LAKE MANAGEMENT TREATMENT COMMITTEE

CO-CHAIRS | BRENT SCHNELL & DAVE BAKER

The Lake Management-Treatment Committee and our key lake management partners met on March 30, 2022. The purpose of the meeting was to analyze the drone mapping pictures following the 2021 applications, evaluate the success of the two treatments and plan for the 2022 season. Zero Gravity (the drone company) presented us with data to help us plan for 2022. Clear Water Lake Management (our herbicide applicator) was also at the meeting to help us interpret the information and do planning for 2022. In 2021, approximately 12 acres were treated. This represents only 0.4% of the combined total surface area/bottomlands of Long, Ruth, and Mickey lakes.

We plan to continue to treat the aquatic invasive species Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) twice each year to improve the quality of the lakes for boating, etc., using advanced technology to precisely target the treatment to where it is needed. The 2022 plan is to treat approximately the same total area as in 2021 (e.g., 12 acres); some areas were treated in 2021 that will not require treatment this year. Many of the sites that contained the aquatic invasive species Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) are growing native plants now that the Eurasian Watermilfoil is gone. Some areas were treated successfully in past years, but now the Eurasian Watermilfoil has returned, requiring treatment in 2022. Treatment dates for 2022 are Wednesday, June 20, 2023, and Wednesday, July 18, 2023. The rain date will be the next day, if necessary. To continue to pursue the best EWM treatment alternatives available, please note that the Long Lake Foundation (LLA) will conduct a trial with ProcellaCOR EC in Mickey Lake in June 2022 to control EWM. Please review the article on this topic in the newsletter.

The Long Lake Association (LLA) continuously evaluates new potential treatments to best control Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) while minimizing any impacts on the lakes. Based on this objective, the LLA will conduct a trial with ProcellaCOR EC in Mickey Lake in June 2022 to control EWM. We treat EWM since it spreads quickly and proliferates, crowding out native plants, reducing fish habitats, and reducing wetland habitats for native animals. It can also create dense mats near the water surface that entangle boat propellers and make it difficult to swim or fish.

ProcellaCOR EC is a new, state of the art treatment for invasive aquatic plant species like EWM with the benefits listed below:

  • ProcellaCOR EC is selective. It targets explicitly Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) and other invasive aquatic plant species, and it won’t hurt the native plants we want in the lakes.
  • ProcellaCOR EC reduces chemical usage through more extended control. Less product is required for treatment since ProcellaCOR EC has a unique formula that requires a 40x-100x less active ingredient that still achieves signifi cantly longer control. A “Reduced Risk” classifi cation from the EPA is designed to reduce risk to our health, non-target plants, and water supply. The EPA says ProcellaCOR EC is “practically non-toxic” to animals and humans.
  • Since ProcellaCOR EC will keep EWM at bay for much longer than other solutions, it reduces the need for two treatments per year as is typically required with other treatment options.
  • ProcellaCOR EC has a short half-life (when it takes half of the active ingredient to degrade) and quickly dissipates with the water column. Typically, ProcellaCOR EC is not expected to be detectable in the water within 24 hours of treatment.

It should be noted that ProcellaCOR is cost-effective in shallow water applications but becomes prohibitively expensive in deeper water applications. Therefore, the LLA intends to focus its efforts on coming up with the best possible hybrid approach to EWM treatment, including other solutions like benthic barriers.

INVASIVE SPECIES FUNDING

The activities of the Lake Management Committee on all three lakes are funded by the Long Lake Association and our local partners. Thank you to Long Lake Township for supporting the drone EWM mapping efforts. Your LLA membership dues are also an essential part of our funding to control the levels of Eurasian Watermilfoil to protect our lake from this very aggressive aquatic invasive species. If you wish to provide further fi nancial support for this program, the Long Lake Foundation (LLF) has created the “LLF Invasive Species Defense Fund” to fund further study and remediate both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species in and around Long, Mickey, and Ruth Lakes. Your taxdeductible donation under the 501c3 designation of the IRS code to this critical fund will ensure our lakes’ effective management and health far into the future. Please visit the LLF website at www. longlakefoundation.org to learn about the Long Lake Foundation and donate online or mail a check to “Long Lake Foundation” to P. O. Box 31; Interlochen, MI 49643 and put “LLF Invasive Species Defense Fund” in the memo area.

NATURALLY OCCURRING BIO-FOAM

​On Long Lake we occasionally see mounds of foam and suspect detergent discharge from homeowners.  Actually it is naturally occurring Bio-foam and not detergent.  When algae, plant, and fish material break down organic compounds are released.  Some of these are surfactants which change the surface tension (attraction between water molecules) of the water and allow wind and waves to introduce air producing Bio-foam.  This foam is long lasting unlike detergent foam and often has a brown tinge due to the tannins in the water.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Bio Foam | An Naturally Occurring Phenomenon | DEQ | Download File

Aquatic Plant Control | Things to Consider | Tony Groves & Pam Tyning | Download File