NEWS UPDATE This print edition is published and mailed by LLPOA to Lone Lake - area residents one time per year. If you wish to receive our News Briefs via email, please send your email address to Editor: Jennifer O’Neill, 30059 381st Ave., Aitkin, MN 56431 or go online at www.lonelake.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lonelakepoa.

DNR’s new boat inspection training launches here June 7

No, look again. Our forest floors are blanketed with trillium, not snow. See them now, plus hepatica, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Bellworts and more.

LLPOA encourages all Lone Lake area residents to take part in a new DNR training program designed to teach people how to inspect boats for aquatic invasive species. Current volunteers: note important changes:

Saturday, June 7 at 9 a.m.- noon

Hazelton Township Hall at 24248 Highway 169

If you participated in training in 2013 and were certified last year, you will need to complete only the first 90 minutes of this three-hour program. Certification will be valid for three years. (Go to page 2 for more information.)

It is hard to believe that Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and yet it only feels like spring has begun. For many, the weekend marks the beginning of the summer season.!

In the first News Brief (emailed on April 30, 2014) I expressed that three challenges face our lake association this year: 1) to revise our Lake Management Plan; 2) to look at a dues increase; and 3) to resolve issues about the lake drainage outlet on the northwest end of the lake. We will keep you informed.!

The LLPOA Board of Directors met in May and is making good progress on the revision of the Lake Management Plan, which was created in 2007. They intend to have it ready by the Annual Meeting on Saturday, July 26th. Paramount in this strategic plan is (go to page 2)!

Lone Lake volunteers work with boaters at the public launch.

Hello 2014! Note from Steve Frazier, LLPOA President

June 2014

www. lonelake.org �1

DNR training (cont.)

Those certified in 2014 will not need to attend another classroom training session until 2017. In the intervening years, an online refresher class must be taken and the Criminal Bakground Consent and DNR Volunteer Agreement forms will be required, as in the previous years.

New participants who were not certified last year or who will be first-time volunteers will need to complete the entire three-hour training program on June 7.

Pre-registration is required to allow training material to be ordered. CONTACT: Walt Weisser at 218-927-3214 or at dwonlone@yahoo.com. Leave your name, phone number, the name of the lake or river you represent and a current email address. Email addresses will not be shared.

(Cont. - Welcome from page 1) the report of the water analysis testing and reading of Lone Lake in 2013. We do an in-depth water analysis every four years and then report on it to you in the fifth year along with goals for the upcoming four-year cycle. The Board is also discussing how often to hold the “Future of Lone Lake Planning Sessions.” Should they be yearly, every two or four years? One thought is to have the planning on year one and then to meet on year two to work on the goals, revising them as needed. We’ll keep you posted on what the Board decides. As you will recall we currently have four action teams: Water Quality, Aquatic Invasive Species, Fish and Wildlife, and Zoning and Planning. Watch for information from them in this and other LLPOA publications. !

Finally, putting in your docks, you undoubtedly noticed that the water in Lone Lake is high. In fact, we have exceeded our Ordinary High Water Mark. Let’s cooperate as a lake community and keep our boat wakes down when we are within 100 feet of the shore and conduct our water sports out in the middle of the lake. High water and wave action seriously impair the lake’s clarity because high wave action washes vegetation and chemicals into the lake. This is not a “No Wake” declaration but a suggestion to be considerate to prevent lakeshore erosion and to protect our lake’s water quality.!

We’ll talk again later, Steve Frazier – LLPOA President!

0"

1"

2"

3"

4"

5"

6"

1262.00"

1262.50"

1263.00"

1263.50"

1264.00"

1264.50"

1265.00"

05/01/09" 05/01/10" 05/01/11" 05/01/12" 05/01/13" 05/01/14"

Lone%Lake%Water%Levels%20091May%2014%

Lake"Level"

OHWM"

Rain"Since"Last"Reading"

Trendline"(Lake"Level)"

Over the last five years, the lake level has risen about 20”. For the second time in a year, we have exceeded the Ordinary High Water Level mark.

June 2014

www.lonelake.org �2

2014 LLPOA Calendar of Events !The Lone Lake Property Owners Association invites you to take part in the 2014 summer activities. Together we can preserve and protect our beautiful lake and have fun as a lake community.!

