Manistee Lake Association
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June 12, 2003 Important News!

Preliminary proposal

MANISTEE LAKE ASSOCIATION PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL TO CREATE A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT Recommendations It is recommended that the Manistee Lake Association develop and implement a long-range monitoring and control plan to deal with nuisance aquatic plants in the lake. This management program should primarily be directed toward Eurasian water milfoil, but should include other potential nuisance species, if the need arises. Such a program should be supported by a steady funding base and involve annual reports and evaluations in order to determine the effectiveness and direction of management efforts. Major components of this management program are outlined below. Term Because of seasonal/annual variation, any aquatic plan management program would require years of effort. It is recommended that an aquatic plant management program for Manistee Lake be instituted for at least a five year term. Control Technologies Manistee Lake management program should strive to use the best available control technologies. Ongoing research would be needed to stay abreast of new developments in the field as the program progresses. It is recommended that initial control strategies be directed toward increasing the milfoil weevil population in the lake. This can be accomplished both by additional stocking and by promoting naturalized shoreline practice. Rationale for this recommendation is two-fold. First, the milfoil weevil remains the only viable long-term control strategy currently available. Second, continued stocking of the weevil will maximize the investment the Association has already made in this technology, which has been shown to work in both Manistee Lake and numerous other Michigan lakes. It is recommended that the Manistee Lake Association allow for the use of an integrated control strategy, which would incorporate the milfoil weevil and other currently available or newly developed safe technologies. The effectiveness of the program will be evaluated each year. This evaluation should then result in modifications to the strategy for the following year. Recommendations for these evaluations are outlined below. Annual Evaluations Annual, written evaluations regarding the program’s effectiveness are a key component of any long-term management plan. It is recommended that an evaluation and written report be developed by both the Manistee Lake Association and by the primary contractor (EnviroScience). The Association’s report can focus on several areas and take a number of different forms. For example, it may involve user satisfaction surveys, independent plant surveys, analysis of aerial photographs, etc. Regardless, the contactor’s report should provide quantitative data on the effectiveness of the treatment and control strategy being utilized and should include recommendations for continuing or modifying the program in the coming year. Board of Review/Annual Report Annual evaluations provided by the Association and the contractor should be reviewed by a board consisting of selected representatives of the Association’s board, the contractor, and if financed by a Cold Springs Township tax assessment, a member of the Township’s Board of Trustees. Based on review of the annual evaluations, the review board will gauge the effectiveness of the prior years control program and develop strategy for the coming season. The evaluation and strategy for the coming year will be summarized in an annual report to the public and be made available by March 1st of each year. Funding It is recommended that $30,000 (net) per year be directed toward the aquatic plant management plan with the large majority (i.e.> 80%) of the funds being directed toward implementation with the remainder being used for monitoring, reporting, and administrative expenses. This level of funding should be adequate to support the integrated approach outline above.

Story submitted by:     Donald Thomas (President)

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