By: Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

As cold temperatures slow the metabolisms of all living creatures, winter lakes such as Roaming Rock Lake exhibit reduced rates of photosynthesis and respiration. In temperate lakes covered by ice, water temperatures are about 4˚C (39˚F) top to bottom except at the very top where ice forms between 0˚C (32˚F) and 4˚C.  The unique properties of water molecules make ice less dense than water, so it floats on the top of the lake, allowing fish and other life to remain alive below.

Ice can become so thick that little light penetrates to the water below. Photosynthesis, already slowed by the cold temperatures, ceases to take place altogether in the dark water limiting weed and algae growth.  The ice also separates the lake water from the atmosphere so that no direct diffusion of oxygen can occur.  Although fish and other organisms need very little oxygen when water temperatures are so cold, oxygen may entirely deplete, resulting in a winter fish kill in some lakes.  Our fish population’s health is helped by significant water flow from our many tributaries.  The oxygen-enriched water flows under the ice all winter.

As always, Love the Lake and Be Lake Responsible.

By David Ernes – Lake Management Committee

In many cases, lakes located in areas away from human development tend to be clear and clean. However, once humans build homes, and construct docks, the natural state of the land is disturbed. In the 2007 National Lakes Assessment, a study of thousands of lakes across the continental US, lakeshore habitat change was the number one stressor for a lake’s biological condition. In the 2012 Assessment, habitat changes, coupled with increasing phosphorous are major stressors. When we replace porous soil with impervious concrete or asphalt, or remove local plants and trees and replace then with lawns and open spaces, we eliminate nature’s ability to keep bodies of water clean.

So, what can be done? You may have heard the term “buffer zones” or riparian zones. This is an approach where the area between a lawn and the lakeshore is modified by planting bushes and other plant materials that will reduce erosion and filter run-off before reaching the lake. There are numerous articles on the Internet describing the types of plants that are most beneficial and are beyond the scope of this article. In many cases, plants are selected that are natural for the area, to prevent non-native plants from growing out of control and causing a greater problem.

As one travels on our lake, you can see that almost all lakefront properties are unique. The slope of the land, the shape of the shoreline, and the proximity of our neighbors all make for unique situations. Not every situation can add a buffer zone at the shore. However, that does not mean that you cannot help. If one is thinking of making changes to their lawn and shoreline, take a look at the area. Can you use a rip-rap (use of rocks for shoreline control of erosion) instead of a retaining wall? Are there open areas next to your dock that you can have plants run up to the shoreline. If you have a steep slope, can you have a buffer zone before the slope that can filter run-off and prevent the edge from eroding. Think before removing large trees near the shore.

And, you don’t need to just be on the lakeshore to use this approach. Many lots back into a field, creek, ditch, culvert or drain. Run-off from all properties, not just lakefront, eventually winds its way into the lake. Keeping a buffer at the edge of the lawn can help to keep the nutrient levels in check.

There are numerous examples on the Internet where this approach has lead to an improvement in water quality. The Wisconsin Lakeshore Restoration Project is one example. The Portland Water District has a brochure titled “Lakes Like Less Lawn”, which outlines their program for environmental landscaping. So, if you are looking to make changes to your landscaping in the spring, consider the design and see if you can include bushes, trees and other plant material to improve not only your lot but the lake as well.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE

By: Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

I’ll bet you’re the kind of gardener who cuts down all old plant stalks, rakes up every frost-burned leaf,and makes your garden bed tidy each fall.   No?  Well if you are there are good reasons to change your garden maintenance schedule and wait until spring to spruce things up. 

Trees, ground cover, butterflies, birds, and other creatures that enjoy our gardens all summer need us to work on a four-season schedule.  If we make things too neat, we eliminate much of the food and shelter our plantings could provide in winter, when some creatures need them most. 

Summer’s flowers shrivel into seed heads that feed gold finches, chickadees, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, and sparrows in the cold weather while stalks and grasses provide havens for beneficial insects in hibernation.  Decomposing plants and leafs fertilize the ground for next season’s plantings and prevents oil run-off.  In addition, dried flower heads and stalks poking out of the snow make for a pleasing site adding color and structure to the landscape.

A single bee balm head holds between 80 to 110 energy-packed seeds for backyard birds.  Other plants, such as goldenrod, aster, and coneflower also produce abundant seeds. Annuals such as zinnias and black-eyed Susan’s, too, are a “feast on a stick” for birds.  Many kinds of native bees, such as bumble-bees, mason bees, and leaf-cutter bees, overwinter in the garden clutter.  Many butterfly species benefit from the not-too-neat approach, some overwintering in piles of leaves, other in natural cavities.  Leaves hold butterfly chrysalises and beneficial bugs such assassin bugs and ladybugs which need layers of leaf litter to survive the cold.

“Leave your garden messy” is the new mantra for gardeners who take the year-round prospective.  There’ll be time enough in the spring to do the cutting and clearing that make way for spring and summer blooms.  In fact, the messier the garden in winter,the more wild things we’ll see next year.

As always, Love the Lake and Be Lake Responsible.

Nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, are key ingredients in lawn fertilizer.  When it rains, fertilizer applied to lawns can wash into nearby storm culverts and streams that flow into our lake.  Nutrients contribute to algae blooms, excess weeds, rob the water of oxygen, and threaten underwater life.

