STATE OF THE LAKE:

from the desk of Jim Polk...

The lake management plan centers around the application of chemicals to control unwanted vegetation. The goal is to maintain a balance between a healthy life supporting aquatic environment, and one that serves the needs of our community for recreation. This is our third season working with Allied Biological, Inc. They are very knowledgeable in the field of lake management. We do still have some grass carp in the lake and estimates by experts vary wildly as to how many are there now. We have not re stocked  in four years and at this point there are no plans to do so. We do want to resume consultations with Dr. Thomas Field, the limnologist who has helped us in recent years. The extent to which we will be able to do this is dependent on one thing. That would be the the membership paying their dues. Just a word about that: I have been attending meetings of a group of Putnam County Lakes. It turns out that we pay considerably less dues than other lake association members in Putnam. The residents of Lake Carmel are assessed on a sliding scale beginning at about $400 per year for lake related expenses. It goes up from there. The residents of Kentwood Lake pay $250 per household. We are gathering data from other lakes but the trend is clear. We are not paying a lot for what we are getting, and a lot of us are not paying at all.

This year we plan to make a special effort to alleviate the chronic problems that plague the north end of the lake. Yes, you have heard that before. This year we plan to get the harvester in the water (a promise!) and to keep it at Bob Filhart's dock so that work on the north end can be accomplished. The plan is to try and keep the lily pads at bay with a combination of harvesting and the application of the chemical Aqua Pro. The details of our chemical application plans have been delivered to the members in their mailboxes for their review. A crucial part of our success at the north end, will be the availability of volunteers to operate the harvester.  The important thing here is that the people who operate the harvester are mindful of the shallow water and the fragility of the mechanical components of the harvester. Think of driving the harvester thru the shallow lake like plunging into a bowl of salsa with a thin potato chip. You gotta be careful.

The curly leaf pondweed is what covers most of the lake from late April until it dies in late June. The millfoil which had been the primary problem, has taken a backseat to the pondweed in it's presence in our lake. This is good for several reasons. The pondweed dies earlier, is easier (and cheaper) to kill, and the fragments do not re seed when harvested. The appearance of algae in the lake is something that occurs for a number of reasons. A lack of rainfall and still water in the lake will promote algae growth. The removal of other plants from the lake will also promote the growth of algae. We have permits and budget for algae treatment should it be necessary.

There is a lot of information on the website, thanks to Rick Kennell, about the different plants and options for treatment. We look forward to a successful season on the lake and one that can be enjoyed by everyone in the community.

                                          --Your lake manager,  Jim Polk