Monitors are inspecting boats seven days a week.

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1 Loon Calls Summer 2015 G R E A T E R L A K E S Y L V I A A S S O C I A T I O N Update from the AIS Committee by Steve Holmstoen Efforts to control invasive species As we strive to control both plant and animal invasive species in Lake Sylvia, you may see a survey boat mapping the entire shoreline of both the west and east lakes for EWM to provide a baseline. We are expanding our traditional approach of spot-treatment for EWM to a combination of spot treatment and more comprehensive, broader treatment. Shortly after July 4th, we installed plate samplers to detect ZM s near the public access and in the channel. Divers will be exploring the areas around the public access, the Northridge access, and the creek flowing from Lake John for ZM s, and gathering samples from both lakes to analyze for veligers which are not visible to the eye. The monitors at the public access are The Fall 2014 Loon Calls featured a front-page article reporting that the GLSA Board presented an award to Carl Swanson for his many years of service to Lake Sylvia since GLSA s inception in the 1970 s. He was instrumental in updating the GLSA bylaws, increasing water clarity, and treating and controlling curly leaf pondweed. He served on the GLSA Board in many capacities over the years, including President. Carl was instrumental in forming the original WCCOLA (Wright County Monitors are inspecting boats seven days a week. inspecting boats both entering and leaving the lake seven days a week. Wright County and the DNR are inspecting boats at various lakes in Wright County on a random basis throughout the summer. GLSA Loses Carl Swanson In the fall of 2014, Carl was awarded for his many years of service to Lake Sylvia. Coalition of Lake Associations) over 20 years ago, served as President of the Minnesota Lake Associations, and also served as First Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Carl passed away on June 16, and his memorial service was July 12 at Word of Peace Lutheran Church in Rogers. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jean. And, true to form, memorials were requested to GLSA! Thank you, Carl, for your many great contributions to GLSA! Inside this issue: Executive Board A Word From Your President Event Calendar Zebra Mussel Update....3 Personal Watercraft Rules Membership Update....3 News Flash Advertisers & 5 Loon Report Lindala Landfill Water Quality Boat Parade insert 2015 Golf Tournament insert GLSA Picnic..back cover Al s Almanac by Al Ostlund Precipitation for the months of Jan.-July 10th, 2015 Jan Feb March April May June July 10th Total

2 Page 2 Loon Calls Summer 2015 Executive Board President Chris Hector chris@logictran.com Vice President Kent Davidson robinkentd@gmail.com Treasurer Chuck Lingen alingen@comcast.net Secretary Allison Barkley allie_barkley@hotmail.com Board of Directors Blaine Barkley lksylvia@lakedalelink.net Jerry Dock jerry@greenhavenmarketing.com Jerry Euteneuer euteneuerd@aol.com Russ Fortner russfortner@hotmail.com Tom Hansen twhansen@lakedalelink.net Don Holm olmcyril5@aol.com Steve Holmstoen sholmstoen@yahoo.com Mike McNellis mmcnelis@lakedalelink.net Lisa Peery uragoodboy@gmail.com Jim Struble jim@electricalproduction.com Dave Wefring drwefring@mmm.com Visit lakesylvia.org/board for additional contact information August 8 - Annual Picnic 4-8 p.m. Camp Chi Rho 5750 Porter Ave. NW, Annandale August 15 - Board Meeting 9 a.m. Southside Township Hall 8209 Co. Rd. 3 NW, Annandale A Few Words From Your President Chris Hector Zebra mussels in Clearwater Zebra mussels confirmed in Clearwater Lake! The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will list three water bodies as infested with zebra mussels: Clearwater Lake in Wright and Stearns counties; Ruth Lake in Crow Wing County; and the Red River bordering northwest Minnesota. Zebra mussels likely found their way into these water bodies one of two ways, either overland or downstream spread. Clearwater Lake and Ruth Lake were infested through overland spread, likely by people moving aquatic invasive species (AIS) attached to boats, docks and other equipment, or water not drained from watercraft. Overland spread is preventable if Minnesota s AIS laws are followed. A lakeshore resident on Clearwater Lake contacted the DNR July 6 to report the discovery of a zebra mussel attached to a native mussel. Eight zebra mussels were discovered in two locations approximately one mile apart. These are the fourth and fifth inland lake infestations confirmed this year (after Eunice, Fish Trap and Forest lakes). It is imperative that people take action and follow state AIS laws. Boaters are GLSA Event Calendar for 2015 September 12 - Board Meeting 9 a.m. Southside Township Hall 8209 Co. Rd. 3 NW, Annandale October 10 - Board Meeting 9 a.m. Southside Township Hall 8209 Co. Rd. 3 NW, Annandale required by law to clean weeds and debris from their boats, drain water from their boats, bilges, and live wells, and dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. Anyone moving a dock or lift from one water body to another must leave the equipment out of the water for 21 days before placing it in the new water body. Clearwater is the closest infested waters to Lake Sylvia and we see many boaters coming to Sylvia after boating in Clearwater. Those boaters would not have known that they came from infested waters, so it is vital that you always have an inspection at our public landing before putting a boat into Lake Sylvia. Our inspectors will also give you a coupon to have your boat professionally cleaned at NO COST to you, so please take advantage of that service. It is open seven days a week. If you or your neighbors or friends have a private boat ramp, please only use it for putting boats or lake equipment back into the water in the spring. We ask that you send ALL boats to the public landing for inspection and/or cleaning if they have been on any other lake. Thank you for your support. All members are welcome to attend Board Meetings. To request a presentation to the Board, contact President Chris Hector.

