By David Ernes – Lake Management Committee

As we have stated before, reducing algal blooms is the primary focus of the LMC in this phase of our overall Management Plan. The two common ways to do this are either through the use of algicides or though the reduction of nutrients. Chemical algicides are effective and fast, and are being investigated but they are a band aid and are not a long term solution. And they have some drawbacks that must be understood. The best solution is the control of excess nutrients. Nutrients come into the lake from several sources such as the legacy sediment deposited on the lake bottom over the 50+ years of its life, or from the watershed (via run-off from yard fertilizers and agricultural operations or the streams and tributaries).  With a  Nutrient Budget or Water Quality Model we will establish the percentage that each source contributes to the overall nutrient load for the lake. And from that information we can focus on the mitigation practices that have the best chance of success. (A Budget is also one of the common features one sees in any successful Lake Management Plan.)

The RRA Board has approved the requisiton of a Budget for our lake. At the same time, the LMC is researching various mitigation techniques that address the algae blooms. Once the Budget is completed, we can select those techniques that will have the greatest impact both short-term and long-term while being financially responsible. And once the nutrients are better controlled, we can then move on to other issues such as aquatic vegetation control.

As we wait for the results, we are also looking at simple changes that can impact our lake. One such change approved by the Board was a combined effort by the LMC, the EAC and the RRA maintenance department to alter the mowing practices of the RL lots. In those areas adjacent to the water’s edge or bordering the neighboring farmland, the native vegetation will be allowed to grow unimpeeded, creating a Buffer Zone to absorb nutrient runoff.  This does not cost anything to implement and will actually help the maintenance department. Creation of Buffer Zones is a practice we have often suggested that homeowners can adopt where feasible. Therefore, it is suggested again that you examine your lot and see where you could incorporate a similar practice. Several recent articles have addressed this option. The search for other  “quick hit” options will continue.

 We are moving forwards, and with everyone’s help and patience, we all will continue to…

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE

By David Ernes – Lake Management Committee

No one can deny that this has been an unusual year with the Global Pandemic affecting every part of our lives. As consequences of this situation, it has not been possible to report on the activities of the Lake Management Committee (LMC) normally done at the monthly Board Meetings. Therefore, we wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the activities being conducted in the interim in anticipation for a time when things can get back to ‘normal’.

The first item is that we contracted for the generation of a Bathymetric Survey of the lake. This creates a depth profile of the lake along with a vegetation distribution and hardness evaluation. (Note: This survey was approved and authorized prior to the start of the Pandemic.) This survey yielded significant information for a number of activities. The depth across the lake, in combination with a sediment depth survey conducted last year, can be used to select areas for dredging. The total lake volume that was also measured is necessary to determine dosing levels for any whole-lake chemical remediation efforts, should they be necessary. The resulting three-dimensional map will help to locate optimum sites for the placement of aeration systems, or fountains – two options being evaluated. And the depth can help to illustrate the reason for adherence to no wake areas since a boat’s wake can extend up to ten feet below the water’s surface. It also helps to point out the need to maintain the 75-foot distance from the shore for any boating activities. And our fishermen can locate optimum spots for their excursions.

Second, we continue to monitor the level of bacteria, and algal toxins at the beaches to assess the safety of on-lake activities. The results are reported weekly in the Monday E-blast.

Next, while whole-lake vegetation management is a long-term goal, it is not possible to move forwards on this until the nutrient levels responsible for algal blooms have come into control. This is the reason for the AquaDock program; a more focused program contracted between the company and the individual lot owners. We will be evaluating its positive and negative issues later in the fall once it is competed.

Lastly, we are currently starting a process to evaluate different mitigation efforts for the lake to manage nutrients and reduce algal blooms thereby improving the appearance of our lake. We hope to be issuing articles in the coming months describing these practices, some of which were mentioned above. These articles will present each alternative without any determination as to whether they would (or should) be implemented on our lake. The only criteria is that they have shown to work in the intended application. In conjunction with other resources, we will then evaluate each one, looking for the best option for the long-term health of the lake while being financially responsible.

