articles from August, 1999 newsletter:
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President's Message
Your board of directors and member volunteers have maintained a busy schedule this summer.
Thanks again to our many volunteers who make the projects of the club possible. Please call
one of our directors if you are available to help.
Several members are watching over the navigational lights. They are observed daily to be
certain that each light is in place and working. Batteries are replaced throughout the summer.
We all appreciate the increase in safety while traveling the lake after dark.
The loon count was completed July 19. We will receive a full report during the annual
meeting which will be held August 14. See other areas of this newsletter for more details.
We will all be interested in how well the chicks survived the storm and the recent high
water level. Several volunteers again helped Mardy Jackson. Thank you.
Several members have helped with the water sample collections each month. Dr. Christopher
Holm is our consulting Aquatic Biologist. Our pilot study for nitrates and phosphates is
now in place in three locations. We expect that preliminary information will be available
at the annual meeting. Chris will give us a short update and answer your questions
during our program. Please bring your questions and comments.
Thanks to the members who have offered suggestions so that we can improve upon our
programs. One such suggestion has initiated an effort to spread the word on lakeshore
protection. Also included will be a study of the need for aquatic plant restoration
and the benefits to improved fish habitat. if you would like to be a volunteer for
this program, please contact me. We solicit your suggestions and help. Please watch
future newsletters for information regarding this important effort to maintain our
naturally beautiful lake. We can all work together to prevent harmful lawn runoff
from entering the water. We appreciate the support that we have received from other
sources, including the Timberjay.
Please attend your club's annual meeting, August 14, 1999. We will all benefit.
And again, thank you to the many volunteers.
Willis Irons
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Hazard ANNUAL DINNER MEETING
Saturday, August 14
Fortune Bay Resort on Lake Vermilion
Social Hour - 5 p.m.; Buffet - 6 p.m.
Adults - $10; Children age 12 & younger - $5
Our 31st Annual Meeting is coming up Saturday, August 14 at Fortune Bay Resort. We're
back for our third year at Fortune Bay and those of you who attended the past two years
will recall that the room was comfortable, the food was excellent and we had a great time.
We're planning a social hour beginning at 5 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. buffet. Dinner
prices are $10 for adults and $5 for children age 12 and younger. Please phone in your
reservations by Tuesday, August 10.
After dinner the business meeting agenda will include a review of the past year's club
projects and the election of directors. The following director positions will be up
for re-election and are for three-year terms on the board: Dale Lundblad, Jack Sparks,
Ray Harris and Steve Anderson. Additional nominations from the floor will be accepted,
but please be sure to have the nominee's permission before presenting his/her name.
The club's annual dinner meeting is never a formal affaircome as you are in vacation
attire - and we'll plan to wrap up the evening in timely fashion so that our island
residents have plenty of daylight for their trip home. This is our one big gathering
of the year and a good opportunity for members to bring up matters of personal concern
regarding club business or problems around the lake.
If you're new to the lake, here's how to get to Fortune Bay Resort: By road, turn onto
No.104 (Reservation Road) from Highway 77. If you're coming by boat, dock at the Fortune
Bay Marina on Everett Bay. When you reach the resort complex, enter the main hotel
lobby and take the elevator or stairs to the second floor banquet room.
We hope to see you on Saturday, August 14. Please mark your calendar, phone in your
reservation and plan to join us at Fortune Bay Resort for the Sportsmen's Club 31st
annual meeting.
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Membership Note
People we need you!!! I currently have over 75 names of former members who have not paid
dues in two years. In December we will have to remove those names from the mailing list.
We are starting a more comprehensive water quality program and we will need your
financial help. If you have any questions as to your status...please don't hesitate
to contact me.
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16th Annual Loon Count
At the time we're putting together this issue of the newsletter, the annual loon count,
taken each summer by Sportsmen's Club volunteers, was set for Monday, July 19 at 9 a.m.
This is the club's 16th annual loon count and Vermilion is the only lake in Minnesota with
statistics from so many consecutive years. The results of this year's count will be shared
with DNR Non-Game Wildlife staff and also with our own club members at the annual meeting
on August 14 at Fortune Bay Resort.
Many thanks to Mardy Jackson, the coordinator of the loon count, and to all the member
volunteers who help with the loon count in their designated bays.
