articles from August, 2002 newsletter:
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President's Message
After a warm winter and a cool late spring we can enjoy another summer on beautiful Lake Vermilion. Back to the great sounds of the LOONS and other wildlife. Just a reminder to everyone that it is also a time of greatly increasing, faster boat and other watercraft traffic to contend with, SO I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO BE ALERT AND PRACTICE BOATING SAFETY. Please use lights if running at night so others can see you.
Be sure to return the LAKE VERMILION MANAGEMENT PLAN Survey that you received from the ARDC. We want your input.
The additional new solar powered lights have been installed and are working. If you notice any lights that are not working, please let me or one of the other board members know as soon as possible.
From time to time the Club Board is looking for members who are interested in helping with projects that we undertake. We now have some work to fix up a day use picnic site in Norwegian Bay to construct steps from the dock up to the site. Please let Leon Long (at 666-5989) know so a time can be scheduled.
We will now have CDs available to members about shoreland restoration. It is very thorough, showing all the different plants that are good for this area and how to do the restoring from start to finish with pictures and where to get everything. If you would like to borrow one of these, contact a member of the board.
Have a safe and enjoyable summer, Ray Harris
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LAKE VERMILION MANAGEMENT PLAN
Late last year the Lake Vermilion Management Plan Citizens Steering Committee was formed to create a comprehensive development plan for Lake Vermilion called the Lake Vermilion Management Plan. Being done under St. Louis County auspices the intent of the plan is to provide guidance to the St. Louis County Planning and Zoning Commission in the formulation of new and revised zoning laws. The intent is to have this plan serve as the model for directing development in such a manner that would enhance the quality of Lake Vermilion and that would have the least impact or do the least harm to the lake and its environs.
To provide present day development status to this Management Plan Citizens Steering Committee, subcommittees were formed to conduct a survey of all property owners and users of Lake Vermilion and also do an inventory of Lake Vermilion shoreline. The subcommittee to do the inventory is in need of volunteers to help us to determine:
- The state of development presently existing on the lakeshore, both road and boat access (island) property.
- The characteristics of the developed lakeshore such as cleared to shoreline, buffer vegetation strip, little shoreline disturbed, etc.
- Existing structures visible on or near the lakeshore such as boathouses, saunas, and docks for both private and commercial property.
- Existing structures visible set back from the shoreline such as principle structure (cabin, house, mobile home, garage, store, shop, marina, boat storage building, etc.)
- General characteristics of the section such as highly developed on 50-ft. Iots, sparsely developed on large lots, etc.
This subcommittee is asking for volunteers to assist in this inventory taking. We estimate there will be 140 to 150 sections to cover all of Lake Vermilion, each section being one mile square. We think that we will need about 70 teams (two or more people) to do the actual task, one person piloting the boat while the other notes the characteristics and takes pictures as necessary, normally 10 to 15 in each section. These pictures would try to capture the essential features of the section inventoried and would normally cover from 200 to 500 feet of shoreline. Each team would be responsible for two or three sections that would be easily accessible and which would be very familiar to them. Each team will be furnished with instructions on how to tally the data, where to return the completed forms, and who to call for additional help or instruction. We do think that the instruction sheet should suffice, but if enough volunteers desire to have a "training" session, we will schedule one for August.
The results of this inventory will be tallied on a standard form supplied along with aerial photos (mostly outdated) of the sections (one square mile each) showing the shoreline area to be inventoried. The actual section location can be determined from the "W. A. Fisher" maps of the lake which are the standard boating maps sold at the "Y" Store and most marinas on the lake. Most people probably already have them.
Our target date for completing this inventory work is Sept.1, 2002, so we must act quickly. If you are interested and can provide assistance, please call or e-mail prior to August 10,2002 (if possible), one of the inventory coordinators listed below for section assignment and to receive the information packet.
It is hoped that the volunteers will offer their time, boats and equipment for this inventory. Up to $10.00 may be reimbursed to help defray the cost of the film and development. When contacting your coordinator, please indicate whether you wish to be reimbursed.