3 Summer 2015 Loon Calls Page 3 Zebra Mussel Update by Mike Mischuk The lake monitoring program for zebra mussels is underway with the issuing of 35 tube samplers to GLSA members at the Annual Meeting. There are 29 samplers in the west basin and six samplers in the east basin. We could use a few more sample locations in the east basin, especially along the southeast shore. If you would be willing to place a sampler on your dock please contact Steve Holmstoen ( ) or Chris Hector ( ). Steve will have additional samplers available at the picnic. We would like to use several of the tube samplers as part of our adult quantification program. After we look at the dispersion of samplers in each basin, we will notify those folks whom we would like to include their sampler as part of our adult zebra mussel assessment program. We will collect those samplers shortly after Labor Day when folks start to close up for the season. If you note any potential zebra mussels on you samplers, please notify a member of the AIS Committee. For those who have samplers, if they float and will not sink to within a foot of the bottom, add a bell sinker or two to help it stay lower in the water column. In addition, we have placed several sets of plate samplers in both the east and west basins. They also will be used to quantify any adult zebra mussels that may be present. The first round of plankton tows has taken place. The purpose of the plankton tows is to look for the early life stage of the zebra mussel (Veliger). Several locations within each basin were sampled, and a consolidated sample in each basin was sent to a laboratory for analysis. Several shoreline surveys will also be conducted by divers. The primary locations for these surveys will be the MDNR boat launch area, Madsen s Bay near the non-sanctioned boat launch point, and at the inlet to the east basin from Lake John. Other locations may be added as we see necessary. Thank you for all your help and we will keep you posted as we proceed through our program. Membership Update by Allison Barkley As of July 13th, we had 380 paid members. If you have not yet paid your dues, please send them in as soon as possible. You may pay dues online at lakesylvia.org or by sending a check to: GLSA PO Box 41 Annandale, MN Annual membership dues are $50 annually, and are due June 1. We will not be printing a new directory this year; but, we still have copies of the 2014 directory which may be picked up at the picnic on August 8. You can also access the directory online at lakesylvia.org. Personal Watercraft Rules With the great weather we have had lately, the weekend personal watercraft (PWC) traffic on the lake has been heavy. That has prompted a lot of questions and complaints. A reminder of the most commonly broken laws by PWC operators may be in order. PWCs can only be operated between 9:30 am and one hour before sunset PWCs must travel at slow-wake speed (5mph or less) within 150 feet of shore (unless launching or landing), docks, swimming rafts, swimmers, or moored or anchored watercraft While towing, there must be an observer on board in addition to the driver, or the PWC must have factory installed wideangle mirrors A PWC cannot be operated by anyone under 13 under any circumstances. Persons age 13 must have either a person age 21 or over on board or have a PWC permit and be under constant observance by someone 21 or over. Persons age must have either a PWC permit or someone 21 or over on board A U.S. Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher must be on board the PWC A rules decal (the DNR will provide) must be in full view of the operator PWC operators must be wearing a U.S. Coast Guard approved life vest Please submit your ideas for future articles in Loon Calls to Russ Fortner (russfortner@hotmail.com) We have one opening on the Board, the position of Treasurer. If you have an interest in joining the Board as Treasurer, please contact Chris Hector. Allison Barkley is our new Membership Chair thanks, Allison, for taking this important role! If you would like to receive your Loon Calls electronically, please contact Peggy Jo Fortner ( peggyjofortner@hotmail.com or Allison Barkley allie_barkley@hotmail.com). You would receive an with a link to the newsletter it s that easy! SNOWBIRDS do you have trouble receiving mail from GLSA in the winter? We checked with the Post Office, and bulk mail (Loon Calls) not only isn t forwarded (whether you forward mail or do a change of address ), and we pay $1 per piece if it s returned to us. Sign up for electronic mail and you ll always get Loon Calls and any communication from GLSA!

