FLLA Update, August 2010

Dear Friends of the Lake,

This Newsletter will provide an update on the aquatic weed control program for 2010 and the plans for 2011.


Update on the 2010 Program to Control the Invasive Species Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP).

This past year your Association worked closely with the city in increasing the herbicide treatment levels from 100 acres in 2009 to 155 acres in 2010 as follows:
Lake 3…63 acres
Lake 2…37 acres
Lake 1…55 acres

With this years expansion to Lake 1 we now have active, aggressive treatment programs on all three lakes.

The total treatment cost of $31, 930 was funded as follows:
City ……$25,000
FLLA …$6,930

The Curly Leaf Pondweed was effectively controlled in the treated areas. However, we are also well aware of the significant problem with late season floating weeds as well as frequent and ongoing algae blooms on the lake. We have done some research on these issues and will share with you our findings in our next newsletter.


2011 Herbicide Treatment Plans to Control CLP

The herbicide treatment program for 2011 will treat 170 acres of CLP at a cost of $35,020. The specific areas to be treated will be determined by an early spring inspection and finally by the DNR.

The city has budgeted $25,000 and your FLLA has pledged $10,020. The proposed city budget must still go through the approval process and won’t be official until Dec 13th with a public hearing scheduled for Nov 29th. Your Board is working closely with the City Council to help insure the $25,000 budget remains intact.

2011 Weed Harvester Program

The city and the FLLA will again work together to implement a weed harvesting program for the 2011 season.

The Harvesting Program will focus on keeping the channels that connect the lakes open, maintaining open water paths to deeper water for the various bay entrances, clearing open water paths for public ramps and clearing paths through problem weed areas as they are identified.

The FLLA will provide and train volunteers to run the harvester and will also contribute $2,000 to the City for harvester maintenance. The city will set up the harvester and conveyors, haul and compost the weeds, provide timely and responsive operating maintenance and repairs, and store the equipment during the winter.

 Blake Dalbec (464-3135) and Jeff  Gosiak (248-3185) will be in charge of the program . We will need volunteers, so please call them if you can help. There is a very thorough “on the lake” training program.

The next two newsletters will focus on the following:

What’s with the floating weeds and algae blooms this past summer?
New information /data on lake usage and the economic importance of the lake to the Community.


Thank you for your continued financial and volunteer support.

FLLA Board Members &
Steve Schmaltz, President

8-18-2010 Newsletter

It's time for the FLLA Annual Labor Day Weekend Boat Tie-up!

August 2010

When:  Saturday September 4th at 2:00 pm  (rain date Sunday Sept 5th)

Location:   Northeast side of 3rd lake (Shadyland Point)  If the wind is too strong there, the alternate location with be on the south side of 3rd lake.   (Look for the a large balloon for exact location)

Join for your fellow Lake Association members for a fun social gathering!  This will be a great opportunity to visit with other lake property owners, discuss lake issues, purchase Lake Association flags and other lake related items.

Please invite your friends and neighbors that are not yet Lake Association members.Questions, please contact FLLA Board Member Blake Roberts at: 651-755-6400 or via email at:  broberts@forestlakefloral.com

Hope to see you there!

COMING SOON.............Fall Boat Clean-up!!

Stay tuned for date announcement......

Forest Lake - Lake Association

www.ourforestlake.com

7-19-2010 Newsletter

Harvesting of weeds in problem areas on Forest Lake started  the second week in July, later than usual.  Earlier in the year the City  indicated that they were going to run the harvester this year. As the year progressed, the City had a shortage of staff (reductions and sick leave) so that the person scheduled to run the harvester was no longer available. We didn’t learn of this situation until the third week of June. In order to respond to some complaints and address weed problem areas on Lake 3, three of the FLLA Board members ran the harvester and cleared the following areas:

The SW corner of Third Lake starting at the second bay entrance on Pioneer Point and clearing to the large weed bed and then clearing south of the weed bed from the Pioneer Point Homeowners Association dock and around the entire SW corner.