May 26 Membership Drive Begins!

June 7 DNR Boat Inspection Training. 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Hazelton Township Hall!

June 14 Rivers and Lakes Fair - Aitkin High School. 9 a.m.-12 p.m.!

July 3-6 Independence Day Holiday - boat inspections at the public launch!

July 4 Lone Lake Triathlon – Starting time is 8:30a.m. at the swimming beach. No pre- registration is required and teams of 2 & 3 are welcome.!

July 26 Annual Picnic and Meeting – 11 a.m. at Preiner’s storage facility at 30353 Oak Avenue. Look for the LLPOA sign!

Aug. 29- Sept.1 Labor Day Weekend Sept. 13 - boat inspections at the public launch

Sept 13 Fall Road Clean-up — Meet at 9 a.m. at the swimming beach!

Visit our website at www.lonelake.org or on Facebook at LoneLakePOA. Email: lonelakepoa@gmail.com !

Join Us In Enhancing, Protecting and Preserving the Environmental Beauty of Lone Lake%

LLPOA Annual Meeting & Picnic on July 26

This year our speakers for the LLPOA Annual Meeting and Picnic are Bob and Char Wrobel from the Wild and Free Rehabilitation Program, Garrison. The Wild and Free Rehabilitation Program is a non-profit organization that rescues injured and orphaned wild animals, treats them and attempts to release them back into the wild. They have helped bears, cubs, bobcats, loons, eagles and more. Join us to hear about their work. If you enjoy watching wildlife, you will love this program. Please bring the whole family on July 26 at 11 a.m. It’s always a good time to catch up with your neighbors and find out what’s happening at the lake!

Bob Kosloski snapped a pic of a barred owl that landed in branches outside his window last winter.

LLPOA Board: Steve Frazier, president; Dianne Weisser, secretary; Karen Frazier, treasurer; Jennifer O’Neill, communications dir.; Bev Napurski, dir.; Bob Kosloski, dir.; Walt Weisser, dir.; Dave Scott, Water Quality team lead; David Wilke, Land Use and Zoning team lead; and Marty Cook, Fisheries and Wildlife team lead. LLPOA P.O. Box 10, Aitkin MN 56431. www.lonelake.org.

June 2014

www.lonelake.org 3

Aquatic Invasive Species%Protect Lone Lake and Your Investment

Now that Spring has arrived and Lone Lake is open for business, we are all preparing for those long summer weekends and vacations enjoying our lake homes and the water. Lone Lake has provided us with many great memories along with being a good financial investment.!

How do we protect this investment? Improvement can be made to the property that will increase its value but how do we improve the lake quality and its impact on our investment? Lakes that become infested with milfoil experience property sales decreases between 4.5-16% based on estimates by Horsch and Lewis (2009), Zhang and Boyle (2010) and Meder (2013).!

In 2013, the AIS volunteer inspection coverage on Lone Lake decreased by 30% versus 2012. Of the watercraft inspected, nearly one third came out of known waters that contain invasive species. We need your help to protect the lake quality, property values and family memories for the next generation.!

Volunteer for one three hour shift as an AIS Inspector this summer. Contact Linda Szymanski at612.600.4511 or via email at ljsatthecabin@msn.com to sign up. We need your help.!

Additional steps each cabin owner or lake guest can take to protect the lake.!

Trailer Rental / Pontoon Launch — Many users rent trailers to launch their pontoons. While the pontoon may have been out of the water all winter, do you know what lake the pontoon trailer was last in and when? If you rent a trailer to launch your pontoon, please inspect it for invasive species. An additional safety measure, take a few minutes and run the trailer through the car wash at the Aitkin Laundromat. !

New/Used Lake Equipment – Boats, Docks, Lifts, etc. — Will you be purchasing lake equipment? If you have purchased lake equipment from a private party on another lake allow the equipment dry for two weeks before installing in the lake.!

Guests Visiting —Do you have guests visiting who will bring up watercraft? Please ask them to inspect their watercraft thoroughly. !

