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News
By Vicki Browne
Iron County Lakes & Streams Partnership
Forty-two lake lovers representing twenty lakes in four counties gathered on May 18 at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp to learn more about monitoring parameters of lake health.
Dr. Jo Latimore and Erick Elgin, lake outreach specialists from Michigan State University who have spent countless hours in this area exploring lakes and sharing their wisdom with various groups, presented the whys and hows of six of the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program protocols.
Elgin described Secchi disk readings, spring and summer phosphorus collections, chlorophyll-A analysis, dissolved oxygen and temperature data as measures of water quality. Scoring the shore and aquatic plant mapping (which was not presented at the training) focus on shoreline and near-shore habitat, while the exotic aquatic plant watch targets invasive species.
The CLMP enters its 50th year in 2024 with over 300 lakes enrolled in the program. This makes it second only to the program in Minnesota for longevity in the U.S. The program is funded primarily through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, but also with funds from Michigan “Protecting Our Waters” specialty license plates and small fees assessed for each protocol.
The protocols explained on May 18 follow the same process as data collected in 1974 when the CLMP began. “Data is consistently collected so it is comparable through time,” said Elgin. “Generations of volunteers have collected data on lakes that have been in the program since the beginning.”
Paul Dalpra, who monitors Lake Mary and attended the training, has the distinction of being the longest monitor in Iron County. This summer is his 19th consecutive year. “We’re looking for consistency in the data,” said Dalpra. “Monitoring also allows us to identify invasive species before they are too established.”
Golden Lake, a 285-acre lake about 14 miles northwest of Iron River, had the largest contingent at Saturday’s training. Eight residents led by David Ukleja, who has monitored spring and summer phosphorus on Golden Lake since 2016, wanted to learn about lake health.
“It’s hard for one person to do it all,” said Diane Ford. “This is big learning for all of us.”
Ford and several members of the Golden Lake Association had also attended the North Lakeland Woods and Waters Conference on May 3 in Manitowish, Wisconsin where lake monitoring and other topics were presented.
Tim Murillo, who started coming to Golden Lake in 1967 and has been a full-time resident for the past six years, brought his granddaughter to the training.
“We want to get more involved,” said Murillo.
Iron County Lakes & Streams Partnership which organized this training in conjunction with MI Corps, Wild Rivers Invasive Species Coalition and the Invasive Species Control Coalition of Watersmeet, will be coordinating a visit to Golden Lake by Elgin and Latimore during their August visit to Iron County in appreciation for the group’s enthusiasm and commitment.
Volunteering to monitor a lake is a serious endeavor. As Latimore explained how to collect chlorophyll-A samples she emphasized the importance of having every sample on every lake during every year collected and preserved in the same way.
“Our data are looked at by organizations, academics and state agencies,” said Latimore. “Because the data is collected by volunteers, we know people will be skeptical, so we have to hold ourselves to the highest standards.”
Latimore shared how regrettable it is when samples must be rejected because they were taken at the wrong time or in the wrong location, missed procedural elements, or had flaws in collection materials. Missing aluminum foil on a chlorophyll-A sample or mud in the cap of a phosphorus sample bottle mean the data is compromised and unreportable.
During the afternoon session, participants were captivated by Latimore’s presentation of the “Score the Shore” protocol, which has only been used for the past five years. Score the Shore arose out of volunteer requests for a way to assess shoreline health.
“Shoreline disturbance is the number one stressor to a lake,” said Latimore.
During the presentation, Latimore showed countless photographs to help participants understand what they’re looking for when assessing each 1000-foot section of a lake’s shoreline for things like emergent vegetation, sloped artificial erosion control, and bioengineering.
Latimore indicated that property owners can get competitive, in a good way, when Score the Shore results are shared at a lake association meeting. It’s positive peer pressure for the sake of the lake.
The final session of the day saw participants pick up magnifying glasses and get their hands wet as they analyzed aquatic invasive species. Elgin explained that the Exotic Aquatic Plant Watch just looks at the most likely five species: Eurasian water milfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, starry stonewort, hydrilla and European frog-bit. Since hydrilla is much worse than EWM, and has not invaded the U.P., Elgin kept it in a sealed jar. The emphasis of this protocol is early detection so eradication is possible.
Saturday’s CLMP event was more than just training. Looking at a room filled with people from across the county and beyond who want to know more and do more to promote healthy lakes is inspiring and energizing. Being in the presence of caring, knowledgeable, engaging educators like Elgin and Latimore inspires confidence. Sharing concerns and experiences with folks who live on other lakes allows us to tap each other’s knowledge and skill and feel less alone.
Iron County Lakes & Streams Partnership would like to heartily thank all the participants, Jo Latimore, Erick Elgin, and our gracious hosts at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp who provided us with beautiful surroundings and fortifying foods!
For more information about Iron County Lakes & Streams Partnership, visit our website: www.iclakesandstreamspartnership.com/.
For more information about the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, visit the MI Corps website: micorps.net/lake-monitoring/.