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6 Page 6 Loon Calls Summer 2015 Summer Loon Report by Mike McNellis, the Old Loon Ranger T he Loons have been having a good spring and summer. Nesting was successful and all matched pairs hatched a single or a pair of chicks. There have been multiple reports of a mystery pair, with two chicks, on the west lake, but where they nested or when they hatched is unknown. With Loons being very territorial over their nesting locations, guesses on the nest location cannot be confirmed. In the last couple of weeks of June, loon watchers reported a total of seven chicks roaming the lake with their parents. That number is what we hope to have that survive to July each year, and has been the average for over 20 years. There is always infant mortality the first 20 days of life due to natural causes that are unavoidable. We do seem to be making headway in educating boaters to be more alert of the nesting areas and to avoid those areas until after the chicks have hatched. We still hear of kayaks, paddle boats, pontoons and fishing boats going right up next to a nest so people can see how many eggs are there. But, I m sorry, you can t fix stupid. If you want to teach your kids/grandkids about nature, start with being responsible. That relates to all wildlife, bumble bees, butterflies, snapping turtles, deer, robins, and woodpeckers to name only a few. Reading is the best way: buy them a book instead of a video game, and buy them a fishing rod instead of a telephone. Not just buy it for them. but teach them how to read and fish. Also, feeding birds is an excellent way to introduce kids/grandkids to what lives around them. The Lindala Landfill Another Reason to Get Your Drinking Water Tested by Claire Dempsey I was surprised to learn there is an old, no longer used dump (or landfill) very close to Lake Sylvia. My curiosity was piqued when I heard the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) listed the dump, known as the Lindala Landfill, as the 3rd highest priority on its January 2015 Closed Landfill Program Site Risk Priority List. So I started to do some research and want to share what I have learned so far. The Lindala Landfill is located due west of County Road 3 and due south of 55th Street NW. If you look on Google maps, you can clearly see the old dump area in an aerial view. Edward Lindala owned the land and opened a privately operated open dump in In those days, a permit was not needed and anything could be dumped in the large hole in exchange for payment to Edward Lindala. Starting in 1973, a permit was required by the MPCA and Edward Lindala began operating the dump as a sanitary landfill. While there is no written record of all the items disposed of in the landfill, there is one interesting story of fuel oil being deposited there. In 1979, a Soo Line Railway train derailed in South Haven. The train spilled its oil and the resulting contaminated soil and 1200 gallons of excess oil were taken to the Lindala dump. The Lindala Landfill was closed in The total area of the dump is 13 acres and contains approximately 560,000 cubic yards of waste. In 1995 the MPCA conducted a twoyear, state-wide investigation and analysis of all closed landfills. The resulting Landfill Assessment Report had some interesting things to say about the Lindala dump. If you d like to see a copy of this report let me know and I d be glad to send you a copy. Quoting from the report: A significant number of co-disposal permits indicate that some hazardous materials were disposed at the site Several notices of violation and an administrative penalty order were issued for permit/operational violations Explosive gases near buildings and ground water standards are exceeded Ground water sampling indicates that ground water standards are exceeded for volatile organic compounds, arsenic, and manganese I will try to find current information about groundwater contamination and report that in a future newsletter. In the meantime, I m going to get my drinking water tested!

7 Ssummer 2015 Loon Calls Page 7 Water Quality on Lake Sylvia by Blaine Barkley Water samples for chlorophyll and phosphorous are generally taken by volunteers on the third Sunday of the month on both lakes, in the deepest part of the lakes, and turned into the Wright County Soil and Water Conservation District office. The samples are then sent to a lab in Detroit Lakes for analysis. The readings in the graphs show long-term trends for the east and west lake. The chlorophyll table indicates the amount of microscopic plant material in the lakes which is used by minnows and recently hatched young fish for food. Excess amounts will cause the lake to turn green in color. Both lakes have the lowest readings in the county. The TP charts are for phosphorous which is most easily compared to plant fertilizer. Again, both lakes have the lowest levels in Wright County, with Sylvia being the cleanest lake in the county by a considerable margin which supports the value of the residents lakeshore property. The Secchi disk readings are a measure of water clarity also taken from both lakes at the deepest part of the lake and measure water clarity. A white metal plate about the size of a dinner plate is lowered into the water until it is no longer visible. That is the point of measurement. There are a variety of factors that can influence the readings, including the amount of sunshine and wind when the readings are taken, which impacts how far you can see down into the water and the amount of recent rain. The Secchi disk readings for June 14 were 22 feet for the west lake and 20 feet for the east lake.

8 Don t Forget GSLA Picnic Saturday, August 8th Camp Chi Rho, 4 to 8 p.m. Great Food, Fun & Music! Need to RSVP?? Call Rhonda Brau at Adults 21 and older: $15 Minors under 21: $10 See you at Camp Chi Rho on August 8th! GREATER LAKE SYLVIA ASSOCIATION PO Box 41 Annandale, MN Deliver to addressee or current resident. Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 5 Annandale, MN Editor: Russ Fortner Advertising: Lisa Peery Layout & Design: Annandale Advocate Mission Statement: To Protect and Improve Lake Sylvia