HAPPY DEER LAKE SEASON 2003
by Larry Nokes, President
If you are like me, you are really looking forward to getting the boat in the water, the floaties and the barbeque out for a summer of fun at the lake. All of the board members are hoping for a warm and fun filled time for all DLPOA members.
Please keep in mind the special dates for helping and sharing. Spring clean-up always ends at the fire station for a great chili feed. The annual meeting, where you can bring and discuss any and all lake concerns, also ends with a potluck picnic. Fourth of July is a day full of parades and fireworks for all to enjoy, and finally putting things to rest in the fall with our clean-up and another bout of chili.
Participation in these events will give you a greater sense of belonging and pride for our lake and adjacent areas. Please plan on attending and helping keep Deer Lake the part of "heaven on earth" it is.
See you around the lake!!
DOCK ALERT!
By Larry Nokes
As with anything in the water, maintenance is required on our docks. Something we all need to be aware of is the methods of floatation for our docks. We met with Fish and Wildlife people to discuss various things and docks came up. It is now illegal to use any type of Styrofoam for floatation unless it is totally encapsulated in a non-deteriorating coating. This includes the blue, white, orange or whatever color Styrofoam logs, and those wrapped in plastic.
There are several alternative methods to consider. The aluminum floats are great but expensive. Also expensive are the plastic dock sections available. One method to consider for refloating existing docks is PVC pipe. I have personally used this method very successfully and found it to be economical and very stable. If you think this might be an answer for you, feel free to contact me and I will happily discuss what I did and possible other ways to use this durable and non-polluting product. You can reach me at 233-2088.
SPRING ROAD CLEANUP AND CHILI FEED
by Tim Dschaak
This years spring cleanup is scheduled for Saturday. May 17. We'll have the signs set out early so volunteers can start on their selected section whenever they want to. The chili feed will start at 10:00 a.m. at the Eastside fire station, (you know, where the pancake feed is always held).
The starting points again will be the fire station on the east side and Deer Lake Resort on the west side. Pick up your bags. safety vests, etc. at these locations. Also, there will be a "sign up" map at each location so you can choose a roadway segment you'd like to dean up. These signs will be up at least a week before for your convenience, just place your name on your choice.
Enclosed is a map of our roads for you to consider as possibilities to volunteer for. Find the road segment you'd like to dean up and call Mike Phillips at 233-2510 for the west side or Pam and Tim Dschaak at 233-2901 for the east side. As the calls come in, we'll fill the slots and let you know what's not been volunteered for yet. (Website note - the map did not scan well, so it is not included here).
To minimize confusion at the County's solid waste transfer station, we already have the "hauling to the dump" organized, therefore, we are not in need of volunteer haulers. What we really need is as many litter pickers as possible.
I'm sure you've seen the roadway signs, we DLPOA (that's you!) are responsible for the entrance and exit roads (Agar, North Deer Lake. Grouse Creek, Garden Spot. and East Deer Lake) along with all the close in roads, but it seems we always get the least help on them. Please consider them when you volunteer.
Please volunteer--Please call--Help!! May 17th will be here very soon--Please plan to help-THANK YOU! And, don't forget the camaraderie waiting us all at the Chili Feed!!!
RECIPE FOR A VOLUNTEER
By Gerry Block, SCFPD#1
This is a very old recipe. Our ancestors followed the recipe to the very best Pass this along to your children and grandchildren.
1 cup each of dedication, commitment, professionalism, reliance and communication.
3/4 cup availability/on-call time. ** The fire district still believes that the family is #1, a regular job #2 and responding to the district calls #3.
1/4 cup of know thv neighbors and their professional capabilities to assist in a major catastrophe/incident.
1/4 cup of knowing what available resources are able to respond to your call for assistance.
Mix and stir the above ingredients.
Gently fold the ingredients into a volunteer person and you may be assured of a quality product.
