One Hand or the Other

Mother Nature took a lot of revenue from a lot of different lake associations this winter/spring along with the local utility companies. This celebration of lower utility bills overshadows the need for Mother Nature to provide a platform from which we can hold a frozen water contest for fund raising purposes.  Everything has a flip side and this is no different.  Eagle Lake like all others in the lower part of the state has had a lot of days of sunshine peeking through thin snow layers on the ice.  We need to be aware that not only are your tulips going to pop up early, so will the vegetation in the lake.  So, not only will you spend more money on grass mowing due to natures ‘early start program’, your lake association needs to concern itself with a vigilant and thorough examination of lake conditions underwater.  Therein lies the possibility of having to spend a few more buckeroos on aquatic plant treatment.
 
No one in the association is trained for scuba diving so we have to observe visually into the surface of the water and by dropping equipment (rakes) to see how much plant growth is occurring. The very same thing that you can do from your shoreline vantage point.  Now, if it is possible through the internet to start revolutions around the world, I think we can email one another in a combined effort to share information about current conditions from our individual shorelines. By comparing your data with others around the lake, it is entirely possible to literally graph current lake weed growth by type and population.  This would tell all of us where the current problem areas are and what the rest of us must do to assist and counter the effects of those most affected.  We can Google and find almost anything we want to know on the internet. We cannot find lake conditions because no one is gathering that information. This year will be different.
 
Check your shoreline, check for weeds, water clarity, debris, anything worth noting.  At the end of this newsletter will be a list of email addresses you can send your report to.  Welcome to our new website for Eagle Lake. This site has the capacity to be a platform, a central information site for folks to go to see what others are experiencing.  Sort of a lake Twitter. 
 
It will be hosting DNR reports, news reports, local events, updates from lakeshore owners, updates from fisherman visiting the lake, recreational feedback from other visitors of the lake.
There will be links, class offerings, in fact just about everything you will need to enjoy and to help marshal the quality and condition of the lake.  And you will be a part of it.
 
Why don’t you start your 2012 involvement by attending the Annual meeting this year on April 28th?  Starts at 10:00am.  Check your mailbox for the latest newsletter for the details.  Why don’t you whip a bucket of your favorite chili that you are always bragging about?  It could be worth $200.00.  And it will be judged by the public, by popular vote.  And while we are learning who is the good cook in the bunch, we will be presenting some very entertaining and educational talks on lake shore care.  You can never know too much. See you there. Bring a friend.
 
By the way, the presentation this year is by no means a backstage act. You would typically expect to pay an admission to a comparable event.  The folks presenting this year are experts in their fields who are very versed in large crowd presentations.  We really did go over the top this year in producing an annual meeting that will have people saying ‘you should have gone’.  Time is valuable and we don’t intend to waste yours.  And time is why we moved the annual date up from early June to end of April.  We want to get you the information early in the season so you can make use of it.  Be prepared, know your options, taste your neighbors cooking (you can tell a lot about a person by how they stir the pot) and by all means meet folks like yourself, people who care about where they live. This meeting is as much about people and families as it is about anything.  See you there. It’s free. Really. 

P.S.  Keep an eye on this website.  We are going to be filling it with all sorts of worthwhile information.  Oh, and don't be afraid to volunteer to help put things on the site.  We have free training and coaching by the web host.  Just call 612-801-3491 for more details.