Walt Moe
INVENTORY COORDINATORS:
Walt Moe 218-753-3816
Eastern (Tower) half of Lake Vermilion
walmoe@rangenet.com
Tom Morrow 218-666-0228
Western (Cook) half of Lake Vermilion
tmorrow@lcp2.net
OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Steve Lotz 218-742-7017 or 218-753-4129
Bob Wilson 218-753-5544
rowilson@rangenet.com
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Memorial gathering held for Jack Sparks
On Saturday afternoon, June 8, famHy, friends and neighbors of Jack Sparks gathered at Jack's lake home to exchange remembrances of Jack and his life and work around the lake. Jack's daughter Shelly and her family were here from Florida and hosted the event. Refreshments were provided by Jack's neighbors.
It was a casual get-together. We all brought lawn chairs and sat on the front lawn, facing Big Bay. There were about 40 in attendance, and many shared pictures and stories of Jack and the ways he had touched their lives. Everyone who attended appreciated having the opportunity to say a farewell to "Sparky" and to be together and share our memories of him.
Several Sportsmen's Club members were able to attend, and our President Ray Harris presented to Shelly a plaque we had hoped to give to Jack at our annual meeting last year, but Jack was too ill to attend the meeting. The plaque honored Jack for his many years of service on behalf of the club as an officer and director.
Paula Bloczynski
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CATCH AND RELEASE AWARD ESTABLISHED IN MEMORY OF JACK SPARKS
The Board of Directors, in searching for a memorial idea to honor long-time board member Jack Sparks, has decided that nothing would be more appropriate than a fishing sportsmanship award. Sparky was a very strong promoter of the "catch and release" ethic. The new award will, therefore, recognize the angler who releases the most, documented, inches of walleye in a year. That angler will be recognized at the following year's annual meeting and will be awarded with a Jack Sparks commemorative rod and reel. Sportsmen's Club Catch and Release Log Books can be obtained from board members, resorts and bait and tackle shops.
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Nels Fogelberg is our 2002 scholarship recipient
Nels Peter Fogelberg, a 2002 graduate of Cook High School, is this year's recipient of the Robert B. Olson Memoriai Scholarship. Nels plans to attend Mesabi Community College in the fall and take pre-forestry classes, which he intends to transfer to the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota to receive a degree in Forest Management.
The Robert B. Olson Memorial Scholarship was established in 1991 by the directors of the Sportsmen's Club with the approval 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, 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 $1000 and is awarded each spring to a Cook and/or Tower senior who is planning to follow a college curriculum relating to conservation or the environment. The Scholarship Fund is replenished by memorial gifts and donations.
This year's scholarship winner was selected by the board of directors of the Sportsmen's Club at their May meeting, at which time the board reviewed application forms, letters of recommendation, essays and transcripts from this year's applicants. Their decision was based on leadership qualities, scholarship and career potential.
In his letter of application, Nels said "l enjoy working outside and I want our lakes to stay healthy ... I am interested in living in a small town such as Cook and working to preserve our lakes and forests." During his school years in Cook, Nels was involved in basketball, track and the youth group where he attended church. Ranking 7th in his class, he was a member of the National Honor Society. Other school activities included Peer Helpers, Kids Plus, Math League, Band and Jazz Band. The past four summers Nels has worked at Lake Vermilion resorts.
The Board of Directors was pleased to be able to name Nels as this year's scholarship recipient, and we know everyone in the Sportsmen's Club joins us in congratulating Nels and wishing him good luck in his college career.
Paula Bloczynski
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LAKE VERMILION WATER QUALITY SAMPLING PROGRAM 2002
QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED: ARE THERE DESCRIBABLE, QUANTIFIABLE WATER QUALITY AND ECOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VARIOUS BAYS AND THE MAIN BAY OF LAKE VERMILION?
NULL HYPOTHESIS: NO QUANTIFIABLE WATER QUALITY OR ECOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES EXIST BETWEEN SELECTED BAYS AND THE MAIN BAY OF LAKE VERMILION.
ALTERNATE HYPOTHESIS: QUANTIFIABLE DIFFERENCES IN WATER QUALITYAND ECOLOGY EXIST BETWEEN SELECTED BAYS AND THE MAIN BAY OF LAKE VERMILION.
SAMPLING PLAN
One time per month, in June, July and August, we will sample water and ecological parameters in selected bays and the
main bay of Lake Vermilion. The sampling and analysis will take place over at least one day, possibly more. Quality
control measures will be explained and adhered to. We will sample the following parameters:
Water
PH, temperature, color, turbidity, alkalinity, salinity, dissolved oxygen
Sediment (possibly)
Total nitrogen, total phosphorus
Ecology
Aquatic plant survey/collection/identification, possibly aquatic macroinvertebrate survey.
