home or at the lake??? Call your local county solid waste or environmental office or visit www.pca.state.mn.us/burnbarrel for contact information for all 87 Minnesota counties. Remember… if you’re burning garbage, you’re making poison.
(Editor’s note: May Xiong is a student intern working at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, where she has been focusing on the problem of burn barrels.)
A SWAN SAGA
By Karin Arsan
On May 28, 2008 at 9 a.m., I was sitting in my cabin at a window with a view of the lake. Through the trees I saw something white coming into the bay by the Loufek property. I didn't have a good view and thought it might even be a pontoon boat roof. Being always curious, I went out on my dock and was amazed to find three beautiful Trumpeter Swans in the glassy, sunny, 50-degree bay. It was a peaceful, glorious sight.
I Ran In And Called My Parents who live next door and even closer to the bay. When I went back to the dock with my binoculars, I found that the swans were slowly moving toward the water in front of my parents’ shore (they did not have a dock in the water at that time). The swans were quite close in. All was very peaceful except for an occasional call which sounded just as my SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS describes it: "Gentle nasal honking, slightly hoarse 'hurp' or 'hurp di di', like the honk of a European taxi; lower-pitched and less urgent than Canada Goose." My guide also tells me Trumpeter Swans are 60" long with a 80" wing spread: a very big bird and sitting rather high in the water like little boats.
I Watched For Half An Hour until they were in front of my parents place and then very suddenly there was chaos! At first I couldn't even tell what was happening, but soon saw that two more swans had flown in right on top of the first three; it was not a peaceful gathering. Two were fighting (must have been the two males) and the other three were off to the side quietly preening their feathers (surely the females). They all looked alike but the behavior really gave away their gender.
By This Time It Was About 9:30 a.m. The fight went on for about 15 minutes with great noise and flapping of those huge wings as they stood on the water facing each other and tried to see who could stretch his neck the highest and hit the other swan with it: It was a real neck fight!
However, After All The Fighting, the two groups parted; two swam toward the trees at Loufek’s and three swam toward the beach. My attention waned and the next thing I knew all 5 were flying right at me from the north as one flock. They were flying low, almost directly overhead, in a straight line back toward the bay. I could see each one individually as it passed and hear the beating of its wings. I felt I could almost reach out and touch them. They were so close! They circled the bay and flew off to the east over the swampy area between my parents' cabin and Peg Anderson’s.
They Were Beautiful Birds: almost all white except for a black spot on the water line toward the back and black beaks and their necks were almost a beige color. Their honks were on at least two tones.
When I told this to a friend, he said that once when walking in the forest he came upon a pair nesting in a swampy area. I hope some of the swans I saw will decide that our area offers good housing and settle in for the summer. I've been on Ten Mile Lake in the summers since 1949 and this was the first time I've seen swans [here.]
Water Level
The Buoys of Summer
by Brad Putney, Safety Committee Member
One of the most important aspects to navigating Ten mile, or any other lake, is learning the placement and meaning of the hazard and safety buoys. As o fthis writing there are 28 such buoys in the water at TML, made up of three different types: black and white point buoys, rock buoys, and no-wake buoys.
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Black and White Point Buoys
The Black and White, vertically striped Point Buoys tell boaters not to pass between the mark and the closest shore. On Ten Mile we have four of these buoys. They mark Forseman Point, the southeast corner of Angel Island, Boone's Point, and Gainey Point.
The unique situation of the Gainey Point buoy must be noted for new and inexperienced captains. While the buoy is closest to Gainey Point, the caution area actually extends back along the line of rock buoys south to Angel Island. Three of these black and white buoys have warning lights attached and should be visible at night. However, it is important to remember that these lights may not always be functioning. While navigating at night a captain should not rely solely on the lighted buoys.
When placing a point buoy, the goal is to find the end of the reef which is being identified, and to place the marker in approximately five to six feet of water. While this water depth is safe for most boats on Ten Mile, it should be considered that danger could still exist immediately outside of that buoy. Markers move, water levels change, and no reef comes to a perfect stopping point at the buoy.
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Rock Buoys
The Rock Buoys on Ten Mile, marked by orange triangles, should be considered as reef markers, and not simply as marking one or a small group of rocks. The large reefs on our lake are marked at intervals with these buoys, and it is the responsibility of the captain to know where the rest of the reef lies. As an example, two rock buoys mark the reef across Kenfield Bay. These should not be considered channel markers, for the reef is shallow all the way across. These two markers are simply positioned to give boaters and idea of where the reef lies and where caution is required.
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No-Wake Buoys
The third type of buoy on our lake is the slow or No-Wake Buoy. These buoys mark the entrance to the no-wake zones on Ten Mile. You will find these buoys in Kenfield Bay, Lundstrom Bay, the small bay on the north side of Angel Island, Flowerpot Bay, and the back of Long Bay into the Boy River. All the water behind these buoys (i.e. the entire bay) should be considered a no-wake zone, all day, every day.
Hazard Buoys are basic to navigating dangers water; there is no substitute for having full knowledge of the lake you travel. On Ten Mile, as on other lakes, there are hazards which are not marked, but captains need to be aware of them at all times. Note: your TMLA dues money pays for the purchase, spring placement, and fall retrieval of the buoys, plus maintenance when required.
The Safety Committee hopes that you have a safe and happy summer on Ten Mile!
The Loon Journal
by Bob and Kim Moe
We have waited until the last minute to get the Loon report out because everything is at least 3 weeks behind schedule. We rebuilt one nest, and built one new nest platform for the 2008 season. Three of the six platforms were successful, but all of them after June 15 - VERY LATE!
As of this writing, there has been a hatch of at least six babies, possibly eight or nine. They are distributed as follows: one north of the island road (6/19), two south of the island road (6/20), two in Lundstrom Bay on a natural site (6/22), one in Flowerpot Bay (6/26) and another in Flowerpot (6/27) and probably a successful hatch in the Boy River natural site (unconfirmed). We will monitor and let everyone know for sure as July goes along.