*** If this fits you, call Gerry about becoming a volunteer!!
EMERGENCY SERVICES
By Gerry Block
Greetings to the DLPOA community. By the time you receive this newsletter, we hope to have nice weather. With the nicer weather we have more of the summer folks arriving and that means more children. The younger ones that live within the community all of the time, forget about the increase in road traffic. Hey, "I have used my bike all winter, what has changed?". The change that has occurred is, more folks = more accidents. Since I live in the Haney area I will address this area.
The Haney Rd community, as with any other heavily populated children havens, has road traffic that increases immensely from April to September. The boats/wave runners/motor homes and trailers, are a steady influx/egress of movement.
Yes, we tell our children/grandchildren that they need to be careful. My point of interest is the driver of a vehicle that enters the "kids' area". Do you know your braking system capability? Do you know the actual stoppage distance for the thought process of slowing down time, to the actual time you hit the brakes? Do you realize that seconds count? Do you realize the weight that you are transporting and how long it actually takes to stop your vehicle? Do you know what would happen if you went into a skid? Do you know what would happen if your truck/trailer "jackknifed"? Have you thought of alternative escapes. (driveways, shoulders, a soft landing spot), instead of causing the possible death of a child or children?
PLEASE SLOW DOWN!!
FOURTH OF JULY
Larry Nokes
Things are shaping up for a bigger and better Fourth of July than ever. The "Kiddy Parade" starts at 10:30 July 4th at the Deer Lake Resort and travels to West Bay Resort for hotdogs and treats. Anybody that wants to march in the parade is welcome to join in. Remember any motorized vehicles must be operated by licensed persons.
The boat parade starts at 7:30 at Deer Lake Resort so decorate your vessel and join in. The fireworks begin about 9:45 from the middle of the lake, and run for about 30 minutes. Donations are coming in but we need more for the festivities to continue. If you plan on having your own display consider spending $10.. $20., or whatever less and send that portion to DLPOA to help support our efforts.
Please contribute and participate to make July 4th. 2003 the best one yet. Let's also proudly display our yellow ribbons everywhere to show our support for our troops, past and present, who are giving their all to preserve and protect all the freedoms we enjoy in this great country.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY!
Bruce Hughes
Everyone is invited to the Christmas in July Ham Dinner with all the trimmings given by the West Bay Park Recreation Association. It will be held at West Bay on July 20. 2003 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: Each person is asked to donate food item(s) for the Loon Lake Food Pantry, and to bring a new toy(s) per family. Cash donations are also accepted. All proceeds are donated to the Loon Lake Food Pantry, 233-2212.
WWW.DLPOA.COM
by Dennis DeMattia
Did you know that DLPOA was first organized in the summer of 1974? And that its main function then was to get a sewer around the lake? How do I know this, since I have only had a house at Deer Lake since 1994? The newsletter archives on our web site. We have all but nine of the almost 90 published newsletters that DLPOA has issued on our web site, and if anyone out there has any or all of those missing nine, please sent me a copy and I will put them on too.
Why would you want to read old news? Well, I like history, and it was fascinating to me to see how the lake finally got sewered, over a 20 year period of blood, sweat, tears, yelling, politicking, and despair. Did you know that at one time a City of Deer Lake was proposed, specifically to kill the sewer? Its in the archives. There were at least three different failed attempts over the years to get this done, before it finally got financed, blessed, and dug.
What happens if you need a plumber quickly? We are 30 miles from town, and a lot of tradesmen will not come out to our area. I know some who do. We have a bunch of pages where you can find companies that will help us out at our lake. Most of these are from my personal experience (which regretfully, has been rather extensive) or from the local phone books. They are all listed in our Beige Pages, so named so as not to be sued by you know who. I would be happy for more recommendations from your personal experiences. I still do not know anybody who will come out here to fix an appliance, like a refrigerator or a washing machine.
We also have an area (free) for you to post your house for rent, or for sale. If you are having a lot of guests over for the weekend, we have a list of area churches. When the guests finally leave town, we have the hours that the garbage dump is open. And if you are tired of cooking for guests, we have a list of area restaurants. If you want to persuade somebody to come here, we have a gallery of pictures of the lake, and we are happy to add yours to the mix. If you need to show people where your place is on the lake, we have several maps. If you want to know what activities will be available on the lake, check the web site home page for a list.