Now is also a good time to look at your property to make sure you are a good steward for the community as a whole. Also pay attention to your behavior on the lake while boating to insure that all residents can enjoy this unique advantage. So as always…

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE

By Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

Well, the summer is here, and I’m soon expecting to see the grass start turning brown.  But what I haven’t seen much of yet is the familiar sight and sound of our Canada Geese flying overhead.  There are a couple reasons for this.  The goslings have grown out their first set of feathers and the adults have completed another molt and are not yet ready to fly.  Early flights will be quite short for a couple months while the goslings develop the strength necessary for the long migratory trip.

Geoffrey Westerfield, ODNR Assistant Wildlife Management Supervisor, reports that in Ohio, both statewide and in NE Ohio, he is seeing fewer geese complaints this year.  “Our nest permit and roundup permit numbers were also down.”  Geoff says “I am sure that COVID is helping that by allowing folks to chase geese when they normally would be at work, but
I am also assuming that folks are figuring out the right tactic for their location to keep geese moving.  Farm complaints are up a bit with good timing between crops going in the ground during goose molt season.”

I also feel that we’ve be doing a good job here at Lake Roaming Rock to keep geese moving too.  Goose management techniques for the next few months ask us to commence harassment as soon as geese can fly again.  Again, 3-4 days of consistent harassment will get the geese to move on.

Be Lake Responsible.

By Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

 The Canada Goose is one of the most beautiful animals in the world.  But in recent years, flocks of local-nesting or “resident” geese have become year-round inhabitants of our recreational areas, waterways, and residential areas, where they can cause significant problems.

When you feed geese, you convince them that Roaming Shores has a year-round supply of free, easily-accessible food – too nice a place to leave.  Thus some of these migratory birds have literally stopped migrating.  Winter food shortages used to induce their yearly flight south, but free food handouts from naive citizens and their guests–who think they’re doing the geese a favor–can short-circuit millions of years of evolutionary instinct compelling the geese to stay put.

In actuality, you aren’t doing the geese any favors when you feed them (or any other wildlife).  Bread and popcorn are incredibly harmful to both individual animals and entire populations.  Filled up on junk food, the birds won’t seek out the natural, protein-rich staples of their usual diet, leading to widespread malnutrition and wing deformity in goslings.  Further, biologically unsustainable population spikes lead to the quick spread of Enteritis, Aspergillus, and Avian Botulism, diseases that have killed scores of birds across North America.

Hand-feeding doesn’t just hurt birds.  Unwieldy bird populations are also potentially harmful to humans: goose feces contain E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Cryptosporidium.  Exposure to contaminated droppings can also cause Swimmer’s Itch and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.  Feeding (and pooping) usually occurs in the most accessible areas, making a mess of heavily used walkways, lawns, boat ramps, docks and parking areas.  In the Shores, goose poop is everywhere.  

The long-term answer is acting responsibly when we interact with our environment – do not ever, under any circumstances, feed a Canada Goose.  And if you see someone doing it, politely inform them that despite their good intentions, they are actually harming the animals by malnutrition, increasing disease vectors, and preventing them from migrating.  Be Lake Responsible.

Roaming Shores Lake Management understands that aquatic plants can offer many benefits in our lake, and some native plant growth is essential in maintaining a balanced ecosystem.  However, aquatic vegetation can quickly turn into nuisance growth when invasive plant species, most significantly Eurasian watermilfoil, crowd out native species, and thus negatively impact enjoyment of boating, fishing, swimming, and beauty of our lake.  Watershed infusion of excessive nutrients over the past several years has exacerbated the problem.  Our Board of Directors has received many complaints from residents indicating that weed growth needs attention to help ensure the future of the lake.  After much research and review, the following program was approved at our Rome Rock Association meeting on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

Aqua Doc is a well-known, licensed, experienced, and reputable company based in Chardon Ohio.  It provides a variety of services throughout the state of Ohio including weed control for both private lake communities and the state of Ohio waterways, including the Metro Parks System and ODNR-managed waterways.   Aqua Doc has been approved to provide weed management services for any lakefront property owner who chooses to utilize their services for the 2020 summer season.  Please note this is the ONLY aquatic weed treatment permitted in our lake.  Private use of herbicides in our lake is prohibited and subject to a $1000 fine.

