However, it will not be until you venture out onto the Crystal River this summer that you will find the largest improvement undertaken by the GLA’s Water Level and Wildlife, Fish and Recreational Committees. After years of neglect the GLA was faced with securing the land surrounding the Crystal River dam, which happens to be the first portage on the Crystal River and the site of the GLA memorial park. Headed up by committee member Alan Kasper, the GLA worked closely with the National Park Service to create a design that would restore the banks surrounding the dam and create a user-friendly portage for those paddling the Crystal. Once plans were completed, bids were received and Zimmerman’s Landscaping of Traverse City was selected to proceed with the project. After securing the necessary permits from the MDEQ, Leelanau County and permission to cross National Park property, the ‘green light’ was given and the early spring allowed the project to begin much earlier than expected.

Over a 10-day period the nearly 4 feet of shoreline that had eroded on the upstream side of the portage and nearly twice that amount on the downriver side were restored and stabilized through the creation of steps using Black Locust logs. The path that takes you around the dam and back to the Crystal also received a facelift. Numerous exposed roots both along the path and on the banks of the river that had receded over the years were restored and secured to avoid future erosion.

A big thank you goes out to five committee members who were involved with this project along with the private donations that helped to assist with making this project a reality. The new portage will be a great asset to future generations of those recreating within the Glen Lake-Crystal River watershed.

Eroded bank on Crystal River near the dam portage

Job Well Done!!!

Starrywort

Starry Stonewart is one of two invasive aquatic plants that have turned up in southeast Michigan’s lakes in the past few years. The other is Fanwort, which has hit three lakes in Oakland County.

Doug Pullman of Flint-based Aquest Corp., one of the state’s largest lake management firms, said he believes that Starry Stonewort has the potential to be even more troublesome than the most infamous nonnative water weed in Michigan history: Eurasian water milfoil, which spread throughout most of the state’s thousands of inland lakes in the 1980s. “I think Starry Stonewort will be worse,” Pullman said. “From an ecological perspective, it is so invasive. … Its impact on the fisheries will be huge.” Matt Preisser of the state Department of Environmental Quality said: “Early indications are that this Starry Stonewort might be pretty bad.”

Starry Stonewort looks like a beneficial native lake plant, Chara. But Starry Stonewort grows more thickly, blanketing lake bottoms and preventing panfish such as bluegill and sunfish from finding enough sandy bottom to spawn.
Arrival in Michigan

It has been found in Michigan lakes in the Lower Peninsula, ranging from Mason County to Wayne County. Starry stonewort can grow to remarkable heights and depths. It forms dense mats of vegetation that completely cover the lake bottom. When it becomes dense and overcomes most of the other vegetation in an area, it is said to “pillow” or form irregularly spaced “pillows” of dense vegetation of various heights rather than a mat of uniform height. When the growth slows or the plants decline (usually in the summer) circular openings may appear in the dense pillowed mats imparting a “Swiss cheese” pattern in the pillowed mats.

Starry stonewort spreads rapidly from lake to lake. It produces oocytes and these structures are transported easily on bird feathers or the fur of aquatic animals. They could also be easily transported in aquatic plant debris caught on boat trailers. Often, the presence of public launch sites is associated with the early invasion of alien aquatic plants; however, starry stonewort has quickly become established in many lakes that have no public access. The role of waterfowl in the dissemination of starry stonewort could be very significant.

Starry stonewort is also easily fragmented and these fragments could seemingly act as disseminules that could be important in the spread of the plant within a lake and from lake to lake. Boat traffic can cause significant fragmentation of starry stonewort that can float on the water surface and create nuisance conditions on leeward shorelines. This type of fragmentation has been implicated in the dissemination of other alien species in Michigan such as the invasive milfoils (Eurasian and hybrids).

http://aquaweed.com/pdf/Starry%20Stonewort%20Lakeline%20report.pdf

We are pleased that three workers are returning from last year’s team — Sallyanne Morris (supervisor), Paul Hall, and Bernie Meehan. We are recruiting for one part-time worker. What a nice way to spend some of your summer hours! Enjoy being on the lake and meeting lots of boating enthusiasts. If you are interested please call Sallyanne at the GLA office (231-334-7645).

What is Garlic Mustard?

Garlic Mustard is an invasive plant that was brought over to the United States by European settlers as an herb. Unfortunately, with none of its native competitors present, garlic mustard has spread virtually unchecked across the county and can be found in over thirty states as well as parts of Canada. Not only do these invasive weeds choke out native wildflowers, out-competing them for space and sunlight, but they also excrete chemicals through their roots further preventing wildflower growth. Garlic mustard, and other invasive species, poses a serious threat to the biodiversity and overall quality of beloved natural areas.

