Roaming Shores residents have frequently photographed or published sightings of river otters at our lake.  To help evaluate the potential impact of otters on the lake fishery, RRA Lake Management recently attended a presentation on otters hosted by Pymatuning State Park.  Kelly Ashcraft Pearce, PhD, a biology professor at Allegheny College, presented her findings from many years of masters and doctoral study of river otters.  Jared McGary, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources reported on his research of otters specifically at Pymatuning lake. 

In pioneer times river otters lived in the waterways of our area but were extirpated as a result of  excessive trapping, loss of habitat, and poor farming practices that allowed silt to muddy waterways making it difficult for otters to visualize and catch prey.  Beginning in 1986, the Ohio Division of Wildlife began to reintroduce otters into selected watersheds, including the Grand River.  The otters seen in our lake probably originate from upstream migration of generations of their offspring. 

Dr. Pearce’s doctoral research involved collecting otter scat (feces) and processing it in order to analyze otter food sources.  By examining fish bones and scales, as well as remains of crayfish and other aquatic animals, Dr. Pearce concluded that 80% of otters’ diet consists of crayfish, frogs, salamanders, etc. in the spring and early summer, but then would more heavily rely on fish later in the summer, fall, and winter when crayfish and amphibians were burrowed into the mud. From study of fish scales and bones in otter scat, Dr. Pearce determined the predominant species captured by otters were carp, suckers, bullheads, catfish, and perch.  Dr. Pearch suspects that remains of sport fish, such as trout, were found in less abundance in otter scat because these species are faster and more difficult for otters to catch.  Otters are also an essential part of the original ecosystem of our area because they remove sick and disabled fish from the water.  Mr. McGary utilized trail cameras to study otters at Pymatuning and its watershed.  During the annual shad die-off, otters will feast on these forage fish in Shenango Creek below the dam which can be a good location to observe them.

Otters tend to be very territorial and will mark their territory with their scat and a musky scent called spraint.  They live in low population densities.  The range of an otter can average from 3-12 square miles, and they are constantly on the move.  Typically, otters will not “homestead” in one locale and subsequently will not overly deplete the food supply in any given area.  Dr. Pearce’s master’s thesis research concerned the impact of otters on the many federal, state, and private fish hatcheries in Pennsylvania.  While otters would visit fish hatcheries for food, only one operator reported that otters were a problem with hatchery operations. 

The 2022 fish study at our lake revealed that overall the fishery health was good; however, the RRA and Lake Management will continue to monitor water quality, nutrient, aquatic plant, algae, and fish populations for early detection of any changes impacting the lake ecosystem. 

Attention Boaters and Lakefront Property Owners:

We plan to lower the lake this fall beginning on Monday, November 3rd. Please make sure to have your watercraft removed from the lake before lowering begins.

Also, remember to grab your state registration from your watercraft before winterizing. Registrations are required when registering your watercraft with the RRA each year.

Drawing down the lake level has both positive and negative impacts. However, periodic drawdowns are necessary to perform maintenance on individual seawalls and dock areas.

During the drawdown, the RRA will be dredging Beach 2 from shore to allow for more docking.

Erosion is a constant issue and, over time, can degrade the integrity of a dock, rip-rap (rock wall) or seawall. Without proper protection from erosion, sediment can then enter the lake, causing build-up on the lake floor that can hamper the ability to properly utilize watercraft. Erosion can also result in a premature failure of the structures. Look for holes or other types of damage in erosion control structures and seek remedies to reinforce them. Reinforcement of shoreline barriers, confirming clear drainage channels, and checking dock supports and surrounding areas safeguards your property as well as the other residents of Lake Roaming Rock.

If you suspect you may have a problem or have identified a problem, contact the Village office or the RRA to inquire about necessary permits and obtain a listing of approved vendors. Also, please consider the addition of rain gardens or buffer zones to your project to help control erosion and reduce nutrients from run-off. Previous articles have discussed each of these items and can be found on the RomeRock Association website under Lake Management.

By D.Ernes – Lake Management Committee

As we come to the end of 2024, we look back on the recreational season that we just completed. This past year we continued with the programs that have shown success and evaluated new ideas to help as we move forwards with our short and long-term lake management plans. This document gives a brief overview of the past year.

We have continued with the program involving application of algaecides during the season to control the growth of Harmful Algal Blooms. As part of this program, we also evaluated ultrasonic buoys as a non-chemical alternative. We employed a handheld sensor to measure water quality parameters including algal densities throughout the season. The algaecide treatments (one and a half total) continued to keep the algal blooms under control during most of the year. The impact of the major storm in early August did make the last treatment somewhat less effective, requiring spot treatments in a few areas. But as seen in the past few years, we continue to keep the algal toxin levels well below the EPA guidelines.

The ultrasonic buoys were met with limited success. We will continue the evaluation next year as well. The sensor data yielded a number of positive results. The data clearly showed the rise in algal densities as the summer progressed, giving us additional data to make treatment decisions.

As far as the beaches are concerned, while the algal toxins remain under control, we saw more exceedences for the bacteria levels than in past years. There is no direct reason to explain this and we will look into additional testing should this trend continue into 2025.

