Dave Ernes – Lake Management Committee

As you read this, the recreational season for 2025 is in the rear-view mirror. This article summarizes the main points related to the past season.

As with past years, the lake experienced numerous weather-related impacts. We started the season cooler than normal. This was a benefit, as the cooler water temperatures delayed the rapid growth of blue-green algae until mid-July, the latest that we have seen in recent years. The rains then reappeared, driving the blooms and our efforts to control them. Mother Nature then decided that she was not done with us and hit us again with a cold snap in late August and early September, which caused the lake to turn-over early, driving a second spike in algae after the recreational season had ended.

Overall, we have continued our year-over-year trend of controlling the release of toxins by controlling algal blooms. This is the primary focus of our efforts each year. Below are listed a brief overview of the various Lake Management activities.

Lake Testing. We continue to have our experts sample within the lake and in the watershed to understand the trends in the nutrients that drive the algal blooms. The watershed saw an increase in the phosphorous levels after past year’s trends had showed a decrease year-over-year. It is not clear where this rise originated. In the lake, the nutrient levels varied during the season, likely a result of the impact of the weather. This in-lake nutrient cycling continues to be the most dominant near-term driver of  algal blooms. We also did testing of Flame Lake. The data indicated much lower nutrient levels than the main lake. The hand-held probe continued to be a valuable addition to our toolkit.

Lake Treatments: As mentioned above, we did not need the algaecide treatments until mid-July. However, conditions still required one and a half lake treatments for the season. We continue to monitor the level of copper to insure that it does not negatively impact the aquatic life.

Ultrasonic Buoys: This was the second season where we evaluated this technology in hopes that it could be used to replace the algaecide treatments. Working with the vendor, we re-located the buoys this season based on their recommendations. Unfortunately, we still did not see the kind of results that would suggest that they would be effective for our lake.

Grant Opportunities: We continued our efforts to seek outside funding to assist in some of the mitigation efforts to reduce the nutrient load in the lake. Working with an outside engineering firm, we completed a document called a “Non-Point Source Implementation Strategy” or NPS-IS. The document was approved by the Ohio EPA,, giving us the ability to seek funding opportunities under EPA Section 319, which would otherwise be unavailable to us. The document has a project near Plum Creek which we plan on submitting in early 2026 for approval. We continue to look for other funding opportunities as they come up. (More will be shared on this accomplishment at the Annual Meeting.)

Overall, we had a good year on the lake. The algal blooms were delayed until later in the year. We continued to control the release of toxins in the lake, even with the unusual weather impacts. We are currently working on the plans for 2026.

Be Lake Responsible

Dave Ernes – Lake Management Committee

As many have been noticing, the lake is experiencing a return of blue-green algal blooms. We have been monitoring the situation and have obtained some additional testing results. What we are experiencing is the equivalent of the perfect storm.

We have discussed in the past the that the lake stratifies during the summer. This results in the release of phosphorous from the lake bottom sediment in the lake below 12-15 feet, which typically stays in the lower levels of the lake unless we have a major rain event. At the end of the season, typically in October, we experience what is called a turnover. This is when the surface lake temperature drops, causing the lake to mix. This allows the lake bottom water with high nutrient levels to blend with the surface waters, resulting in a feeding ground for algae. We have confirmed that a turnover has already occurred, a month early.

The second thing that is acting against us is the lack of rain. This, along with the reduced boat traffic, is causing the lake to become somewhat stagnant. The stagnant conditions, preferred by the algae, are often seen in the coves, which is why they tend to see algal blooms first. The lack of rain is also preventing the flushing of the high phosphorous waters from the lake.

The last thing is that the phosphorous level in the southern end of the lake is also elevated, driving the algal blooms there. We have also seen duckweed in the southern end of the lake, which can look like algae from a distance. Duckweed is often originating south of the Route 6 bridge.

Based on reports from around the country, many lakes are experiencing this as well. So, this situation is not unique to us.

