From the President's Chair
by Harlan Meints, DLARA President
The wife and I were in southern Texas for 5 months and got back to the lake on April 17th. Guiess I could have stayed here this past winter with the lack of snow and mild temperatures.
We returned to find that the mild weather had caused major problems with the shoreline around the lake. Only good thing was that my daughter and son-in-law had come up from Iowa the week before and repaired our damage, thank God for children!
I believe that the reason for such wide spread damage was a follows, (I think). Water, as it freezes expands 10%. With the lack of snow cover and days with the temperature above freezing, the ice along the shallow shoreline melted during the day time. When the temperature dropped at night and the water refroze it expanded 10%. With the heavier ice pack on the lake stopping the ice from expanding outward it expanded into the shore. This was repeated over many days during the warm winter. This is why the damage was over the whole lake and not just one side when caused by wind action.
The date for the annual meeting of members of the DLARA will be June 16th at 9:30am at the park shelter house. Don’t forget to pay your dues, still only $25 which is the lowest of most lakes around the area. Money is used to improve the quality of life on your lake. At this meeting we will be electing 5 board members for 3 year terms. There are 13 members on the board. We will have someone at the meeting to answer questions and concerns about the sewer project.
Some of the things that the board will be working on this year are:
a. Continued work on the installation of a new fish barrier
b.Continued work with Ducks Unlimited on controlling runoff from the Wheeler lake chain
c.Continuing monitoring water quality on the lake
d.Working with property owners to answer all sewer problems and questions
e.Study the vegetative study from the DNR to control invasive weeks on the lake
f.Work with area lakes to control and educate the public about invasive species.
As you can see your dues are used for a variety of projects on and around the lake. Let’s keep our membership numbers high to continue the newsletters and projects involving the lakes. THANKS.
If you have questions or concerns contact any board member or bring them up at the annual meeting.
Drying Time Estimator for Zebra/Quagga Mussel Contaminated Boats
If a boat moved from an infested area will be launched in waters that are not ingested with zebra or quagga mussels, the general recommendation is to keep the boat out of water and let it dry for a minimum of 30 days after cleaning all equipment and draining all possible sources of standing water. However, such “quarantine” times may be reduced depending on local temperatures and relative humidity’s.
In general, zebra and quagga mussels can survive longer out of water if local conditions are cold and humid than if conditions are hot and dry. This tool estimates recommended quarantine times based on average humidity and temperature zones in the 48 contiguous United States.
If a boat has been in infested waters, please use this tool to estimate the minimum time it should remain out of water (after being cleaned thoroughly), before launching in un-infested waters. Recommendations are only guidelines for average conditions and are based on evidence from laboratory experiments where other factors are held constant. Thus, recommended quarantine times may not produce 100% mortality under real-world conditions were unidentified, yet contributing factors are free to vary. This tool will provide a minimum quarantine time that you may need to adjust upward if your situation includes additional contributing factors that may be important.
See their website for the tool and more at www.110themeridian.org.
Carp Deum
by Paulie Walter Doodle
(Latin for “Seize the Dang Carp”? Almost?)
Another chapter in our carp wars.
OK, so you didn’t ask for it, but here goes anyway. Let’s eat our way out of our carp problem with Buttermilk Fried Carp Fillets.
2 pounds carp fillet
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup biscuit mix or pancake mix
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp dried lemon flakes.
Remove the skin of the carp. Take out all the brownish-reddish colored part of the meat, the “mud vein” and discard. Chunk up the rest of the carp fillets. Place fillet pieces in a shallow dish. Pour the buttermilk over them and let it stand for that time. Stir the salt into the biscuit mix. Take fillets out of the buttermilk and pat them into the fryer or in hot oil in fry pam for 5 – 10 minutes until cooked through and browned on both sides. Use tongs or slotted spoon to turn them. (If oil is too hot, they will brown too quickly and not cook within). Drain on paper towels. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4 – 6.
Missile Lane
North Breeze Resort (southeast side of Diamond Lake, where the breeze comes from the north) is again open for its 46th season. You can get gas on the dock, bait and treats in the store. You can also rent cabins there, should you happen to have too many guests. 320-974-8165. Gordy & Laura Bloomquist, proprietors.
