Invasive Species, A Mid-summer Update 2021
As you may recall from our 2021 Spring RLPOA newsletter, we had planned to treat 11 milfoil locations in Round Lake and three small milfoil patches in Little Round. Based on our lake survey from the fall of 2020 we were confident we had all milfoil outbreaks well in hand and within manageable control.
Between June 18th and the 30th we were able to treat all 3 acres of milfoil per our approved WDNR permit. While we wish we could have treated earlier, weather conditions delayed access to the lake. However, while treating and continuing our vigilant survey of milfoil conditions, we discovered that the abnormal warm June temperatures and lower water levels caused an unprecedented expansion of EWM (Eurasian Water Milfoil) throughout the lake.
Especially worrisome was the expansive growth of milfoil in Richardson Bay. With the 4th of July quickly approaching we applied for a special treatment permit from the DNR. We were concerned that the additional boat traffic on the July 4th holiday would precipitate the spread of milfoil throughout the bay and beyond. Unfortunately, our permit request was denied by one of the DNR’s fishery specialists.
Also, unexpected EWM growth expanded in Little Round Lake where we planned a single day of DASH treatment to address three small areas. The new DASH team we hired is Aquatic Plant Management, LLC out of Minocqua, WI.
We added a second treatment day where the dive team worked on as many locations as they could on July 13th and 14th.
According to APM, they utilize several strategies for vegetation removal with minimal regrowth. By moving carefully and deliberately through the water, their Aquatic Vegetation Removal Specialists minimize the fragmentation of plants, further preventing their spread to new areas. In the case that any degree of fragmentation occurs, fragments are immediately located and removed from the water by either a diver or a member of the surface crew. The team also used a turbidity curtain to help contain any plant fragmentation. A turbidity curtain forms a barrier around the DASH unit (including the DASH boat) and extends from the lake surface to the lake bottom. It is more labor and resource intensive to deploy and retrieve, hence taking more time in the screen’s deployment and removal at various treatment sites.
On a positive note, we recently began monitoring this year’s treatment areas. On July 16, co-chairman Dave Rutt reported that the treatment area at the entry of Richardson Bay that we treated three weeks ago with ProcellaCOR is totally free of milfoil with healthy native species thriving. We also received positive feedback on last year’s ProcellaCOR test site at the North end of Hinton Bay— that treatment area continues to be EWM free as reported by a very happy property owner.
Five board members have stepped up to continue monitoring our lake as we experience this abnormal EWM increase, but we can’t do it alone!
We’re asking every property owner on Round Lakes to join us in identifying EWM outbreaks. Please communicate GPS coordinates to the AIS team to assure it makes it on our Lake survey map. You can do this by using a GPS phone app like MyGPS or other GPS apps, send coordinates along with the property address to; Jim Nancekivell (jim.nancekivell@gmail.com) or Dave Rutt (drutt@fawbushs.com) and we will make sure your information is included on our Fall survey.
EWM Funding
We plan to continue to apply for future DNR Surface Water Grants but know that this funding strategy will fall short of our financial needs to control invasive water species in the future.
We appreciate the contributions from many property owners and hope for continued support. We encourage all property owners to join us in preserving the beauty and recreational resources of Round Lakes and protect this natural resource for generations to come. Please consider a donation to the RLPOA milfoil fund today at roundlakes.org
Thank you for your continued support.
Jim Nancekivell and Dave Rutt
Co-Chairmen, Invasive Species Committee