What can we do? Unfortunately, until there is rain to flush the lake, not much.  An algaecide treatment could exacerbate the situation. It would cause a rapid die-off of the algae, which could result in hypoxia and the situation we saw a few years ago with odors, etc. And the algaecide does not reduce the nutrients driving the algae growth.

The best advice is to limit direct contact with the lake as much as possible. If you do travel on the lake, avoid high speeds as it can cause splashing. Make sure your pets to not come in contact with the lake, as they are more susceptible to the algae.

Mother Nature gave us a bonus early in the year, by delaying the appearance of algae for almost a month. Unfortunately, it is making us pay for this at the end of the year.

Be Lake Responsible

Conditions on the lake have resulted in a decision to schedule an algaecide treatment on the northern half of the lake for Tuesday, August 26th. This includes a line from about Sugar Creek north. The southern half of the lake will not be treated at this time. Therefore, those in the untreated areas, please stay vigilant and avoid any signs of algal blooms.

*Please note that these plans can change due to weather conditions, so please be alert to any updates.

1) The lake level will be lowered if necessary to comply with the Ohio EPA requirements for this application. We hope to only lower it 2-4 inches. Please adjust your boat tie downs to accommodate the water level change. 

2) Please turn off all fountains or other devices that agitate the lake water in the application area on Tuesday AM.  They may be turned back on Thursday morning.

3) The application will be applied during the day of August 26th.

4) Please refrain from any activities on the lake, including boating, jet skis, etc, starting Tuesday August 26 to allow the treatment to be effective and to spread in a predictable manner. Boat traffic may resume on Thursday morning, August 28th. The boat ramp will be closed from Tuesday AM until Thursday AM.

5) While the lake is deemed safe following the application, we are closing the beaches Tuesday August 26, and reopening them on Thursday, August 29^th.  While unlikely, if you observe any undisposed product (a white powder with a bluish tint) after Thursday morning, avoid direct contact and let the office know where it is observed.

6) Do not water your property with water from the lake during the application period.

7) If you live in the southern end of the lake, please avoid contact with any active blooms.  

While these steps may be inconvenient, they are necessary to ensure the best chance for a successful application.

What are the ultrasonic buoys? These buoys use solar panels to power ultrasonic emitters that are suspended in the water. The sound waves disrupt the ability of blue-green algae to rise to the surface, depriving them of the sunlight they need to survive. As a result, they will die and drop to the bottom of the lake. This is a non-chemical alternative to the algaecides we have employed for the past few years and have been shown to be safe to non-target organisms.

The presence of these buoys (about the size of a 50 inch television set) can become an object that boaters will need to be on the look out for. The picture at the right shows what these buoys look like. They are equipped with a blue light for visibility.

There are five of these positioned throughout the lake (see map below), primarily adjacent to No Wake Zones. Please use every effort to avoid coming in proximity to these buoys. They are expensive to replace. In addition, the lead time for a replacement is about a month, so if they are damaged, that area of the lake will not have any protection from the growth of blue-green algae.

Thank you for your vigilance.

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.

This past Thursday, we completed the treatment of about half of the lake, from the south to around Beach 1. This treatment was needed as a result of an increase in the severity and intensity of blue-green algae in the southern end of the lake. The treatment area was adjusted from the original announcement due to the concern of further spread of the affected area due to around an inch of rain over a 48-hour period. The lake is a dynamic environment that can change by the hour, day or week and we need to respond accordingly.

There were reports of boat activity during the 48 hours following the treatment. This product is imbedded in a binder that allows it to float on the surface of the water for a time before it sinks, where it become bound in the lake sediment. The product is applied by trained individuals so that it can be spread by the currents in the lake, as well as the wind. Boat traffic during this period would push the product in an unpredictable manner. This could negatively impact the success of the treatment. In the future, please follow the restrictions so that we have the best chance for success.