Loon Calls Fall 2010 GREATER LAKE SYLVIA ASSOCIATION Inside this issue: A Word from Your President . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Loon State of Affairs . .3 Advertisers . . . . . . .4 & 5 GLSA Picnic . . . . . . . . . .6 Lake Syliva History Books . . . . . . . . .6 GLSA Signs Stolen . . . . .6 Common Buckthorn . .7 Area Coordinators Needed . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Get your T-shirts, sweat shirts, caps and anything else you want with the GLSA logo at Annandale Embroidery! Al’s Almanac Precipitation: April . . . . . . .1.12” May . . . . . . .2.03” June . . . . . . .6.99” July . . . . . . . .3.67” August . . . . .5.76” Sept. 1-10 . . .2.26” Last summer’s precipitation for the same period was . .12.73” This summer’s precipitation for the same period is . . . .21.83” Zebra Mussels Found in Lake Minnetonka by Joe Lepley G iven the media coverage in early August, you may have already heard that Zebra Mussels have been found in multiple bays of Lake Minnetonka this sum- mer. With Lake Minnetonka being so popular and so close to our lake, I am very con- cerned. All it will take is one uninformed boater or one careless fisherman to spread Zebra Mussels. Increasing public awareness and a con- scientious boating/fish- ing public are the only things that will prevent the continued spread of this men- ace. Unfortunately, the DNR can- not quarantine an infected lake, nor can they close off unaffected lakes to the boating/fishing public. Zebra Mussels are spreading across the state at an alarming rate. Prior Lake and Lake Le Homme Dieu in Alexandria were both found to be infested last year. Mille Lacs was first found to be infested in 2005 and the problem has spread to numerous areas around the lake since then. According to the DNR, there are now 15 recreational lakes infested across the state. This list does NOT include Duluth Harbor or the entire Mississippi River from Pine City to the southern border of the state. Why should you care - how bad can they be? Zebra Mussels harm lakes in numerous ways. They form their shells on any hard surface – your sandy lake bot- tom, your dock legs, the bottom of your boat, the lower unit of your boat motor. They also attach to aquatic veg- etation. The shells are small, about an inch long, but have nasty sharp edges which spoil your shoreline for wading and swim- ming. Imagine your boat bottom or dock legs covered with hundreds of shells. Once present, they are difficult to remove. They can also spoil the fishing by competing with small fish and minnows for food. There is no viable treatment for Zebra Mussels. Unlike the chemical treatments for Eurasian Water Milfoil or Curly Leaf Pondweed, once Zebra Mussels invade a lake, there is no cost effective treatment. Zebra Mussel Watch When removing your docks and lifts this fall, check them for Zebra Mussels. If you see anything suspicous, please contact Carl Swanson at 763-300-3902 or Joe Lepley at 320-274-2632. Zebra Mussels continued on page 2
Transcript
Loon CallsFall 2010
G R E A T E R L A K E S Y L V I A A S S O C I A T I O N
Inside this issue:A Word from YourPresident . . . . . . . . . . . .2
This summer’s precipitation for thesame period is . . . .21.83”
Zebra Mussels Found in Lake Minnetonkaby Joe Lepley
Given the mediacoverage in earlyAugust, you may
have already heardthat Zebra Musselshave been found inmultiple bays of LakeMinnetonka this sum-mer. With LakeMinnetonka being sopopular and so close toour lake, I am very con-cerned. All it will takeis one uninformedboater or one carelessfisherman to spreadZebra Mussels.Increasing publicawareness and a con-scientious boating/fish-ing public are the onlythings that will preventthe continued spread of this men-ace. Unfortunately, the DNR can-not quarantine an infected lake,nor can they close off unaffectedlakes to the boating/fishing public.
Zebra Mussels are spreadingacross the state at an alarmingrate. Prior Lake and Lake LeHomme Dieu in Alexandria were bothfound to be infested last year. MilleLacs was first found to be infested in2005 and the problem has spread to
numerous areas around thelake since then. Accordingto the DNR, there are now15 recreational lakesinfested across the state.This list does NOT includeDuluth Harbor or theentire Mississippi Riverfrom Pine City to thesouthern border of thestate.
Why should you care -how bad can they be?Zebra Mussels harm lakesin numerous ways. Theyform their shells on anyhard surface – your sandy
lake bot-tom, yourdock legs,the bottomof yourboat, thelower unitof your boatmotor.They alsoattach toaquatic veg-etation. The
shells are small, about an inch long, buthave nasty sharp edges which spoilyour shoreline for wading and swim-ming. Imagine your boat bottom ordock legs covered with hundreds ofshells. Once present, they are difficultto remove. They can also spoil thefishing by competing with small fishand minnows for food.
There is no viable treatment forZebra Mussels. Unlike the chemicaltreatments for Eurasian Water Milfoilor Curly Leaf Pondweed, once ZebraMussels invade a lake, there is no costeffective treatment.
Zebra Mussel WatchWhen removing your docks
and lifts this fall, check them forZebra Mussels.
If you see anything suspicous,please contact Carl Swansonat 763-300-3902 or Joe Lepleyat 320-274-2632.
GLSA has had another successfulyear of preserving and protectingthe beautiful lakes we are all so
fortunate to enjoy. We have madeprogress against Curly Leaf Pondweedand Eurasian Water Milfoil. Our loonpopulation fared well this summer due tothe help of nesting platforms maintainedby the Loon Committee. The PublicLaunch Committee was re-energized withvolunteers spending many hours talkingto incoming boaters and fishermen aboutinvasive species and the threat of ZebraMussels. New directories were printed
and distributedby ourMembershipCommittee. Anew event, “LightUp Lake Sylvia,”created by theSocialCommittee, was agreat success.The Fourth ofJuly boat paradehad great partici-pation on bothlakes this year. These are just a few ofthe highlights – much more was accom-plished by GLSA’s committees and theirvolunteers.
On behalf of all GLSA members, Iwant to say “THANKS” to all of you whohave given your time over the past year toprotect the lake and help GLSA in somany ways!
A Few Words From Your PresidentJoe Lepley
What can you do? There are fourthings you can do to help prevent thespread of Zebra Mussels:
! Become knowledgeable about howthey are spread. Zebra Mussels startwith a larva that is barely visible to thenaked eye. The larvae can be spread inbait buckets, live wells or bilge water.They can be on your boat hull, motor,anchor, and anchor line ifyour rig has been in watersalready infested with ZebraMussels. The larva caneven be found on fishingequipment! The DNR nowrequires that all boatsremove their plugs anddrain their bilge waterbefore leaving a lake.There is a $300 fine for notdoing so. Zebra Mussel lar-vae or adults can also beattached to aquatic vegetation, so it isimperative to remove any vegetationfrom boats, anchors and trailers leavinginfested waters.
! Talk to your family, friends andneighbors about Zebra Mussels. I havebeen surprised by how many lake prop-erty owners are not aware of the threat
posed by Zebra Mussels. Remember,awareness and conscientious actions arethe primary tools to slow the spread ofthis destructive invasive menace.
! Avoid taking your boat to infestedwaters and check with family or friendsabout where they have been fishing orboating if they want to bring their boatto Lake Sylvia.
! Volunteer to help onthe GLSA Public LaunchCommittee. Our volunteerstalk to incoming boatersand fishermen about inva-sive species and encouragethem to be sure their rigsare free of all invasivespecies including ZebraMussels. A few hours ofyour time next summerwould be a great help. If wehave enough volunteers we
will be asking 4 hours a month on yourpart. You will be trained; you will knowwhat to look for and how to approachboaters at the launch and you will knowwhat to say. To volunteer, contact CarlSwanson at [email protected] or763-300-3902.
Zebra Mussels from page 1
Awareness andconscientiousactions are theprimary tools toslow the spreadof this destructiveinvasive menace.
Loon CallsFall 2010 Page 3
The Lake Sylvia Loon State of Affairsby Mike McNellis, the Old Loon Ranger and his faithful sidekick, Lucy the Lab
This is the last newsletter ofthe year and I’m under adeadline. I have to assemble
and pour back over my notes fromthe Loon Watchers, all the goodneighbors, and concerned lake resi-dents. First off I see my count ofchicks reported born this seasondid reach a high point of seven.That is one of the best years in thelast decade. It’s been an unusualyear with the hatch stretching outover 35 days. The loons arrivedback from their winter’s trek 2weeks early but didn’t seem to getas romantic as quickly as otheryears. The bad news is there hadbeen three confirmed deaths of ournew little babies. Nature can betough. I believe in one case, a mat-ing pair aban-doned a nest-ing site, only tore-nest in asecond loca-tion, hence thelate hatchdates.
Next I wantto talk aboutthe adult loonthat’s been navigating the shoresof the West Lake, normally alone
but sometimes with other adults.Since the first part of July it’s
been seen rightnext to shorein several loca-tions. It’snever beenseen taking offor trying to fly.It appears nor-mal except foran area on the
right side of its head that has lostits feathers. His nickname is “Bobthe Bald” if you would like to give
him a shout.The feathersappear to begrowing backbut not like anormal molt-ing would fillin. I musthave had twoor three dozencalls from con-cerned LoonWatchersabout thisbird. He divesnormally andmust be feed-ing wellenough to stayhealthy, and“no” we arenot going totry to catch
him, or her (maybe the nicknameshould be Bobbie?), to see if it mayhave any other problems. Natureagain may seem cruel, but it’s thebest for this bird. Talking to theDNR personnel, the bird has a bet-ter survival chance at home in thewild then it has if it is sent to abird rehab facility or zoo. Loons,and some other birds like theRuffed Grouse, do not take to cap-ture, and or, a great deal of humancontact.
Now on to the DNR’s concernfor the wintering range on the GulfCoast that may or may not be acatastrophe for the deep divingloon. They have attached transmit-ters to three adult loons to see ifthey can track them to the gulfand monitor their progress duringthe winter. There have been manystudies of the loon’s migration butnothing on a large scale like wesee on the duck and goose popula-tion. Since 1934, billions of dollarshave been spent tracking ducksand geese migration and survivalrates in a combined joint effortwith two other nations, Canadaand Mexico. The loon researchprojects only get the crumbs thatare left over from state and federalfunding programs. When tax timecomes around, be sure to check theNon Game Bird Donation Box onyour tax return. Bob, or Bobbie theBald, would say “Thank you.”
My count of chicks reportedborn this season did reach ahigh point of seven. That isone of the best years in thelast decade.
Roofing-Siding-Gutters-WindowsStorm damage? We can help!
Bob Adams 320-274-6708
Loon CallsPage 6 Fall 2010
2010 GLSA Picnicby Jan Evenson, Social Committee
Where did this summer go? The annual GLSA pic-nic was held at Camp Koinonia on August 15. Wewere treated to some “yummy” hot dishes, salads,desserts, hot dogs and brats brought to us from allour wonderful “cooks” around our beautiful lakes.John Swanson was recognized for his many years ofdedication to the GLSA Executive Board and his lead-ership on several committees.
Thanks to very generous businesses in ourlakes area we had lots of door prizes. Doorprizes were provided by:
• MCP Collision Center• Kaz Hardware• Sassy’s Salon & Spa• Anchor Dock & Lift• Snooty Fox• Annandale Embroidery• RE/MAX Integrity• Kelly Bergesch - Mary Kay• “All Things Good”• Diana’s Artistic Creations• Country Chevrolet• Dairy Queen • Jan Evenson, Realtor (RE/MAX Integrity)• GLSA
Our attendance was down; however, all that werethere enjoyed the food, visiting with friends and
everyone appreciated Koinonia for allowing us to usetheir facilities. A big thank you to the fine staff. Also,our thanks go to GLSA volunteers for their help.
We welcome your calls with any suggestions andideas for future picnics.
Lake SylviaHistory BooksThe “Remembering
Lake Sylvia Books” are agreat remembrance oftimes past. The latestedition makes a greatgift. If you are interestedin purchasing a copy,there are now fourcopies left. They are$25.00 each and maybe obtained by callingBarb Ostlund at 320-274-5571.
GLSA has donated acopy to the AnnandaleLibrary for area residentsto borrow.
GLSA ‘NO HITCHHIKERS’ Signs Stolenfrom Public Launchby Joe Lepley
This spring, GLSA posted twosets of Burma Shave style signsnear the public boat launch toincrease awareness of “aquatichitchhikers.” The signs remindboaters to check their boats andtrailers for “aquatic hitchhikers,”the term now used by the DNR forinvasive species such as EurasianMilfoil, Curly Leaf Pondweed andZebra Mussels. Over the summer, Ireceived many positive commentsabout the visibility of the signs andthe awareness they generated aspeople approach the public launch.Several area lake associationscalled to ask if they could copy ouridea.
Unfortunately, just before theLabor Day weekend, someone
decided to steal the set of signsfrom the west side of QuinnAvenue. GLSA members that livenear the launch have looked for thesigns in hopes that vandals hadmerely pulled them and thrown ina nearby ditch, but the stolen signshave not turned up.
Additional funds will berequested from the GLSA board tohave new sets of signs made fornext season.
We will be sure to put them inwith larger posts for next season inhopes of discouraging thieves orvandals from taking them down.
If you have any informationregarding these signs, please con-tact me at 320-274-2632 or [email protected].
Loon CallsFall 2010 Page 7
Having been born in Cokato,and having been a long timeresident of Minnesota,
maybe I should have known better,but I didn’t have any idea whatthey were talking about when mysister and sister-in-law started torant about Buckthorn. Iknow that they havebeen talking about itfor several years in thatthey are vigorously try-ing to eliminate it(Buckthorn) from theirproperty in the TwinCities.
Well this Fourth ofJuly they were all excit-ed about Buckthornhere on the peninsularoad and on my proper-ty here at Lake Sylvia.We went out andlearned to identify itand spent some timepulling it out by theroots.
What is Buckthorn? Buckthornis a non-native, low-growing,shrub/tree that was brought intoMinnesota and the U.S. because ofits pretty green leaves that makeattractive hedges. The leaves aregreen early in the spring andretain their color into the fall. Itproduces a dark blue/black berrythat attracts birds and spreads tonew areas when the birds pass theberry’s seeds through their sys-tems. It spreads locally through avigorous underground spreadingroot system. A buckthorn plant is
not eliminateduntil its rootsare eliminated.
TheMinnesota DNR
lists two species of Buckthorn ontheir invasive species lists for ourstate; Common Buckthorn (rhamn-nus cathartica) and GlossyBuckthorn (Frangula alnus). Likeall invasives, Buckthorn has nonative predators or controls. Itchokes out native plants and formsan “impenetrable barrier” on theforest floor. The only Buckthorn Ihave identified on the peninsula isCommon Buckthorn. It has a char-acteristic, egg-shaped, glossy greenleaf, with unique leaf veins thatfollow the lengthwise contour ofthe leaf. The Minnesota DNR web-
site has great pictures and infor-mation. Check out the informationusing this link:http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/inva-sives/terrestrialplants/woody/buck-thorn/index.html.
The purpose of this communi-cation was not to be comprehen-sive or exhaustive, but to increaseawareness. Buckthorn is here!Apparently it is widespread in thesurrounding area. We probablywill never be able to eliminate itcompletely, but in my opinion, con-trol of this invasive plant is desir-able. Especially to one who hasgrown up with densely forestedsurroundings on the peninsula, theloss of this beautiful wooded treas-ure would be tragic.
Common Buckthorn - Invasive Speciesby Brian Ruggles
Area Coordinators Neededby Nancy Hector
Area coordinators are the neighborhood linkbetween property owners and GLSA. As part of themembership committee, their responsibilities are tonotify GLSA of any changes in property ownership,contact neighbors who may not have paid their annu-al dues, and encourage new members. The East andWest Lakes have been divided into 27 areas.Presently we are in need of four coordinators. We are
looking for volunteers for Area 9 (Quiner Ave.), Area10 (58th St. portion), Area 17 (Osborn Ave.) and Area21 (74th St.). Wendy Hanson has agreed to take overthe 57th St portion of area 10. Thank you Wendy!
Please contact Nancy Hector [email protected] or 952 381-7316 if you areinterested in being a coordinator. Many hands makelight work - VOLUNTEER !
G R E A T E R L A K E S Y LV I A A S S O C I A T I O N
PO Box 41Annandale, MN 55302
Editor: Kathy LepleyAdvertising:
Carole GertgenLayout & Design:
Annandale Advocate
Mission Statement:To Maintain and Improve
Lake Sylvia
Non-ProfitOrganization
U.S. Postage PaidPermit No. 5
Annandale, MN55302
Deliver to addressee or current resident.
Annandale Community Arts Needs Your Help
The Annandale Community Arts team is lookingfor homes for the Holiday Home tour.
Do you love to decorate for the holidays? Why not show off your home and your holiday
decorations and help the summer concert series at the same time? Help with decorating
is available. The tour is held on Saturday, November 20th and followed by a wonderful catered dinner by our
own Cottage Gourmets.
All proceeds benefit the summer Music in the Park series in Annandale. We are in danger
of having to cancel the tour because of a lack of homes. If you are interested in opening your
home for this wonderful fundraising opportunity,contact Nancy Hector at 952 381-7316 or by email
