FLPOA minnesotawaters.org/fiftylakespropertyowners/ The Ripple. Newsletter of the Fifty Lakes Property Owners Association. Fish in Fifty Lakes

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1 FLPOA minnesotawaters.org/fiftylakespropertyowners/ Winter 2015 The Ripple Newsletter of the Fifty Lakes Property Owners Association Fish in Fifty Lakes Minnesota Fish in Moderation There s nothing quite like a day on the ice when the fish are biting. When you add in a cozy, evening fish fry, it makes for a perfect Minnesota winter night too. Fish are an excellent source of low fat protein and the Omega-3 fatty acids that we hear so much about these days. The MN Food & Drug Administration says that Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for human health, but are not manufactured by our bodies so we need to get them from food. Continued on 4 President s Post Winter Family Fun Cabin Tech Learn about accomplishments and future plans for the Fifty Lakes Property Owners Association. It s game night! Dust off those old board games, pop some popcorn and enjoy playing with your family and friends. Find out about how technology is helping to stop the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species. (AIS) Page 2 Page 3 Page 5

2 President s Post By Fred Strohmeier Happy New Year! We trust you had a good Holiday Season with family and friends. It is relatively quiet and cold in the North Country, but even so, we begin to gear up for the upcoming seasons. It starts with a national two day Aquatic Invasive Species Summit in St. Cloud on January 20th and 21st. This is an opportunity to see how other states are approaching AIS prevention and control, and what programs have worked and those that have not. We, hopefully, can obtain some useful information that may be helpful to our own efforts. FLPOA Mission It is the mission of the Fifty Lakes Property Owners Association (FLPOA) to: 1. Promote responsible stewardship of our land and water resources by all property owners in the city of Fifty Lakes. 2. Provide information to our members on best management practices of lands and waters. 3. Coordinate and work with other associations, organizations and agencies of government to share experiences and opinions. Crow Wing County has come out with its 2015 AIS plan for the allotment of the State funding for AIS Prevention. The way it looks, FLPOA will receive 600 hours of DNR trained inspectors to man our accesses this summer. Last year we had 621 hours. I have been in touch with CW County Land Services, and we can assign those hours as we see fit amongst our 4 accesses. We will discuss whether we want to pay for additional hours at our next board meeting on May 2 nd, I have contacted DNR AIS Specialist, Dan Swanson and he has us on his schedule to do a whole lake Survey for Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP) on Mitchell Lake the first or second week of June The results of that survey will provide us with what the next steps (if any) will be. We have flyers printed to go out to all Mitchell Lake property owners in order to keep everyone aware that CLP was discovered there last July. For your information, we are changing our membership dues to run from June 1st through May 31st. For those of you who have recently paid your 2015 dues and those who plan to, your membership will be active until May 31, We are also planning an informational mailing this May. There will be a number on your address label that will tell you what year you last paid dues. We hope you enjoy the rest of the winter, and thanks to everyone for their membership and continued support. Without you we could not do what we do. Sincerely, Fred Strohmeier, FLPOA President 2

3 T Winter Family Fun U Although video games can be entertaining, So, turn off those video games, gather I find that nothing beats a good oldfashioned Go board for a game walk, when enjoy it comes the sunshine, to games! and search for signs of spring! around the table and have a ball with board getting the family together for a bit of fun. Board games have been played in most cultures and societies throughout history. A number of important historical sites, artifacts, and documents prove that board games were played all the way back to 3500 BC. I was surprised to learn that Backgammon and Checkers were played as early as 3000 BC. When you consider that there are games of physical skill such as Pick-Up Sticks or Jenga, and games of strategy such as Chess or Clue, and games of chance, Yahtzee or Trouble, there is something for everyone. There are many places to pick up these great games too. Check out Crosslake Drug, Ace Harware in Crosslake, Crosslake Goodwill, or shops in Brainerd. It s Game Night! Fun & Classic Board Games Yahtzee Monopoly Chess Scrabble Battleship Trouble Jenga Trivial Pursuit Checkers Risk Sorry Candyland Backgammon Clue Operation Life Submitted by Carrie Bell 3

4 Minnesota Fish Continued Although there are many healthy benefits to eating fish, there are also contaminants found in the fish in Minnesota lakes. Mercury can be harmful to our health, especially the health of children and developing fetuses. It is a neurotoxin that causes learning and developmental disabilities in children. Most Mercury comes from the air. Mercury gets into the air through emissions from coal-burning plants and taconite processing and moves long distances in the wind currents. From there, it settles into our lakes and streams and bacteria convert it to a toxic form, methyl mercury. The problem is that 90% of the mercury in our waters comes from other states and countries, which is why it is so hard to regulate. In turn, 90% of the mercury emitted in Minnesota goes to other states and countries. The mercury that settles into our lakes and streams gets filtered by zooplankton, the tiny animals that get eaten by small fish. The larger the small fish gets, the more mercury builds up in its tissue from all the zooplankton eaten. Mercury bioaccumulates, which means that at each step in the food chain the mercury builds to higher levels, especially in large predatory fish such as walleye, northern pike and muskies (bioaccumulation). The Minnesota Department of Health and the Pollution Control Agency have done studies on the amount of mercury in our lakes and have set safe eating guidelines for our fish. In general, men and non-pregnant women can eat an unlimited amount of sunfish, crappie, perch and bullheads. When eating walleyes, northern pike, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass, it s safe to limit yourself to one meal a week. Pregnant women and children under 15 should limit themselves to 1 meal a week of sunfish crappies, perch and bullheads and one meal a month of walleyes shorter than 20 inches, northern pike shorter than 30 inches, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Pregnant women and children should not eat walleyes larger than 20 inches and northern pike longer than 30 inches. Each lake that has been evaluated by the MPCA has its own specific guidelines for fish caught within its waters. To find the guidelines for your lake, you can visit the DNR Lakefinder at: x.html. If your lake does not have specific guidelines that may just mean that it has not been individually evaluated. Those lakes should follow the general guidelines listed above. This story is not meant to scare anyone away from eating Minnesota fish. Just make sure you follow the guidelines created by the MDH and PCA. Also, remember that small fish have generally less mercury than large fish. Large fish, such as walleyes over 20 inches, don t actually taste as good as the small fish anyway. It is better for our health and for the health of our lakes to follow slot limits and to practice catch and release. Provided by Carrie Bell & RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc. 4

5 Industry, State and Local Governments Collaborate to Halt Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species Now that the holidays are over it s time to start thinking about warm spring days, getting the boat into the water, and continuing our efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. With the rapid spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) in Minnesota s lakes, streams and rivers, boat owners are feeling the pressure more than ever to be vigilant against allowing aquatic hitchhikers to spread. The spread of invasive species through Minnesota lakes and rivers is a serious threat. In fact, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the number of infestations in Minnesota waters has increased 47 percent to 691, just over the last three years. As of December 2014, the infestations were spread over 518 lakes, rivers and other water bodies. With the nation s highest level of per capita boat ownership, Minnesotans will spend more time than anyone else checking their boats and trailers to prevent the unintentional hitchhiking of zebra mussels, milfoil, spiny water fleas, bighead and carp. Because of our high level of boat ownership (2.3 million) and our thousands of lakes and rivers, Minnesota is a leader in the proactive fight against AIS. Starting in July 2015, Minnesota legislation goes into effect requiring all trailers that pull boats, docks, lifts or any water related equipment in, or through the state, to carry a decal proving the driver has passed an online class about the state s invasive species rules. It s all part of the state s efforts to progress from passive f signs and literature to more active measures. The quick online class will be available starting February 2nd. See the Minnesota DNR website for more information: All of these efforts rely on human vigilance to halt the spread of AIS. While a simple visual sweep is enough to remove obvious milfoil, eliminating small or microscopic AIS hitchhikers is much more difficult, even for those with the best of intentions. How can boaters ensure they re not inadvertently allowing spiny water flea larva, or zebra mussel eggs to hitchhike from lake to lake? These aquatic hitchhikers are so small it s often impossible to visually tell if they ve been removed. Technology to the Rescue Which begs the question isn t there any technology available to help boaters ensure that they aren t unwittingly transporting microscopic AIS from lake to lake? The answer is YES! 2015 may be the year that technology starts to lend a serious hand to the fight against the spread of AIS. Boat manufacturers are investigating whether design changes can help reduce the spread of invasive species. Minnesota is leading a national discussion to address this very question. The Aquatic Invasive Species Summit is being held January in Las Vegas, hosted by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC). Sponsored in part by both the State of Minnesota and Tonka Bay Marina of Lake Minnetonka, over 100 boat manufacturers, conservation leaders, biologists and marina operators from across the country have signed up to attend in an effort to learn how to stop the spread of AIS nationwide. Continued on Page 6. 5