One of the most timely parts of our site are the minutes of the DLPOA board. The board meets on the second Thursday of most months. Mike Phillips, the DLPOA secretary, tries to post the minutes of these meetings within a week or so of the meeting. So, instead of waiting for this newsletter to hit your doorstep, find out what is happening with DLPOA almost in real time.
If anybody has material for the web site, please contact me at demattia (at) acm.org, or you can mail it to Dennis DeMattia, N4906 Northwood Dr, Spokane, Wa 99212. I will be happy to return original materials after they are scanned. I would be particularly interested in history of the lake, old pictures of the lake area, and that sort of thing. But also suggestions for things to do in the area, house maintenance ideas and companies, current lake area pictures, or just topic ideas that we can add or enhance.
ANNUAL PANCAKE FEED
The annual pancake feed will be held on July 6, 2003, from 7AM to 12 Noon at the Eastside Fire Station at 4222 Southwood Shore Road. There will be lots of food and some great raffle prizes. Mark your calendar and we'll see you there!!
DEER LAKE SIGNS
By Larry Twitchell
Our wooden signs seem to be holding up much better with regard to withstanding the weather, although we haven't had much of a winter. The past two years of repainting is starting to pay long term dividends and the signs will only require a touch up this spring to maintain a good appearance. They are even pretty good at stopping wandering vehicles that somehow manageto crash into them, but it takes a toll on sign maintenance!!
LOON LAKE SETTING FOR NEW NOVEL
by Lorinda Travis
Readers in this area love to read mysteries, according to the Stevens County Rural Library District, and they're in for a treat with a new book that was published recently. The EnemyYou Know was written by Denny Heck, an Olympia resident with a summer cabin on Loon Lake. When he decided to try his hand at writing a fictional book, naturally he chose Loon Lake as the setting.
"Loon Lake is one of the most beautiful places in Washington." Denny said recently. "We have a place there and consider 'it our 'Eden'. So picking this locale for his book was easy. Then he tried to make it enjoyable on several other levels. "I hope the readers enjoy the mystery behind the mystery...not just guessing who committed the crime, but figuring out why the main character, Jess Stevens. does what he does," Denny explained. He also hopes readers will enjoy the romance between Jess and his wife, Sacco, as well as reading a story set in a familiar locale. Readers seem to agree. "It's great fun to read this book because all of the descriptions are familiar," one reader said.
Denny is looking forward to coming to Loon Lake to discuss his book with readers. He will be at the Old Schoolhouse on June 7, at 7 pm. to read a selection from his book and to sign autographs. The book is available at the Library of the Lakes or you can get your own copy at the Old Schoolhouse in Loon Lake on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. or Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m Cost of the book is $20. For paperback or $30 For the hardbound edition. If you would like a copy but can't make it in to purchase it, just send a check payable to LLHS for the cost of the book plus $1.50 for postage, and the Loon Lake Historical Society would be happy to ship one to you.
MEMBERSHIP
By
Pete Clark
MEMBER DUES! DONATIONS! FIREWORKS!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
We are entering into the final phase of a very successful membership drive for the year 2003 and we want to thank everyone who has taken the time to pay their dues. make a donation and/or a fireworks contribution. We really appreciate your support.
As you probably already know. our annual membership dues are $15.00 and we changed our year end to December 31. Should you know of anyone who would like to join DLPOA or if you want to pay your dues, simply send to: DLPOA, Box 250, Loon Lake WA 99148.
We have a supply of Deer Lake membership decals available for the asking-just ask. The decals will also be available at our annual meeting on June 14,2003 at the Deer Lake Firehouse.
By becoming a member or renewing your membership. you are helping with the preservation and improvement of Deer Lake, the roads surrounding our lake, property rights, safety on and off the lake, water quality, to mention just a few of the activities that concerns all of us. Once again, thanks so much for your continuing support.
