articles from July, 1996 newsletter:
28th Annual Meeting
The 28th annual meeting of the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion will be held at the Tower Civic Center on Saturday, August 3. The social hour will begin at 5 p.m., with a buffet dinner to follow at 6 p.m. Cost of the dinner will be $7 for adults and $1 for children under age 6.
Dinner reservations are necessary and must be received no later than Tuesday, July 30. Please contact one of the following to make your reservations: Barb Shook, 666-2222: Vi Harris, 666-2300; Shirley Korpela, 753-3034; or Paula Bloczynski, 753-2107.
The following directors will be nominated for re-election to three-year terms: Dale Lundblad, Jack Sparks, Ray Harris and Doug Watt. Additional nominations from the floor will be accepted; but please have the nominee's permission before presenting his/her name.
The program will consist of a review of the past year's activities and members will have an opportunity to bring up matters of personal concern regarding club business or problems around the lake. Come prepared for an enjoyable and informative evening with your Lake Vermilion friends and neighbors.
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Second Annual Scholarship Drive
It was so much fun last summer, we can't say "no." Steve Anderson has again offered to ride his Hydro Bike the length of Lake Vermilion to help the Club raise moneys for our Robert B. Olson Scholarship Fund. And this year Steve has several extra bikes available, so the Board of Directors has accepted the challenge of piloting one of them ourselves. Not only are we going to do it, but we've offered a bike to several organizations in the Lake Vermilion area so they can too. Although no groups have committed to join us at the time this article is going to press, we're still hoping for a good turnout.
The event is not designed to be a race. What could be more fun than a day on the water, the camaraderie of good friends and the chance to participate in the event of the summer to help raise money for our kids?
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President's Message
Some of you readers may be just discovering our organization and its work and others have been members of the Sportsmen's Club for many years. Whatever the length of your membership, you're cordially invited to attend the Club's 28th annual dinner meeting on Saturday, August 3 at the Tower Civic Center.
It's never a formal affair - come as you are in your vacation duds - and we always wrap up the evening early so our boat access folks have plenty of daylight for their trip home. Join us if you can. It's our one gathering of the year and a good opportunity for members to hear how the club is doing and make their suggestions for the coming year.
As a personal note, my own membership in the club is in the 28-year category. The charter member certificate on the wall above my desk is dated April 15, 1968, and is signed by Wayne T. Evans as Executive Secretary. Wayne was the editor and publisher of the Cook newspaper back then and was one of the club's founders. But it was Bob Mann of Mann's Resort (now Voyageur Cove) who talked my family into joining the club. He pulled up to the dock at our family's summer cabin on Treasure Island one day and sold memberships to my parents, aunt and uncle, in-laws and my husband, Chuck, and me. "We're starting a club to help the lake, he said. "Give me five bucks and 1'll sign you up!" Simple enough. And 28 years later we're still selling memberships for five dollars and we're still here helping the lake.
Wayne Evans died many years,ago, as did another club founder, Jay Mault from Vermilion Dam Lodge. But Bob Mann is still around - as are others from the club's original executive board - John Aronson, Elton Olson, Abel Anderson, Bill Ellison, Ted Anderson and Val Cook. As we mark the 28th anniversary of the Sportsmen's Club founding, it's good to look back and thank that group of friends whose energy and direction got us started.
Paula Bloczynski
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Two Students Selected for Sportsmen's Club Scholarships
This year there were two recipients of the Robert B. Olson Memorial Scholarship - high school seniors Benjamin Daniel Champa from Cook and Katherine Anne Kramer fromTower. The Robert B. Olson Memorial Scholarship was established in 1991 by the directors of the Sportsmen's Club with the approvaI of the Olson family. The scholarship honors the memory of Robert B Olson, a Tower civic leader; and Lake Vermilion resident. Bob was an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman and was serving as a Sportsmen's Club director at the time of his death in 1990.
The scholarship. has a value of $500 and generally only one is given each year to a Cook or Tower student.
This year the club was able to give two scholarships because the 1995 winner decided not to attend college, thereby making that scholarship available in1996. For each scholarship awarded, $250 is withdrawn from the Olson Scholarship Fund and a matching amount is contributed by the Sportsmen's Club. The Scholarship Fund is replenished by memorial gifts and by fund-raisers, such as the Cook-to-Tower Hydro-Bike ride held in conjunction with the club's annual meeting.
