Lake Owen Association Lake Manager Activities Report Board Update June 18, 2019

Decontamination Station

The decontamination station is open as of Saturday, June 15, 2019!

Training (agendas and handouts available)

Decon staff training was held Wednesday, June 5. Operators (Zach DeRosiers and Tommy Gustafson) and board members (Tom, Bill, Ralph) learned about procedures (including incident reporting w/ Paul Rhodes) and tested equipment. Jeremy Bates from WDNR and Andy Teal from Bayfield County assisted with the training.

Clean Boats, Clean Water coordination training was held Thursday, June 13. CBCW staff (Cowboy Dave, Bob Larson, Gary Gustafson), Decon staff (Tommy Gustafson, Paul Rhodes) and board members (Bill, Ralph, Terry, Jodi, Tom) attended. Dave Berg and Craig Manthey were present for part of the training. The training informed CBCW staff about decon station procedures and coordination. Appropriate forms were distributed and concerns discussed.

Tracking. Zach (lead operator) could enter data from previous day’s inspection reports with a laptop or similar device. Weather‐ resistant options including refurbished computers are available for under $600. Internet access is available through Doug Manthey’s WiFi, and he is willing to provide password.

Promotion

We need board involvement to promote the decon station. The following are (or will be) available for promotion

  Zap Zebra Mussel card – with decon station location – request board member help with distribution (landings, Otter Bay and Condos, Bear Country, Rondos, Cable Chamber, libraries)
  Dear Lake Owen visitor – need to convert into a card and add a map on the back
  Press Release – to be developed once open house/grand opening details are developed
  Press Release distribution – partners from initial decon meeting including area lake associations,

Sawyer County Record, Ashland Daily news (any particular reporters to contact?)
  Web site updates
  Coupons – free treats for visitors, redeem at Bear Country or Otter Bay
  Signs – Highway right of way signs are limited

Grand Opening – June 27 4:30 p.m. at decon station, 5:15 meet and greet reception (location?)

  Introduce board
  Thank partners (invite WDNR, Bayfield County, USFS, Tribes (if they help w/staffing))
  Discuss threat of AIS
  Briefly describe inspection procedures
  Demonstrate boat washing/decontamination
  Invite to meet and greet

Yellow Flag Iris

Contractor selected is Dale Dressel, Owner, Northern Aquatic Services. Dale has treated yellow iris on Lake Minnesuing for 3 years. He reports a 90% reduction in yellow iris growth during that time. Growth continues in boggy, hard to reach areas adjacent to shore. They have tried cut stem and foliar applications of glyphosate, and both work equally well. Fees: $300/trip fee, $100/hour (chemicals included). Although he hasn’t seen a map, he said he can cover a lot of ground in one day and doesn’t expect it to take longer. Steve has worked with Dale before, so coordination of maps and permissions should work well.

Our interns will inventory yellow iris locations and flag them for treatment. They will also request permission to treat from owners identified in previous years. Dale prefers that the intern who worked on ID’ing and mapping yellow iris locations and contacting owners be in the boat with him when he treats. This will make it easier for him to locate plants and know where permission ISN’T granted.

Cheryl talked with Mark Sundeen (WDNR) about the permit. They do not need specific locations of iris and suggested we send in the permit for 1 acre. The landowner permission forms can serve as notification. USFS lands can be included on the LOA permit for yellow iris control. The USFS would just be considered a landowner, and as long as we have their permission, we will be good to go. Permit application will be submitted before the end of June. Mapping and landowner permissions can follow. Permit fee will be $45.

Aquatic Invasive Species Surveys

Early season plant survey underway (looking for curly leaf pondweed )– no AIS found so far Comprehensive point intercept aquatic plant survey to be completed later in the summer (Steve and one intern)

Water Quality Study

Data collection is underway in May and early June and will continue until lake turnover (late October – early November). Steve trained our interns, Zach Clemens and Nile Merton, to collect samples including: Within 24 hours of ice out (when lake is mixed).
Weekly testing: dissolved oxygen, temperature, light penetration, and specific conductance at each meter from surface to bottom, at 5 locations around the lake.

Weekly: outlet flow
Every 2 weeks: nutrients, chlorophyll from surface to just below thermocline Every 2 weeks (alternate to above): zooplankton

Additional tasks completed:
Flow meter installed at the outlet
Rain gauge logger on a WDNR‐owned island