Long & Crooked Lakes Association (LCLA)
Spring 2017 Newsletter
What’s been happening with your LCLA?
Message from the LCLA President -
Your LCLA Board of Directors has been very busy since last year’s Annual Meeting. We participated in three AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) workshops and are working to enhance AIS prevention on our lakes. Many of our board and association members are volunteers who monitor lake conditions and report to state agencies. Our members care about these lakes but we need all landowners around our lakes to become members of this lake association. Read this newsletter, check out our website and then consider the benefits of being a member.
Contact a Board member through the LCLA website.
www.longcrookedlakes.org
See the website for how to contact Dan Torgersen to join or mail $20 annual dues to LCLA, PO Box 43, Clearwater, MN 55320
Your Board members are:
Ken Bachofer – President
Judie Manea-Baker – Vice Pres
Dan Torgersen – Sec/Treas
Bob Payne – Environmental Dir
David Weeres – Lake Mgmt Plan Dir
Dick Nohner – At large Dir
Greg Koenigs – Immediate past Pres
Upcoming events for Long & Crooked Lakes
July 4 Boat Parade is sponsored by LCLA
Meet at North end of Long Lake at 4:00 pm
LCLA Annual meeting and picnic will be in September
Details will be available by mid-summer in next newsletter
News about Long & Crooked Lakes
Ice dates as reported by LCLA to MPCA
(MN Pollution Control Agency)
Official ice-up for Long Lake was 12/9/2016
Official ice-out for Long Lake was 3/25/2017
Water clarity as reported by LCLA to MPCA
Average water clarity over 2016 open water season was
13 ft. which is well above average for area lakes.
Readings using Secchi Disc are taken on both
Long and Crooked Lakes throughout the season.
Loon report for 2016 as reported by LCLA to MDNR
(MN Dept. of Natural Resources)
The two babies hatched on Crooked Lake in 2016 didn’t survive their first week. They were probably taken by predators.
The two that hatched on Long Lake in 2016 both appeared to thrive until one of the parents was killed. The remaining parent abandoned the young and they perished.
For 2017 a Loon pair arrived on Long Lake on March 30. They have been aggressively defending their territory.
On Crooked Lake the first Loon in 2017 arrived March 26
and the second on April 5.
So what has the LCLA Board of Directors been up to?
· Representatives of LCLA have attended three recent AIS workshops. We have gathered considerable information to help with decisions going forward and to share at the next annual meeting. Did you know that the first infestation of any AIS can lower property values by 6%? Think about that.
· We worked with DNR Fisheries to keep bass slot limit in perpetuity as agreed at the 2015 LCLA Annual Meeting. Joe Stewig of the DNR held a public meeting and a motion was made to keep bass slot limit. Motion passed unanimously and the DNR approved the bass slot limit.
· Our LCLA Lake Management Plan was extensively updated and approved by the Board. It is posted on the LCLA website.
· A LCLA Aquatic Invasive Species Rapid Response Plan has been written and approved by the Board.
· We are working to increase LCLA membership. We are currently at only 31% of households. This association is important to all property owners. Everyone should join.
· Some of the parking and no parking signs at the public access were stolen and the LCLA worked with Lynden Township to replace the signs. LCLA specifies and pays for the signs and Lynden Twp. installs.
· Identified and engaged a beaver and muskrat trapper. These critters can do lots of damage to shoreline and trees. The outlet stream has been kept clear of beaver dams by volunteers. The LCLA is subsidizing the trapping.
· Possible group training for volunteer Aquatic Invasive Species Boat Inspection volunteer helpers at lake access. This will be a discussion topic for next annual meeting.
· The LCLA has renewed registration with the Minnesota Secretary of State as a non-profit corporation.
Sage Fishing Advice by David Weeres
Go to the lakeshore and speak out loud,
“Fishy, Fishy in the Brook, Come and Bite upon my Hook!”
It’s all about the intensity!
Say that three times to the Lake, each time a little louder and with greater intensity. This will draw the panfish to you; that and a simple hook and bait and you can feed yourself.
And since we have initiated (2006) the Largemouth Bass slot limit (12-20 inches) on Long and Crooked Lakes the Bass have grown an average of almost 2 inches; this according to the latest MDNR Fisheries studies - not kidding.
A message about Aquatic Invasive Species
by Bob Payne
The Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) battle to keep AIS at bay is happening all around us. There have been more lakes that have reported AIS infestations to the DNR since the last time we have talked about AIS. Stearns, Sherburne, Benton, and Wright counties have infested lakes where they are working hard to try to eliminate the different species. This is not only expensive but the battle may never be won. Therefore, it is more important that we try to prevent them from coming to our lakes. During annual meetings, we have talked about Clean all visible plants from boats, and trailers, Drain water-related equipment, and properly Dispose of unwanted bait all of which are required actions by the DNR. If you buy new equipment from another lake you must wait 21 days to put it into our lakes by law. All of this helps to prevent the spread of AIS. Let’s work hard together to prevent our lakes from getting infected. If you have any questions about AIS, please contact a member of the Board of Directors.
This newsletter was constructed by Ken Bachofer and approved for distribution by the LCLA Board of Directors.