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Results of 1999 Loon Count
Wow!! We couldn't have had a more beautiful day or ideal conditions. At 9 a.m. on July 19 all
volunteers took to the lake for our annual loon count. Some of us were a bit worried,
thinking the count would have a significant drop this year because of the rather miserable,
late spring and early summer, what with inches and inches of rain and a couple of major
storms. Not so...our count on the west end from Head O' Lakes Bay to Smarts Bay was:
22 pair, 20 chicks and 34 singles for a total of 98. On the east end of the lake...a much
larger territory, the count was: 26 pair, 19 chicks and 89 singles! A total of 160,
which is up from last year's total of 132. Hopefully some of those singles will find
a significant other and keep us well supplied with chicks. Soin spite of less than
favorable conditions to raise baby loons, we are still fortunate to be able to maintain
our population.
Many thanks to the 49 volunteers who took the time to rack up a total of approximately
115 hours on the lake.
We can't do it without you! Many, many thanks!!!!
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Weather Summary Data It's Time to Turn Off the Faucet!!
Attention Barb --
I have recapped my weather statistics as gathered at the rain gauge located at your garden
and added water level measurements taken at our dock in Head O' Lakes Bay. The total rainfall
was measured as follows: May 4.48 inches; June 7.15 inches; July 6.04 inches (through July 13)
Water level changes were measured and rainfall recorded during the same time frame were
as follows:
| Dates measured |
Water level change |
Rainfall in inches |
| May 9 through 22 |
+2 inches |
2.8 |
| May 22 through June 30 |
-4.75 inches |
8.2 |
| June 30 through July 5 |
+4.75 inches |
4.03 |
| July 5 through July 13 |
+3.75 inches |
- 2.01 |
Total net change in water level between May 9 and July 5: +2". Total rainfall during the
same time period: 14.95". Conclusion: While acknowledging that the above data only
represents the rain gauge measurements at one particular location on the Cook end
of Lake Vermilion, it seems to me that the condition of the Dam should be given
serious consideration and investigated for its integrity. Considering the fact that
with the runoff high due to saturated ground, 17.04" of rainfall should have had
more than just a 2-inch increase in the lake level.
P.S. From 4 May to 13 July -- 17.04 inches of rain.
P.K Edwards
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The Value of Shoreline Habitat
The water's edge is a busy place. Northern pike, bluegills, bass and other fish spawn in the
shoreline shallows. Loons, ducks, geese and other water birds nest along the banks. Wildlife
such as frogs, otters and mink live there too. Shoreline areason land and into the shallow
water - provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife that live in or near Minnesota's
lakes and streams. Without natural shorelines, lakes can't support the fish, wildlife and
clean water that are so appealing to Minnesotans.
Unfortunately that's exactly what's happening to many Minnesota lakes. The problem is
lakeshore development. Bit by bit, the cumulative effects of tens of thousands of lakeshore
homeowners "fixing up" their property are destroying the state's valuable lakeshores.
Some examples:
Sand trucked in for swimming beaches smothers underwater gravel and silt used by:
- fish for spawning
- mayflies for burrows
- frogs for laying eggs.
Aquatic vegetation removed to create swimming and boating areas eliminates
shoreline-stabilizing plants that are also habitat for:
- bass and other fish that hide among the plants and spawn in areas protected from waves
- Ioons that nest on floating vegetation
- waterfowl that feed on underwater plants
- insects that live among underwater vegetation
Shoreline shrubs and "unsightly" fallen trees are removed to create golf course-type lawns,
thus eliminating habitat for wildlife such as:
- songbirds that use these shrubs for nesting
- ducks that lay eggs in native shoreline grasses
- turtles that sun on fallen logs
- bass and panfish that hide in the shade under topped trees.
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What Can You Do as a Property Owner?
-- Consider leaving fallen trees in the water to provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Below
the water's surface, woody debris is habitat for aquatic organisms at the base of the food
chain. Above the water, a fallen tree is like a dock for wildlife. Ducks and turtles will
loaf and sun themselves on the trunk. Muskrats use the tree as a feeding platform. Mink
and otter hunt for prey in the vicinity of the tree. Dead trees along the shoreline are
used as perches by kingfishers, ospreys and songbirds. Unless the fallen tree is a hazard
to navigation or swimming, consider leaving it in the water to improve fish and wildlife
habitat.
-- Consider reducing the size of your sandy beach to allow for more shoreland and underwater
vegetation. Sometimes mistakenly called "weeds," aquatic plants provide essential fish
and wildlife habitat and help keep the lakes clean and healthy. Plants filter out sun-blocking
sediments...vegetation provides food, shelter and nesting areas for fish, invertebrates
and wildlife. For example, bulrushes keep waves from covering bottom gravel used by bass and
panfish for spawning. When the bulrushes are cut by boats, jet skis, etc. Ieaving paths
through the weed bed, waves will cover the gravel with silt and eat away at banks.