Students, Vermilion Sportsmen's Club and Bois Forte staff will collect representative water and sediment samples in containers that Bois Forte supplies. Collection devices, meters and other sampling equipment will be provided by Bois Forte, and Bois Forte will explain its method of use at the appropriate time. We will also collect biological specimens. We will transport all samples to the Bois Forte lab for analysis. Students are expected to do analyses of the data with assistance from Water Quality staff. Students will document evidence on computer spreadsheets, prepare graphs, do analyses of data, and prepare a final report detailing evidence for or against the null hypothesis and possible reasons for such to the Vermilion Sportsmen's Club by October 2002.
Chris Holm, Bois Forte Lab
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STUDENTS JOIN WATER SAMPLING VOLUNTEERS
The Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion is once again maintaining a high priority for the study of the water quality of Lake Vermilion. Our focus this year is to determine if there are describable, quantifiable water quality and ecological differences between various small bays and the main bay of Lake Vermilion.
This year we are adding a very exciting educational component to our studies. So far five Cook and Tower high school students have been selected to intern with our team. After an introduction into various research procedures, the students are selecting the water, bottom soil and plant specimens. We then go as a group up to the Nett Lake water quality laboratory to run the studies under the guidance of Dr. Chris Holm, a water biologist and the Club's consultant.
These studies are or will be completed during June, July and August to determine any variation over time. Also the students are taking part in our water collection samples for the observation of immature forms of Zebra Mussels which we hope that we never find.
The students have been very enthusiastic. Watch for a budding young scientist right from our midst. Your monetary gift to the Club to help support this worthy project will always be appreciated.
Willis Irons, Board Member
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Spotlight on Lake Vermilion Legends
When the "dot com" boom was going strong a few years ago, several grocery-delivery businesses started up. A customer could place an order on the Internet, and at the appointed hour their groceries would be delivered right to the door. It sounded like a great idea, but as the economy slowed down, most of these businesses disappeared. Another one of those "new age" ideas gone bust, right? Maybe they should have asked Walter and John Aronson how to make the business work, because 50 years ago the Aronson brothers were delivering groceries by boat all over Lake Vermilion. And that was only one of the services of Aronson Brothers Livery, the forerunner of today's Aronson Boat Works.
Walter and John Aronson's father, Walter Aronson, Sr., started the business with his brother Hillard in 1914. Hillard Aronson died in WWI, but Walter Sr. stuck with it. Aronson Brothers Livery operated out of a landing on the river in Tower for more than 25 years, before moving to the current location in 1940. In the early part of the 20th century, there were several boat liveries on Lake Vermilion. They carried people (mostly to resorts and a few to summer cabins), rented boats, delivered everything from building materials to daily supplies, and generally served as the lifeline of a community whose highway, workplace and playground was Lake Vermilion.
The Aronson family's willingness to work hard and do whatever their customers needed helped them build the little boat livery into a thriving business. Walter and Dorothy Aronson's boys, Walter Jr. and John, grew up with the business. Walter Jr. began working for his dad in the '30s, and John started while Walter Jr. was away in WWII. Eventually Walter Jr. bought the business from his dad, and sold it to John in 1962. The third generation of Aronsons, John and Joyce Aronson's daughter Gretchen and her husband, John Niemiste, now run the business.
In the early years, the workhorses were two power launches, the Mayflower (a 46-footer) and the Maryland (a 50-footer), and a 28-foot Garwood Speedboat. Both launches were nicely appointed, with enclosed cabins, comfortable seating, restrooms and limited food service. When customers arrived at the Tower train station, one of the Aronsons would escort them to the landing, then ferry them to their resort or cabin for a fare of about $1. Walter Jr. recalls with a chuckle that when the train was due at midnight or 4 A.M., his dad's scheduling system usually determined that it was his turn, not his dad's, to lose sleep and make the late run.
Aronsons also ran scheduled routes. One began at Tower, overnighted at Vermilion Lodge (now Vermilion Dam Lodge), and returned the next day. The other serviced Pine Island every day. On both routes, besides carrying passengers, the boats would pick up grocery lists and outgoing mail, and return with groceries and incoming mail on the next trip. Walter and John speculate that the grocery and mail deliveries began in the early '20s as a favor to lake residents. Although newcomers to the lake are surprised to hear it, the mail run continues to this day, under a contract with the U, S Postal Service.
