Posted August 5, 2024

Mechanical harvesting has begun and should continue through tomorrow.

We use mechanical harvesting for four reasons:

It avoids dropping large amounts of chemicals into the lake; and

It removes large amounts of biomass which decays into muck; and,

Chemicals are limited to near shore areas at very shallow depths; and

It is more cost effective than chemicals.

There were a lot of floaters last evening, mostly well offshore. We have asked them to pick up offshore floaters they encounter. If you have floaters by your seawall and would like them picked up, please push them out past the end of your dock if and when you see the harvester in your area.

We aren't harvesting the whole lake so if you are not on Peace Haven, certain parts of Bay or Hillside unfortunately they won't be in your area.

I understand the frustration of many of you who have contacted me about the small number of lake residents (and only lake residents) who have entered the red zones regularly.

I share your frustration; but on the bright side we have 98+% cooperation on the starry, 99+% cooperation on helping in the phoslock zone by going slow and 100% compliance with wake boaters only using their craft in wake boat mode only in the designated (green) area on the attached map. A big thank you to the vast majority of us who are working together to keep Wiggins Lake the greatest place on earth.

Posted July 18, 2024

The Lake Improvement Board learned that the lake is in good shape. One new area of starry stonewart was found in the western part of the entrance to the South Bay. The starry previously found in Stump Hollow is responding well. Both areas will be treated and a new map will be published Friday.

The Phoslock treatments have worked so well that we decided to defer further treatment until after the next survey.

Likewise, celery growth is lagging last year. It looks like early August is the target. I've been tasked to monitor it and if it proceeds as expected, the limnologist will move our next survey up to map up the harvest area.

Posted June 21, 2014

WEED REPORT

The lake survey, in a major turnaround, showed less than 1000 feet of our 10.9 mile shoreline will require treatment for which the state requires we post a swimming restriction. Other areas of the lake will be treated for some celery in a very shallow bay and for algae, as needed,neither of which has swimming restrictions.

At the meeting, we discussed the fact that we have already used all but $900 of our annual budget. As a result, a motion was made and passed unanimously to use up to $30,000 of our $40,000 surplus if needed to treat the rest of the year.

Also as a result of our finances, the board decided to defer treatment until July 1, when we can treat the algae for $35/acre as compared to $125 per acre if we did it next week. The third option, to wait until after the holiday was rejected on the experts advice that the algae would be much more widespread if we waited.

Based on last year's results and growth we saw starting, it is probable that mechanical harvesting will be used this year late July.

We did have one complication. A loon nest was spotted on the east side of the southernmost island, which means no treatment of any kind can be done within 500 feet of the nest, which unfortunately means we can't treat the starry stonewart which survived in that area so please avoid that area this summer. One little cut on an anchor or motor can spread it everywhere.

We'll be posting a map of this area soon.

If you see weeds you think should be treated, email me at mrajt@outlook.com and I will come take a look.

Posted June 16, 2024

LAKE UPDATE

Lake survey will occur Tuesday afternoon, followed by a Lake Improvement Board meeting at 7pm Tuesday at the township hall.

Treatment, if needed, will likely take pace during the week of the 24th. Based on past experience, that treatment will involve a very small percentage of the shoreline and usage restrictions apply only in the area shown actually treated with a buffer zone on either side, so the only people affected are those who have a placard, so please don't post on Facebook.

Posted June 2, 2024

The LIB assesses each of 375 properties in the assessment district $208 each year in the winter tax bill. This amount has increased only 4% since 2017.

The LIB functions to maintain navigation on the lake while minimizing disruption of the natural ecosystem, subject to the conditions set forth in our permit and the regulations, not to eliminate algae and plant growth(or weeds in the vernacular.)

A good analogy is a street patching crew in the city, which only stops to fill potholes. Similarly, we do not treat where the lake ecosystem is working in a fashion that balances the needs of boaters, swimmers and wildlife.

This spring was unusual because of our El Nino winter. When we surveyed on May 21, water temps were low 80s in the shallow areas, high 70s in the deeper areas and even the river inlet temp was in the mid 70s. As a result, over half of the lake needed to be treated,which necessitated splitting the treatment in two to avoid oxygen depletion which could have led to a massive fish die off.

Financially, we have spent nearly our entire budget of $68000 already:

April Algae: 1050

Phoslock in bays. 10395

May treatment. 44286

Professional. 6000

Permit. 1600

County ad fee. 250

Meeting date ad. 61

Total. 63647

Fortunately, we have developed as surplus so the current balance in our account is roughly $45,000. From that we must pay for treatment for the rest of the year, which history tells us should be doable.

As always, I am available to answer your questions. Just email me at mrajt@outlook.com with your phone number and I'll get back to you.

Posted May 22, 2024

Lake Treatment

Unfortunately, at the meeting last night we learned that the lack of winter and warm spring has produced a weed infestation much greater than we have seen in over a decade.

The bad news is:

The weeds are so extensive that treating them all at once would likely deplete the oxygen, which would result in a massive fish die off so we will split the treatment in two, one tomorrow and one next week; and,

The treatment will unfortunately not have sufficient time to kill the weeds, although hopefully the algae will be gone; and

Our annual budget is approximately $70,000. We have spent over $11,000 on Phoslock. The cost of the current treatments is roughly $50,000.

There is some good news:

We entered this year with a surplus of roughly $40,000, so hopefully we will have sufficient funds for the rest of the year.

The other good news is that our water temp is in the low 80s so the swimming should be great.

Over the winter, a bill was introduced in the legislature seeking to ban wake surfing operation in areas where water is less than 20 feet deep or less than 500 feet from shore. Attached is a report on that proposal which includes the boating industry's recommended usage rules, which formed the basis for our limnologist's recommendation on where to wake surf on our lake, which is also attached.

One last thing. We are spending (hopefully, we will have funds for the second treatment) over 25 percent of our normal budget on phoslock in the South Bay and it's effectiveness depends on not disturbing the top layer of sediment. Please do not operate any craft at speed in the treatment area shown below.

I wish I had better news, but you can't beat Mother Nature. As always if you have questions, email me at mrajt@outlook.com.

Thanks.

Posted May 16, 2024

Lake Update

The warm winter, with very little snow and only a few weeks of ice cover has created a very challenging situation, with a considerable amount of milfoil lots of which has reached the surface, elodia and curly leaf pondweed throughout the lake. I also noted a fair amount of algae during my first boat ride.

We will be conducting a survey of the lake this coming Tuesday afternoon and the limnologist will be reporting on the survey Tuesday night at 7 at the Lake Improvement Board meeting at the Township Hall. We have scheduled a weed treatment for Thursday May 23 so any swimming restrictions will be ended before Friday afternoon. Given our past experience, we are hopeful that the weeds will have been significantly reduced by the time everybody is ready to enjoy the holiday.

Please note that none of the chemicals we will use this year carry any Federal EPA swimming restrictions and that the state restrictions apply only in the areas actually treated.

As always, if we treat an offshore area, we will post a map of the affected areas.

Financially, we ended last year with approximately a $40000 surplus, so we should have more than adequate funds to cover the added costs we are facing as a result of the past winter.

If you are around, please feel free to come to the meeting Tuesday night. As always, I can be reached by email at mrajt@outlook.com.

Posted May 3, 2024

LAKE UPDATE

Algae search and destroy took place Tuesday. They treated almost 3 miles of shoreline.

Phoslock treatment occurred Thursday in Turtle and South Bays. A treatment map is attached. We ask your cooperation in minimizing boat traffic in the treated areas for a few weeks. If you must boat in those areas, please go at idle speed with your prop up.

Also, please avoid raking or otherwise disturbing the bottom for several weeks.

The reason for these requests is that algae we are treating is not rooted but rather grows by taking nutrients from the top layer of sediment and Phoslock works by locking up the phosphorus in that layer. If that layer is disturbed, our money has been wasted. If the layer isn't disturbed, we get great results that last.

A case in point is Turtle Bay, which we treated for the first time in late summer last year. Since it is so shallow, there is no high speed boating so the treatment isn't disturbed. The first picture below was taken April 27 2023 and shows a lot of algae. The second, taken earlier this week. The improvement is clear.

Please help the treatment to work and avoid South Bay unless you must.

We will be surveying the lake plant life on May 21. The Lake Improvement Board meets that night at 7 at the township hall and we have scheduled a treatment on the 23rd to prepare for Memorial Day weekend.

Posted April 25, 2024

UPDATE

Algae treatment for the entire lake will occur on April 29. We have authorized treatment of up to roughly 13,000 feet of shoreline, if algae is found.

On May 1, Turtle Bay and South Bay will be treated with Phoslock, which is not an algaecide but works to make the phosphorus in the top layer of our bottom inaccessible as food for the algae. Therefore it is important not to disturb the bottom. This is a minor issue in Turtle Bay, which is so shallow that nobody goes faster than idle speed. Unfortunately, there are those who travel at high speed in South Bay. As a result, last Labor Day there was a lot of algae in South Bay and virtually none in Turtle Bay. Please don't go in South Bay unnecessarily and when you do, go at idle speed in the treated area.

Also please avoid the areas where starry stonewart is being treated.

For your convenience, attached are maps showing Phoslock treatment areas in brown/tan and showing the stonewart infestation in green.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Posted April 15, 2024

LAKE UPDATE

Lake is at summer level of 814.7.

If you haven't done so already, please report goose nest locations to David Haupt at haupt93@gmail.com.

Go to WigginsLake.org/dues to pay your dues. Tavis Parker and the board have updated the website and eliminated the glitches some of us encountered.

Pre Phoslock copper sulphate treatment will be done before May 1, with Phoslock to be applied the following week. Since Phoslock works bylocking the nutrients in the top layer of sediment, only, it is important to avoid stirring up the sediment in the areas to be treated. Please avoid those areas if possible and if you must use those areas, please proceed at idle speed and raise your motor.

Posted April 7, 2024

LAKE UPDATE

With the early spring, it is good to see boaters on the lake; however, please be mindful of our starry stonewart problem and pay particular attention to the need to avoid entirely the two areas of the lake where we have found the stuff last year, especially now when the lake level is down.

If you must use those areas, please raise your motor and go dead slow. The areas are the mouth of the south bay and the stump area off the end of Nipigon and Peace Haven as shown on the attached map.

This stuff is so bad for the health of the lake that we are allowed to treat it anywhere with any approved chemical including copper sulphate without regard to the time and location limitations on its use in our permit.

Thanks for your help making our lake the greatest place on earth!