6 Halting the Spread of AIS Continued Boat Manufacturers Employing Design Changes to Mitigate Spread of AIS The spread of aquatic invasive species isn t just a biological nuisance invasive species can threaten property values and resort livelihoods, which depend on pristine lakes and rivers. To that end, some boat manufacturers, such as Premier Marine of Wyoming, MN, the nation s 4th largest pontoon manufacturer, are already embracing design changes. Pontoons are the fastest growing category in boating increasingly they feature lifting strakes that run along the side to help them go faster and turn, thus allowing water skiing or tubing. But those strakes are often sealed at one end and left with a tiny drainage hole at the other end that fingernail-sized zebra mussels can get into, multiply rapidly and be difficult if not impossible to flush out. And, once a boat is infested, it s condemned to remain on the lake in which its infestation was found: in Minnesota it s illegal to transport a contaminated boat. According to Premier Marine owner Bob Menne, they are the only pontoon manufacturer to weld strakes and keels to keep out zebra mussels. Products that Help Stop the Spread of AIS For those considering the purchase of a new boat or pontoon, these design changes are some features to seriously consider in a new boat. But existing boat owners have some options too. Groundbreaking retrofit filter options are now available to help prevent the spread of AIS. Wake WorX of Florida has developed some impressive products for existing boat owners. The newly-introduced, Mussel Mast R filter system has been proven to be more than 99.5% effective at preventing the following AIS from passing through and entering the boat s tanks: Quagga Mussels Zebra Mussels Asian Clams New Zealand Mud Snails Eurasian Water Milfoil Developed by Wake WorX, in a partnership with the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA), the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Western Region Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species. Extensive biological testing in Lake Mead by leading aquatic invasive species researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno has proven the system effective at keeping mussel larvae as well as other AIS out of ballast tanks, live-wells and bait-wells, thus eliminating the need to de-contaminate those tanks. According to Wake WorX, the Mussel Mast'R is now available as an option on many 2015 model year boats from several major manufacturers, Nautique Boats and Centurion to name two. It is also available as a cost-effective, after-market kit through Super Sac'R Dealers. For a list of WakeWorx Minnesota dealers, click here: As Telly Mamayek, Communications Director of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District stressed in this KSTP interview following the March, 2014 Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Symposium in St. Paul: no one person or entity can combat aquatic invasive species Continued on Page 7. 6

7 Halting the Spread of AIS Continued alone. It requires all of us, government agencies, policy makers, private industry, citizen leaders and others to be engaged and to work together in partnership to preserve our lakes, streams and rivers from aquatic invasive species. Helpful Websites and Weblinks: Minnesota DNR website on Aquatic Invasive Species: quatic/index.html Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Training Requirement and Boat Decal: Star Tribune Article on Aquatic Invasive Species Summit: html Star Tribune Article on New Boat Trailer Decal Requirement: telocal/ html?page=1&c=y Premier Pontoons of Wyoming, MN Tonka Bay Marina KSTP Channel 5 Interview with Telly Mamayek of Minnehaha Watershed discussing Mussel Mast R Filter System: 0.shtml Mussel Mast R by Wake WorX. FLPOA Membership Matters FLPOA membership support is an integral part of funding many projects that protect the land and lakes that we love. Without your membership and donations, the Fifty Lakes Property Owners Association would not be able to provide services, such as AIS monitoring, which continue to keep our lakes in the best health. In an effort to make support and donations more accessible for members, FLPOA decided to make a change to the membership cycle. Memberships now run from June 1 st to May 31 st. This new timeline coincides much better with member availability. FLPOA is also excited to announce that members can now renew memberships or make donations online from the FLPOA web site. Submitted by Dianne Bell Continued on Page 8. 7