The business gave rise to more than a few adventures over the years. Once Walter Aronson, Sr., and his wife, Dorothy Madeline Aronson, were headed up the river in a 25' speedboat, the Madeline. Walter didn't realize that gas was leaking into the bilge, and automatic blowers to remove gas fumes didn't exist, so when the engine backfired, the boat blew up. Although nothing but scraps and a single hatch cover were found, Walter and Dorothy Aronson escaped with minor burns.
On a happier note, Walter Jr. recalls the days before WWII when Isle of Pines was Idlewild Resort, owned by the Gruben brothers. They brought in big-name bands and a few kegs of beer for Saturday night dances, and Aronsons and others brought customers to the island by boat. Especially in the days of Prohibition, the Idlewild dances were the big social event. Ironically, when the Grubens built the first bridge to Isle of Pines, instead of adding to the dances' popularity, it killed them. Apparently once the mystique of going by boat was taken away, the dances lost their allure.
Aronsons' business hauling materials really took off after the war, so Walter Jr. had the idea of buying a war surplus LCVP landing craft, the kind you've seen in dozens of war films. They used it primarily to haul building materials, a big undertaking when the lake's first building boom started after WWI. After years of service, the LCVP was scrapped, except for the engine. Oiva Maki, a local resident who John and Walter Jr. say could build "anything," and Frank Planton built a replacement, the Thor. They started by drawing a full-size plan on a 40' roll of paper, then built the new boat with improvements like an electric ramp on the front and a sliding cover so that loads could be protected from the weather. She was powered by the engine from the LCVP, and remains in service today at Bethel, Alaska.
For John and Walter Jr., one of the highlights of their days as "water taxi" drivers was the people they met. One, Dr. Preston Bradley, was a well-known radio personality and world famous theologian. He was along on one kip when John, operating a 29' Hackercraft, hit a piling in front of Stinson's Resort (now Wolf Bay Lodge). The piling was a leftover from the days when logs were moved down the lake to the Tower sawmill, and the piling had been used to tie up log booms. The boat sank quickly, but all the passengers and most of the mail and other cargo were saved. Another notable passenger was John Jaeger, an architect who played a part in laying out the street grid in the Twin Cities and helped found the Dunwoody Institute. His cabin on Wolf Island included a stone from the Great,Wall.
Of course, some of the adventures were mostly the result of young men having a good time. Walter Jr. and John quickly learned that in the shallow river channel, they either had to go very slowly or get up on plane and go fast. Anything in between would leave them dragging bottom. It's not hard to guess which option they preferred, but one hazard was that the big launches didn't leave much room for anyone elsethe channel was only nine feet wider than the launches. More than once, their wakes washed an unlucky fisherman up over the shoreline pilings. And almost as often, Walter Sr. got a call about his sons.
In the '20s, one of the launches would pull a string of rowboats to the favored fishing spots, dropping off boats and fishermen along the way. At the end of the day, they would be picked up, all for $1. During the Depression, to keep the business going, Aronsons started building cedar strip boats. They could finish two per week, and sold them for $30. Building and selling boats eventually led to the evolution from Aronson Brothers Livery to Aronson Boat Works. They started with Crestliner and Mercury franchises, and over the years sold Alumacraft, Thompson and Lund boats. Their knowledge of boat building served them well. At one point, they converted an Alumacraft outboard into an inboard/outboard, using a Volvo engine. The factory people from Alumacraft said it wouldn't work, but it was a big success.
John and Walter Jr. maintained those skills. John built one mahogany lap strake boat with oak ribs and copper rivets each winter, and Walter has restored several mahogany Centuries that were in pieces when he bought them. Both are works of craftsmanship and art far beyond any modern boat. As much as today's lake residents enjoy their boats, few of us do it with Walter Jr. and John's knowledge. By the same token, as much as we all enjoy life on the lake, few of us have lived it as completely and enjoyably as Walter and John Aronson.
Tom Morrow, Club Member
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Nightscape Management
In the St. Louis County Planning Board Lake Vermilion Plan Survey there are a few questions which pertain to the issue of outdoor night lighting.