MEMBERSHIP
by Dean Crump
On Saturday, June 14th at 1030 AM our association holds its annual membership meeting. It will be held at the Deer lake fire station and after the meeting will be a potluck lunch. Our association furnishes the hot dogs and drinks.
We invite all members and your friends and neighbors. This is a great time to bring neighbors that might not be members. Here they can see and hear about what our association is doing and what it is all about. Since the meeting is at the fire station, you and those you bring can see and learn about the fire protection we have here at the lake.
We are interested in expanding our membership and each membership assists in making our lake a great place to live. The $15.00 annual membership dues makes this one of the best investments any of us can make. We look forward to seeing you and your friends and neighbors.
ANNUAL MEETING-DEER LAKE FIRESTATION
JUNE 14,2003 -- 10:30 A.M.
Please take time to review the annual meeting agenda below, to first see all we are involved with. Look to see if there are any specific items of interest to you. Remember, this is your opportunity to bring up anything and to voice your opinion on our agenda items. Also remember that your annual dues for this year must be paid in order for you to cast your vote . For the barbecue following the meeting, DLPOA will be furnishing the sausages, garnishes, and drinks and we ask that members bring salads, casseroles or desserts to go along with the hot dogs.
AGENDA for the 2003 DLPOA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
CALL TO ORDER AND WELCOME.
FIRST ORDER OP BUSINESS IS TO DISCUSS AND VOTE ON DOUBLING SALARIES OF OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS!
SPECIAL GUESTS: TONY DELGADO-STEVENS COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DEAN WESTERMAN- SHERIFF'S OFFICE, RUSS ARMSTRONG- FIRE DEPARTMENT
COMMITTEE REPORTS - LARRY NOKES
SPECIAL WATER QUALITY REPORT - MIKE PHILLIPS
FOURTH OF JULY - LARRY NOKES
NEW BUSINESS : NORTH DEER LAKE RD PROPERTY
DLPOA PROPERTY - N END OF LAKE
YEAR ROUND FISHING AT DEER LAKE
MOTOCROSS TRACK NEAR LAKE
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
ELECTION OF OFFICERS - LEE BAYLEY
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS - LEE BAYLEY
MEETING ADJOURNED FOR BARBECUE & POTLUCK!!!
PROBABLE LAND SALE
by Lee Bayley
Is $15.00 stopping you from having a VOICE on what takes place on the shoreline of Deer Lake? This is the nominal cost of membership in the Deer Lake Property Owners Association. For this fee. paid yearly, you have the opportunity to decide on all matters that offset you as a property owner at Deer Lake.
Your voice and your vote is needed at our June 14th annual membership meeting at the Deer Lake fire station. The issue is this: the Board of Directors during this past year approved the sale of 23 acres of land. that DLPOA owns at the head of the narrows, to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Dept. that owns the adjoining ranch property. Myself, as a property owner opposes this motion, as do other members who have recently heard of this probable sale.
As a past board member during the late 70's & 80's I was involved in the land purchase. DLPOA is not and should not be in the land ownership business. Our dues should not be used to buy property. We did buy the land at the head of the narrows, not that we wanted to own the land for ownership but to keep others from owing that property and developing it to the detriment of Deer Lake and the Deer Lake community. As I understand it, U.S. Fish and Wildlife want this entry onto Deer Lake and approached DLPOA. What they would do with the property we do not know. So far, I have seen no enhancement by the Fish & Wildlife to Deer Lake. To the contrary, Stevens County Conservation Dept. says the land is a perfect habitat as it is and nothing should be done to enhance it. The reason for the board to make this sale is unclear.
What is clear to me is that the Fish & Wildlife will do whatever Washington D.C. tells them to do. Any promised enhancements are easily changed. The endangered species becomes the vehicle that could ultimately affect all property owners on Deer Lake.
