The last time there was thawing weather in northern Michigan, I spotted some individuals out on Boardman Lake. One must remember that ice can wear thin where there is a river running through. Did they think about that? Ice fishing can be fun but also a risky and a very dangerous endeavor. Ever since I was a child, I remember walking on the ice with my father holding the ice spud and checking every few feet.
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Winter is almost here and a number of home invading pests may be trying to make their way into wood piles and homes for shelter. But every land owner knows they have got to do something. Some may want to use strong chemicals which may make their way right into the soil. These chemicals directly harm the soil food web, which helps plants grow and maintain the lakes.
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Changing Nature’s Clocks .. the idea seemed very appropriate for this day, when our clocks chane. A well made video and informative article from our friends at NatureChange:
“Each spring, people in Northwest Lower Michigan witness the emergence of wildflowers on the forest floor. Then, the buds of hardwood trees burst open, unfurling broad chartreuse leaves.
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I encourage everyone to have a look at a new publication entitled Protecting Michigan’s Inland Lakes: A Toolkit for Local Governments, from Michigan Lake and Stream Associations, Inc. This comprehensive guide for successfully navigating the myriad of local township rules and regulations is an invaluable resource. Also important is the “sister publication” of the Toolkit, Protecting Michigan’s Inland Lakes: A Guide for Local Governments, which is admittedly quite confusing due to the similarity of the titles.
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You’ll find a great story on our own John Lutchko in today’s Record Eagle:
“John Lutchko always knew his career would be centered on water.
He grew up across from Grand Traverse Bay and spent as much time on Lake Leelanau as possible, visiting his grandparents’ cottage in the summer. Lutchko wanted to take his education further after graduating from Northwestern Michigan College’s freshwater studies program — and Western Michigan University offered him the solution.”
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We our pleased to announce our affiliation with Michigan Shoreland Stewards, a program which provides recognition for lakefront property owners who are protecting inland lakes through best management practices on their property.
Become a Michigan Shoreland Steward!
Each year more and more lake front properties are being developed and natural lakefront habitats are becoming scarce.
Exploring the Hearing of Freshwater Fish
Water is a carrier for many forms of sound. Some sounds vary in frequency; others have a range of volume measured in decibels (intensity and power). When one travels one cannot help but ask the question, “What impact does the boating equipment I own make?”
Dr. Arthur Popper, who is the Professor of Biology at the University of Maryland, forwarded some articles to me to learn more about acoustics in water.
We are fortunate to be working with the firm SiCon (Swimmer’s Itch Control) in the pursuance of our goal of controlling swimmer’s itch in our beautiful lake. Ron and Curt of SiCon did a great presentation at our annual meeting on July 20th, and they have now shared their slides with us here at LLLA. I think you will all agree that there is much to digest here.
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Heather Hettinger, Fisheries Management Biologist for Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources out of Traverse City, gave an informative and lively presentation to the Leelanau Clean Water organization on July 20, which was attended by some of our members. You can access the presentation by clicking here. Here is a little info on Heather:
I have worked for the Department of Natural Resources in various capacities since 2000.
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