Here it is already, another winter season. The time and seasons seem to be in a race to see how fast they can go by as we sit on the sidelines wondering where they went and grumbling about their speed. However, there are some things about the changing seasons that can be appreciated. I have noticed the past two years a flock of visitors passing thru on the way to their winter habitat. You can’t miss noticing the males, even though they are small and spend the majority of their time under water hunting for food. The striking beauty of the brilliant black and white Bufflehead always catches my eye. I have learned to be quick with the binoculars since they move swiftly on top of the water and when under, they can stay up to one minute and come up in a different location. By the time you get this newsletter, they probably will be long gone. I highly suggest you look for them late next fall to see if you agree on their stark contrast and beauty.
Speaking of water fowl, it seemed to me that the Canadian geese population from all of north America decided that Baldwin Lake was the place to be in late October and November. It appeared that the yards on the west side of the lake were their favorite do-do dropping destinations. I wander, is there a way to turn all those droppings into some kind of energy source? Imagine, scooping green slimy geese gifts and trying to stuff it into the round and small gas tank opening. Thinking about it, bad idea!!
I would like to thank Karen Balch and Mike Crofoot for another great holiday dinner/dance. The crowd was smaller this year but the food and music were as good as ever. Another good thing for this years dinner/dance was the weather. Usually we can count on one of our seasons significant snow falls on this night – this year snow free.
I would also like to thank Patti Haynie for her work on putting together this newsletter and getting it printed, Carolyn Stevenson for mailing it along with taking minutes for our BLA meetings, Scot Billings for keeping our website up to date and the officers, committee chairpersons, advisors and volunteers who offer their time and efforts to make our lake association a success.
Spring is coming, the days are getting longer. The only bad part of that is that it gives you more daylight to shovel your snow!!
Greg Buss - BLA President
Please note: There will be no Baldwin Lake Association meetings
in January or February. See you in March!
All About The Water
Why monitor a lake’s water quality? Water quality covers many aspects of a lake’s chemistry and biology. These, of course, are determined naturally along with human influences. Excesses in several factors can significantly shorten the life of an inland lake. I’ve recently have been able to attend several Michigan Lake and Streams Association (MLSA) meetings and seminars for Baldwin Lake. This organization talks about lake ecosystems, properties, cycles and general management, all of which will be too vast to cover in one article. Baldwin Lake belongs to the 3rd. district of MLSA, the largest in the state, with over 50 lakes.
This organization is closely tied to the Riparian magazine, which a lot of us read. This magazine and web site is a great tool for communicating on what’s going on throughout the state of Michigan through smaller lake associations within.
Baldwin Lake is rather unique, compared to other lakes in our area and district. We have been testing water quality for many years and all the signs point to a healthy, long lasting inland lake. Because of our lakes geology, depth, water sources (springs) and lake turn over through current flow and our wet lands, we don’t have some of the problems other lakes do. We consistently show water quality (transparency) on visual depth sightings that get better every year with the secchi disk readings. We seem to have the proper aquatic plant balance, with no exotic weed problems, like lakes around us.
The two tests we do annually for E. coli/coliform are showing fewer hot spots than ever before, especially since the sewer project.
With the fairly sandy bottom and lake turn over of fresh water every 3 1/2 years, I believe the zebra muscle problem won’t excel much either. Through MLSA I discovered that a company named Marrone Organic Intovations has found a way to control zebra muscles with bacteria.
The hot topic at the MLSA gatherings was weed control. A majority of the lakes did have some weed problems. This has been attributed to people over fertilizing lawns and putting phosphates into the water, which promotes aquatic weed growth. The usage of fertilizer without phosphate in it and a buffer zone away from Lake Frontage was highly recommended.
I did see some large algae blooms floating under the water this fall that signifies we do have the potential for weed problems. Algae blooms are a whole other topic when it comes to a balanced ecosystem. Zebra muscles do eat some algae (green) blooms but not the blue green algae, which is a contributing factor in fish kills and “red tide”, which I’m sure you have heard about else where.
Judy's Jottings
Submitted by Judy Kankel
Orange Skies: Many of us don’t roll out the red carpet for winter, and we stock up the cupboards and even worry about how our outside plants might survive. But one thing that is so beautiful about the fall and winter is the sky, with the drifts of orange and purple billowing overhead. It is a photographer’s delight late evening or early morning to see only silhouettes of our surroundings and those beautiful colors. I always wondered what caused this. The most sensible answer I have read is that it is light pollution from the sodium vapor lights reflected off the clouds and/or air pollution. Whatever causes it, step outside and enjoy it when you can.
