May 10, 2020 Information Meeting Report
For those who were not able to attend the informational Zoom meeting on Sunday, I’ll try to recap the main points and also add a couple of things that were missed in the meeting.
Meeting Summary
Two topics were addressed in this meeting.
- 1. Creation of a Pike Lake Association
- 2. Removal/pulling the curly leaf pondweed (CLP) invasive species in Pike Lake/Turtle River
There are three (3) meeting dates of current importance
1. PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETING – SUNDAY MAY 10TH 2:15 PM (Done)
The intent of this meeting was to bring all Pike Lake property owners up to speed on the status of the creation of the Pike Lake Association and the CLP removal/pulling activities
2. PIKE LAKE ASSOCIATION ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING- SUNDAY MAY 24TH 2:15 PM
- Introduction
- CLP control update
- Bylaws discussion, review, adoption
- Nomination/election of Officers/Directors of the Pike Lake Association
- Set date of the 2021 Annual Meeting, and any other business
Please Review
- – April 16th Pike Lake Neighbors Letter Organizational Meeting Invitation
3. CLP REMOVAL/PULLING TRAINING MEETING – TUESDAY MAY 26TH 6:00 PM
This session will be led by Zach Wilson – Iron County Invasive Species Coordinator
It will consist of a “ZOOM” conference and downloadable video on CLP removal/pulling activities to be scheduled on Pike Lake and the Turtle River in early to mid June
TO DATE
We have been and will be working with the Wisconsin DNR, Iron County , Rice Lake Association, Iron County Lakes Rivers Association (ICLRA), Lake of the Falls Association, Turtle Flambeau Flowage Association to proactively address this very serious problem
We look forward to listening and working with you to keep Pike Lake the lake it has been, is and will continue to be – A Real Gem. One of a Kind!
Aquatic Invasive Species Projects
The AIS control effort has been separated into two distinct projects. This makes it easier to manage, avoids having a large influx of external people and boats into Pike Lake, and clarifies how volunteer labor is accounted for the purpose of grants.
Pike Lake Curly Leaf Pondweed Project
- 3 year project.
- Covers Pike Lake, and the Turtle River upstream to Rice Lake.
- DNR grant up to $20,000, 25% match by association and volunteer labor and equipment.
- Essentially, the DNR is funding professional surveys and reports. We volunteers are performing the work of pulling the weeds.
- The Rice Lake association, Bob Kary president, is sponsoring the grant. Amanda Kraus, a Pike Lake family member, researched and wrote the grant proposal, solicited bids, interviewed and recommended the vendor.
Contracted Work
We evaluated 2 bids, and selected Whitewater LLC, for professional surveys and reports.
- Point Intercept Survey of Pike Lake
- Statistical sampling of all types of vegetation at grid points
- Meander surveys of Pike Lake and Turtle River upstream
- Detects AIS locations, shallow areas, points of interest, no grid.
- Woody Habitat Survey
- Downed trees, etc, primarily fish habitat
- Pre and post treatment surveys
Treatment
- Hand Pulling
- Early-mid June
- Volunteers, primarily Pike Lake persons, with social distancing.
- Led by Zach Wilson, Iron County AIS Coordinator
- Organized and managed by the Pike Lake association
- Ongoing detection, monitoring and pulling by Pike Lake volunteers
- GPS Mapping and monitoring of all treated areas
Note: It is important that the CLP be managed correctly. Zach will show us how to locate by GPS, record and report, to pull it properly by the roots, dispose of it, etc.
On a positive note, Zach reports that last week he went back to the places near the inlet where he found and pulled CLP last year, and found NONE. Either the pull was successful, or the new CLP has not emerged yet, or both.
We don’t quite know how much CLP there is to pull this year in Pike Lake and the river, but certainly less than in Rice Lake.
Rice Lake Curly Leaf Pondweed Project
In the first week of June, the DNR and UW will perform a Point Intercept survey on Rice Alake.
The Iron County Lakes and Rivers Alliance (ICRLA) and Rice Lake Assn have organized a large group of volunteers for Rice Lake, to be carefully scheduled and, socially isolated. Up to 40-60 people have expressed willingness and interest in helping. This will happen Early-Mid June.
People from Pike Lake are welcome to assist, after the Pike Lake effort is under control. However, work on Rice Lake does not give us volunteer hour credit toward the Pike Lake CLP project grant.
(I will be logging into my Volunteer Labor Worksheet the 1.5 hours I spent preparing the above report. You can log the time you spend reading it 😊 https://pikelakemercerwi.org/ais-control-project/
Pike Lake Mercer Wisconsin Association
The formal Organizational Zoom meeting is scheduled for May 24, 2:15
Proposed Bylaws Summary
- Open to any person business, or association.
- There was significant discussion of this clause, with some expressing that it is a mistake to open up membership to persons who are not property owners on the lake or river, and others advocating an open membership. This discussion continues on the members email list.
- Individual memberships, not family.
- Dues $50 per person. May move to set dues at $25, to obtain a majority vote.
The meeting concluded before having significant discussion of other, following, points.
- Enables remote participation in membership meetings.
- Enables absentee mail and email voting for directors and bylaws changes.
- President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, up to 5 at large directors.
- Flexible committees
The bylaws may be discussed and amended by vote before adoption.
Board of Directors Nominations
We have three additional nominations for the Board of Directors, and we have adjusted the bylaws to be able to elect up to 5 at-large directors.
Sam Krebsbach
I am a student of water resources at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and I will be living on Pike Lake this coming summer. I will also be working as a Lake Technician in Iron County for the duration of the summer.
Maynard G. Beil (Mick)
My wife Jane and I moved onto Pike Lake in 1996. I was chairman of the Black Otter Lake District in Hortonville, Wi. before moving to Mercer in 1993. While in the USMC, I performed hydrographic surveys in Okinawa, Japan with 3rd Recon 3rd mar div. My interest in the association is the fishery and all aspects of it.
Amanda Kraus
Amanda grew up spending her summers on Pike Lake at the family cabin next door to the Johnson’s cabin (Amanda’s aunt and uncle). She is a CPA by background and helps companies address the measurement, reporting and disclosure of climate change. She developed and authored Pike Lake’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) early detection grant, which was approved in April with the help of the steering committee. She lives with her husband and son in Madison, WI and enjoys spending time at the three-season cabin.