Lake Management Committee
RRA May Offer Weed and Algae Control Option To Residents
The Lake Management Committee has recommended to the Association that we offer our residents an optional weed control program. First, let me explain why we are trying to put into place a program to HELP the residents with the weeds and algae that has reached NUISANCE levels in our lake, and will continue to get worse if left unchecked.
Our own study by Enviroscience, along with others, show that one of the weed species, Eurasian Milfoil, and other weeds at nuisance levels, are bad for the fisheries in many ways, along with being unhealthy for the lake in general. Milfoil is a non-native and invasive species that crowds out beneficial native species of weeds and grows so thick that it reduces spawning sites needed for a healthy fish population.
The decomposition of the vast, dense population of weeds causes fish kills under the ice during the winter because decomposition robs the water column of oxygen. Lakes in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. try to eradicate milfoil immediately upon early detection. Weed harvesters are not only ineffective in controlling milfoil and some other species, they COMPOUND the problem by fragmenting and propagating them. In other words, it spreads them even more.
Weed harvesters are the WORST response to milfoil problems. Harvesters also cannot get close enough to and around docks and boats to provide relief. We are not trying to completely eradicate weeds in our lake and create a swimming pool. It’s just good lake management to reduce all species of weeds to below NUISANCE levels. I’ve had countless residents report to me that this excessive weed and algae level experienced by our community the last few years is causing overheating of boat motors, tangling of boat props, inability to gain access to the lake on jet skis because of clogged jet pumps, impossible fishing from docks, inability to swim around residents docks, and the inability to sell properties, along with loss in property values.
I decided to do some research to see how other communities such as ours deal with this problem, and found that none of them continue to run weed harvesters alone or IGNORE such situations. Apple Valley, Portage Lakes, Lake Cardinal, Lake Mohawk, the State of Ohio, and a long list of other lakes and municipalities participate in aquatic weed herbicide programs, with great success. We decided to offer an OPTIONAL spot treatment program through the Association provided by a reputable and licensed lake management professional company, Aqua Doc, which has been providing such programs to other communities for over 26 years.
They have several lake management professionals on their staff with degrees in limnology and aquatic biology. This will help discourage residents, who are desperate for relief from the ugly situation this excessive weed and algae growth presents to them, from “self-medicating” around their waterfront areas. Improper and unauthorized use of dangerous chemicals which can get into the food chain and also result in EPA problems if found in our bottom sediment, are being used in our lake. Even the proper chemicals, if applied INCORRECTLY at improperly measured amounts, pose health issues and problems.
We are trying to prevent a “wild west” situation with chemicals being thrown into the lake indiscriminately. I want to tell everyone that Aqua Doc has been treating Portage Lakes, a public lake under the close watch of the ODNR and EPA, with safe EPA approved products such as “Reward” for the past 12 years. Aqua Doc intends to use this product at this time on our lake. Different situations require different products. There are NO swimming restrictions when this product is applied at the PROPER rate.
There also are no restrictions as far as eating fish following proper treatments with this product. I understand that there is some concern whether these products are safe. If you look at the chemical breakdown of Coca Cola or even chlorine, you will find that they are harmful to humans if not in the correct measured amounts. In fact, the MSDS for chlorine shows it to be more dangerous than “Reward”. This product, which has 37% diquat dibromide as its active ingredient, when used and applied PROPERLY by licensed and trained professionals, has been APPROVED by the EPA and is completely safe for lakes such as ours.
Remember also that we are not talking about “chemicalizing” our entire lake. We are talking about spot treating small areas with very precise applications at the proper parts per billion rates. Those who don’t want their dock areas treated can keep their weeds and algae. We only want to reduce the weeds and algae to below nuisance levels. This product can be applied very precisely. In other lake communities such as Apple Valley and Portage Lakes, this is being done successfully. Five properties in a row can be treated, one or two left untreated, and more neighbors down the line can be treated, leaving the untreated areas still infested with weeds and algae.
Lake Cardinal, which was so infested with weeds and algae that it was ugly, unusable pea soup a few years ago, now has an open beach and a better fishing situation thanks to the proper use of this product. Another thing to remember also is that the excessive algae growth on our lake can be toxic to pets and humans when reaching nuisance levels. There are numerous studies that prove this. Enviroscience and the Ohio Lake Management Society (OLMS) have this info available. With all the emphasis being placed on the ecology and environment these days, if these products were unsafe, they would not be available for use on our public waters.
When applied PROPERLY and at the correct measured amounts, this product will not only be safe, but will result in a healthier lake more beneficial for ALL our residents to enjoy boating, swimming, fishing, and other activities while helping to maintain property values. We on the Lake Management Committee recommended that this service be available to provide a balance, so that EVERYBODY can enjoy our community’s most important asset.
The Board approved a test site at the Clubhouse Cove just south of the bridge last week. The cove was a smelly weed and algae choked mess before treated, unusable for anything, and within five days looked great, with below nuisance levels of weeds still there, and no algae. People were fishing this site and a family with young kids reported catching 12 perch that morning. Before and after pictures are available on the web site, or check it yourself!
This service will be made available to lakefront property owners at a fair cost, with those signing up for the service for the remainder of this season locking in the same price for next season. Notices will be sent through the mail soon as to how to proceed.
Hopefully soon we will able to experience successful draw downs with the help of a siphon system, which will allow us to freeze out some of the excessive shoreline weeds and perform some much needed dredging in our coves. Hopefully then this weed treatment service will be unnecessary. Until then this is a safe and much needed option.
