By Gail Peckler-Dziki/Correspondent
The Silver Lake Protection Association, a cooperative effort between Salem and Silver Lake residents who share the lake, retained last year’s officers.
They are John Hedich as president, Michelle Cullen as secretary/treasurer and Spencer LeRoy as vice-president. About 30 people attended the second annual association meeting that was held on July 12.
Hedich also explained that the Department of Natural Resources controls the lake level. “The dam is privately owned,” Hedich said, “and Brian (Sullivan) at the Marina raises or lowers the board according to that he is told. The Association has no control.”
The group discussed having the Town of Salem set a no-wake level and Cullen suggested the installation of permanent level markers. These items are in the works.
There has been some talk of developing the association into a lake district. An association has membership dues and accepts donations; a lake district can tax all in the Silver Lake watershed and would have access to better funding. Hedich suggested that the group put that idea on hold until after the November referendum in which the village could vote to dissolve back into the town of Salem.
The association did not treat the weeds this year. Steve Mayer, a member who deals with the DNR explained that the group wanted to try a different herbicide this year but that permit was denied.
“We had hoped for a better result from the 2-4D,” he said, “but we were about 50 percent successful.”
Mayer also explained that the usual cycle for treatment was two out of every three years.
When the DNR engaged in the plant survey last fall, Mayer collected plant samples and tested them for herbicide sensitivity. He discovered that the milfoils were not as sensitive to 2-4D as they are to Sonar Genesis with active ingredient of fluidone.
Mayer wrote the permit for the 2014 treatment with sonar, but local DNR representative Craig Helker denied it. Mayer said he had talked to some of those higher up in the DNR and they were in favor, but it was up to the local man, Helker, who did not feel comfortable with the change and denied the permit.
“We were given the suggestion for the 2015 treatment of 2-4D in combination with endothal,” Mayer said. “The Sonar Genesis with flouidone costs twice what 2-4D costs and the application of 2-4D with endothal casts three times that.”
In a later telephone interview, Helker explained why he denied the permit. “2-4D has been used in Wisconsin for the past four years and originally was 60 to 70 percent effective with Eurasian milfoil.”
“The Eurasian and native milfoils are hybridizing and a plant that is much more resistant to 2-4D is developing,” Helker continued, “and 2-4D is now about 40 percent effective.”
He also said that the fuildone treatment was studied in Wisconsin about 10 years ago. While found effective against Eurasian milfoil, it also killed many native species, compromising lake plant diversity.
“When people ask me about the best lakes in Wisconsin, Silver Lake is at the top of the list,” Helker said. “The native plant diversity, water clarity and quality is wonderful. It’s an important resource and it must be treated with respect. It is important to maintain native plant diversity as part of that.”
He also explained that while as the local man, he approves or denies permits, whole lake treatment plans are cooperative efforts between the DNR, the Army Corp of Engineers and the local lake associations and districts.
“The DNR has bee working with the Silver Lake Protection Association for the past few years,” Helker said, ‘conducting plant surveys and developing a treatment plan which then made them eligible for grants.”