Reflections On the Ice Out Date for 2012

Thanks to Shari Peterson for the Ice Out picture on Teal Lake with the fog in the distance.

The WDNR definition of lake ice-out varies from lake to lake, and individual to individual. For some, ice-out occurs only when the lake is completely free of ice. For others, ice-out is defined as the moment when navigation is possible from point A to point B. And yet for others, ice-out is when 90 percent of the lake is ice free.

Due to the variable definitions of this rather subjective observation, the participating agencies attempt to contact the same individuals each year to maintain a consistent record.

For the Quiet Lakes Blog, we are setting the standard as being "open water across the lake".   Thus, we are deeming the Ice Out date this year to be March 21st (even though there may be a couple of spots of ice in varous coves)

It's thus time to think about getting those docks out....................

Looking for Boat Ramp Monitors

The Quiet Lakes were awarded grants by the WDNR to monitor our boat ramps to protect against the introduction of invasive species into our lakes.   We will hire monitors for the Lost Land Landing Camp, Teal River Dam, Teal Lake Larson Road and the Ghost Lake ramps; and expect this to encompass the following:

• Approximately 12 - 15 hours each weekend from Friday afternoon through mid-day Sunday between Memorial Day and Labor Day
• The monitors will examine incoming and outgoing boats for invasive species, help educate the ramp users on invasives, etc.
• We expect activity at the ramps to be hectic at times, and then hours of no activity.   Thus, a college student would be the ideal candidate as they could study during the down times

We will conduct training in May for the monitors selected.   Our Environmental Director, Rex Clevenger, will begin interviewing for these roles in April.   Thus, if you know of dependable candidates, please respond directly to the Quiet Lakes at quiet_lakes@yahoo.com.

Another Duck Story, by Maurice and Ellen O'Connor

Many years ago the Homeowner’s Association decided that we needed more ducks on Teal and Lost Land. We were among those who volunteered to raise twenty-four ducklings. We anxiously waited until our 24 newborn ducklings were delivered from Sears Roebuck via UPS. Yes, Sears sold them!   We followed the instructions: build a box house, place it on the lake shore, and attached a chicken-wire enclosure into the water. Our little orphans would waddle down from their house to swim around in their secure wire pen.

Quiet Lakes: "Peyton Place"

Even in the dead of winter when most lake residents are enjoying the warmer climes in the west or the south, there is still a grapevine flourishing on Teal Lake!

Way back in the winter of 1990, hubby John was happily employed at the Hayward Airport while I was happily busy at home doing who knows what (probably Income Tax).  Our awesome yellow Lab, Trixie, was enjoying the sun and snow in our backyard. 

Periodically, I would look out the window to make sure Trix was still there.  About 15 minutes passed since my last check when the phone rang.  “Hi, is this the Witt residence?”  “Yes”I replied.  “Well, we have your dog here”.  No Way, I thought, since Trixie never roamed and our nearest neighbor then (by road) was 2 miles away!  And so I told the caller, “I don’t think so” while looking out the window and there was no Trix!.  “Well, he said, her dog tag says ‘Trixie, I  belong to John Witt on

Elephant Rock Road

’!  Couldn’t argue with that!

Long story short, Trixie heard activity (snowmobilers) directly across the lake at the Parmenter/O’Brien/Wenger area and being the social animal she was,  raced across the lake to check it out.  I believe the snowmobilers were family of the Parmenters or Wengers.

So, I threw on the x-country skiis and zipped across the lake and retrieved the happy wanderer.

Since John is a total worry wort when it comes to our pets and hates it when they are outside unsupervised, I choose not to tell him of Trixie’s adventure. No way could he ever find out – WRONG!    A few weeks later, Brent Wenger called the Hayward airport to get info on car rentals; of  course, it had to be John who answered the phone.  In the course of the conversation, Brent mentioned he lived on Teal Lake and John said he did too.  Well, it didn’t take long when John told Brent his name and where we lived on Teal, and Brent said “I’ve met your dog, Trixie”!  CAUGHT!. 

Of course, Johnny-Cakes  made the most of  the story by calling me at home a couple weeks after the adventure and asking “where’s Trix”?  He played it to the hilt as I just couldn’t believe he knew what had happened. 

The moral of this story is:  you just never know how the grapevine works, but trust me – it does work and oftentimes in very mysterious ways!

Mary Witt

The Quiet Lakes Are Awarded $30,000 of Boat Ramp Monitoring Grants for 2012 and 2013

Despite being declined on our February 2011 grant requests, we learned from the process and resubmitted grant requests in August, all of which were approved by the WDNR in October.

These grants provide funding for us to hire boat ramp monitors Fridays through Sundays from May through September 2012 and 2013.    Boats launching from our public ramps will be examined by our monitors for aquatic invasive species, including Eurasion Milfoil and Curly Leaf Pondweed. 

     

We had 15 volunteers conduct extensive testing for the invasive plants last summer, with the finding that the Quiet Lakes remain plant invasive free (see the Sawyer County Record picture below of our volunteers).   However, many lakes in Sawyer County are dealing with this problem, including Spider Lake just yards to our west.     Invasives “hitchhike” on boats coming to our waters from infested lakes.   As these hitchhikers represent the biggest risk of invasive introduction, a ramp monitor program is our best defense.

Also included in the grant is the update of our aquatic plant study, last done 5 years ago, which provides an updated chronicle of the plant species growing in the lakes.

As part of the ramp monitoring grants, the Quiet Lakes must contribute approximately $19,000 over the two years, virtually all of which we expect to contribute through “in-kind” volunteer aquatic invasive species testing programs.  

Finally, Kristy Maki, the Sawyer County Invasives guru, has agreed to provide a presentation on avoiding invasives in gardening, which our many gardeners will find extremely interesting.

Ice-On at Teal Lake on November 29th!

Thanks to Mary Witt and Jeannie Boersma for noting that Teal is officially iced over on November 29th.   Shari Peterson provided us with this picture for the record.  

Aunt Bert Reunites With Ellen and Red, by Jim & Pat Dooley

Pat and I weren’t even considering Teal Lake when in 2005 we were shopping for a lake home.  It just seemed too far from Hayward and our friends who own a place on Round Lake.  But as soon as we walked through the 1927 log home and saw the grand view of the Teal Lake islands, we were smitten.  We have grown to love the Quiet Lakes, watching families with little kids fishing from twelve and fourteen foot boats with 10 horsepower motors.  We don’t really need to see or hear jet skis and huge bass boats flying by at full throttle.  Little did we know that the “Sunset Lodge” loons would spend most of their time right in front of our windows!   continued..........