Weedy Waters Update
Posted: August 30, 2021
BLA vice-president, Mark Nymo, spoke with Alex Smith on August 24, 2021. Alex is the water biologist with the DNR from the Spooner office. Mark described our concern about the floating mats of weeds in areas of Bear Lake and also described his observations from Sunday when he paddle-boarded the southeast bay of the lake. Alex indicated that he has visited most of the large lakes in this area and has found similar conditions in most of the lakes, specifically, large floating mats of narrow, ribbon-like weeds. He said the other lakes have not noted this problem previously either. He indicated that these mats are not wild rice but are a plant called a variety of names including wild celery, eelgrass, and tapegrass. The official name is Vallisneria Americana. The plant grows beneath the surface, but as the leaves become longer they float on the surface. The roots are small and easily pulled up from the bottom, so high water or even wave action from storms or boats will cause large numbers to dislodge from the bottom, float and congregate in the mats that we see. While paddle boarding, Mark could see large areas of these grasses growing in the bay that were not yet disrupted from the bottom. Alex said that the early ice-out and near constant sunny days this summer have provided an ideal environment for these grasses to grow much more extensively than usual, and thus we, and other area lakes, have much greater incidence of the mats this summer. There is no harm or regulation in removing these mats, but he said it would be very labor intensive. The removed plants would need to be placed on shore. The only mechanical means of removing plants that are attached to the bottom is by hand raking, with a limitation of 30 feet along a shoreline and out to 3 or 4 feet or so from the shore. Because Bear Lake has areas of wild rice, no chemical treatments are allowed. Perhaps the best we can hope for is that next season has a later ice-out and more cloudy days.
To confirm Alex Smith’s conclusions, Mark kayaked to the rice beds on August 25th. The wild rice plants are very different from the eelgrass found in the bay. Wild rice has a round stem with rather broad leaves while the eelgrass is flat, narrow, and ribbon-like. The wild rice also is loaded with the actual rice kernels at this time. There are tiny white seeds are coming from the eelgrass. Eelgrass clumps that are attached to the bottom are sending up corkscrew-like leaders with seed heads on them that have these tiny white seed particles.
Healthy Lakes Information
Posted: June 29, 2017
Linda Anderson gave a great presentation on the Healthy Lakes Program at our 2017 Annual Meeting. For your reference, here are some of the materials that she presented:
If anyone has further questions, Linda can be reached at 763-221-8136 or roblinander@gmail.com.
Bob & Dorothy Moe win "Invader Crusader" Award
Posted: June 28, 2017
Longtime Bear Lake Association members, citizen-scientists, and all-around great folks Bob and Dorothy Moe were recognized by the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council as the 2017 "Invader Crusader" award-winners.
As most of you know, Bob and Dorothy have put in tons of work over the years to keep the Bear Lake ecosystem vibrant and healthy. They lead virtually all of our conservation efforts, including raising and deploying our Galerucella beetles (for purple loosestrife control) and submitting monthly water quality samples to the DNR. They are true champions of conservation, and we are all fortunate to share Bear Lake with them. Congratulations, Bob and Dorothy! Well-deserved!
From the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council:
As most of you know, Bob and Dorothy have put in tons of work over the years to keep the Bear Lake ecosystem vibrant and healthy. They lead virtually all of our conservation efforts, including raising and deploying our Galerucella beetles (for purple loosestrife control) and submitting monthly water quality samples to the DNR. They are true champions of conservation, and we are all fortunate to share Bear Lake with them. Congratulations, Bob and Dorothy! Well-deserved!
From the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council:
Robert and Dorothy Moe have worked tirelessly to control purple loosestrife in the areas surrounding Bear Lake, protecting the Bear Lake Sedge Meadow State Natural Area and the lake’s wild rice populations from the effects of the invasive plant.
The Moes have donated many hours of volunteer work and the use of their pontoon boat and equipment to the Barron County Department of Land Services in order to control purple loosestrife on Bear Lake. Additionally, each year they have surveyed the lake and provided the department with detailed information regarding the locations and amount of purple loosestrife, then developed a plan on where to distribute Galerucella beetles raised on their property in order to best control purple loosestrife. Furthermore, the Moes are passionate about educating other Bear Lake residents on the impacts of invasive species. Their dedication to invasive species control and education has helped to ensure the health of the Bear Lake ecosystem for years to come.
Purple Loosestrife Control
Posted: October 12, 2016
Below are pictures from September 2016 when Justin and Bronson were on Bear Lake with Bob Moe in the Sheriff's Boat controlling Purple Loosestrife.
Check out our Invasive Species page for more info on identifying Purple Loosestrife, and what we're doing to stop its spread. If you'd like to help with these efforts, please contact Bob and Dorothy Moe at 715-234-7095.
Check out our Invasive Species page for more info on identifying Purple Loosestrife, and what we're doing to stop its spread. If you'd like to help with these efforts, please contact Bob and Dorothy Moe at 715-234-7095.