The SE corner of Second Lake immediately east of Pioneer Point.

The SW corner of Second lake to open up a better access to the bay entrance located in the corner.

We met with the City and the harvesting permit should allow us to continue to harvest as required up to September 1st. We have had a number of complaints on weeds in Lake Three. The City has agreed to move a second conveyor to the far east public access on Lake Three so we can focus cutting there with a minimum of travel time.

We need additional volunteers to run the harvester. Training is available and an experienced person can accompany you the first time you go out. If we don’t have additional volunteers the harvesting will be minimal. Contact Blake Dalbec @ Forest Lake Motor Sports @651-464-3135 to volunteer and /or to identify areas that need to be harvested.

There are still over 100 members who have not paid their  2011 dues of $40. We cannot continue to operate without the financial support of our members. Maintaining a fully paid and growing membership is important to maintaining the financial support of the City. The City looks to how many lakeshore owners are really interested in the lake. As we begin the 2012 lake budget process with the City (August 5th) we will be asking for $25,000. We will need the full support of our paid membership to continue the herbicide and harvesting weed control programs that have been so successful. We will be electronically invoicing those members who have not paid their 2011 dues. We waste a lot of valuable time trying to collect past dues. If you receive an invoice, please promptly pay it. The $40 is a small price to pay to help maintain the quality of your valuable lakeshore property. 

Thank you for your continuing support,
Steve Schmaltz 
FLLA President 

6-19-2010 Newsletter

HERBICIDE WEED CONTROL UPDATE

Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP) is a nuisance invasive species in Forest Lake. It grows rapidly in less than 15 ft of water to form a mat like structure near the surface, restricting boating, water skiing and jet skiing. It chokes out native weed species. It dies in early July and floats to shore while releasing phosphorus which contributes to summer algae blooms. It’s turions( seeds) can germinate up to three years later.

The most efficient way to control CLP is through a DNR approved herbicide treatment program. This year represents the second year of large area herbicide treatment of CLP in Forest Lake .In mid May , Lake Management ,Inc treated a total of 155 acres of CLP in Forest Lake under DNR protocol.

On our website is a map of the areas treated on Lakes 1,2 & 3.On Lake 3, 63 acres were treated, on Lake 2, 37 acres and on Lake 1, 55 acres were treated for the first time. We expect to see significant improvement in open water, fewer shoreline weed wash up (depending on the wind direction).

The areas of CLP treated were selected by the DNR based on thorough weed survey of Forest Lake(96 point intercept study conducted by the DNR and our local Watershed District). The survey identifies clusters of CLP as follows: Abundant CLP( 75-100 % CLP),Common CLP(50-75% CLP), Scattered CLP(25-50% CLP). The areas selected for treatment   were rated as “Abundant” and “common” so as to attack the worst areas first.

A number of our members have asked  why we don’t treat in front of their homes. As noted above, we focused on the worst areas as identified by the survey. In addition, DNR treatment protocol recommends treating an area for three years to control CLP seeds (Turions) trapped in the bottom which can germinate up to three years later. After three years , we can move the treatment to a new area and thus provide relief to other lakeshore owners.

This years treatment of 155 acres cost $31,930. the City paid $25,000 and the FLLA contributed $6,193. We could treat up to 225 acres per year , if we had the funding. The Association has two big issues to solve if we are going to be able to move faster on the treatment program:
    
Only 50% of our 244 members have paid this years dues…..so please pay your dues (only $40). We will be electronically invoicing non-payers this week.

Our membership of 244 is less than 25% of the 1100 lakeshore homeowner potential. Our goal is 400 this year. Go sign up one of your neighbors…who probably is not a member!!

We will have a update on this years harvesting program shortly. Thank you for your continuing support!!
Steve Schmaltz   
President
www.ourforestlake.com

Annual Wine Tasting Event