Winter 2014 - Eagle River Chain of Lakes Association

The Association is the first non-profit, voluntary lake organization whose purpose is to maintain, protect, and
improve the quality of the lakes and connecting waterways from Burnt Rollways Dam to Otter Rapids Dam on
the Eagle River Chain of Lakes. Formed in 2001, it is incorporated as a Non-stock Corporation under
Wisconsin law.
Mixed Results on Milfoil Treatment
For the very first time since beginning managing
Eurasian water milfoil in 2008, we did not meet the
treatment success criteria in all areas this year.
Success is measured using two parameters:
quantitative monitoring and qualitative monitoring.
In terms of qualitative monitoring, we did meet
success criteria as all milfoil areas dropped by at
least one density rating. However, in terms of
quantitative monitoring, we fell short of meeting the
criteria. We had only a 42% reduction in
occurrence of milfoil. A 50% reduction is needed to
be considered successful.
Overall, since 2007, there has been significant
reduction of EWM. In 2007 there were 278 acres of
EWM most of which were dominant or greater. In
2013 there were approximately 70 acres of EWM
most of which were scattered or less.
Watersmeet and Cranberry Lakes continue to have
the most EWM. Milfoil in both of these lakes
resides in areas of high water exchange rates,
making it more difficult to attain adequate herbicide
concentration exposure times to cause significant
EWM mortality.
In addition, wild rice is found in Watersmeet Lake.
It holds great cultural significance to the Native
American communities. The Great Lakes Indian
Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) focuses on
preservation and enhancement of wild rice in ceded
territories. Hence, no herbicide treatments have
been allowed in these areas.
Highlights from our Annual Meeting
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Senator Tom Tiffany addressed the group
The ERCLA Comprehensive Lake Management
Plan was rolled out by Onterra
Secretary Carole Linn reported there are 520
paid members which represents 31% of chain
riparians
Vice-President Paul Hennes outlined ERCLA’s
projects and programs which include our new
website, chain buoy program, NPHS
scholarship, ERCLA brochure, NPHS Positive
Student Behavior Award, ERCLA boating safety
flyer, and the purple loosestrife project
President Bill Lochte summarized the past 6
years of EWM management
Election of Board of Directors as follows:
Dennis Burg—Scattering Rice
Gene Schwarze—Watersmeet
Dave Mueller—Otter/Lynx
Jan Winter—Eagle
Sara Decker—Voyageur
Carole Linn—Cranberry
Lois Derrick—Catfish
Charlie Riley—Eagle
Paul Hennes—Scattering Rice
Sue Saxhaug—Cranberry
Laureen Scarboro-Wick—Duck
George Katich—Yellow Birch
Mark Your Calendar!
In 2014, 106 acres are targeted for treatment. Most
will be on Watersmeet with 70 acres proposed,
followed by Cranberry with 18 acres proposed.
Other lakes seeing smaller treatments are Catfish,
Voyageur, Scattering Rice, Eagle, Otter, Duck and
Yellow Birch.
The Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes
Commission (ULERCLC) has been successful in
obtaining grant funding for 2014 and 2015. This is a
50% cost share. Because of recent changes in
grant reimbursement, we will need to assume more
financial responsibility for our project. So it is critical
to support your lake association. Remember, your
individual lake association must pay for
treatment on your lake. Be sure to join, as dues
are used for this purpose.
Complete information and maps can be found at:
eagleriverchaincommission.org
ERCLA Annual Meeting
9AM
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Lincoln Town Hall
Special guest speaker reporting on Eagle
River Chain fish survey results!
What’s Been Accomplished so far with our Lake Management Plan?
Since only a few of you were able to attend the Lake
Management Plan Kick-Off Meeting, held on July 20,
2013 at our annual meeting, here is a recap of what was
discussed plus an update on recent activity. Tim
Hoyman, Lead Aquatic Ecologist with Onterra, visited
with Eagle River Chain of Lakes stakeholders at that
meeting to present the project components, discuss the
timeline of events, and answer any questions about
general lake ecology or the specifics of the Eagle River
Chain project.
This multi-phased planning effort actually began in April
of 2013 and is projected for completion in 2017.
Throughout this project water quality studies, shoreland
assessments and stakeholder participation will be
conducted on each project lake as it is studied.