Best management practices for the health of your lawn and Lake Roaming Rock:

• Skip the spring fertilizer, especially if your lawn is healthy.  Fertilizing lawns in spring promotes excessive top growth at the expense of roots.
• Sharpen lawnmower blades.  A dull blade tears and weakens the grass, opening it up to disease.  Many local hardware stores or garden shops can sharpen your blade for you.
• Raise the cutting height of the mower.  Taller grass shades out weeds and needs less water.  A three-inch cut length is ideal for most lawns.
• Leave grass clippings on the lawn.  They provide free fertilizer all season long.

If fertilizer is necessary:

• Follow the directions on the fertilizer bag.
• Learn about soil testing.
• Do not apply phosphorus to lawns unless a soil test indicates that it is needed.
• Clean up any fertilizer on driveways or other impervious surfaces.
• Keep fertilizer applications 10 to 15 feet away from waterways.
• Do not apply fertilizer if heavy rain is expected.

Love the Lake and be lake responsible.

I have begun to see goslings hatching out around May 1st. We did a pretty good job neutralizing the goose nests that were located earlier thanks to the support and reports we received from many concerned residents. Now and through June is the time to be vigilant in watching for goslings and begin harassing them the day they show up. The longer you wait, the harder our job is to get rid of them.

According to Geoffery Westerfield of the ODNR, harassing the goslings is very important for limiting the number of resident geese on our lake during the rest of the year. Separating the goslings from their parents even for a short time is an effective form of harassment. Geoffery advises that whenever you can, try to separate goslings from the adult geese by stepping between them shooing the goslings away from the adults by waving your arms and making loud noises (do not make contact). If you harass the goslings and adults together it is less effective and can even be counterproductive. Your goal is to send the message to the adult geese that your property is not a safe place to raise their young and to the goslings that Lake Roaming Rock can be a scary place.

“Don’t stop anywhere short of the geese leaving your property”, says Geoffery. Simply chasing them to the water or the neighbor will not keep the geese off of your property (and is actually also counterproductive). Consistency and persistency is still key. Geese will “shift” around the property, especially those without goslings. Keep up the consistent and persistent harassment.

June 1st is an important date. Geese will begin to molt (i.e. lose their flight feathers) around June 1st. If you don’t harass them off the property by that date, it becomes very difficult to remove them and you will likely be stuck with the geese till mid-July.

Geese excrement is a contributor to the E. coli levels in our lake. In addition, it provides excess nutrients that feed the algae and weeds. We love our geese, but a few less wouldn’t hurt either. Thanks for being lake responsible!

A frozen lake is just one more sign that winter has come to Roaming Shores. It presents a snapshot in time of the beauty of the lake. Of course the lake does not completely freeze (thanks to the properties of water), and one never knows if we will even see the surface of the lake freeze this year. But if we do, you may be surprised at what goes on under the ice.

A lake’s “winter” season is often identified based on the dates that the lake becomes fully ice covered. Once the lake is frozen, the entire ecosystem changes to cope with the colder temperatures.

Of most importance to many of our residents is the effect on the fish population. Fish seek the warmer waters under the ice and can survive as long as the oxygen levels in the water are adequate. Since they are not warm blooded, their metabolism slows, including respiration, digestion and activity level. This state, called torpor, allows them to survive until the ice melts and the water starts to warm up again. Some amphibians survive in this state by first burrowing into the sediment along the lake bottom before “hibernating”.

Macrophytes (aquatic plants) can actually handle the winter better than their terrestrial cousins if they are protected under the water. Some will form nodules, which can store energy while they wait for the sun to reappear. Some may go dormant. Some may die back, but their root systems may survive to grow again in the spring. While the lake drawdown can kill even the root systems if exposed long enough to the cold air, hopefully many beneficial aquatic plants will survive as they compete with the algae for the nutrients in the spring and summer.

As far as microscopic organisms are concerned, they also adapt. Phytoplankton (photosynthetic organisms) such as cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), produce thick-walled cells much like a cocoon that will protect them in a dormant state until conditions are more favorable. Some species can survive by becoming cannibals and consuming other algae species for food. Zooplankton (microscopic animal that also eat phytoplankton) may also form a cocoon for protection.

Like some of us, the lake’s many residents slow down their activity level during the cooler winter months and wait for the arrival of spring.
(Some information presented in this article was extracted in part from Lakeline Vol 34, #4 (2014))

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE

How long has it been since you just stopped whatever you were doing to simply look out over our beautiful lake?  The winter snow may cause us some problems driving but it sure does paint a wonderful background for one of the most spectacular views along the shoreline of our lake.  Whatever problems occupied my mind a few moments before simply disappear when I stare out over the water.  I can’t think of another scenic view anywhere that rivals the one in our own backyard.

This time of year allows me to reflect on the past year of the many great memories we each create here in Roaming Shores.  Whether it’s jumping from a floating dock at one of the beaches, watching the wonderful fireworks over East Beach or laughing with neighbors while the sun sets behind the trees.   I give great Thanks to those committee members whom have donated precious hours to help better our community and lake through the Lake Management Committee.  I urge others to consider getting involved with the Lake Management Committee and sharing your skills and talents in the coming year.  From your RomeRock Association Lake Management Committee, we wish you a very happy, merry and safe Holiday Season.

Remember to Love the Lake and Be Lake Responsible