-- Consider leaving a 30-foot buffer zone between your house or cabin and the lake. A golf
course-type lawn creates problems. Don't fertilize close to the lake; hard, mowed lawns
send rainwater runoff carrying fertilizers, pet waste and lawn clippings into the water
where they fuel algae blooms. Try to restore the area to the lake with natural grasses
or shrubs that will all act as a buffer strip.
Shoreline habitat consists of many natural elements woven into the ecosystem to form the
web of life. Vegetation, bottom materials and natural debris play essential roles in
the life cycles of fish and wildlife. It is up to each of us who value the lakes to keep
them healthy and productive. The cumulative damage of shoreline alteration by lakeshore
property owners affects swimming, fishing and the overall health of the lake.
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Did you know?
Those flies you see (and hear) buzzing around your window sills in early spring
are not your typical house flies. They are "cluster flies." These annoying
insects are slightly larger than house flies, dark gray in color and, on close
examination, show crinkled yellow hairs on the sides of their bodies.
Cluster flies lay eggs on earthworms during the summer months, which hatch into maggots
that feed on the earthworms. Adult flies are found on flowers.
Starting in mid to late August, these flies look for sheltered places to hibernate and
are attracted to sunny sides of homes. They hide in attics, wall voids, around chimneys,
under siding and in other cracks and crevices of buildings. They remain inactive as
long as it stays cold.
They are not attracted to foods in your home, they do not present a recognized health
hazard and they do not breed indoors. However, they are extremely annoying with their
habit of flying aimlessly about lights at night whenever the temperature is above 54
degrees F. During the day, the flies usually crawl around floors, walls and windows
in a sluggish way. On warm days or when the sun is on their side of the house, they
often emerge by the hundreds only to disappear later in the day when the sun drops.
They may persist until late spring.
When the air is chilly, they gather in clusters, thus the name "cluster flies."
They are also called "buckwheat flies" because they give off an odor of buckwheat
when they are crushed; the fat in their bodies may stain fabrics.
Prevention. The best time for control is in the fall. If cluster flies can be denied
access to a building they will not be a nuisance or require control. Make sure that:
- All windows, louvers, air vents, etc. are tightly screened.
- All cracks around windows, chimneys and trim are kept tightly caulked.
- All splits and holes in the siding are kept caulked and painted over.
Admittedly, caulking and careful carpentry, which limit the entry of the flies,
are time consuming, expensive (and oftentimes impractical). They should be
seriously considered when alterations, remodeling, etc. are being planned for
your home. Tight, full-coverage polyethylene vapor barriers, including window
casings and door jamb areas, can be very effective if installed during remodeling.
Insecticides may be necessary to control the flies. Apply a spray of permethrin
around your home's exterior in late August. Permethrin lasts no more than two weeks so
reapplication may be necessary. Insecticides are usually not necessary inside since
the flies are short-lived indoors. Inside, use your fly swatter! Vacuum the flies
and dispose of the bag.
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Barbara Herring Awarded Sportsmen's Club Scholarship
Willis Irons, president of the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion, has announced the
recipient of this year's Robert B. Olson Scholarship Award. This year the award will
be given to University of Minnesota-Duluth junior Barbara Herring.
A graduate of Tower-Soudan High School, Barbara is currently finishing up her third
year of study in biology and chemistry at UMD. The career path she has chosen is in
the field of aquatic science and she plans to continue her studies and obtain a
master's degree in aquatic ecology. In her letter of application, Barbara stated
that "being raised next to Lake Vermilion, on the Pike River, has been the root
cause of my appreciation of the aquatic sciences. I want to contribute to the
research done on lakes to ensure their vitality for future generations."
The Robert B. Olson Memorial Scholarship was established in 1991 and honors the
memory of Robert B. Olson, a Tower civic leader and Lake Vermilion resident.
Bob was an avid hunter, angler 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
$1,000 and is funded by matching grants from the Olson Scholarship fund and the
Sportsmen's Club. The scholarship is open to any high school senior or graduate
from the Tower or Cook school attendance area who is intending to follow a
college curriculum relating to conservation or the environment.
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BEWARE OF FLOATING DEBRIS!
Runoff from the recent storms has caused Lake Vermilion to rise to near record levels.
Strong wind conditions have compounded the high water problems causing damage to docks
and boathouses and significant shoreline erosion. As a result, there is a tremendous
amount of debris floating in the lake, which is very unusual for this time of year.