The data collected by our consultants show similar results to past years. Surprisingly, the watershed phosphorus levels were stable throughout the season. The in-lake data was fairly consistent until we experienced the storms in August.

We will be starting the planning for 2025 soon. In the meantime, Happy Holidays.

By D.Ernes – Lake Management Committee

Our lake is scheduled to be lowered this year on or about November 1^st. Drawing down the lake level has both positive and negative impacts. However, periodic drawdowns are necessary to perform maintenance on individual seawalls and dock areas.

Timing of the drawdown is an important variable. The dredging operation, currently working in the southern end of the lake, cannot continue when the water level is lowered. In addition, the drawdown must be done after the lake turnover. Upon turnover, the low oxygen waters below fifteen feet are mixed with the higher oxygenated surface water, blending the two. If the lake is lowered prior to the turnover, the oxygenated surface water would be eliminated so that, after the turnover, the dissolved oxygen level could be too low to enable the fish population to successfully survive over the winter.

Erosion is a constant issue and, over time, can degrade the integrity of a dock, rip-rap (rock wall) or seawall. Without proper protection from erosion, sediment can then enter the lake, causing build-up on the lake floor that can hamper the ability to properly utilize watercraft. Erosion can also result in a premature failure of the structures. Look for holes or other types of damage in erosion control structures and seek remedies to reinforce them. Reinforcement of shoreline barriers, confirming clear drainage channels, and checking dock supports and surrounding areas safeguards your property as well as the other residents of Lake Roaming Rock.

If you suspect you may have a problem or have identified a problem, contact the Village office or the RRA to inquire about necessary permits and obtain a listing of approved vendors. Also, please consider the addition of rain gardens or buffer zones to your project to help control erosion and reduce nutrients from run-off. Previous articles have discussed each of these items and can be found on the RomeRock Association website under Lake Management.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE

A frozen lake is just one more sign that winter has come to Roaming Shores. It presents a frozen snapshot of the beauty of the lake that has an almost alien quality to it. A lake’s “winter” season is not usually associated with December 21^st to March 21^st, but is often based on the dates that the lake becomes fully ice covered. Once the surface of the lake is frozen, the entire ecosystem under the ice changes to cope with the colder temperatures.

The microscopic animals (zooplankton) and photosynthetic organisms (phytoplankton) produce thick-walled resistant cells, which allows them to survive until spring. Some species of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) can survive at the cold temperatures by become cannibals and consuming other algae species for food they will not get from the sun. It is unlikely that they will form blooms since the conditions are not ideal, although it is not impossible.

If the algae do not completely become dormant, they may actually produce oxygen, which would be beneficial to the fish, who also share this space under the ice. If not, fish normally seek the warmer waters under the ice and can survive as long as the oxygen levels in the water are adequate. They likely migrate to the sections in the lake that are the deepest, to have the best chances for survival. Since they are not warm blooded, their metabolism slows and their activity level decreases, requiring less energy to survive. This continues until the ice melts and the water starts to warm up again.

Aquatic plants can actually handle the winter better than their terrestrial cousins if they are protected under the water. The main body of the plant dies, but the roots can survive. Some will form nodules, which can store energy while they wait for the sun to reappear. However, if they are exposed to the cold air, they may dry out and even the roots can then freeze. Lakes who perform a winter drawdown use this behavior as a method to reduce nuisance plants.

The most important aspect of the lake in winter is ice thickness. Remember, it may look solid, but with 450 acres of surface area, conditions may differ from one location to another. Some residents may use “ice cutters”, resulting in open water even if the rest of the lake is frozen. If you do venture out on the ice, use extreme caution and don’t do it alone.

(Some information presented in this article was extracted from Lakeline Vol 34, #4 (2014))

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE And HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON

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!

In the fall, the kids go back to school, football returns, and we wonder when the Browns will win again. Another sign of fall is the lake turnover. It is a normal occurrence for a lake like ours that is fairly deep. The lake, during the summer, is much cooler at the bottom than at the top, where it is heated by the sun. The cooler water is more dense, and stays at the bottom. Because of this stratification or “layering”, the normal action of the wind does not mix the layers. Think of the lake as a black and tan beer – the more dense pale ale at the bottom and the less dense stout at the top. The layers tend to stay separated even as you drink it.

Now, as we go into fall, the temperature of the surface water decreases, and the density increases. It slowly starts to approach the density and temperature at the bottom. As the temperature difference between the layers decreases, the lake is more easily mixed by wind. This mixing takes place often around the last two weeks of October. A number of things happen – the lake is no longer stratified, and the materials at the bottom of the lake can now reach the surface. Since the nutrient levels at the bottom of the lake are higher than at the surface, this can sometimes (but not always) result in an algae bloom. You may also notice a slight sulfur odor as other materials at the bottom make it to the top. This usually ends after a few days.

After the turnover, the surface water continues to cool. Once it reaches 39 degrees, something very interesting happens – the density of water starts to decreases. This is why ice floats on water and deeper lakes will likely never completely freeze. The ice and colder water forms a blanket on the surface of the lake, so the main body of water never drops below 39 degrees. This is beneficial, as the fish do not end up as frozen fish sticks. A similar turnover occurs in the spring as the surface warms.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE