Your Trees and Drought
Over the past three or four years, all of Minnesota’s forested areas have been struggling with moderate to extreme drought conditions. Despite their outward appearance of invincibility, successive years of drought cause extreme stress on trees, damaging and even killing them in the process.
Without a consistent supply of water, trees cannot carry on photosynthesis, and they will starve. Even though most mature trees have extensive root systems, prolonged, severe drought conditions will deplete even the hardiest tree of its life-giving moisture. Trees on sandy soil are at an even higher risk of dehydration.
Without sufficient water, trees take steps to avoid drying out. Unfortunately, those steps interfere with the photosynthesis process and limit the energy the tree has for growing, carrying on maintenance and defending against diseases and insects.
These stresses make trees more vulnerable to insects and diseases that, normally, wouldn’t be a concern. Bark beetles attack red pine trees, two-lined chestnut borers can kill oaks and bronze birch borers take a heavy toll on birch trees when they are at their weakest. Rhizosphaera needle cast and cytospora are diseases that can seriously damage spruce trees during a drought. Drought can weaken other trees and make them less resilient to fighting the pests that plague them normally, often leading to faster decline or death.
To fight the effects of drought, avoid adding additional stresses-pruning, heavy fertilization or major construction work until at least a year after the drought has passed. Try very hard to deeply water your trees every week or two during the hot, dry days of summer. Also try to weed around your trees, reducing competition as well as mulching around the base, if possible. Also remember to keep yourself healthy and hydrated. Be careful to watch for signs of heat-related illnesses while working outside.
Remember to keep our arboreal friends healthy during a drought and they will give back by keeping us cooler, healthier and happier. Remember- YOU NEED YOUR TREES AND YOUR TREES NEED YOU!
Written by Shawn Sweeney, owner of Leaf and lake Consulting. Arborist and Master Gardener. 320-434-1145.
VIBRANT Broadband Builds Fiber Optic Internet in Harrison Township
We are pleased to announce that VIBRANT Broadband is bringing high speed fiber Internet to most of Harrison Township and some portions of Diamond Lake.
VIBRANT Broadband, powered by Meeker Cooperative, offers reliable, high speed fiber Internet and phone services to homes and businesses. VIBRANT began building fiber Internet in 2018 for the purpose of offering a reliable Internet solution to Meeker Cooperative Light and Power Association members. It has since expanded to include many rural homes and businesses who have been left underserved.
With the expansion to Harrison Township and the southwest side of Diamond Lake, VIBRANT brings reliable, affordable, and high speed fiber Internet to you.
Fiber Internet is the best connection you can get. It’s as reliable as your electricity. With VIBRANT Broadband, you get a dedicated connection to your home, cabin or business. It is not a shared connection, like older technology, where you can be limited by how many people are on the line ahead of you.
VIBRANT Broadband offers residential packages with speeds of 100 Mbps (Megabits per second), 200 Mbps, 500 Mbps and 1 Gigabit per second (1,000 Mbps). Each package is symmetrical, which means your upload speed is the same as your download speed. Residential packages start at $49.95 per month plus a $5.00 per month equipment fee. Residential phone service is $19.95 per month plus applicable fees. Business packages are also available.
VIBRANT is taking sign-ups right now and homes and businesses are being installed as they build out the township. Some of your neighbors might already be installed.
They also offer a referral program. If you refer someone and they sign up for VIBRANT Broadband, you will receive a $25 bill credit.
If you would like to know more about VIBRANT Broadband, visit their website at vibrantbroadbandl.com or call the office at 320-693-3231. Their friendly staff will answer your questions and guide you to the right package to fit your family’s lifestyle.
MIssile Lane
Annual Meeting: Saturday June 15th 9:30am. Diamond Lake Community Park Shelter. Coffee and donuts will be served. Speakers TBD.
Weed Fest: Saturday, July 20th also at the Community Park Shelter. Hope to have Marc Haen and his Heinous Bandmates once again, plus some food trucks. More to come later
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Tentative: Commodore Brenda Negen may be leading the Boat Parade from Community Park on Saturday, July 6th at 1pm. Be respectful, stay in line until the end, don’t throw anything at the Shore Gawkers and dress up as Hessians or Washington Crossing the Diamond.
Repeat: According to Minnesota Lake and Rivers 2022 Annual Report, “Loons are dying from lead poisoning, entablement in discarded fishing line, or killed as chicks when they are washed out of their nests by boat wakes. Please, do not use lead sinkers.
April 27 Board Highlights: switched lake surveyors/weed treatment applicators from, Limnopro to PLM at considerable savings; looking into a used weed harvester @ $100,000; might need to assist with improving the fish barrier on east lake access; donated $500 to install and AED station at the west lake boat access; donated $500 to the Atwater Veterans Memorial; CR104 leading to west boat access will be resurfaced this summer.
Annual Membership Dues Request for 2024
On behalf of DLARA, thank you for your past support and we ask for your continued support. DLARA is one of the most active lakeshore associations in the state and we are proud of the accomplishments.
Dues are just $25.
You now have the option of paying your dues online through Venmo. If you have not used Venmo in the past, please download the Venmo app on your phone, select Diamond Lake Area Assn, and select Pay. This will ask for your name, payment method, card number, and payment amount. There is also an area where you can add notes. In the notes field, please add your lake address. This will help us make sure the payment is recorded according to each property and name.
Or, you may still pay by check and send it in the enclosed self-addressed envelope.
Currently we are planning an in person annual meeting on the third Saturday of June (June 15th). Please check the DLARA website listed above for location and time. Mark your calendars!
Please send the below information with your check. Thank you!
Anita Hagen, DLARA Treasurer
Atwater's Veteran's Memorial Park Update
The Atwater American Legion Post 375 has secured sufficient funds to begin work on making the Veteran’s Memorial Park a reality. The memorial stone has been ordered from Darwin Monument and will take 5 to 6 months to receive, inscribe and set. There have been 300 plus pavers purchased for the Field of Honor commemorating veterans’ service. What needs to be done yet is to secure tradesmen to do the concrete work for the monument base, flag poles, curb cut on Hwy 2 and the floor for the park shelter. The completion date and dedication of the Park has been set for Veterans’; Day 2024. American Legion Post 375 wishes to thank the community for their support of the memorial park as well as the City of Atwater whom we are partnering with to make the Veteran’s Memorial Park a reality. While the memorial paver purchase has drawn to a close for this round, funds are still being accepted for the refinement of the park’s design and components.
Marvin Berger, marvdrafting@yahoo.com
Grant Fischer, ogfischer@gmal.com
