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.  

By D.Ernes – Lake Management Committee

One of the main activities on our lake during the summer months is boating. Arguably, it is one of the main reasons to own property on or near a lake. If you have gone to recent Board meetings and the Annual meeting, boating safety has been a major topic of discussion. This is mainly directed to the increased incidence of boaters and other powered watercraft users ignoring the no-wake areas. But there is also a negative effect of boating at fast speeds in no-wake areas on the health of the lake.

As the lake depth becomes shallower, such as along the shore or in the coves, the action of the propeller can stir up the sediment on the lake bottom. This can increase the turbidity of the lake and release more nutrients to the lake surface, which can increase the likelihood of algal blooms. It can also disturb the plants and animals who may reside along the lake bottom that are vital to the lake. It can take up to 24 hours for the sediment to resettle on the lake bottom. The literature states that turbulence from a propeller can reach up to 10 feet below the water surface. This can reach even further, and with more energy, with wake boats. In addition to this, most of the lake-front properties have retaining walls, which are effective at reflecting the turbulence back out into the lake, and cause more mixing if one is speeding too close to the shore.

Some wake boats can have another impact. Depending on the design, they may lower the rear of the boat by injecting lake water into a ballast. If one moves this type of boat from another lake to ours without flushing these ballasts, it is possible that invasive species of plants, and animals can be introduced into our lake. This is what happened in Lake Erie with the zebra mussels from cargo boats.

So, obeying the no-wake zones in the coves and within 75 feet of the shores is a good idea. It makes it safer for those who may use kayaks and paddleboards as well as swimmers. It also helps to protect the health of the lake.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE

Winter brings slippery streets,parking lots and sidewalks.  Follow these tips to maintain safe surfaces while reducing the use of road salt that can damage our lake as well as environment. Excess road salt damages local surface waters as well as groundwater, vegetation, and infrastructure.  

Most ice is formed by the pressure of foot and vehicle traffic – so shovel early and often!  Clear the snow before applying any kind of salt/deicer.   Deicers are substances that melt ice or prevent its formation.  Road salt (sodium chloride) is the most common choice, but it doesn’t work well below about 15°F, no matter how much of the product is used.  Use just one pound of road salt per 250 sq. ft. of pavement.  One pound fills a typical coffee cup.  Overuse doesn’t improve effectiveness.

Salt should be scattered across the surface, with about three inches between granules.  If leftover salt crystals are still visible after salt has been applied, then you’ve used too much.  Sweep up the leftover salt and re-use it, or dispose of it in the trash.  Remember all salt applied in the winter will wash into our lake during the spring rains.  Switch to other deicing agents on very cold days, or apply a little sand in place of salt.  Sweep it up later to reuse throughout the season.

Remember shoveling is the most effective way to prevent ice buildup.  Minimize the use of road salt by paying attention to temperature and weather conditions to ensure you’re using the right substances and methods to manage snow and ice.  As always, Love the Lake and Be Lake Responsible.