I have numerous newspaper articles that show the capability of Fish & Game. One instance In mind is a lake in Glacier Park, Montana that because of endangered species list of the Bull Trout, no outboard motors were allowed on the lake, thus changing the lifestyle around the lake. We certainly have a fishing problem on Deer Lake. Might rainbows or silvers also become endangered? Would our children be prevented from catching and releasing turtles that live in the marshy areas of this property? Potentially, this list of future happenings could and can be implemented on Deer Lake, and much more.
So, what is our gain if we sell the property? When asked, the board response was that we may need the money for the future abatement of Milfoil. This is a reality that will someday present itself and will have to be dealt with at that time. However, the money gained from the sale will hardly make a dent in the cost of abatement. Presently, we have in our treasury more than the sale amount sitting with little investment return. This conversation could go on but I have requested 20 minutes of agenda time at the annual meeting for us to discuss this topic at which time I will make a motion to reverse the Board's approval of the sale.
So my appeal to all DLPOA members is to attend the annual membership meeting and become involved in this discussion and decision. The aggravation and worry of what the Fish & Wildlife can do to our beautiful Deer Lake should be of interest to all of us. It ultimately will affect your individual investment on the lake. See you June 14th.
Lee Bayley, Past President and Board Member, DLPOA
INVASION ALERT!
An outside consortium fronted by two locals is attempting to establish a professional motocross racing facility in our area.
It would be located on 300 acres off Garden Spot Road about 2 miles from the four corner intersection with 395. in addition to motorcycles they will be racing ATV's and mini-bikes. There are also plans to race snowmobiles there in the winter. Promoters say they will hold their races on weekends, starting on Friday, and expect upward of 15,000 people to attend. Professional motocross events could attract upwards of 30,000 people to our area.
While the track will supposedly be fenced the resulting din of racing motorcycles will freely and constantly permeate our area adding to the already noxious whine of wave runners on the lake. Can you imagine the traffic congestion at the four corners area with 15,000 extra people turning into Garden Spot from 395? It's a worse picture of those same numbers trying to get back out to the highway following the race end.
Proponents claim this invasion will bring sorely needed revenue to the county but at what cost the residents. Yes, our two motels at Loon Lake will probably fill up during the weekends and the restaurants will serve a few more meals. Commercial enterprises around the lake are looking to make more money from these transients and the gas stations should be pumping constantly, but the rest of us will have to put up with the noise pollution, dust and increased traffic on our already delicate road system. The residents will be the big losers in this commercial destruction of the pristine beauty of our area.
It's not a done deal yet. The proposal is currently in the hands of the Stevens County Commissioners for consideration and approval. I understand there will be a 15 day period for public debate on this issue before a decision is rendered. No date has yet been set for this but it will be announced in the local papers and all are urged to attend to voice your opinion.
For further updates, please contact Larry Nokes, 233-2088 or larry Twitchell, 233-2485.
MEMBERS COMMENTS
Glad you're putting more fish in the take. but think the big ones are eating all the "catchable" ones. Does anyone know where they were hiding this last year? Dale
Answer: Check out Bruce's article about Mack's. We have had so much response to it that we are running it again in this newsletter .
Dear Association: Thanks for the many years of tireless effort in so many ways-in keeping Deer Lake the way it should be. Ken
Thanks Ken!
Please consider raising kokanee in the net pen program. Deer Lake has traditionally been a good kokanee lake, but populations have been very low in recent years. Ray
Ray, look for the announcement in this newsletter about the grant for kokanee pens that has been applied for. Bruce Hughes would like to hear from you.
The fireworks are great! Hazel
Glad you enjoy them, thanks for your help.
FISHERIES
by Jim Santora
I am now between the winter batch of fish and the summer batch. This is the time when the net is cleaned and maintenance is done on the pen. I should get my summer fish by the end of the month.
The game department planted 19400 rainbows, six to nine inches, on March 24th. They will plant another 4600 later on, bringing the total to 24,000. They are also going to plant 135,000 silver fry.
I hope you all have a great fishing season 2003!!
WHERE ARE THE FISH?
