Autumn is also a time to reflect on how well the summer went. As I assess progress against TLA goals, I am pleased by our many successes. However, this year’s EWM treatment wasn’t as productive as we planned. 

Our Clean Boats Clean Waters (CBCW) effort to educate TLA members and lake visitors was a huge success again in 2011. While fewer boats visited our public boat ramps this summer – no doubt due to the tough economic environment – our CBCW volunteers and staff did an awesome job.  Our ramp attendants went to great efforts to make sure that each and every boat was met with a welcoming smile and great information about maintaining the health and wellness of Tomahawk Lake. 

This year we installed a CBCW Attendant’s booth at the Lake Tomahawk Town Ramps, which greatly helped bring our message of good lake stewardship to the forefront. The Town of Lake Tomahawk Board of Supervisors was very helpful in making this happen.

Next year, we need a volunteer coordinator to help recruit and schedule CBCW attendants. Our volunteer numbers have dwindled over the past few years – we need to bulk up in this area! If you would like to volunteer for either job, Coordinator or ramp attendant, please call or e-mail me at your first opportunity.

TLA’s Annual Town Hall & Lake Fair was held on July 23^rd and featured a host of activities and presenters. But without a doubt, the major storm that struck during our Town Hall Meeting was a memory we won’t forget! Our President, Paul Shain gave an informative presentation about the TLA’s initiatives, while the tent sides rattled with heavy wind gusts and copious amounts of rain.  Roughly 75 gutsy members enjoyed the excellent picnic lunch prepared by the Indian Shores Owners Association. As the lunch ended, the clouds parted and the sun came out, along with a large number of additional fair goers. While the inclement weather no doubt had an effect on attendance, we still had an estimated 250 kids, parents, and grand parents come to the fair. Many thanks go out to all of our volunteers, and to the presenters that gave out a huge amount of valuable and fun information. We couldn’t have done it without you!

TLA Educational Presentations were given to four township board of supervisor meetings and at lake gatherings including the Pottowattomie Colony annual “Powwow”, Bloom’s annual picnic, Kemp Woods Picnic, and the Lakeside Condo Association annual meeting. These presentations educate stakeholders on the TLA’s efforts to protect and enhance the Tomahawk Lake Watershed.  In addition, this year we gave a keynote addresses at a strategic lake planning workshop held by the Oneida County Extension. Representatives from many counties and lake groups attended this workshop.

TLA Research projects. The TLA has remained an active participant in an ongoing Army Corps of Engineers research project to study the rate of chemical herbicide dissipation in different aquatic environments. Our participation involved collecting water samples for two weeks during and following our chemical treatment applications in the spring. Samples were taken each day, hourly, at six locations on the lake. The analysis provides data that shows the effects of localized environmental conditions on treatment success. This is the third year we have participated and the results should be forthcoming from the Army Corps.

Starting next year, we have asked to be included in a multiple year study regarding the use of weevils for EWM control.  In late December, we will find out if we will be included in the study. We are hopeful that our participation will give us yet another weapon to use in the fight against EWM.

TLA Sentinels Surveys are a major tool in our battle with EWM. Twice each summer, 17 groups of volunteers survey specific areas of the Tomahawk Lake watershed to record the location and details of EWM infestations. This data is indispensible for two reasons. First it is used to schedule harvest sites for our Hydraulic Conveyor System (HCS). Second, it provides our scientific surveyor a great deal of data to evaluate infestation sites for chemical treatments. Each survey requires approximately 40 volunteers for 6 hours. The quality of data is outstanding. Many thanks go out to these men & women who are committed to the health of our lake.

TLA’s Hydraulic Conveyor System continues to operate at a highly efficient and consistent level. Our harvesting records for the summer are very similar to last years results, with about 20,000 pounds of drained EWM removed from 90+ sites within the lake. These numbers are impressive when one considers that, due to an extremely late spring, the growing season for EWM didn’t heat up until the latter half of June. Once the water temperatures finally warmed up in late June, and continued through the rest of the summer, EWM infestations grew like weeds.

This year’s dive team comprised of two Limnology students: Ben Brown from UW – Stevens Point and Justin Forest from the University of Minnesota – Brainard.  Both men have extensive diving experience and are committed to pursuing water science careers.

2011 EWM Chemical Treatment Results

This year we learned that EWM chemical treatments are greatly affected by the cold water temperatures that result from a late spring.

Our Chemical Treatment Program utilizes a broadleaf aquatic herbicide. To be effective, the herbicide must contact EWM’s leaves. The plant takes the herbicide in through its leaves and transports it to its root system which kills the plant.

This year, water temperatures remained very cold until the second week in June – which delayed plant growth in the lake. To compensate for the delayed growth, our partners at the WDNR allowed us to push back our treatment eight days after the official application cutoff date. But even with the treatment delay, the EWM was not developed enough to take in sufficient chemicals to effectively kill many of the plants.

