David Ernes – Lake Management Committee

Lake Management is a complex process that blends knowledge of the lake with proven techniques to afford desired changes where necessary. Our lake has been “good” to us for several decades. As responsible stewards, we need to see if she needs help from us now.  There have been many discussions over time regarding perceived issues with the lake. It is our desire to capture as many Association members’ thoughts as we can so that we, in coordination with experts and proven vendors, can focus our efforts in the areas of greatest concern to all residents of Roaming Shores.

Below is a link to a ten question Survey. We would like everyone to complete this survey, whether you live on or off the lake. We need your input. If you would rather not complete the survey on-line, copies of the survey will be available in the Association office. If you know of people who may not be receiving the E-blast, please let them know of the paper copies as well. Let your opinion be heard. Thank you for participating in this survey.

Take the Survey

Love the lake and Be Lake Responsible.

Cheryl Fain – Lake Management Committee

The Five Ws are questions whose answers are considered basic in information gathering or problem solving. The problem is how to keep our lake healthy. Let’s consider a tree canopy.

Who: You, who are reading this article. Your actions can keep our lake healthy.

What: Trees, a critical part of a Buffer Zone or Riparian Zone. Plant them. Keep our lake healthy.

Where: Here, at Lake Roaming Rock. Keep the trees that are there or if there are none, plant some. Keep our lake healthy.

When: As soon as possible. Today. Tomorrow. Keep our lake healthy.

Why: The tree canopy becomes part of the natural filtration system for our beautiful lake.

We must curtail removing them from our lots. Instead, leave as many trees as possible, as their roots become filters for nutrients and silt. Plant them, especially the ones that are part of our North East Ohio ecosystem. Even though warnings are out there that our climate change has already started to influence the types of trees that can be sustained in warmer weather. Here are some suggestions that do well: Bitternut Hickory, Black Oak, Black Walnut, Bur Oak, Eastern Red Cedar, and Scarlet Oak. I found this information on the Holden Arboretum web page. They list “New Neighbors” which will adapt to the weather changes. They also list the endemic trees that are in trouble. It’s also important to remember that trees not only release oxygen but also consume carbon dioxide.

Sometimes, a sixth item is included with the 5W’s.  

How: Do not remove all trees from your lots. If possible plant trees as part of your buffer zone from the watershed that surrounds our lake.

[Chairman’s note: If you have vacant lots, remember that if you clear a lot, and you do not start construction within two weeks, you must plant grass, as stated in part of the Village Ordnance on erosion control.]

Love the lake and be lake responsible. And Keep our Lake Healthy.

By Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

Several of your Lake Management Members have already written to illustrate the significant value of buffer zones on our lakefront properties.  Some residents have contacted me with the worry that their properties will not be attractive with natural plants.  Creating and maintaining natural buffer zones along the shore does not mean your property has to look unkempt.  Buffers and upland islands of trees, shrubs, and flowers can bring natural beauty to your yard.  Additionally, tall native plants typically have deep root systems.  They will slow erosion, decrease ice damage, increase rain infiltration, and act as a barrier to discourage geese from walking (as well as other things…) on your shoreline property.

Your shoreline is part of a larger community and ecosystem.  Individual choices by many have cumulative impacts on a lake and its ecosystem.  Your actions can restore or degrade the quality of the ecosystem.  Restoring your lakeshore to a more natural condition is important, even if your neighbors are not restoring theirs, because it can help wildlife habitat, water quality, and fish. (Chairman’s note: You can see more examples of this idea on-line by searching for Aquascaping or Lakescaping.)

Love the lake and be lake responsible.

by R.D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

Several residents have asked me “What were those strange, jelly-like, blobs stuck to my dock this summer that look sort of like frog eggs?”  They are actually aquatic animals known as bryozones, a name that literally means “moss animal”.  Bryozoans are fairly common in lakes and streams and form colonies of gelatinous mass attached to submerged tree branches, docks, pilings, etc.  Each colony, sometimes growing to the size of a soccer ball, is made of many individual creatures called “zooids” which are microscopic creatures with a mouth, digestive tract, muscles, and nerve centers. 

Freshwater bryozoans are harmless, though they occasionally clog water pipes and sewage treatment equipment.  Bryozoans eat microscopic organisms and are eaten by several larger aquatic predators, including fish and insects.  Snails graze on them, too. Like mussels and other filter feeders, bryozoans gradually cleanse the water as they feed. The good news is that their presence usually indicates good water quality.

Bryozoans are filter feeders, sucking algae, bacteria (both good and bad), and decaying organic material out of the water, which benefits water quality.  The bryozoans that are so visible in summer will disappear as fall progresses.  At that point, they produce survival pods that contain a single zooid.  Zooids in the pods can survive long periods of dormancy, including drying out and freezing.  They start reproducing new colonies if and when the conditions are right.

They’re weird, and not the prettiest of things, but do these bryozoans mean any harm?  The simple answer is no.  Bryozoans are beneficially removing unwanted organisms from the water, so elimination of them would likely be detrimental to the aquatic environment.  I generally leave the colony to do its thing.  However, if you just can’t stand to look at it or if they frighten your guests when showing off our lake, manual removal is probably the best solution. 

The good news is that if these guys thrive in our lake, it’s a good indication that we have a healthy, organic lake environment.  For more information about bryozoans see http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/bryozoans-moss-animals.  Love the Lake!

By Geoff Westerfield –Assistant Wildlife Management Supervisor, ODNR Division of Wildlife

I hope you are enjoying your summer goose free.  If so, your Lake Management Committee has done a great job limiting the harmful effects of goose droppings this year.  If not, now is the time when adult geese are spreading their new wings and the goslings are taking their first flights and it is a perfect time to return back to heavy harassment with the geese.

Geese are currently going through a “shift” looking for the spot where they are going to spend their time until the Fall so now is the time to be vigilant in chasing the geese off the property.  As I am sure you have heard me say before, the key to being goose free is doing the right techniques right at the right time of the year.  Below I provide a refresher of these techniques for this time of the year:

1)  Never stop short of the geese leaving the property.  Doing so can actually be detrimental to your program allowing the geese to feel like they “won the battle” by still being allowed to use your property even though they were harassed making it increasingly harder to harass them.

2)  If there is water on the property, always chase the geese away from the water.  Water to geese is safety and you want to remove any places where they feel safe in order to be effective.

3)  Look for places to chase geese where they can feel trapped such as thick shrubbery, fences, corners of buildings, walls, etc.  Making them feel trapped will give them a much more effective feeling of vulnerability which will help tremendously in keeping them from coming back to your property.

4)  While any bangers, screamers, lights, decoys, sprays, motion sprinklers, etc. should have been sitting on the shelf not being used over the last few months, now is the time to pull those back out and again begin using them.

5)  The two times to focus harassment efforts is at sunrise and sunset when the geese are going to/from feeding areas.

6)  Stay consistent with your harassment.  You don’t want to send mixed signals to the geese.  The goal is to make them understand loud and clear they are not welcome on your property.

7)  Once you get the geese flying, stick around for a few minutes to see if they are doing a big loop and coming back.  If they do this you should be yelling at them as they are coming back waving your hands to keep them in the air.  If there is a pond they are going to land on, throwing some rocks or sticks to make splashes on the water works great to keep them from landing on the water.

Following these tips will ensure you get rid of the geese quickly to allow you the rest of the summer goose free till the next “shift” on September 1st.