While this topic is certainly not yet a mainstream thought, it has been addressed by the City of Tower in managing the Tower airport. Presently, there is no rotating night light beacon or flashing runway strobe lights due to sensitivity to Lake Vermilion property owners. Had these lights been activated, they would have degraded the natural nighttime outdoor experience of property owners as far away as the Vermilion Dells, Birch Point, Isle of Pines, and Pine Island areas. Presently, the City of Tower is addressing the lighting adjacent to the airport at Hoodoo Point Campground. There the mercury vapor lights can be changed to high pressure sodium bulbs with housing fixtures that concentrate the light downward. The upgrade would produce several benefits. This type of lighting fixture uses less energy and, therefore, costs less to operate. There is reduced light trespass ( unwanted light going onto an adjoining property) and light pollution ( unnecessary light emitted into the sky or onto the lake surface). At Hoodoo Point Campground this reduction in scattered light will increase pilots' night visual acuity, helping in seeing whether there are taxiing land or lake aircraft adjacent to the runway. It is important to note that the night navigational running lights of aircraft and boats are the same.
This discussion of how the City of Tower is balancing pilot safety and property valuations, while reducing its cost of energy can be applied to all of the Lake Vermilion area. For example, as more boats travel through the Moose Island, Isle of Pines, Birch Point area, the night visual acuity becomes more important. This challenges property owners not to degrade this area with outdoor lighting that decreases safety for boaters or negatively impacts property owner's enjoyment.
Lake Vermilion adjoins the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and therefore attracts residents and visitors who desire a nighttime outdoor experience. Stewardship of the nighttime environment is, therefore, an important part of preserving the quality of life in the Lake Vermilion area.
Dr. Brian McGarvey, Club Member
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LAKE COUNTRY POWER OFFERS HIGH TECH SECURITY LIGHTS
Lake Country Power has announced that it is now offering high pressure sodium directional beam security lights to its customers. These lights give off a pleasant amber colored light and have shielding which directs the light downward so it doesn't diffuse in all directions. Customers who currently have rental contracts with Lake Country Power for the older mercury vapor security lights can have them replaced with the new model at no additional cost. Time to replace existing lights may vary with availability.
Flat glass lens, eliminates or minimizes direct glare, no upward throw of light. The housing for these fixtures is available in many styles.
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Great Stories from Our Members
Back in 1988, when we had our cabin off Wakemup Narrows, I wrote a letter to the Sportsmen' Club about the great Catch and Release program that the club had started. In it I stated that my wife, three daughters and l had been participating in the program for the past couple of years and how we were encouraging everyone who fished out of our cabin to practice catch and release also. Since that time we have relocated to Norwegian Bay and our three daughters are married, so we have sons-in-law and four grandchlidren. Needless to say, when the sons-in-law watched their wives releasing fish they followed the same example. Then when the two grandsons and two granddaughters came along they were taught the same practice. Their ages are four to 11. This year, 2002, capped one of the greatest thrills one could expect out of this program.
Our opening day, May 11, had been a slow opener, which we expected with a cold spring. Everyone had come in that afternoon with limited success. While my wife, Donna, and the oldest daughter, Trish, were getting ready to start the evening meal, I was busy making sure we had plenty of minnows for the evening fishing and the rest of the group were busy down by the boats. Our 7-year-old granddaughter, Janelle, and her brother, 11 -year-old Mitchell, were busy fishing off the dock. At 5:10 P.M. Janelle's bobber went down and she was busy fighting a fish. Her dad, Bob, turned to her and asked if she needed help and she said, " No." Bob figured it was a northern. When he turned again she was still at it and the fish was taking line. He asked her if she wanted the net and she said, "Better get it."
Janelle fought the fish by herself and her uncle John Daley netted it. Next thing I hear is all the excitement from the dock and Janelle's aunt Susan is yelling for everyone to bring all the cameras. Janelle's mother, Trish, my wife and I came down from the cabin and when I saw what she had caught it stopped me dead in my tracks. Without any coaching from anyone, Janelle looked up and said, "Grandpa, it is too big, it has to go back."
The fish she had landed was a walleye that was 30-1/2 inches long, which calculates out to 10 pounds, 4 ounces. Janelle's dad quickly got the livewell going in their boat so as to keep the fish in the water as much as possible to prevent stress and give it a chance to rest. Immediately decisions were made on photographing the fish and getting it back into the lake. After measuring and picture-taking, Janelle and her mother, Trish, released the fish back into the bay. Janelle's parents are having a graphite reproduction of the fish done up for her as a lasting memory. The nice part is the fish lives and when released swam away very strongly.
The point of this letter is that we can all be taught to practice catch and release so as to save our great fishery that we all enjoy so much here on Lake Vermilion. Our release program pertains to all species. Take a few for a meal of smaller fish and release the larger ones which are mostly females.
