FAQ

Why are there so many weeds?
Weeds in the water are like weeds in your lawn. Given the right environment, they will flourish and if left unattended, can take over. Some weeds are considered invasive and non-native. It is these types of weeds that are targeted for control. The native ones are actually good for the health of the lake and its inhabitants and thus are allowed to flourish. “Allowed” meaning, the DEQ will not grant permits to eradicate them. The only control of native weeds that the DEQ will allow, and on a very limited basis, is when these native species, grow so numerous and thick and in dock areas that they obstruct the boat owners navigability. This is otherwise known as “nuisance weeds”.


The amount of weeds varies from year to year just like our weather and seasons severity do. The weather and severity of it, very much affect what grows (in and out of the water). The colder the water, the less weeds. The longer the winter, the less weeds. And vise-versa for both scenarios.

Other invaders also affect the weeds, indirectly. Zebra mussels are little sharp-shelled organisms that attach themselves to rocks and feed off the material floating in the water. They serve what would appear to be a good purpose by cleaning the water, but the bad thing about clean clear water is that it allows more sun to penetrate to the weeds that are growing below and encourages their further growth as they make their way to the surface.


Zebra mussels cannot be controlled or eradicated. Once they are here, they are here to stay. The only control is to prevent them from coming into our lakes by washing off boats/pwcs at the launches.


Another invader is human-driven and that is due to use of chemicals that find their way into the lakes. Chemicals or contaminants like human waste from failed septic systems, phosphates from lawn fertilizer run off and farm lands. These things we have much control over and this is where all of us can do much to control weeds at the local level.


Foreign weeds/organisms/fish- These invaders are brought into our lakes by several means. Boats going from other lakes then to ours, flow of water (remember our lakes are series of rivers), human’s dumping things, like fish tanks thinking they are liberating a captive creature. It is these invaders that can consume the native species and habitats and proliferate beyond what we have control over. Think of it like a virus. Science has not found a cure for most viruses and some species of invaders, in the aquatic world are the same way.




Why can’t they just use chemicals instead of harvesters?
Harvesting of weeds is where they use a tractor of sorts that cuts off the tops of the weeds and then carries the cut off parts on to a loader where the cut weeds are hauled away. Harvesting requires a permit from the DEQ and the DEQ again will only allow a limited amount for what they determine to be nuisance weeds.


Chemicals also are used to control weed growth, but only for certain species. Chemicals are also highly controlled by the DEQ as they should be as one could only imagine the catastrophe if over-use or the wrong kind of chemicals were allowed. Highly trained and educated professionals are hired by our local governments to inspect our lakes, several times a year to determine what kind of weeds we have, and what is the best chemical to use against them. The lake association plays a major role in this process of making sure that these inspections are done to the lake property owner’s satisfaction as well as bringing specific problematic areas to the inspector’s attention.




Why can’t they treat the weeds more often, earlier in the season or later?
See the answer to the question above. The weeds/water quality inspectors make the determination when is the optimal time for treatments (chemical or otherwise) depending on many factors, such as water temp., weed species, weather conditions, etc.. This is a science not a guessing game.




Why are some areas treated (harvested or chemically) and some not even touched?
The decision of what to treat or not has everything to do with whether the weeds are native or not, or nuisance or not. If the weeds are native and they are out in front of some vacant farm land or forested non-inhabited areas, then no, those areas are not treated. However, if the weeds are in a channel for example where they would pose a concern for water flow and clogging of boat props, those areas will be treated.




What does our weeds assessment on our tax bill go toward?
The weed assessment pays for the water quality management consultant and his contractors to guide us in making the correct decisions to maintain our lakes in the most cost-effective and healthy way possible. It is through their recommendations that we (local lake board) take into consideration when deciding what is best for our lakes. The monies collected under this special assessment pay for the consultants as well as the DEQ permits, chemicals and contract-hiring of the harvesters and chemical treaters.




Is everyone paying the same amount?
Yes and no. The assessments are based on the number of users and type of property. It is geared to charge those users based on amount of use of the lakes. For example a single family homeowner on the lake frontage will have a lower impact on the use of the lake as there will only be so many occupants of that home compared to a campground, park or business. These allocations are set and do not change from year to year. Changes are only made if there is approved/granted change in use or error.




