No solutions to milfoil problem here

By Gail Peckler-Dziki~Correspondent

The Eurasian milfoil bloom explosion took front and center stage at the 2012 Twin Lakes Protection and Rehabilitation District Annual meeting and budget hearing held on July 28 at the Wilmot High School auditorium.

The winter of 2011 was very mild, with warmer temperatures, little snow and little ice, optimum conditions for the milfoil to survive over the winter. Then 2012 spring came, bringing extremely warm temperatures and little rain, another boon to Eurasian milfoil. Like all other lakes in Wisconsin, Lakes Mary and Elizabeth are filled with the milfoil.

The drought dropped water levels and the hot sun encouraged the milfoil that grows to the top of the water and flourishes.

One woman in the audience commented that it doesn’t appear the chemical treatments are working. “The milfoil has grown to 30 feet from my shoreline, where it used to be about 75 feet. We spend thousands on the treatments yet.”

The nearly 30 Lake District residents that attended the meeting discussed various methods of removing the weed. It was stated that while the chemical treatments kill the milfoil, the dead plants fall to the lake bottom, creating more silt and food for future generations of Eurasian milfoil.

Live milfoil blocks off sunlight to native species that should be encouraged. The dead milfoil that drifts down does the same.

Cutting the weeds may create pieces of plants that can drift to other parts of the lake and start new weed beds when they fall to the lake bottom. A comment was made that Camp and Center Lake Rehabilitation District has four cutters that are busy every year.

Tony Mignon, lake district chair, stated, “Cutting milfoil is like cutting our grass. Its continues to grow.”

He also mentioned seeing a large pontoon boat with a milfoil bed growing underneath it. “You could see that the boat had traveled around the lake, picked up pieces of milfoil cut off by its propellers, brought the pieces back home where they drifted to bottom and took root.”

He suggested that the only real way to eradicate it was to hand pull the weeds and make sure that all pulled weeds are harvested, or removed from the lake. One meeting attendee pointed out that it would be too costly to hire people to do that and while a lakefront homeowner might pull the weeds in front of their own home, it was unlikely that they would continue beyond that. No solution was agreed upon.

 

Levy approved

The group approved the 2013 proposed levy of $131,000. There is no change from last year. When it was pointed out that the assessed values have dropped about 20 percent and this would affect the levy amount, village trustee and Lake District commissioner Tom Connolly explained that the mill rate would rise to meet the levy need.

It was also decided that the budget would be changed to reflect more than $5,000 for chemical treatment of the milfoil.

The dam modification changes are still pending, Mignon reported that the plans are held up in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. He said that the Richmond Hunt Club has given access to the dam for necessary observations of its operation. “We have money in the budget for the dam modification project and would like to see it completed by the end of this year or early in 2013.”

 

Storm water projects still in focus

The district has identified 16 downtown locations for smart sponges. These will help remove e-coli and other particulate before the run-off water enters the lakes. Use of street sweepers to clean storm sewers will continue as will testing fro e-coli and monitoring for chloroform, heavy metals and other.

The district will continue with shoreline restoration and protection as well as improving signage for private property and notification of new legal age requirements for use of personal watercrafts (PWC).

 

New laws

Those required to complete a boating safety course prior to operating a vessel must carry the course certificate on board the vessel.  Children under 10 may not operate a motorboat.  Children who are 10 or 11 may operate the motorboat if accompanied by parent, guardian or someone who is at least 18 and designated by that parent or guardian.

A child between 12 and 15 and who is accompanied by the appropriate adult or has completed the accepted DNR boating safety course may operate a motorboat. Those 16 and older must complete a DNR approved boater safety course to be able to operate a motorboat.

Those under 12 years of age may not operate a PWC. Those who are 12 and older may operate a PWC only if they have completed a boating safety course.  Those under 16 years of age cannot rent or lease a PWC.

Complete information is available at the village hall, 236 East Main in Twin Lakes or on-line at dnr.wi.gov.


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