In addition to lots of small floating debris, there are many large logs and timbers
from crib docks.
Boaters should take extreme care when navigating the lake, especially during dusk and
at night, when visibility is limited. Please help protect yourself and fellow boaters
by towing large floating debris to shore. If you cannot do it by yourself, please
report the location of the hazard to a board member.
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PERSONAL WATERCRAFT UPDATE
Personal watercraft continue to be the fastest growing segment of the marine industry.
Unfortunately, along with the rapid growth in machines has come a rapid growth in
accidents and complaints from lakeshore residents, other boaters and water recreation
enthusiasts. The following recommendations to personal watercraft operators are
reprinted from the 1999 Minnesota Boating Guide.
Ride with pride ...
Many water scooter accidents involve new and inexperienced riders who haven't received
adequate training. If you or your family own a personal watercraft or are going to purchase
one, be sure to ask the dealer to provide you with any safety information they may have
for your craft. All machines are supplied with an owner's manual and many come equipped
with a safety video. Be sure everyone who operates the machine (including friends and
guests) watches the video and reads the safety information and knows all the special
laws that regulate personal watercraft before they are allowed to operate the scooter.
Give it the gas ...
Many accidents have occurred because the operators forgot (or never learned) that a water
scooter will not turn unless you apply the throttle. There is no rudder, so the only way
it will turn is if there is water spraying out the steering nozzle. This seems simple,
but it's amazing how easy it can be to forget when you are hurtling towards some fixed
object. A normal reaction might be to cut the power and then turn the handlebars. This
can be a mistake! Remember, to make a turn, keep the throttle pressed as you move the
handlebars.
Use sound judgment ...
Personal watercraft noise complaints are one of the most common types of calls received
by water safety officials. Although the sound emitted by water scooters is generally less
than the legal noise limit for motorboats, the way that some people operate their machines
causes a great deal of concern among other people on the lake.
Some personal watercraft riders tend to run their machines for long periods of time in a
relatively small area. Many of their neighbors find that having to listen to one or more
water scooters buzzing around for several hours in front of their property is very
disturbing. In fact, the problem became so severe on one Minnesota lake, local authorities
banned personal watercraft operation for more than 30 minutes in one area. Jumping
personal watercraft out of the water causes an increase in noise levels which can also
be irritating to quite a few people.
Be a good neighbor ...
It's not a bad idea to talk to your neighbors before you bring your new machine home.
Tell them to feel free to let you know if the noise from your machine is disturbing them
and that you'll try to not operate in the same area for a long period of time. If you're
going to jump waves, you had best do it far enough out in the lake so the noise won't
bother people trying to enjoy a day of quiet relaxation. You might also offer to take
them for a ride too! It's amazing how understanding people become after they experience
the fun of riding a water scooter.
Protect your riding privileges ...
Water scooters can be safe and enjoyable as long as enthusiasts learn how to operate their
machine carefully, become familiar with Minnesota's personal watercraft laws, and respect
their neighbors peace and quiet by moving around the lake rather than operating in just
one small area. Personal watercraft riders will continue to be able to enjoy their sport
without further regulation as long as they obey the laws and ride responsibly.
Personal Watercraft Laws -- In summary, the law requires that:
- Anyone operating or riding on a personal watercraft must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved
Type I, II, lIl or V personal flotation device (PFD or life jacket).
- Personal watercraft must travel at slow, no-wake speed (5-mph. or less) within 150
feet of non-motorized boats, shore (unless launching or landing skiers directly to or
from open water), docks, swim rafts, swimmers, or any moored or anchored boat.
- Operation of personal watercraft is allowed only from 9:30 a.m. to 1 hour before sunset.
- If you tow a person on water-skis, or any other device, there must be an additional
person on board the personal watercraft to act as an observer.
- If the machine is equipped by the manufacturer with a lanyard-type engine cutoff
switch, it must be attached to the person, life jacket or clothing of the operator
when under way.
- You may not chase or harass wildlife.
- You may not travel through emergent or floating vegetation at greater than slow, no-wake speed.
You may not operate a personal watercraft in a manner that unreasonably or unnecessarily
endangers life, limb or property.
- You may not weave through congested watercraft traffic, or jump the wake of another
watercraft within 150 feet of the other watercraft. This includes other personal watercraft.
A personal watercraft rules decal issued by DNR needs to be on the craft in full
view of the operator.
You may not operate a personal watercraft while facing backward.
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