ANNUAL MEETING: JUNE 16, 9:30AM, COMMUNITY PARK SHELTER. Election of directors (we need at least one new volunteer); speakers include Josh Cavanaugh of Ducks Unlimited on the Chain of Lakes water quality improvement project and Dean Helstrom, Project Engineer, Bolton & Menk on the sewer project.
There will be no curly leaf pondweed cutting this year on the recommendation of the DNR as the bloom has been very uneven and, given the early spring, it is too late to tackle it now.
Future Board and Diamond Lake News issues include: fish barrier on #137, more carp recipes, rain gardens and any good ideas proposed in the Dues return sheet.
July 4th parade has been abandoned. You are on your own.
MFCRWD 2012 Cost Share Programs for Diamond Lake
by Margaret Peeters & Chad Anderson
In fulfillment of its ten year Watershed Management Plan, the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District (MFCRWD) has gained funds through state and federal grants and currently has dollars available to the public through a variety of different programs. Chief among these is a cost share program for the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs).
BMPs are projects that help improve water quality, control erosion and assist in improving land productivity. There are a number of different types of BMP projects that a landowner could implement. Some examples include shoreland restoration, rain gardens, wetland restoration, buffer strips, sediment blocks, manure management, animal exclusions and more.
The MFCRWD’s cost share program allows for reimbursement of up to 75% of eligible costs for a BMP project implemented on your property, and in many instances, the DLARA will contribute an additional 10% of those costs. This partnership between the lake association and the watershed district means that some property owners may get up to 85% of the eliginble costs of a BMP paid for, all while improving water quality of Diamond Lake.
If youa re interested in one of the MFCRWD’s BMP programs, please call or stop in!
Middle Fork Crow River Watershed District
174 Lake Ave No, Suite 2, PO Box 8
Spicer MN 56288
320.796.0888
Diamond Lake REsident Project Update
As you return to Diamond Lake this spring, we want to ensure you are satisfied with the work that the contractors have completed to date. In early May, representatives of Bolton & Menk, Inc. and Ellingson Drainage walked all the properties around Diamond Lake. During the walk through we compiled a “punch list” of work that is still required to be completed. Ellingson Drainage has scheduled “punch list” work starting during the week of May 21st and will last two weeks, weather permitting.
Turf restoration; please continue to mow your yards. We are continuing to monitor all yards around the lake and appropriate actions will be taken by the Contractor.
On Friday, May 25, 2012 Del Vulcan will be installing paddle locks on your control panel; if you are home you will receive your keys. If you are not home, we will either leave your key with your neighbor (we will leave a note on your door) or mail them to your home address. If you have individual concerns regarding your property, please call On-Site Representative, Del, at 507-381-9232 or Project Engineer, Dean Helstrom, at 320-905-1311. Del will be observing the “punch list” work this spring. After this work is completed, please direct any future calls to Dean.
Seasonal Residences –
Ir you notice your water meter leaking from the bottom, please contact Del or Dean.
Close down procedures – At season residences, we have experienced some grinder pump stations that have become air locked; the pump does not discharge wastewater when running. The air lock is caused by the solids in the waste water breaking down and emitting a naturally occurring gas that displaces the water underneath the grinder pump. This precents the pump from discharging when it is started and keeps the pump running until an alarm condition exists. If you will not be at your cabin for an extended period of time (over on month), we recommend that you run a minimum of fifty (50) gallons of water through the grinder pump station. This can be accomplished by filling a bath tub up and the discharging all the water at one time (do this two times), or letting multiple faucets run until the grinder pump station cycles a minimum of two times. Feel free to cal Dean with any questions.
EMERGENCY CALL LIST
Normal business hours (8am to 6pm)
Ellingson Drainage – Andy Henslin
Office: 507-527-2297 or Cell 612-275-8553
During after-hours (10pm to 7am) emergencies:
B&J Lake Region Electric 320-796-6070
Billy – Cell 320-894-9202
Dirk – Cell 320-212-3118
If you are unable to reach one of the above you many contact one of the contacts below for assistance:
W.W. Goetsch Associates (Grinder Pump Supplier)
Bryan Goehring - Cell 612-845-9243 or Office 952-831-4340
Scott Austin 24 hour on-call service – 612-802-6706
Bolton & Menk, Inc (Project Engineer)
Dean Helstrom – Office 320-231-3956 or Cell 320-905-1311
Green Lake Sanitary Sewer Water District
Normal business hours (8am – 4:30pm) – 320-796-4523
After-hours – 320-796-5565