Dr. Susan Knight of the UW Extension Trout Lake Station examined EWM plants in Kemp Bay in mid July, and found that EWM plants exhibited chemical burning in their lower extremities, but normal new plant growth in the tops of the plants. It appears that the cold water didn’t allow for sufficient plant chemical absorption to take place.

 What does this mean for our plans for next spring? It means that we will be re-treating most of the areas targeted this year. In addition, we will be treating substantial new areas of dense EWM which have been discovered in the lake – many of them are adjacent to 2011 sites. In all, we will be chemically treating approximately 113 acres of dense EWM in 2012 compared to 52 acres in 2011.

This is a big hit to our program and budget. However, if we don’t make these treatments, we will see additional spread of EWM in 2013. For no other reason, we must remain diligent in our efforts!

In addition, we continue to research every possible means to combat EWM in our watershed.  Initiatives include:

• Investigating chemical treatments which show better results when lake water is cold.
• Working with UW/ extension to gain inclusion in their weevil study in selected areas of our lake.
• Participating in EWM research studies.
• Mapping and observing all of the areas of EWM in our lake through two Sentinels and three scientific surveys.

We will continue to look for new and innovative ways to wage war against EWM. The key to success is remaining diligent, consistent and committed to keep this invasive weed in check.

I have gazed out across the weed free waters of Tomahawk every summer for the past 49 years. I’m not ready or willing to give her up! I hope that you’re not either. If we all work together, we can and will regain the upper hand against EWM! 

                Ned Greedy 

Executive Director
Tomahawk Lake Association, Inc.

 May 15: Wausau Daily Herald, “Lake groups, state slog through battle with invasives”

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011105150471

May 18-19: WXPR, 91.6 Public Radio

Announcer: “Next on Morning Edition we hear from Paul Shain…President of the Tomahawk Lake Association. The popular lake has nearly 34 hundred acres and is located between Rhinelander and Minocqua. The lake association is reporting a nearly 78 percent reduction in aquatic invasive Eurasian Water Milfoil in treated areas, or roughly 62 acres. Shain says EWM was discovered in 2004….”

CLICK HERE for Shain Audio Clip

Announcer Close: ”Paul Shain says last year, in cooperation with the state’s “Clean Boats-Clean Waters” campaign,  Lake Tomahawk  volunteers inspected 4,000 watercraft and spoke with more than 10,000 people about invasives.”

June 11: Lakeland Times, “Positive outlook for Eurasian Watermilfoil management project; New techniques are showing results”

http://www.lakelandtimes.com/main.asp?ArticleID=13295&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=13

 The path forward can sometimes be hard to see when there are a lot of unanswered questions.

When the Tomahawk Lake Association (TLA) Board of Directors met in January, there were a host of unanswered questions that needed to be resolved before we could have a clear view of our short term future. As we left that meeting, we were unsure we’d be able to address the work plan we had established for the upcoming summer season because the funding paths were uncertain. But over the past 90 days many questions have been answered, and the way forward has become clearer.

TLA’s efforts have always required that three partners come together to financially support the association’s plans to protect and enhance Tomahawk Lake. As we looked forward at the end of September 2010, two of the three were in serious doubt.

Partner 1: Local Government
We fully anticipated that our support from our four Town Government partners would substantially drop, as every town budget was under extreme pressure. With the on-going economic recession, town revenues have taken a beating and serious discussions about spending priorities were taking place in every town hall across the northwoods. The TLA made presentations to each board of supervisors, laying out plans and explaining the need. One by one, as budgets were agreed to, our four towns “stood up” and allocated 2011 funds for TLA. What’s more, their allocations either met or exceeded the prior year’s funding. Believe me when I say that a huge sigh of relief was heard emanating from TLA’s palatial board room (which doubles as Margo’s kitchen).

Partner 2: State Government
Then came the elections of 2010 and Wisconsin’s state government had a huge convulsion. As seats changed from one party to the other uncertainty increased for the TLA. We had to wonder ‘What would the anticipated austerity program mean for the DNR?’ and ‘Will the state continue funding the fight against Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in our lakes and streams?’ 

In early January, I put the final touches on a grant application that would support TLA’s programs to control AIS, educate our watershed’s stakeholders and put into place the next steps of our five year Comprehensive Lake Management Plan (CLMP). I submitted the application with the sinking feeling that our chances of receiving state funding were very thin.

As the CLMP implementation timeline has progressed, our entry into new areas of effort has driven our expenses higher. In the end, even with trimming our plan to the bare bones, our grant request exceeded that of the last two-year cycle. With the state way over budget and the governor and legislature talking about slashing the cost of state government, what could our chances possibly be?

The announcement date for AIS Control Grants was April 1^st, and TLA, along with many other deserving lake associations waited nervously for the outcome. When it came, the answer was positive for TLA – our grant request was rated the highest among all submissions and we received all of the requested funding for the next two year period.