This year's scholarship winners were selected by a committee of directors, chaired by Joe Cantrell. The committee reviewed application forms, letters of recommendation, essays and transcripts, and based their decision on applicants' leadership qualities, scholarship and career potential.
Benjamin Champa plans to enroll at St. John's University in Environmental Biology. Katherine Kramer is planning to attend the University of Minnesota, Morris and major in Marine and Aquatic Biology; Animal Behavior.
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Annual Loon Count
At the time we're puttingtogther this issue of the newsletter (the week of July 8), the annual loon count taken each summer by Sportsmen's Club volunteers, is set for Monday, July 15. Once again this year, Mardy Jackson is the coordinator for the count. This is the club's 13th loon count and we are recognized as the only lake in Minnesota with statistics from so many consecutive years. The outcome of this year's count will be shared with the DNR Non-game Wildlife staff and with our own members at the annual meeting and through our winter newsletter. Many thanks to Mardy and to all our member-volunteers who participate in the count.
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Are the conifers dead that have red needles??
Conifers growing in Minnesota have had a long winter with plenty of opportunities for winter injury. But in spite of their appearances, chances are good that your trees are live and healthy beneath their mask of red needles.
Although the needles look terrible, the buds, twigs and trees are not dead. The needles were discolored by winter injuries, but resist the urge to prune them away. Chances are very good that buds were well protected during the winter and have started to grow after spring arrived.
Even during the dormancy of winter, tree needles use liquid water. When water, stored in twigs and needles, is gone, cells and tissues become more dehydrated and start dying. Water is lost faster when the relative humidity is low, when dry winds are blowing and when warm, sunny days occur. Affected needles turn red or brown from the tip down. Buds are usually not killed. Normally, snow cover prevents winter injury of young conifers by providing shelter from drying winds and from the glare of the sun. This year it was common to see young conifers with a strong line separating the brown tops from the healthy, green branches that were covered by snow.
Needles lose their internal water three ways:
l. Through evaporation due to tiny ruptures in the needles surface which are caused by wind and ice crystal abrasion.
2. Through the rupturing of cells and tissues due to rapid freezing. After slowly warming up and becoming metabolically active on sunny days, the needles quickly refreeze when the sun sets and water inside the cells and cell walls freezes which ruptures and kills them.
3. Through transpiration on sunny, warm days. Water stored in the needles was lost during the few days when temperatures were above freezing, because cells were actively using water.
Is there anything people can do to prevent winter injury? Here are some suggestions from the MN Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry:
l. When selecting trees to plant, choose species and cultivars that are adaptable to your local
growing conditions.
2. Avoid planting white and red pine, fir and white spruce within 150 feet of a highway to prevent salt damage.
3. Avoid planting yew and arbor vitae on south or southwest sides of buildings or in sunny and windy locations.
4. Erect temporary barriers around conifers susceptible to winter burn. They can be made of
plywood, burlap, tar paper or plastics. Recycle your Christmas boughs and trees by propping
them up on susceptible conifers. They will act as a barrier and hold snow for more natural insulation.
5. Just after the snow melts and prior to bud break, rinse de-icing salts off both conifers and hardwoods.
6. Reduce or eliminate using de-icing salts.
7. Replace trees that have severe winter injury year after year. They are not in the right location and will only decline due to needle and twig loss over a period of many years.
8. Keep conifers properly watered throughout the growing season and fall. Decrease the watering slightly in September to encourage hardening off, then water thoroughly in October until freeze-up. Watering only in late October does not help reduce winter injury.
(Information provided by the DNR "Forest insect & Disease Newsletter" - 6/12/96)
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Update On Our Tree Planting Proiect
This spring your directors thought it might be worthile to attempt a Norway and white pine planting project. Since we had no idea what response to expect from our members, we made only a modest investment of $269 and ordered 2,000 bare-root seedlings from the DNR nursery in Willow River. We appealed for orders from members in our May newsletter.
The response from our members was encouraging, considering the short notice, and we ended up with about 50 orders ranging in size from as few as five seedlings to as many as 100. Because nursery personnel would not dig the seedlings until the ground was at least 40 degrees, the seedlings were not shipped to us until Memorial Day weekend and we distributed them to members the first week of June. From all reports, members felt the seedlings were quite healthy, with good root systems, and most thought we should order trees again next year. If the board does decide to budget for another seedling purchase, we'll tell you about it in our winter newsletter so you will have more time to consider whether you want to participate next spring. Many thanks to those who did get in the program this year. We really appreciate your help.
