Hello good friends and welcome to the cooling and colorful north woods! It is fall and the idyllic, sunny summer days have turned cold and snowy.
The weather was fickle this year – May and June were record cold months, and the really fine summer weather didn’t show up until August and September.
The Tomahawk Lake Association had a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type summer as well. As the spring of 2009 rolled in, our hopes were high that the 2008 successes in controlling Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) had helped us turn a corner. We were optimistic we would be able to duplicate our success for a second straight year.
In reality, we lost some ground to EWM. Our chemical treatment in the spring proved largely ineffective due to a variety of factors, and as the summer passed, new areas of infestation popped up across the lake. (See article What happened with EWM treatment this year?)
Indeed, we took a hit from our leafy adversary. As we approach the spring of next year, we will treat an increased number of EWM infested acres. Some might say it was a down year, and if you only use acreage as a measure, you would be right. But the Tomahawk Lake Association won some decisive battles this year of which we should be proud:
- This year, our membership increased from 138 members in 2008 to 216 in 2009 – a 64 percent increase and a record number of members.
- Our educational outreach made great strides. During the Minocqua 4th of July Parade, thousands of cheering onlookers learned about EWM as “Norm, the nasty plant” was vanquished by our diver April Londo (along with several young helpers) in a fun skit that was sure to capture attention. Also in July, Channel 12 aired a story about our organization and our Hydraulic Conveyor. The story ran on their morning, noon and night news programs over a three day period, and went a long way to create awareness for Tomahawk Lake Association in the North. In September, Milwaukee Public Radio did an extended segment on our Hydraulic Conveyor for their weekly radio show “Lake Effect.” Airing in the Milwaukee market, the story introduced south east Wisconsin to both the Tomahawk Lake Association and our efforts to make a difference in what is a state wide problem. Of course, our Clean Boats Clean Waters volunteers did an admirable job educating boaters at our three public boat ramps. They not only spoke with people about aquatic invasive species, but they protected our lake by inspecting boats as they used the ramps. (We are always looking for Clean Boats Clean Waters volunteers. If you would like to volunteer, email me at edgreedy@gmail.com.)
- Some of our most dedicated volunteers work with our Sentinel Program. The Sentinels survey the locations of EWM infestations in Tomahawk Lake to provide detailed information to our science consultant, Northern Environmental Inc. The data base they assembled was an important factor in the successful year-end survey that Northern Environmental completed in September. I participated in that survey, and I can tell you that it was the Sentinel’s input that led us to many new locations for mapping. Without their efforts, many locations would have gone unnoticed and unaffected by our treatments.
The leadership of the Sentinels has been in the hands of one man, Jim Michels, since its inception. This fall Jim informed the board that he was retiring from his post. As is typical of Jim, he already had a replacement ready to take up where he left off, and Roger Cote is now the new Sentinel leader. All of our membership and indeed all people who love this lake owe Jim their gratitude for his years of service in the cause of Tomahawk Lake’s health.
- Finally, the Hydraulic Conveyor System (HCS) – our system to manually remove EWM plants – was a success this year. Last year was our inaugural year of HCS operation and our harvesting efforts yielded 3,800+/- lbs of drained EWM. This summer we turned the HCS loose to remove new areas of infestation. We processed roughly 90 new EWM sites resulting in the removal of more than 18,500 lbs of drained EWM – a significant increase. More importantly, the harvested sites represented areas that could have become established and grown into major areas of infestation requiring chemical treatment down the road. Instead, these small areas of EWM were totally removed from our lake which will pay huge dividends in subsequent years. Our one-two punch of HCS and chemical treatment has the potential of consistently reducing the levels of EWM infestation in Tomahawk Lake over time. The important thing is to keep after it!
I have no doubt that the Tomahawk Lake Association had other positive effects on the health and well being of our lake this year. Whether it was in education, in treatment, or in outreach, TLA was working constantly to make progress in the protection of our watershed.
If there is one message that this year has demonstrated, it is that we must continue using every tool we have to fight EWM in our lake. While from time to time we may face adversity, as we did this past summer, if we are consistent, continue to think outside the box for solutions and maximize our effectiveness, we will be successful.
As always, our biggest and best asset will always be our concerned and committed members. It is our members that provide the volunteers, funding, and effort to make all of these things work in harmony. This summer, as in past summers, our members have moved us forward.
In some ways, this may have been our best year ever….to date.
Enjoy the holidays and I’ll see you at the lake,
Ned