Our two year grant program represents $309,000 worth of projects ranging from control of Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM), to boat ramp education through Clean Boats Clean Waters, to new initiatives for the control of Purple Loosestrife and monitoring our lake for its chemical health. The state will support us by contributing $174,000. This includes a $25,000 increase in funding by the WDNR and shows that the partnership we have – and the regard in which we are held – is very strong.

So there you have it. Two of the three groups have now “stood up” despite overwhelming pressure to reduce expenditures.

But what of the third group – the group that has the most to gain from keeping Tomahawk Lake beautiful?

Partner 3: Lake Property Owners and Enthusiasts
Late last fall, the TLA introduced the Fair Share Membership drive to all of the watershed’s shoreline owners. Over the past several years, a small group of lake property owners (4% of the total) have funded the majority of TLA activities. The Fair Share program aims to engage all lake enthusiasts in keeping our lake healthy.

After anticipated grant money and town revenue donations, we have a shortfall of approximately $75,500 to meet our expenses. To make up that shortfall, we are asking all lake property owners contribute a minimum of $270. To arrive at that number, we have taken our shortfall and divided it by 80% of lake property owners (280).

In January, letters were sent out and to date many property owners have sent in their Fair Share and some have included an additional donation above and beyond $270. We have also received “Friend of the Lake” donations from children and grandchildren (of all ages) of lake property owners.

If you haven’t taken part in our Fair Share Membership drive, please make it a priority. Your contribution is evidence of your personal commitment to ensure that Tomahawk Lake continues to be the “Jewel of the North” for generations to come.

Our two other partners have both “stood up” in a big way – now it’s our turn.

Thank you for being a part of our cause,
Ned Greedy
Executive Director

As many of you know, the North Woods has experienced a relatively late spring this year. Our ice out date was a full month later than last year and, as a result, much of the spring time activity around the lake has been pushed back.

As in the past several years, the Tomahawk Lake Association will address the Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) infestation in the lake, using the two-tiered approach of chemically treating areas of larger EWM infestation and manually removing smaller and new sites of EWM with our innovative Hydraulic Conveyor System. We have mailed a notice concerning our intent to treat to shoreline owners with properties in close proximity to treatment sites. In addition, we wanted to alert the entire TLA member base.

Our chemical treatments are made using a very low dosage of the aquatic herbicide 2,4-D. This herbicide has been used for a number of decades. It has been shown to be a very safe chemical herbicide that dissipates in concentration to virtually nothing within the first 24-48 hours (dependant upon factors such as current and wind action).  It should be noted that 2,4-D is not harmful to grass, however property owners are asked to turn off sprinkler systems that draw from the lake during our treatment time to avoid removing the 2,4-D from the lake until it has a chance to work on the EWM.

We are currently monitoring water temperatures weekly to make sure that we schedule the treatments at times when the optimal water temperature has been achieved. Our intent of course is to maximize the treatment effectiveness.

We are anticipating that our chemical application will be made during the last week in May, or possibly in the first week of June, dependant upon water temperatures.

When the final treatment dates have been finalized, we will alert you via email.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call TLA Executive Director, Ned Greedy at (715) 358-7896.

The TLA has planned a full roster of activities for July 23. Mark your calendar to join us for a day of learning, meeting neighbors and fun for the whole family.

10 – Noon a.m.             TLA Town Hall – Meet lake neighbors and learn more about the TLA and Tomahawk Lake. Hear an overview of the Association’s scope, board membership and strategies for battling AIS. An open Q&A will end the session.

Noon – 1 p.m.              Picnic -            Back by popular demand! Anyone who has contributed their Fair Share receives FREE lunch. Your Fair Share donation of $270 for 2011 may be made at the picnic.

1 p.m. – 5 p.m.             Lake Fair – There will be fun for the whole family at the Lake Fair. Activities include arts and crafts, educational presentations and wilderness fun including birds of prey, a live eagle on site, loon watch, try your hand at kayaking, Min-Aqua Bat ski boat rides and much more. Food and refreshments will be available on site

 Come by boat or car. A water taxi will be available to anchor your boat and ride to shore. See you there!

As a part of the TLA’s ongoing education activities, the association actively pursues PR strategies to gain media coverage. On May 15, the Wausau Daily Herald ran a story on the TLA’s efforts. Check it out! http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011105150471

Get information and network with lake neighbors on the TLA’s Group Facebook page. It’s a great way to see what is going on, meet new friends and learn what neighbors are talking about.

 Simply search for Tomahawk Lake Association Group within Facebook’s search function and join the group! Join now! http://www. facebook.com

Due to the numerous spring rains, the water level of Tomahawk Lake, as well as other area lakes, has risen nicely.  We are only about 6-8 inches lower than last fall’s high.