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The History of Lake Vermilion - Planning the Vermilion Dam
Thanks to Doug Watt and Augie Carstens for contributing the following historic documents. They provide some insight into the time period and the process leading up to the construction of the present dam. If any of our members have additional information or documentation, we invite you to share it with the club.
November 22, 1943
State of Minnesota
Department of Conservation Division of Water Resources & Engineering
Mr. Clare Hendee
Forest Supervisor Superior National Forest
Duluth, Minnesota
Re: Vermilion Lake nr. Tower
St Louis Co. 16-18
Dear Mr. Hendee:
Vermilion Lake is located in Townships 61, 62, 63, Ranges 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 in St. Louis County. The lake has a meandered area of 37,915 acres as shown by the Minnesota Gazetteer of Lakes.
The present lake level is controlled to a certain degree by a loose rock dam at its outlet which was built many years ago. There is considerable seepage thru the present dam and this structure should be replaced by a permanent dam as soon as conditions will permit.
The present dam is located in Government Lots 9 and 10 in Section 2, Township 63 North, Range 17 West and Government Lots 2 and 3, Section 11, Township 63 North, Range 17 West, in St. Louis County. Proper easements have been secured by the State for the dam site and these easements are now on record.
The lake outlets northerly and enters Crane Lake thence into the border lakes. The drainage area above the Vermilion Lake dam is approximately 530 sq. miles.
Information in our files indicate that the maximum known lake elevation of 1361.86 M.S.L. occurred June 6, 1913 and the maximum known discharge of 2300 c.f.s. occurred May 10, 1938 with a lake stage of 1361.40.
The lowest lake stage of record is elevation 1358.30 which occurred in the Fall of 1938 with an outlet discharge of 80 c.f.s.
The proposed new concrete control structure will be located at the same site as the present old rock dam. As shown on the design, the structure will be a low gravity type dam with variable weir elevations. The maximum weir elevation will be 1359.0, with the next section at elevation 1358.50 and 40 ft. of low weir down to elevation 1357.75. This 40 ft. of low weir will have flashboards and pins up to elevation 1358.50 providing a section for extreme low flow when and if required.
The design also omits any sheet piling under the structure, as it would be impossible to drive the sheet piling because of the many boulders underlying the stream bed. As indicated on the design, a clay fill is to be provided on the upstream face of the dam with rip-rap protection which will act as a seal against seepage.
The stream bed above and below the proposed dam site consists of sand and gravel, with very large boulders which form a very stable stream bed. There are no signs of stream bed erosion below the present structure.
We are enclosing, herewith, 6 blue prints of Sheets 1, 2 and 3 showing topography, cross-sections and structure design for your records. It is requested that necessary copies of these plans be forwarded to Mr. Coleman for his review and approval.
The approximate material cost for the structure will be $3500.00.
yours very truly,
Walter S. Olson, Director
by Carl J. Bark, Construction Engr.
Division of Water Resources
STATE OF MINNESOTA
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
In the Matter of Determining Whether it is in the Public Interest for the State to use, Maintain, Operate and Control the Dam at the Outlet of Vermilion Lake, St. Louis County, Minnesota.
NOTICE OF HEARING
Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to Laws 1951, Chapter 667, as amended by Laws 1953, Chapter 490, a public hearing will be held before the Commissioner of Conservation, or his authorized representative, in the Court House at Virginia, in St. Louis County, Minnesota, on Wednesday, August 19, 1953, at two o'clock p.m., or as soon thereafter as said matter can be heard, for the purpose of determining whether it is in the public interest for the State to use, maintain, operate and control the dam at the outlet of Vermillion Lake, St. Louis County, Minnesota.
Dated at Saint Paul, Minnesota, this 8th day of July, 1953.
CHESTER S. WILSON
Commissioner of Conservation
By E.V. WILLARD
Deputy Commissioner
Duluth News-Tribune
April 20, 1953
SENATE APPROVES VERMILION DAM
ST. PAUL - (Special) -A 30-year effort to win legislative authority to regulate Lake Vermilion water levels was climaxed yesterday with final approval given to the project by the Minnesota senate.
The senate acted on a house bill and sent it to Gov. C. Elmer Anderson for signature.
A state appropriation of $25,000 is provided for construction of a dam at the outlet of Lake Vermilion. The dam would make it possible to control water level.