The services will begin in May and be repeated monthly during June, July and August.  Aqua Doc will provide a season cost quotation to each lakefront property owner based upon the length of their lakefront according to County real estate records.  Treatments are calculated out 30 feet from dock.  The nuisance weeds particularly targeted are those that are submerged and grow to form mats on the water.  Algae is not controlled by these products.  Contact herbicides will be used which rapidly breakdown into basic carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and are non-detectable after 24 hours.  They are approved by the EPA after 10 years of laboratory and field testing by both the EPA and a third party.  They are reregistered and tested every 15 years.  The products will be applied in low dosages and have been determined by the EPA to be safe for fish and humans.  There is no swimming restriction required after application of the products; however, Aqua Doc recommends allowing 1-2 hours of no boating or swimming in the area of application to enhance weed absorption and control effectiveness.  Because the products are contact herbicides, lot owners should not use the treated water to irrigate lawns, etc. for 72 hours after application.

We need a minimum of 50 residents to sign up for this service.  THIS IS NOT A TREATMENT FOR OUR ENTIRE LAKE!  Our lake is 550 acres.  Each 50 resident sign up averages .0006% of our total lake.  The agreement for this service will be between the property owner and Aqua Doc.  Aqua Doc will calculate the total cost for your specific lot in the manner listed earlier.  There is no additional markup, and any questions or comments will be between the property owner and Aqua Doc.  Please understand, this is not a magic bullet for our lake and will not address the algae issue.  It is only weed management and will continue to be augmented by utilizing our weed harvester for channel areas. 

An informational meeting originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4, was cancelled because of our Governor’s mandate.   In lieu of this we encourage all residents to submit their questions to the association office or email them directly to lake management at  romerocklmc@gmail.com.

You may contact the Association office to sign up for this service.  Aqua Doc is also sending letters to each lake front property owner informing you of how this will work and providing additional information.

We continue to focus on all aspects of a healthy lake including weed management, aquatic life, sediment control and water quality.  Additional programs and activities are being reviewed.  Thank you for your interest and your commitment to our entire lake community!  This program will be reviewed and evaluated at the end of this year to determine how well it worked for everyone.

We want to thank our Lake Management Committee for their efforts in finding effective, environmentally appropriate, cost effective ways to enhance and preserve the most important asset of our lake community, Lake Roaming Rock.  We also want to thank you, the members for your shared commitment to this same cause.

By Richard D. Gainar, CEBS – Lake Management Committee

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) are a modern success story for wildlife management.  At one time, numbers of Canada Geese were in decline.  However, time and the actions of various wildlife agencies have brought their numbers in Ohio to well over 100,000 individuals.  Unfortunately, this dramatic increase in population has resulted in some negative consequences including contributing to excess nutrients and bacteria in our lake which encourage nuisance weeds and harmful algae. 

Did you ever wonder how the geese that are congregating on our beaches and in your backyard are affecting the ecology of our lake?  Considering each goose can produce 1 to 2 pounds of droppings each day, and a typical Canada Goose may poop 28 times a day, it doesn’t look good for homeowners – or our lake.

By April we have seen geese pair up to select nesting sites typically found near the lake within direct sight of the water.  To limit geese production your Lake Management Committee notes these nest sites for a timely visit by ODNR-licensed individuals to addle the eggs.  Addling is a humane process to prevent eggs from hatching while encouraging geese to continue incubating their eggs and not renesting.  If eggs or nest are removed before the goose has satisfied the nesting instinct, it will simply build another nest and lay additional eggs.

Egg addling (through shaking, oiling or puncturing eggs) and nest removal are effective tools for reducing reproduction of Canada Geese in urban areas.  Association residents that discover goose nest on their properties or nearby recreational areas could report the sites to the RRA Office (440-563-3170) to arrange for egg addling.

You will be hearing much more about geese conflict management and damage prevention strategies from your Lake Management Committee this summer including some techniques to help keep them moving along out of our area. 

Love our lake and be lake responsible.