April 25 – May 15 – Optimal window for hand pulling
The best period for hand pulling garlic mustard is normally between April 25 and May 15. The mustard should be conveniently sized to extract fully. Prior to this plants may be too small to grasp. After mid May, roots can be so well developed they are troublesome to extract. It depends on the soil type. It is best to get the roots, but breaking the entire plant off at the base is quite devastating on them too, provided plants have buds and/or flowers. It is possible that plants in flower or even in bud are able to form viable seeds even after they are pulled, so carefully bag and dispose of all pre‐flowering and flowering plants

If you wish to know more about this nasty invasive, here is an excellent video produced in 2010 by Anusuya Das and Kurt Stepnitz, students at Michigan State University.

Your help in removing this invasive is most appreciated folks. Dig In!!!

Conference Topics:
Developing a First Order Lake Management Plan
Inland Lakes Management
Inland Lake Fisheries Assessment & Classification
Lake Friendly Shoreline Management Techniques
Annual Michigan Riparian Rights Review
Cold Water Streams Habitat Management
And More

Door Prizes/Silent Auction/ 50-50 Raffle
MiCorps CLMP Volunteer Monitor Training

For more info visit: www.mymlsa.org

The Glen Lake Association owns, maintains and operates a dam on the Crystal River to regulate water levels in Glen Lake and water flow in the river. A court order updated in 2003 governs regulation of Glen Lake water levels. The court order requires that water be “shared” by lake and river riparians, with a minimum flow of 31 cubic feet per second in the river. Leelanau County Drain Commissioner, Steve Christensen, reported that the higher flows noted on the Crystal River last week, and the water levels noted in the Glen Lakes, indicate that everything is within normal ranges, with plenty of water to share.

“This is really a testament not just to the fact that they have a little more moisture down in the Glen Lake area this spring, but also to how well the Glen Lake Association has been managing the dam and the resource,” Christensen said. The Glen Lake Association has knowledgeable people on their Technical Review Committee who are constantly monitoring levels and tweaking the algorithm based on the court order and the new data they’re constantly collecting, Christensen explained.

It’s nice to know that the remarkable efforts made by our GLA Water Level Chair, John Kassarjian, and his fantastic group of volunteers has received its due recognition for a job well done!

Fellow board member Joan Kramps brought an old family photo album to the board meeting yesterday and we all thought it would be fun to share it with you.

Board President, Andy DuPont, was kind enough to scan and format them into a good old looking slideshow. Click Here

Joan explained that her father-in-law, who was born in April 1908, is the baby in the middle of the picture of the kids sitting on the beach. I am sure most of you will easily identify the old Narrows Bridge, the view from the top of Miller Hill, and the channel going between Big Glen and Fisher Lakes.

Enjoy!

If you have any old family pictures of the area that you are willing to share, please send them to: glenlakeassociation@gmail.com.

This picture shows a male and female Merganser pair respectively. They swim/scoot across the top of the water for 8-10 feet, stop, and sometimes dive for food. In the Spring they swim with a brood size of 10-16 ducklings.

Due to the retirement of members of the research team and the discontinuation of their research efforts, there is no longer a scientific permit to trap and relocate mergansers in the summer. The Association’s only current means of conducting merganser control is during spring and fall with the use of pyrotechnics. The loud noise of ‘screamers and bangers’ are used to scare the ducks and encourage them to go elsewhere to raise their brood. The bangers sounds like a gun shot. So if you hear these sounds don’t be alarmed – just pleased that your lake association is doing its best to make your summer experience in the water more enjoyable.

If you see any Merganser ducks in the lake, please call Rob Karner at 231-334-5831. Thank you for your help!

How? Follow these 5 steps.
1. Inspect and remove aquatic plants and mud from your watercraft, trailer, and equipment.
2. Drain all water from your equipment – watercraft, motor, bilge, transom well, livewell, etc.
3. Dispose of unwanted bait and fish in the trash, not in the water.
4) Wash your watercraft and equipment with hot water or a pressure washer.
5) Dry (alternative to wash) your watercraft and equipment thoroughly in the sun for 10 days.

Where?
Watercraft and recreational equipment can be washed at the DNR Boatwash on West Day Forest Road off M-22, just north of the bridge between Big and Little Glen Lakes.

The facility is open 6 a.m to 7 p.m. Memorial Day through September, and weekends in October. This service is provided free of charge by the Glen Lake Association.

Outside of our operating service hours, please use the facility’s self-operated power spray. Additional options are to do this at home or at a car wash.

Equipment that cannot be pressure-washed can be cleaned with the following:
Salt water – 2/3 cups salt per 5 gallons of water. Soak for 24 hours.
Vinegar – dip for 20 minutes.

Why?
More than 190 invasive species live in the Great Lakes. Many of them have been transported into our inland lakes by recreational vehicles and trailers, discarded bait buckets and aquariums, and waterfowl.

The time spent following these procedures will help preserve inland lakes for your own use and future generations.

Thank you for your help. It’s all about the water!