Committees of Connors Lake | Lake of the Pines Lake Association

COMMITTEES

FISHERY We have an active fish committee that is keeping tabs on our fish population and are also investigating fish stocking. They keep in contact with the WDNR and inform us about the fish surveys and fyke netting.

AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT Eurasian water milfoil (EWM) continues to spread in Connors Lake. Fortunately, no milfoil has been found in Lake of the Pines. The lake association is in the process of writing and updating a new aquatic plant management plan for 2024 through 2029. In this plan, Connors Lake is divided into 3 tolerance zones: zero tolerance, low tolerance, and mid tolerance. In 2023, a new 2.5-acre bed of milfoil was found in the west bay closest to the boat landing. This is in a zero-tolerance zone, which means it needs to be treated as soon as possible. Arrangements have been made, and this new area will be treated with the herbicide ProcellaCOR this summer (2024). Another 2.5-acre bed of milfoil has been discovered in the northeast bay, which is in a low tolerance zone. This area is being watched to see if it also needs treatment in the near future. A 15-acre milfoil bed, that was found several years ago in Muskie Bay, continues to grow and spread. This is a mid- tolerance zone, so no treatment is warranted at this time. This area was treated previously with the herbicide 2-4D. Milfoil spreads easily; even torn fragments can start a new bed. It is essential that we don’t transfer EWM to other parts of our two lakes. There are 3 buoys in Muskie Bay to keep boats out of that area. Our Clean Boats/Clean Water Program aims to prevent milfoil from coming into our lakes and also prevent it from transferring from our lakes to other bodies of water. We appreciate everyone’s efforts to keep our lakes clean and healthy for all of us to enjoy into the future. CLEAN BOATS CLEAN WATERS (CBCW) Remove plants and weeds from boats, personal watercraft, and trailers. These invasive plants and weeds can easily take over our lakes. Watch this video to see how boat inspections are done. CBCW helps to educate boaters and inspect watercraft that are entering and leaving Connors Lake and Lake of the Pines.

“JUST GIVE US TWO”

Volunteering for CBCW is the front line for our association. This is where we educate boaters about preventing invasive species from entering into our lakes. It is the most important thing we do as an association. If you want to make a big impact on the lakes’ ecosystems, volunteer for TWO HOURS with CBCW. This is one of the easiest and most flexible ways to volunteer. Anytime the lakes are busy, we need volunteers at the landings. If you want to volunteer, see any board member at one of the meetings to explain how to get started. Make a difference, get involved, and GIVE US TWO! If you can volunteer your time, please contact us.

2009 Lake of the Pines Spring Netting Summary

2010 Lake of the Pines Spring Netting Summary

WISCONSIN CITIZENS LAKE MONITORING NETWORK (WCLMN) By: Dave Schiotz The falling leaves and boats removed from the lake signal that the open water sampling is over for another year! The important work of monitoring the water of our two lakes could not be done without this dedicated group of volunteers. On Lake of the Pines (LOP) we have Larry Anderson, Carl Edwardson, and Jim Schofield. On Connors are Don Bluhm, Gordie Dukerschein, Bob Feller, Jeff & Sherry Hansen, Mark LaVick, Rich Marusinec, Dave & Karen Schiotz, and Tom Stram. There is always a need for more volunteers, especially on LOP. Larry, Carl, and Jim have been doing all the sampling on LOP for several years and could use some help! For any new volunteers, materials and training are provided and we set the schedule so two people will work together. The data we collect is very important in assessing the health of our lakes and guiding future management decisions. We can ask the question, “What do people want to know about their lakes?” Generally, there are five parameters that most people are interested in: 1). Clarity of the water (Secchi Disk) 2). Chlorophyll a (Algae) 3). Total Phosphorus (acts as fertilizer for aquatic life) 4). Dissolved Oxygen (DO. Necessary for fish and other aquatic animal life) 5). How do our lakes compare to regional averages for the above values? Let’s look at each parameter separately. The values we use represent averages for July and August. Generally, both lakes are Mesotrophic (middle-aged) and are healthy. We are truly fortunate to be able to use two “gems” like Connors and LOP, and it is our responsibility to protect them! This winter, as you sit by the fire and wonder about all the data we collect and input into the CLMN database, just do this: Type in “WI DNR CLMN.” Click on Citizen Lake Monitoring Network Reports Sawyer County. Click Connors details or LOP details. All the data for the lakes will be there since we started collecting! This will be my last CLMN article as I am retiring! This was my fourteenth year coordinating the program for both lakes, and it’s time to get some youth into the leadership. We are fortunate to have Don Bluhm and Ted Wilson volunteer to take over the program. To all the volunteers, I really appreciate your help through the years. You made my job much easier!