Individual lakes will be studied on the following
schedule:
Phase I (2013-2014)
Cranberry and Catfish
Lakes
Phase II (2014-2015) Scattering Rice,
Voyageur and Eagle Lakes
Phase III (2015-2016) Otter, Lynx and Duck
Lakes
Phase IV (2016-2017) Yellow Birch and
Watersmeet Lakes
Several major components of the project will be
implemented on a chain-wide basis. During Phase II, an
anonymous stakeholder survey will be sent to all ERCLA
members and riparian property owners. This survey will
gather sociological data on recreational opportunities,
property use, knowledge of lake ecology, and general
perspectives on lake management. In Phase III, Onterra
staff will work with WDNR and Great Lakes Indian Fish
and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) staff to compile
relevant fisheries information from the chain. This data
will be considered in management strategy adoption and
goal creation. In Phase IV Onterra staff will use water
quality data collected from all chain lakes to calibrate a
watershed model for the entire watershed. The model is
used to understand the quantity of nutrients that enter
the chain, and from what sources those nutrients may
be coming. Finally, the project will conclude with a Wrap
-Up Meeting, to be held during the summer of 2017. This
meeting will be held to present the project conclusions
as well as discuss the management goals ERCLA will
pursue to manage the Eagle River Chain of Lakes.
As you are aware, Eurasian water milfoil (EWM) is being
managed on the Chain through a separate grant. Part of
this program included obtaining native plant surveys in
2012. These survey results will be incorporated into the
lake management plan.
Eurasian water milfoil (EWM) monitoring and control will
continue through the current EWM grant. This grant has
secured funding for efforts to continue through 2014 and
2015. Data collected through this project will be included
in management related discussion and decision-making
that will occur in the planning project.
Both ERCLA and the Commission have been highly
successful in securing state grants to partially fund AIS
studies, educational initiatives, and management
activities. These competitive grants have been applied
for on an annual basis since 2008. In February of 2013
we received grant funding for Phase I and we are
currently preparing for a February 2014 grant application
for Phase II. Similarly, ERCLA will submit grant requests
for Phases II and IV in 2015 and 2016. These grants
are expected to cover 75% of the costs of the project.
Each lake must fund the balance of the costs that
pertain to that individual lake.
As noted, work on this project began in 2013 when
water quality samples needed to study nutrient balances
were collected by Onterra staff on Cranberry and Catfish
Lakes. Water samples targeting the larval stage of the
invasive zebra mussel were also taken by Onterra staff
and sent to the WDNR as part of efforts to monitor the
lakes for this invasive species.
At this point, Onterra staff are reviewing and analyzing
this data. With some ecological components, this is the
first time data has been collected. Therefore, the results
will serve as a baseline from which future studies can
make comparisons. One of the purposes of this study is
to review current data with historical data, if possible.
This is useful for trend detection – to determine if
environmental variables are changing – and for drawing
conclusions of what may be causing these changes. For
example, water clarity data has been gathered by
volunteers since 1979. From this data, we can
determine that clarity averages roughly 5 - 6 feet during
the summer in Cranberry and Catfish Lakes. Also, the
clarity may vary from year to year on the lakes. This is
likely due to environmental factors such as precipitation
and temperature, which impacts the runoff and algae
growth the lakes experience. Changes in water color
also determine water clarity as well.
The next step for the Eagle River Chain of Lakes
Management Planning Project is for Onterra staff to
meet with the Cranberry and Catfish Lake Planning
Committees to discuss the results of 2013 studies. As
the project continues, Onterra staff will continue to meet
with Eagle River Chain of Lakes stakeholders to keep
them updated on the results of comprehensive studies
as well as AIS monitoring.
You can find an even more detailed report from Onterra
on our website at www.eagleriverchain.org.
Since we started treating milfoil 6 years ago:
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1,013 acres EWM treated
$1.3 million total project cost
$659,513 DNR funding
$349,262 local municipal funding
$177,686 individual lakes funding
More than Weeds...
What’s New in the Plant World?
Garden yellow loosestrife – and it is not a good
plant! This non-native species was first identified
on Cranberry Lake this past summer, but it has
been spotted on Catfish Lake and may well exist
on other lakes in our chain. A native of Eurasia,
garden yellow loosestrife (GYL) grows in
wetlands. It is a particularly troublesome plant
since GYL spreads both by seed and by runners.
