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La Porte Lake Association: Pine Lake milfoil treated at $51,000; group seeks members, public education
Summary
A Lake Association representative told the La Porte City Sustainability Commission that Pine Lake received a $51,000 treatment for milfoil covering about 74 acres; the association covered roughly $31,000 after a state grant contribution and is seeking more members and public outreach to sustain treatments.
A representative of the local Lake Association reported to the La Porte City Sustainability Commission that Pine Lake was treated for Eurasian watermilfoil at a cost of $51,000 to cover about 74 acres, and that the association covered roughly $31,000 of the expense after a state grant contribution for planning and assessment.
The speaker said the association submitted a state grant application that would provide about $26,000, of which approximately $6,000 covers the planning, biologist and application work; after that deduction the association paid about $31,000 from its funds. ‘‘We treated the lakes and it cost us $51,000 to treat 74 acres of water on Pine Lake,’’ the Lake Association representative reported. The speaker added that treatment prevents rapid recurrence of milfoil and that the association will likely need to treat again in future years.
The association representative said the association has about 80 members despite roughly 600 people living on the lake, and stressed memberships provide a steady revenue stream. The representative described a recent fundraising plan that included low-cost events (for example, a hot-dog sale) and outreach in Port Living magazine with a QR code linking to the group’s website (laportelakeassociation.com).
The association noted its work over recent years: ‘‘Over the last 7 years, we've put over $380,000 in the treatment of lakes,’’ the speaker said. The representative also warned of a potential invasive—stonywort—that the state DNR biologists monitor; if stonywort arrived the association could face treatment costs of about $80,000 a year.
The Lake Association representative invited commissioners and the public to a meeting at the La Porte Yacht Club on Sept. 22 at 6 p.m., where Dave from Aquatic Weed Control (the contractor) will present oxygen studies, GPS-based weed surveys and raking results. Commissioners discussed nonregulatory outreach options such as newsletter or water-bill inserts to encourage residents to reduce fertilizer runoff; several members said ordinances limiting fertilizer use would be difficult to enforce and likely ineffective compared with education and voluntary changes.
The association representative asked for commission support on outreach and volunteers for shoreline cleanups and membership drives.