How come there are so few weeds on ________Lake compared to my lake?
Referring to what has already been addressed above. Every lake is different. For example, the soils at the bottoms of lake vary from lake to lake. Just like your yard. You may be able to grow vegetables fairly easy if your neighbor is a farmer. But your relative, who lives across town in the city, can’t grow a tree to save a birds life.


The sandy soils of some lakes seem to be more problematic for weed growth and thus tend to have less water issues. Sand is a natural filter. Gravel or marl is not such a good filter and mixed with mud, makes a muck that is perfect for weeds to take hold and spread. Fish like it too. Thus, marl-bottomed lakes tend be better fishing type lakes than swimming lakes. So what kind of lakes are in the North Chain? Mostly marl although there are numerous sandy spots as well. Refer to the DEQ website for specifics for each lake in their directory.


Lake Ecology

How Does a Lake Work?

Connections (in and out flow) is the most important concept to keep in mind when considering how a lake works. Because of connections, any change in one part of the lakes ecosystem affects the rest. The symptoms of these effects can range from very subtle ones, like a teaspoon of new algae in an area of the lake that has been clear until now, to drastic ones like floating, dead fish. To assess your lake's health is to study its connection.


What is a Lake Ecosystem?
Your lake's ecosystem is home to many creatures like frogs, fish, insects, ducks, otters, crayfish, and microscopic animals like daphnia, birds, and people. The lake's water, the land surrounding it, the plants, animals, and minerals, all waters draining into the lake, are all part of the lake ecosystem. These components of the lake ecosystem interact with one another in very com­plex and interdependent ways.


What are the Properties of Lakes?
Lakes have interrelated physical, chemical, and biological properties. Disruptions in one property affect the others. For example, when rain washes chemical fertilizers off your lawn and into the lake, this alters the chemical properties of the lake. The altered lake chemistry can result in new conditions in the lake that, for example, may increase the growth of algae and zoo plankton and help certain types of fish species prosper while others decline. Thus the changed chemistry can actually increase the biological productivity of the lake. This may not be good. With more fish in the lake, bottom sediments may be more easily disturbed thus affecting the physical properties of lakes, such as water clarity.




How can boaters and lake property owners help? 
A lake is a complex living system whose health depends on you to understand and properly care for it. A frog or a fish can't sit and negotiate with you for good ecology. The following paragraphs are included to help you provide that proper care.


1. Prevent The Spread of Eurasian Watermilfoil. 
This fast growing aquatic plant is starting to thrive and crowd out good native vegetation. It's thick dense growth can quickly choke out waterways for boating and swimming.  The growing stem tips of Eurasian watermilfoil (and other milfoil species) are tassel-like and often red; especially early in the growing season. Tiny pinkish flowers occur on reddish spikes that stand several inches above the water and submerge when pollination is complete.


DO NOT CUT weeds!  Instead, hand pull the plant by its roots dispose of the plant compost or till into the garden. 


Remove all aquatic plants from your boat, motor and trailer and dispose of them where there is no danger of a new colony starting.


Learn to correctly identify EURASIAN WATER­MILFOIL and report new sightings to the D.N.R.

 

2. Prevent the Spread of Zebra Mussels.
Zebra Mussels are native to the Caspian Sea and arrived in the Great Lakes through the ballast water on ocean going ships. They are fingernail sized mussels with yellow to brown shells, marked with dark wavy lines. Most often found clustered together in colonies, they are generally found in shallow water one to 30 feet deep. These mussels reproduce rapidly and firmly attach themselves to any hard surface, including anchors, boats, pipes, and other fresh­water mussels.

Drain all water from your boat and remove any zebra mussels or plant material you find. Put any zebra mussels you find in the garbage, and NOT back in the water.


Dry boat and equipment in a sunny location for several days before transferring to another body of water.

 3. Control the use of Toxic Chemicals
All chemical products in your home or yard have the potential to harm your lake. If you follow the water conservation and yard care tips presented here you will be reducing the amount of toxic materials reaching the lake. Other ways to reduce the risk of toxic chemical pollution in your lake are:
- Don't change your car's oil near the lake Handle all gasoline and petroleum products with extreme care.
- Keep your boat motor in good repair Avoid using bleach, drain cleaners, and other strong agents.
- Take extreme care when using paints and paint removers.