Speaking of draw downs, the Board has authorized a draw down attempt this Fall due to the failures of the last several attempts. The Village intends to follow the ODNR recommended one foot per week draw down rate. We will begin drawing the lake down Oct. 5th. Hopefully the weather will cooperate! Plan your projects accordingly.
And finally, the Lake Management Committee has decided to take on the Annual Clambake, set for Sept. 20th. If there are any questions or concerns about any of these projects or programs the LMC is working on, feel free to contact us. We’ve spent lots of time doing our research and homework, and hopefully we can answer them.
David Schuster
Lake Management Committee Chairman
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Having recently become the LMC Chairman a few months ago, I would like to take this opportunity to present to the Roaming Shores community our team’s vision and plans. But first, let me say that we believe that our lake is the community’s most important asset, thus deserving our utmost attention. This community was founded 40 years ago around this lake. Without it, there would be no Roaming Shores. People didn’t and don’t move out to this secluded area because of nice roads or nice office buildings. They move out here for a healthy beautiful lake enjoyable for boating, fishing, and swimming alike. I’m not saying nice roads and buildings aren’t important. They are! Most reasonable people will agree that all our real estate values, on lake AND off lake, are predicated upon having a clean healthy lake. Since joining this committee over a year ago and getting involved in our community, I’ve had many long time residents report to me that the lake is in the “worst condition ever”.
We have ugly smelly algae, brown water, and excessive weeds that tangles props, clogs jet pumps, prevents swimming in places they used to be able to swim in, and just looks downright nasty at times. Notice I said excessive weeds. Some weeds are necessary for a healthy lake and fish population. We also have some coves and the southern end of the lake filling with nutrient laden sediment and reaching the critical point of not having enough water to get our boats in and out of our docks. As the weeds die each year, they add to the sediment buildup and provide food for the next year’s crop of weeds. Our Lake Management team has been studying the solutions available to cure these ills. We have been doing research and attending OLCA (Ohio Lake Communities Association) seminars, where we discuss common problems, how these problems are solved, and how other lake communities maintain their lakes in proactive ways. We have even visited other lake communities to observe firsthand their systems and operations.
We have learned a lot. In order to help revitalize our lake we are hoping to install a siphon system. These bottom withdrawal systems are used extensively in Europe and becoming popular in North America, helping to remove farm runoff nutrients, stagnant de-oxygenated bottom water, and suspended solids (sediment) in older lakes. We published an article and drawing a few months back explaining the many benefits such a system provides. A bottom withdrawal system like this has some safety and cost saving benefits also. We are lucky to never have had a major dam problem, but if and when we eventually do, it will enable us to lower our lake quickly and hold the level down while repairs are done, saving us the huge cost of building a temporary dam in order to repair or rebuild it. Holiday Lakes had such an issue recently, and their 25 year old siphon system is estimated to have saved them $100,000 in the last 2 years while doing major repairs to their dam. It also can help in flood control during major rain events. A siphon will allow us to have regular successful drawdowns later in the year, not interfering with the recreational use of our lake. I covered the benefits of regular drawdowns in an article here this past September. The last several drawdowns have been total failures for two reasons. First is because the Village has decided to follow a general ODNR recommendation for all Ohio dams, which we and most other communities have never followed before. Most still don’t.
This means we can’t lower our lake more than 1 foot per week. So, in order to perform the 10 ft drawdown we attempted, it will take 10 weeks with virtually no rain! We all know that this impossible considering that our large watershed area will raise the water level 7 ft. with 1 inch of rain. Any rain along the way refills the lake and we’re back to square one, even with our drain open. This magnifies even more the second reason, which is our inability to hold the water level down once it is lowered. The siphon will provide the ability to hold the level down during rain events, eventually allowing us to reach our targeted level and keeping it there, even with a 1 foot per week drawdown rate. Then we can freeze out some of the excessive shoreline weeds, accomplish shoreline projects, protect our docks from ice damage, and do mechanical dredging where needed, instead of hydraulic dredging which can be up to 5 times more costly. It could allow us to visually inspect and have a regular dredging maintenance program like other communities do. We are also planning to build silt ponds around the lake. Silt ponds help slow down sedimentation.
While there is some debate on the degree of effectiveness of silt ponds, they do collect sediment before it reaches the lake. Several areas and coves are in desperate need of relief from sedimentation. An older study showed that our OVERALL sedimentation isn’t as bad as other lakes the same age, but we definitely have some serious problem areas. We are currently conducting a new sedimentation study, focusing a bit more on those problem areas. Considering the relatively low cost of the silt ponds, we have decided to go forward with them. This way, once dredging is done, a system will already be in place to prevent or alleviate the reoccurrence of sedimentation.
We have also studied aeration systems, which help to introduce oxygen and naturally dissipate some of the excess farm runoff nutrients which feed the algae in our lake, helping to keep the water healthy and clear. We will be doing other water studies regularly also. I believe we, as a community, are at a crossroads here. If we ignore these problems and delay, the eventual costs will grow, with our home values possibly declining. The costs of these solutions are high, but the cost of inaction is even higher! I applaud the Board of Directors and our GM for increasing the LMC budget this year so we can get started on these projects. While most residents I talk to agree action should be taken to revitalize our lake, 1 or 2 have asked “if we haven’t done any of these things the last 40 years, why now?” Well people, lakes age, and like anything else that ages, lakes need maintenance.
The question now should rather be, “How do we keep and enjoy a healthy lake for ANOTHER 40 years?” With the support of our community, the present Board of Directors and future Boards, we believe we can accomplish this goal.
David Schuster, LMC Chairman