Clean Boats Lean Waters Reducers Invasive Plants and Weeds

Wisconsin Citizens Lake Monitoring Network

COMMITTEES

AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT Eurasian water milfoil (EWM) continues to spread in Connors Lake. Fortunately, no milfoil has been found in Lake of the Pines. The lake association is in the process of writing and updating a new aquatic plant management plan for 2024 through 2029. In this plan, Connors Lake is divided into 3 tolerance zones: zero tolerance, low tolerance, and mid tolerance. In 2023, a new 2.5-acre bed of milfoil was found in the west bay closest to the boat landing. This is in a zero-tolerance zone, which means it needs to be treated as soon as possible. Arrangements have been made, and this new area will be treated with the herbicide ProcellaCOR this summer (2024). Another 2.5-acre bed of milfoil has been discovered in the northeast bay, which is in a low tolerance zone. This area is being watched to see if it also needs treatment in the near future. A 15- acre milfoil bed, that was found several years ago in Muskie Bay, continues to grow and spread. This is a mid-tolerance zone, so no treatment is warranted at this time. This area was treated previously with the herbicide 2-4D. Milfoil spreads easily; even torn fragments can start a new bed. It is essential that we don’t transfer EWM to other parts of our two lakes. There are 3 buoys in Muskie Bay to keep boats out of that area. Our Clean Boats/Clean Water Program aims to prevent milfoil from coming into our lakes and also prevent it from transferring from our lakes to other bodies of water. We appreciate everyone’s efforts to keep our lakes clean and healthy for all of us to enjoy into the future. CLEAN BOATS CLEAN WATERS (CBCW) Remove plants and weeds from boats, personal watercraft, and trailers. These invasive plants and weeds can easily take over our lakes. Watch this video to see how boat inspections are done. CBCW helps to educate boaters and inspect watercraft that are entering and leaving Connors Lake and Lake of the Pines.

“JUST GIVE US TWO”

WISCONSIN CITIZENS LAKE MONITORING NETWORK (WCLMN) By: Dave Schiotz The falling leaves and boats removed from the lake signal that the open water sampling is over for another year! The important work of monitoring the water of our two lakes could not be done without this dedicated group of volunteers. On Lake of the Pines (LOP) we have Larry Anderson, Carl Edwardson, and Jim Schofield. On Connors are Don Bluhm, Gordie Dukerschein, Bob Feller, Jeff & Sherry Hansen, Mark LaVick, Rich Marusinec, Dave & Karen Schiotz, and Tom Stram. There is always a need for more volunteers, especially on LOP. Larry, Carl, and Jim have been doing all the sampling on LOP for several years and could use some help! For any new volunteers, materials and training are provided and we set the schedule so two people will work together. The data we collect is very important in assessing the health of our lakes and guiding future management decisions. We can ask the question, “What do people want to know about their lakes?” Generally, there are five parameters that most people are interested in: 1). Clarity of the water (Secchi Disk) 2). Chlorophyll a (Algae) 3). Total Phosphorus (acts as fertilizer for aquatic life) 4). Dissolved Oxygen (DO. Necessary for fish and other aquatic animal life) 5). How do our lakes compare to regional averages for the above values? Let’s look at each parameter separately. The values we use represent averages for July and August. Generally, both lakes are Mesotrophic (middle- aged) and are healthy. We are truly fortunate to be able to use two “gems” like Connors and LOP, and it is our responsibility to protect them! This winter, as you sit by the fire and wonder about all the data we collect and input into the CLMN database, just do this: Type in “WI DNR CLMN.” Click on Citizen Lake Monitoring Network Reports Sawyer County. Click Connors details or LOP details. All the data for the lakes will be there since we started collecting! This will be my last CLMN article as I am retiring! This was my fourteenth year coordinating the program for both lakes, and it’s time to get some youth into the leadership. We are fortunate to have Don Bluhm and Ted Wilson volunteer to take over the program. To all the volunteers, I really appreciate your help through the years. You made my job much easier!

Connors Lake | Lake of the Pines Lake Association