By BruceBassett
Summer fishing was tough at best. We are raising both Rainbow and Brook trout and have been stocking the lake for years. That and a dollar wouldn't buy a fish this last summer. Too hot? Yes. Are there still fish in the lake? Untold numbers. So what do we do now? Try catching Mack's. We have a huge population of Mack's that need thinned down. Mack's eat fish, any fish, and almost exclusively fish! They are caught by trolling, giging and still fishing.
The biggest are caught by trolling. In the spring use leadcore line, add 30 ft of 8-12 Lb leader and a lure. Some of the more successful lures are Lucky Louie's, Rappalas, or large, light weight spoons. Troll at or near the 30 foot depth on the north side, or in front of Julius terrace south to Tamarack Bay.
Now if you are a diehard, you will troll year around with stainless steel on the bottom with spoons or plugs, and jerk every time you feel the bottom. You need to be on the bottom in order to catch them with the exception of spring when they are caught in open water. When you catch one, don't throw it back. keep it and eat it!
Mack's have very oily pockets on their body and if not prepared correctly they taste terrible. To prepare the fish, simply cut down the back separating the fish into fillets. Next cut the white belly portion of the fish completely off. On the bigger fish this might be 2 to 3 inches of belly. Next cut the white or clear strip off the entire length on the top of the back. This should take care of most of the strong oil. Now cook by whatever method you like. I prefer to barbecue or cut into 2 by 3 inch strips and deep fry. They are excellent to eat.
A personal note: I catch a lot of Mack's while trolling, the largest to date 25 Lbs, 8 oz. They are great table fare! GOOD FISHING!!
Newsletter editor: This article is being run again in this issue as so much positive response was received from members. Any questions, call Bruce Bassett.
KOKANEES
The North Eastern Washington Wildlife Management Group is presently applying for a Washington State Fish and Game grant to fabricate and install two Kokanee (silver) net pens here at Deer Lake. Each pen will hold 14,000 fish and will operate October to May of each year.
The group would like to hear from you. Please contact Bruce Hughes, 233-3010 or Chuck Goff, 937-2321 regarding any questions, concerns or ideas about the pens.
WASHINGTON STATE LAKE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION
16TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, APRIL 2-5, 2003
by Mike Phillips
This is a report on the conference held in Chelan, WA. Most of the time there was a choice of two sessions to sit in on. I chose the ones that might be most applicable to our lake. In between sessions I asked some questions that have arisen at various time. This is a synopsis of what was offered in the sessions I chose to attend.
1. The Thursday afternoon session looked at aquatic weed control. The way things are now there are only a couple of ways to control but not eliminate unwanted weeds. If found early enough, they can be pulled by divers. Untrained people should not attempt this. They can make the weed situation worse if the weeds fragment. The use of various weed killers such as 2 4d, have to be applied by licensed companies only. When milfoil gets out of control this is the only way to rid the lake of it. As a homeowner you can use a bottom barrier for relatively small areas. Do not attempt any other method. There are some studies being done using larger numbers of naturally growing bugs. One of these is a weevil that is common and controls some lakes naturally. By inputting larger quantities of these weevils, they hope to kill milfoil. It seems they like milfoil better than any other plants. They burrow into the stem to lay eggs. This kills the plant eventually. At this time the Dept. of Ecology is studying the possibilities.
2. The early Friday morning meeting was for all. It involved the water quality of Lake Chelan. They looked at the impact of: drawdown on spawning, hydrocarbons and 2 stroke motors impact. Due to the geology and high volume run off into the lake, debris forms at the mouth of streams emptying into the lake. Combined with the low lake level this keeps the spawning fish out of the streams at a time they need to get in there. By bringing the lake up a couple of weeks early the fish can get into their streams on time. Hydrocarbons are the residue left by 2 stroke motor exhaust and gasoline spills. From the studies done on Lake Chelan it appears hydrocarbons dissipate relatively quickly without buildup. Raw gasoline spills are concentrated and need to be stopped or prevented. There are companies that make items to help with this prevention and cleanup. More on this later.