4. Manage Your Shoreline
If properly managed, your shoreline can be an efficient natural buffer system between the lake and the surrounding landscape. In fact, shorelines are the most important tool you have to protect your lake. Some specific steps you can take are to:
- Leave an unmowed buffer strip along the lake at least 20 feet wide
- Set your lawn mower to leave the grass two or three inches long
- Plant steep banks with native vegetation that binds the soil and traps the water
- Terrace steep banks, when possible, to further slow water sediments


5. Compost Your Wastes
When we compost, we mimic nature by setting up a natural system in our own yard to decompose wastes. The only cost is our time, which can vary from a few minutes a week to a few hours depending on our goals. Composting helps:


- Keep unwanted nutrients out of the lake
- Save valuable landfill space
- Obtain a constant supply of free, rich, sweet-smelling soil for your garden
- Lawn Care


Consider a mulching lawn mower because they are designed to return the clippings (and nutrients) to the soil. Mulching lawn mowers require more frequent mowing but less time, because bagging is eliminated. Just make sure the clippings stay on the lawn and out of the lake.



If we love our lake, we need to change our idea about what looks good. That short, weed-free lawn that many of us admire can actually hurt our lake because it:
- Takes more chemicals to keep it green
- Does not provide good habitat for wildlife
- Fertilizer (To add or not to add)


Are we adding too much fertilizer to our lawns? Are we using the right kind of fertilizer? Does my lawn really need fertilizer? These are all good questions we need to ask ourselves.


Being consumers and prone to believe advertisements many of us buy into the concept of periodic fertilizers for every lawn problem known to mankind. The truth is much of the soil next to lake is already nutrient rich and needs very little help to maintain a healthy appearance. In recent core samples studies done on the north lake chain lawns most of the results showed no dire need to add any chemicals to the lawn except some occasional nitrogen to green up appearance. For those who have the strong need to add fertilizer to their lawn, there are “lake friendly” fertilizer brand available. These lawn supplements have no phosphorous (the chemical that greatly enhances quick weed growth,) and will keep things green.


Remember to leave that 10 feet minimum grass free area next to the lake – no fertilizer, grass clippings, try to keep leaves out of the lake, etc. Try to maintain the native plant lip bordering the lake, these help clean our water and indicate a healthy lake. If we all become conscious of what we do to our soil, the lake wins.




Managing geese
Geese were almost extinct in the 50's. They were rediscovered in 1965, and as we all have seen, their population has risen steadily since then. We now need to get more familiar to living with geese to some degree and work on several approaches to make this more acceptable.

We need to work on issues such as habitat modification. They love the cut lawns we provide! With their increased numbers, have presented considered challenges for many lake residents. They are intelligent birds that learn quickly and remember what they learn. Health issues associated with the geese are always a concern. There are no documented reports of any human ill­nesses attributed to geese. The problem of goose feces is more of an aesthetic issue, not a health issue. Swimming in the same water as geese is not considered a health hazard.


One of the most effective ways to keep geese from the lawn is with a natural barrier of grass or plantings. Geese like to walk from the water to the lawn. (This is also one of the best ways to help improve the quality of water by acting as a barrier for runoffs). Hazing can be an effective way if used with other tactics such as repellents. Methyl anthranilate has been approved for this purpose. Harassment using scarecrows, flags, Mylar tape, and large balloons help, but geese do get used to these methods that must be varied to be effective.




Storm Sewer Overflow Pollutes Our Lake
There must be several of us who live around the lake and are near storm sewer drains. Some of us undoubtedly have seen how the excess water flow takes solids and washout into our lake during heavy rains. This past summer many heavy rains carried everything in its path down streets, into storm drains and out culverts into the lake. After such episodes the water by my house is brown. Where is the source of this pollution problem? The source of this pollution problem is diverse and hard to control. On the streets in Coldwater we must be diligent in finding and preventing this problem from occurring. Likely sources are: exposed soil from lack of vegetation or active construction sites washing sediments into the streets, lawn clippings, fertilizer, pesticides left on our driveways and street, tree cuttings, automobile discharges, excess road gravel from repaving, and salts from winter roads.


Many of us feel it is not our job to sweep the street where we pay taxes to the county for such service but the bottom line is we need to protect our lake. If this means keeping potential pollutants from getting washed into the sewer drain, so be it. Be a good steward of the lake in all areas and hey, we could all use the exercise. If you feel that your storm sewer drain needs cleaning call the County Drain Commission Office.