Old logging dams are deteriorating, Senators Thomas Vukelich, Gilbert; and Elmer Peterson, Hibbing, the bill's authors pointed out.
Under provision of the bill, St. Louis County would contribute $12,500 and the lake's property owners an equal amount. Total cost of the dam is estimated at $50,000.
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MINNESOTA WATER LINE / 1-800-454-4526
This toll-free phone line links Minnesota's citizens and decision makers to expertise and professional assistance on water issues.
The Water Line is operated as a partnership of the American Ground Water Trust and the Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota.
A Water Line specialist will talk with you in nontechnical language, and offer you advice on your question or problems related to water.
Call the Water Line when you have questions about:
* safety of your household water supply
* water well design, construction and operation
* septic system siting, design and maintenance
* issues dealing with aquifer protection, water supply, lakes, rivers and wetlands
* other concerns about drinking water
A Water Line specialist will be available to take calls from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. At other times you can leave a message and your call will be returned.
When additional expertise is needed, the Water Line specialist will have a volunteer technical adviser contact you. These trained volunteers will have no financial or political interest in your concern, but will offer their expertise to help you make decisions. WaterLine technical advisers are professionals - all interested in public education.
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WASTE PESTICIDE COLLECTIONS SET FOR ST. LOUIS COUNTY
Wondering what to do with old, frozen, damaged or banned weed killers, bug killers and poisons? Now there is a program to help you dispose of these herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and other pesticids safely and easily, and for most, it's free to participate.
Waste pesticides are dangerous, and without careful storage could end up in the trash, our landfilld or our groundwater. The Waste Pesticide Collection Program prevents pollution and environmental contamination., Pesticides are removed and destroyed at a hazardous waste incinerator The program is funded by fees' paid by manufacturers who sell pisticides in Minnesota.
The MN Department of Agriculture together with St Louis County will hold a pesticide collection. There is no charge to dispose of up to 300 pounds of any liquid or solid pesticides. AlI pesticide users can participate: farms, co-ops, elevators, greenhouses, nurseries, structural pest control operators, lawn care services, golf courses, cemeteries, other businesses and homeowners.
Participants are asked to do two things before collection:
l. Register all pesticides for disposal. Call the County Solid Waste Department or the Department of Agriculture to have forms sent to you and mail the completed forms to the St Louis County Solid Waste Department by August 30, 1996.
2. Bring your waste pesticides to a collection dropoff site. Most people are in and out of a collection site in about 20 minutes. Remember, always use protective clothing like gloves, aprons, and eyeglasses when handling pesticides.
While any waste pesticide is acceptable, paints, oils, antifreeze and other non-pesticides are not collected through this program. Call 1-800-450-9278 for information on disposal of other residential or commercial hazardous materials.
Waste pesticide collection for northern St. Louis County will be on Thursday, Sept. 19, 1996:
Cook Transfer Station (9-11 a.m.) - 2134 S. Beatty Road / north of Cook
Regional Landfill (10 a.m.-noon) - 7831 Hwy. 135 / east of Virginia
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Attention Club Membersl Help Us To Protect YOUR Shore Lunch / Picnic Sites
It has been reported to the Board there have been a small number of instances of misuse of the three Shore Lunch / Picnic Sites. People have been observed camping, docking houseboats overnight, departing without properly extinguishing campfires and leaving refuse on the sites. Signs have now been posted on the sites by the U.S. Forest Service indicating they are for day use only and that camping is prohibited.
If you are boating in the vicinity of one of these sites, please take it upon yourself to cruise by or stop in and inspect the site. If you observe a violation in progress, write down the license number of the watercraft involved, the date and time and report it to the U.S.F.S. Enforcement Officer at 218-666-5251 . If there is refuse, try to clean it up and take it with you. It's a good idea to carry a trash bag in your boat. Totally extinguish any unattended fire.
If we set an example by leaving these sites in better condition than we find them, the next user of the site will feel obligated to do the same. We need to practice and encourage others to adopt the U.S.F.S. wilderness ethic and "LEAVE NO TRACE." Lake Vermilion is not a true wilderness, of course, but its many wild qualities make it a precious resource to residents and visitors alike. As Sigurd Olson wrote, "Wilderness to the people of America is a spiritual necessity, an antidote to the high pressure of modern life, a means of regaining serenity and equilibrium."
Dale Lundblad, Board Member
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