This produces a dense growth pattern which
displaces native vegetation and reduces habitat
for fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife. This
summer we will survey our lakes to see just how
much GYL we have and then monitor its growth.
We could really use your help to conduct not only
this survey, but also surveys for purple loosestrife,
which we are actively treating with hungry beetles,
and another potential threat – yellow iris. If you
want to learn more about GYL or if you would like
to volunteer to help us with the surveys, please
visit our website http://eagleriverchain.org
ERCLA wants to be known as an organization that
does more than just kill weeds. In 2013 we
launched two new programs at Northland Pines
High School. One of these is a scholarship
program that awards a $1,000 scholarship to a
graduating senior who will be attending a
university or technical college and majoring in
environmental studies to include but not limited to
water ecosystems, biology, and conservation.
The first scholarship was awarded in May to
Tavish Perry who planned to attend the University
of Wisconsin - Fox Valley and major in
conservation.
In addition, ERCLA has provided monetary
support to Pines Pride, a program that
encourages and supports positive behavior.
Students who demonstrate appropriate behavior
are rewarded with Pines Pride tickets that are then
entered into weekly and monthly drawings.
For the second consecutive year, ERCLA has
donated $1,000 to the Eagle River Chain buoy
program. Taxpayer dollars are used to place and
remove the buoys each year. However, there is
not enough money to repair and replace the
buoys. The money we donate is used specifically
for this purpose. There are already more than
fifteen new buoys on the Chain! We will donate
another $1,000 in 2014.
With these and other initiatives, we plan to
become more involved in community activities and
provide broader support for our lakes.
New Membership or Renewal
NAME______________________________________________
Make check in the amount of $25 payable to:
MAILING ADDRESS__________________________________
Eagle River Chain of Lakes Association
PO Box 1821
Eagle River, WI 54521
___________________________________________________
E-MAIL _____________________________________________
Donations Welcome!
Dues $25_______
Thank You !
Donation$ ________
Lake address ____________________________________________________
It’s Time to Join or Renew!
Our membership year spans
the calendar year. So now’s
the time to join or renew.
If you love the Eagle River
Chain, why not join us in
working together to make the
Chain the best it can be?
Duplicate payments applied
as donation
As our programs and projects expand, we are in need
of volunteers. Some activities we are looking for help
with include:
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Purple & yellow loosestrife monitoring
Membership
4th of July parade
Marketing and public relations
Clean Boats Clean Waters
Communications
Water clarity monitoring
Lake management plan
You do not have to be a full time resident. Give some
thought to becoming part of the leadership team that
makes things happen! Call Carole at 715-479-6873 to
find out more about any of the above activities.
Lake Contacts
Catfish
Jim Mulleady
715-617-8581
[email protected]
Cranberry
Carole Linn
715-479-6873
[email protected]
Voyageur
Lynn Peterson
303-808-3319
[email protected]
Eagle
Dave Tidmarsh
715-479-3025
[email protected]
Scattering Rice
Paul Hennes
920-460-8385
Otter/Lynx
Dave Mueller
715-675-7005
[email protected]
Duck
Loreen Wick
262-501-8092
[email protected]
Yellow Birch
Bill Lochte
715-477-1999
[email protected]
Watersmeet & Rivers
Gene Schwarze
715-479-4613
[email protected]
Visit us on the Web!
http://www.eagleriverchain.org
Some of our lakes also have websites or blogs
Cranberry - http://cranberrylakeassociation.org
Catfish - http://catfishlake.wordpress.com/
Watersmeet - http://www.watersmeetlandr.org/
Scattering Rice - http://scatteringricelakeassociation.org
Yellow Birch - http://yellowbirch.org
Check ‘em out!!!
Eagle River Chain of Lakes Association
PO Box 1821
Eagle River, WI 54521
ERCLA and Individual Lake Associations
Are they the same? NO
Which should I join? BOTH
Why? They both work together on Chain issues, yet each has a
different role. ERCLA organizes, coordinates, and educates.
It keeps all the lakes working together. It takes care of
things relating to the whole chain. Your lake association
takes care of lake specific management issues and provides
mandatory matching funds for grants through its dues.