8 FLPOA Membership Matters Continued Based on the current and end of year figures shown below, without over $6,000 in grant money, FLPOA would have a negative balance. With the State funding more money for AIS prevention in 2015, and the Crow Wing County proposal of 300 inspection hours, FLPOA AIS expense should be less this year. The allocated inspection hours include Mitchell, Fox and Eagle lakes and not Kego Lake as proposed. So, FLPOA will have to pay for inspections at Kego and any additional hours above the 600 hours allocated. Submitted by Bob Stancer, FLPOA Treasurer 2014 End of Year Balance Opening balance 12/31/14 $ 8, (Includes $5000 initiative grant) Membership dues received so far $ Shoreline Restoration Grant $ 1, Total $10, & 2015 Expenses to Date Post office box $ Meeting expenses $ Kego Lake (Clemson Leveler) $ Fifty Lakes Foundation building fund $ WAPOA (PLM plant inspections at public launches) $ AIS Boat Inspections $ 2, Liability Insurance $ Office Supplies $ Shoreline Restoration supplies $ Memberships $ LARA $ Minnesota Waters (web host) $ WAPOA $ Minnesota Lakes and Rivers $ Total expenses ($6,105.66) Total deposits $10, Total expenses ($ 6,105.66) Bank Balance $ 4,

9 FLPOA minnesotawaters.org/fiftylakespropertyowners/ Clemson Leveler Installation The Clemson beaver pond Leveler is a simple, low-cost device that allows water to flow through a beaver dam or plugged culvert. It is made largely from PVC pipe, and it was developed at Clemson University in South Carolina. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources field tested the Leveler and determined it can be very effective in reducing flooding in certain situations, such as a beaver dam built in a culvert or a dam constructed at the outlet of a small pond. Beavers repair dams in response to the sight, sound, and feel of running water. The Clemson leveler works by transporting water through a dam in such a way that beavers cannot sense it, and as a result, beavers don't attempt to plug the Leveler. Clemson Beaver Pond Leveler. Winter 2015 The Leveler works best at road culverts, beaver dams on small streams or ponds, and water level control structures. In these situations, flooding is often the result of a dam being built at a critical location rather than the presence of beavers in general. The Fifty Lakes Property Owners Association received permission from the DNR to install a third Clemson Leveler on a beaver dam that is located on Kego Creek that flows from Kego Lake to West Fox Lake. The installation took place last fall. The Leveler is intended to help stabilize the water level in Kego Lake and prevent shoreline erosion that occurs when the water level is high. Provided by Ken Neihart and MN DNR Clemson Leveler Guide 9

10 Mama bear looks toward her two cubs and Mitchell Lake. Lions and Tigers and Bears Well, we don t have lions and tigers, but we do have bears! A mama bear and her two cubs, now safely hibernating, were hanging around the East side of Mitchell Lake in October. Submit a Newsletter Story We hope you enjoy the FLPOA Newsletter, The Ripple. Your comments and story ideas are most welcome! Submission deadline for the next edition is Sunday, March 22, Please send stories to flpoamn@gmail.com FLPOA Membership Form Membership Fee/Dues are $20 per year. Please make checks payable to FLPOA, and mail to: P.O. Box 206, Fifty Lakes, MN Name: Address: City: State: Zip Code: Home Phone: Lake Phone: Cell Phone: I am interested in helping the FLPOA with the following projects/activities/events: 10