Review the chart of all known waters in Minnesota with invasive species on the Lone Lake website. Ask your guests what lake or river they were last in. If the lake or river is on the list, please ask them to power wash their equipment or run it through the car wash at the Aitkin Laundromat. !

AIS Education/Boat Inspection

Familiarize yourself with the AIS inspection procedures and the invasive species. !

Volunteer for one three hour shift on the holiday weekends to inspect water vehicles. Make it a family event to educate the children. !

Participate in an AIS Zone Team to monitor the area around your property for Invasive Species. Watch for information on this program soon.!

June 2014

www.lonelake.org 4

Threat of spread is real…we’re surrounded!%

Area waters with aquatic invasive species

Farm%Island%Lake%

Cedar%Lake%

Bay%Lake%

Mississippi%River%

Mississippi%River%

Big%Pine%Lake%

Round%%Lake%

Clear%Water%%Lake%

Tame%Fish%%Lake%

South%Long%Lake%

Upper%South%Long%Lake%

Upper%Mission%Lake%

Lower%Mission%%Lake%

Black%Bear%%Lake%

Miller%%Lake%

Island%%Lake%

Louise%Mine%

LiBle%Rabbit%%Lake%

LONE%LAKE%

As of May 2014, the lakes near Lone Lake (highlighted on this map) contained aquatic invasive species, Minn. DNR designates the following additional lakes within our region as infested with aquatic invasive species: In Aitkin County: Big Sandy, Cedar and Farm Island; In Mille Lacs County: Ogechie, Onamia and Shakopee; In Crow Wing County: Arrowhead, Bay, Bertha, Big Pine, Big Trout, Black Bear, Boom, Clam Shell, Clear Water, Cross, Daggett, Gull, Half Moon, Island, Kimball, Little Pine, Little Rabbit, Long, Loon, Louise Mine, Love, Lower Hay, Lower Mission, Miller, Mille Lacs, Nisswa, Ossawinnamakee, Pickerel, Pig, Rice, Round, Roy, Rush Hen, Ruth, Tame Fish, Upper Hay, Upper Mission, and Whitefish lakes. Source: www.dnr.state.mn.us.

To keep Lone Lake safe from the spread of invasive species remember to “Clean-Drain-Dry”:

Clean—inspect closely and remove all plants, animals, and mud (it is the law) Drain—drain spaces or items that can hold water (it is the law) Dry—dry boats for five days or more before launching in other waters (recommended)

June 2014

www.lonelake.org �5

Gardening at the lake:

Living with Lone’s wildlifeIf you’re like me, you’re beginning to think about gardens, trees, shrubs and all the great things that come with summer on Lone Lake. As many of you know, some special challenges also show up in the summer when it comes to keeping pesky animals and birds out of your garden, off your docks or off your trees. This first article in a series lists some of the ways learned folks have addressed the challenges that our wildlife friends bring us in the summer months.!

Rabbits, rodents and other furry creatures%Build raised beds for your vegetable garden. Raised beds are simple to build and can deter animals from entering your vegetable garden. Small animals like rabbits are often reluctant to leave ground level to enter a raised bed, as they instinctively avoid areas where they will be highly visible.

If you have pathways in your garden or between beds, make them as narrow as possible. If the pathways between your vegetable beds are only about a foot (30 cm) wide, rabbits and other small animals will be less likely to enter your garden for fear of exposure to predators. Interplant different vegetables with each other.

Plants like garlic, onion, marigolds, chives, and lavender can all be used to repel rabbits, deer, and some other animals. Inter-planting these vegetables with the rest of your crops keeps animals from attempting to eat the more attractive vegetables. You can also use these natural animal-repellants vegetables to create a perimeter around your other crops. This will help keep animals from entering your vegetable garden at all..

Build fencing around your vegetable garden beds. Fencing is one of the most effective solutions for keeping animals out, although it also tends to reduce your own access to your vegetables. Fencing can either be built around individual raised beds or around the entire perimeter of the garden. The best choice for you will depend on the size of your garden and the amount of fencing you want to purchase. Garden fencing can be constructed from (see next page)

What determines the water level?