3. The late morning meeting was interesting. It covered landscaping and lake community activities. The power-point presentation showed the types of plants and manmade barricades that are lake friendly and those that are not. I will not take the time and space to cover this. At a later time I will write an article for the newsletter. In the meantime check out "www. nalms.org/watpa/". The lake protection manager for Liberty Lake told us how he monitors and improves the water quality. He is hired by the Liberty Lake P.U.D.. He controls water runoff into the lake and the water level. He monitors milfoil and other plant and animal life. These are just a sample of some of the things he does to keep on top of all his lake responsibilities.
4. After lunch session. The current happenings around Washington lakes. West Nile virus is moving into our area. It affects horses, birds and people. It is carried by mosquito. One of the first signs will be dead birds. Blue Jays and crows are the main species to be infected and don't have an immune system that can fight it off. There are immunization shots for horses, nothing for birds or people at this time. There are long term hydro meteorological changes occurring that affect our lake. These changes happen over a 20-30 year period. We should be at the low end of a dry spell, but the scientists say the pattern may not follow the way it has in the past. The global warming situation may mess things up. Our lake is affected more than most lakes by lack of precipitation. There will be more on this at a later time.
4. This session looked at fisheries and water quality from a scientific point of view. I understood parts of this session but not all. They included: fisheries research in Washington. Changes in phytoplankton biovolume and large bodied cladoceran (shrimp) densities in the absence of fish. Oxygen dynamics of lake. DDT in the environment. The impact on fish was the key. Some things of interest were: how the fish were limited in a lake due to low oxygen moving up and high water temperature moving down during the summer. The studies showed some lakes to have only 10 to 15 feet of livable water the fish could live in. This would make it easier for fishermen due to the concentration of fish. Those lakes could easily be over fished resulting in a low fish population. There are no easy answers to that problem. DDT continues to be a problem in those lakes surrounded by agricultural land. Some populations of fish have levels of DDT that is considered too high, making them unsafe to eat. Birds are also affected by eating these fish.
Overall this meeting opened my eyes to some subjects that may or may not impact Deer Lake. If nothing else it game me food for thought and study. I will see what I can find on some of the subjects and write articles for the newsletter. These articles will be of the "What can I do to maintain or improve the water quality of my lake?" type. Some of these sessions developed more questions than answers. I took some specific questions with me to the meeting. They came from local people. I will answer them to those who asked. If they develop into more general subject matter, I will pass them along in a newsletter.
MILFOIL
(an aggressive water weed)
Eurasian Milfoil is an aggressive, non-native water weed which is now flourishing in Washington State. It was first spotted in Washington in the mid-1970's and today has infested many lakes and rivers where It chokes out native plants and spreads rapidly to new areas.
Milfoil reproduces by a process called "fragmentation". The plants easily break into small pieces and each piece can form roots. A single wisp can multiply into 250 million, new plants in one year. Milfoil is readily spread between lakes and rivers by boaters carrying plant fragments on their boats and trailers. Because it is not a native species, milfoil has few natural controls. It grows rapidly through the summer and forms a "mat" so dense it restricts swimming, boating and fishing The plant has a fine, feathery appearance and sometimes spike-shaped flower stalks emerge above the surface, (see illustration). Each milfoil leaf is made up of pairs of leaflets.
Eurasian milfoil leaves have 12 to 24 pairs of leaflets where native milfoil has six to nine pairs. What can we do about it? Prevention is at the top of the list. Spread the word, and pick off every fragment of any weed you find on your boat or trailer and put them in the garbage can, not on the ground or in the lake. If you see plant fragments on someone else's boat or trailer, help them clean off the pieces.
Keep a look out for anything that resembles the pictures shown in this article. If you find a plant you're not sure about, pull the plant up, place in a plastic bag with water, and contact Mike Phillips to get the plant identified for you. (233-2510 or skipper(at)omnicast.net)
DLPOA will continue to have Deer Lake inspected yearly. The board feels this is money well spent if we can keep Eurasian milfoil from invading our lake.
Source: Washington Dept of Ecology