I'm enclosing a picture of Janelle and her dad with the fish to be used for whatever. As in the past letter you have my permission to use whatever part of the letter you choose.
Club Member, Jerry Nagorski
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Shoreland Restoration: A Science in its Infancy
A bit of Shoreland Restoration took place on June 19, 2002 at the Moe residence at 3331 Nisen Drive (off of Breezy Point Road) on Lake Vermilion. Anyone interested in observing the results is welcome to stop by.
This project started as a class presented in Ely by the University of Minnesota Extension Division entitled "Shoreline Vegetation and Landscaping" in the summer of 2001. I could attend only the second of two classes taught by Mary Blickenderfer. Mary was looking for someone who lived on a lake in St. Louis County to volunteer lakeshore for a natural shoreline restoration project. I volunteered our place because I was looking for a "senior" project with which to stimulate my brain instead of learning a foreign language, and she accepted.
Last fall, Mary visited the site and discussed how we would like to have this section developed with priorities in controlling erosion at the water's edge and maintaining the view of the lake. Also to handle the water runoff, increase the wooded area for wildlife and privacy, create a buffer to block the view of the neighbor's yard and reduce general yard maintenance. In other words, to go back to nature instead of controlling nature by having a suburban shoreline. We did not remove any of the trees so the main objective was to restore the ground cover.
A map of the area was drawn using bubble diagrams to address the priorities listed above. In the bubble diagrams are specified the general use areas and the general functional vegetation areas. Mary then developed a Master Site Plan last winter (shown below). If I were doing this project by myself I would only do one or two of the areas in the bubbles each year. We did it in one day!
Also, last summer and fall, Mary and I gathered seeds of the plants that we planned to use that were already growing in the area. Mary knows someone who grows native wild plants from seed so some of the plants came from her and other plants were obtained from a couple of plant nurseries near Grand Rapids that grow native species. Around the middle of May we destroyed the existing grass vegetation by using Roundup herbicide. Lake Country Power (actually Lake States Tree Service) furnished a free truckload of wood chips to use as mulch. Don't order the wood chips too early because if they are damp at all, they will generate lots of heat and possibly start a fire in the pile by spontaneous combustion. When we dug into the chip pile that day they were already smoldering and that was after sitting for five days. On June 19, Mary brought all the native plants to be planted. Some additional plants were obtained from our land across the road. There were many interested people who volunteered time and labor with nothing more than the promise of a free lunch, coffee and pop, and fresh homemade cookies provided. With the help of all these people (sort of like the old-fashioned barn raising), we moved the wood chip mulch by wheelbarrow, and spread it. Then Mary moved the potted plants in groups of 3 to 5 to each general area according to the master plan and then two-person teams went to work. One dug the holes using cordless drills and spade bits or hole saws and the other planted the plants and tamped the soil around it. It really went well thanks to the organization and planning of Mary.
There will be additional work over the next couple of years making sure the plants have sufficient water (about 1" per week) and to keep the undesirable plants (weeds) under control. I still have to learn which are which. We will also have to add or replace some plants.
Right now they are all thriving and some are blooming. I wasn't supposed to let them bloom to allow them to establish a strong root system, but I couldn't resist allowing some to bloom. We also need to add additional wood chips in places that were spread too thinly, but we knew this was going to happen so we are prepared. My favorite plant is the low bush cranberry. This makes an excellent hedge as does the dogwood. Both can be clipped to shape and maintain a certain height. Dogwood is especially easy to propagate since all you have to do is clip a branch and stick it in the ground and it should grow.
We want to thank all who participated: members of the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion, neighbors, participants from some of Mary's earlier classes and other persons interested in the health and well-being of Lake Vermilion There were too many to list here, but you know that we really appreciated your help and hopefully everyone learned something new and may be motivated to restore some of their lakeshore in a similar manner.
The motive behind all this is to help Lake Vermilion keep its wilderness character and water quality and also to reduce the mowing, fertilizing, raking, etc. required in keeping up a lawn so that we may be able to get out on the lake more often! The cost of something like this restoration will vary depending on the area, variety of plants, number of plants that can be found or grown without having to purchase them. This size project covering approximately 1500 square feet would cost between $500.00 to $1,000.00. However, in the long run it will prove to be a very good investment we believe.
Marcie Moe
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