Several factors: 1) precipitation versus evaporation. Aitkin County on average gets slightly more precipitation per year than what evaporates. 2) Inflow and outflow of water. Lone Lake, nestled in high ground compared to the surrounding lakes and streams, has a small watershed. Our inflow is primarily from local ditches and lawn run-off. We have a 15” in diameter culvert at the northwest end of the lake, taking water out toward Ripple Lake. The elevation at which water leaves Lone Lake through the culvert is at 1,263.43 ft. 3) other natural elements, such as a beaver dam, could affect the lake level, too.

What does Ordinary High Water Level (OHWL) mean and what is Lone Lake’s?

Under Minnesota Statutes 103G.005, Subd. 14, “Ordinary high water level” means the “boundary of water basins, watercourses, public waters and public waters wetlands, and: 1) the ordinary high water level is an elevation delineating the highest water level that has been maintained for a sufficient period of time to leave evidence upon the landscape, commonly the point where the natural vegetation changes from predominantly aquatic to predominantly terrestrial.” (See stats on next page)

Lake Q & A:

June 2014

www.lonelake.org �6

Ice In Ice Out

November 27, 2008 April 18, 2009

December 6, 2009 March 31, 2010

November 27, 2010 April 24, 2011

December 6, 2011 March 24, 2012

December 5, 2012 May 11, 2013

November 24, 2013 May 1, 2014

(Cont. - Living With Wildlife) several different materials, including scrap lumber, poultry wire, wire screening, and bamboo. Fencing should also extend at least 6 inches (15 cm) underground to prevent burrowing.!

Add plenty of mulch around your vegetables. Mulch is an excellent tool for regulating soil temperature and preventing weed growth, and it can also be used to deter animals. Many animals are reluctant to walk over mulched areas, especially if they do not have the additional cover of weeds. Numerous materials can be used as mulch, including straw, dried evergreen needles, and wood bark.

Plant attractive foods away from your garden. If the above methods prove inadequate, you can introduce plants that rabbits and other small animals like to eat to deter them from eating your vegetables instead. Rabbits and other small mammals love eating clover, goldenrod, alfalfa, dandelions, and many types of wildflowers. You can plant these plants in a wide perimeter around your garden, or close to a tree line so that the animals will prefer the cover of that area to your own garden.

Deter with Pepper Juice. Pour pepper juice around the base of the trees or garden to deter rabbits and deer. Make your own pepper juice by blending three jalapeno peppers with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Pour the mixture into a jar and add a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Shake well. Place a tablespoon of the mixture in a bucket of water. Pour the foamy, pepper-water around the base of the tree. This natural deterrent stops some animals from raiding your trees. (First in a series.) — By Marty Cook. !

Dave Scott, LLPOA Water Quality team lead, rakes sticks and vegetation from the culvert entry. On May 19, the water was running about 3” above the culvert top.

Lone Lake’s water level stats:

OHWL: 1,264.6’

Highest recorded: 1,265.06’ (8/16/73)

Lowest recorded: 1,260.41’ (12/6/1963)

Last reading: 1,264.82 (5/18/2014)

Source: MN DNR

LOST & FOUND: A 2-person paddleboat was found after ice out. It is tied to the dock on Lot 60. If this is yours, come and rescue it.

Check Facebook for more lost-and-found information. We’re at LoneLakePOA.

June 2014

www.lonelake.org 7

Lone Lake Property Owners Association P.O. Box 10 Aitkin, MN 56431 !Forwarding and Address Correction Requested

2014 LLPOA MEMBERSHIP FORM

Fill out this form and include a $15 check, payable to the LLPOA. Additional contributions can be made toward the AIS fund. Either give the form and check to the membership volunteer or mail to the LLPOA, P.O. Box 10, Aitkin, MN 56431. Your check will serve as your receipt. Dues run from January 1st to December 31st. !Name(s)______________________________________________ Lot(s) ______ !Address: __________________________________________________________________ !City ________________________________ State ___________________Zip ___________ !Lake Address_____________________________________ Aitkin, MN 56431 !Home Phone______________ Lake Phone ______________ Cell Phone______________ !E-Mail Address ____________________________________________________ !I am/ we are making an additional Tax Deductible Donation of ___________ to be used for the

Aquatic Invasive Species Education, Prevention and Treatment Fund.