Fighting Milfoil at Lake Louise

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Randolph Ferguson
5 years ago
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1 Fighting Milfoil at Lake Louise Presentation by Cottagers Council, Lake Louise Christian Community Charlevoix County Parks and Recreation Committee April 20, 2015

2 Lake Louise Christian Community (LLCC) is a 501(c)3 organization. It includes a camp and retreat center as well as 125 privately owned cottages. While it has a strong Methodist tradition, it reaches out to people of all faiths.

3 It has become an asset to the local community. Many Charlevoix County residents use the public swimming beach and the public boat access.

4 The Lake Louise Camp and Retreat Center s Boyne Country Service Project has brought hundreds of volunteers to this area to work with local service providers.

5 In 2014 we partnered with the Pantry to host a fish fry that raised $825 to feed hungry people in the area. The volunteers have painted the Boyne Valley Pantry and the Boyne Area Free Clinic.

6 Lake Louise is a spring fed lake covering 510 acres. LLCC owns 2,400 acres of land and is committed to preserving its undeveloped character. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources was recently awarded a Forest Legacy Grant, placing 750 acres of Lake Louise property into a conservation easement in perpetuity.

7 We treasure the natural beauty of the Lake; however, an invasive plant is now damaging not just its ecology, but threatens to destroy the very way we enjoy swimming, boating and playing on the beach.

8 Eurasian Milfoil spreads from lake to lake, primarily by boats. It drastically alters a lake s ecology by forming dense clusters close to the surface of the water. Once well established, it is impossible to completely remove.

9 LLCC has worked hard, mostly through volunteer efforts and with funds we have raised from cottage owners, donors, and the camp and retreat center, to contain the spread of milfoil.

10 We estimate that 10 acres of the Lake are infested with milfoil now.

11 The heaviest concentrations of milfoil are at the west end of the Lake near the public boat ramp and throughout the narrow channel.

12 The locations of the clusters illustrate the pattern of boat traffic from the public ramp and through the channel to the rest of the lake.

13 If left unchecked, it is likely to spread to all areas that are less than 20 deep. This would destroy our beach areas for recreational use.

14 We have used a variety of tools to combat milfoil: Mats to cover the plants; Weevils; and Suction harvesting.

15 For the past several years volunteers have built mats, sunk them over milfoil growth and anchored them with sandbags.

16 We are now using a thick benthic material with supporting PVC piping.

17 Last spring and early summer, we laid 167 mats over milfoil clusters.

18 In the fall, in compliance with DEQ regulations, we removed all the mats.

19 The mats limited the spread of many plants and weakened them, but they are not the ultimate solution.

This was an effective treatment in certain areas that were not

20 We also have purchased thousands of weevils that feed on milfoil and weaken the plant. This was an effective treatment in certain areas that were not conducive to mat placement but overall, it was not cost effective. We will not be using weevils this year.

21 We purchased a suction harvester with the hope it would help us remove milfoil quickly and effectively.

22 However, our volunteer divers find that because it stirs up deep silt deposits in many areas, the harvester often creates extremely challenging conditions.

23 The LLCC Cottagers Council has been consistent in communicating with cottagers: Discussions at every meeting throughout the summers; Articles in every print newsletter; A brochure included in the last newsletter.

24 We have also tried to make the general public and everyone who uses Lake Louise aware of the problem and what they can do to help prevent the spread of milfoil.

25 Boats are the primary cause of infesting Lake Louise with milfoil and spreading it once it s here.

26 Boats pick up milfoil from one lake and spread it to other lakes they enter. It is imperative for boaters to clean their boats and trailers as they enter and leave the lake. It is the law!

27 In order to minimize the spread of the milfoil already in the Lake, it is essential that boaters know where the patches are so they can: Avoid driving their boat near them; Drive slowly if they must go near so they will not stir them up and break off strands that float downstream and start new patches; and, Avoid disturbing the mats placed over the patches.

28 We have spent two years researching and discussing the viability of using chemical treatments to combat milfoil. We solicited input from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council.

29 After much consideration, we decided to seek approval from the DEQ to begin using a granular herbicide, Renovate OTF, this summer. Approval was granted in April and treatments will begin immediately.

30 We have spent a total of $45,589 over seven years on milfoil fighting efforts. In 2014 alone, the costs were more than $9,000, a greater than 100% increase than the 2013 costs.

31 This year, the herbicide treatment program will cost approximately $16,000: Permit: Equipment: Chemicals: $ 400 $ 600 $15,000 In addition, we will have the usual costs for mats and incidentals.

32 We are currently researching the cost of application by a lake management company and will know that amount soon.

33 We need community partners to join us in this battle. The public swimming beach and the public boat access are important features and popular destinations in Charlevoix County.

34 We are asking you to partner with us and to share whatever resources you can.

35 Let s save this Lake for the benefit of the thousands of people who use it every year and for the countless people who would use it for generations to come.

Lake wide Milfoil Management Efforts

Lake Winnipesaukee Lake wide Milfoil Management Efforts Gilford Island Association Winter Meeting March 5, 2016 Presented by: Patricia Tarpey Lake Winnipesaukee Association Gilford Conservation Commission