Deer, Geese, and Swans: Yesterday morning two large female deer were in our front yard and actually walked up to the house and looked in at us. I lifted up a blind to get a better look and they loped away very quickly. We must all be very cautious this time of year when driving. There seems to be an overabundance of Canada geese and swans this year too, and they seem to be staying on the lake longer.
(picture by P. Haynie)
Some Interesting Facts:
1. Al Capone’s business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
2. An average American spends 6 months of his/her life waiting at red lights.
3. It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
4. There is no Betty Rubble in Flintstone’s vitamins.
5. Leonardo DaVinci invented the scissors.
6. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
7. A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
From My Kitchen: To warm the tummy when it is cold outside:
BEER CHEESE SOUP
4 large carrots, chopped 1 Cup Velveeta (cubed)
4 sticks celery, chopped ½ can beer
1 small onion, diced 2 cups milk
2- 14 oz. cans chicken broth
Cook carrots, celery and onion in chicken broth. Do not drain. Puree in blender. Return to pan and over low heat, add cheese, milk and beer. Simmer until blended. Yummy!! You can easily double this recipe for a larger family.
WHEN IN DOUBT, DON’T GO OUT—BEWARE OF THIN ICE
Every winter, thousands of people enjoy fishing, skating, hiking or just sliding around on frozen ponds and lakes. And every year, people drown after falling through ice. Warn your kids about playing on frozen lakes and streams without supervision. If you’re fishing, drill your own test hole near shore. Your test hole should show at least a four-inch thickness of clear ice like you get from your freezer. Wear a life jacket for extra warmth and safety.
Be aware of various ice strengths and qualities. One area of a pond may only be an inch thick. Baldwin Lake is spring-fed so some locations do not freeze as fast. Ice strength can also change. Thick ice is rotten after rain. Old honey-combed ice, slush ice or ice with current under it is also dangerous. New ice is almost always stronger than old ice. Wind, waterfowl and beavers can also keep areas of ice thin.
A slush type of ice is very dangerous and may be only half as strong as clear, blue ice. Slush ice indicates a weakening of the ice. Clear and blue river ice may be 15 percent weaker than pond or lake ice. New ice is almost always stronger than old ice because the connection between ice crystals decays with age. Dark or honeycombed ice indicates deterioration and should be avoided. Even when a cold snap stops the deterioration process, dark or honeycombed ice will never re-freeze to its original strength.
A light wind can accelerate the formation of ice, but strong winds can force water from beneath the ice and accelerate the decay of ice around the edges.
Snow is a good insulator for ice and helps keep it strong, but it can also keep it from further freezing or even hide cracks or weak ice.
Lakes with moving water should be approached with caution. Water movement can slow the freezing process and leave hard-to-detect thin spots.
Ice conditions can and do vary greatly. Because there are so many variables in ice formation, ice forms at different rates.
Anglers should be aware of how much weight each ice type and thickness can support. The Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife recommends using the following thickness guidelines:
1” of ice—do not walk on ice this thin!
2”-3” of clear, blue ice will support one adult walking.
4” of ice—is needed for safe ice fishing.
5” of ice—is needed for snowmobiling across ice.
8” of ice—is needed to support the weight of a car or light truck.
10” of ice—is needed to support a medium weight truck.
These guidelines will vary with the different types of ice.
Beyond making certain that ice is thick enough to support your weight, there are many precautions an icer can take in the name of safety. It is good to have companions on the ice and having short ice picks supported by a strong cord around your neck or secured with strong cord to your wrists. But neither of these precautions will get you back on safe ice every time.
The most reliable precaution you can take will be found at almost every grocery or hardware store. It is nothing more exotic than a long skein (say 100 feet or more) of clothesline rope; one end securely tied around your waist, and the other end to a solid object (trees are great) on the shore.
Your rope may not always be long enough to reach the bank, but with one end of the rope tied securely to the middle of a two-foot-long piece of broomstick you can use the ice as an anchor point. Just spud a six-inch hole (the width of holes cut with most ice anglers), place the broomstick crosswise under the ice and you have a solid anchor point to pull against if you need it. Another method for anchoring a rope is simply wetting it and running it across the ice. Cold air will freeze it to the ice. REMEMBER; WHEN IN DOUBT, DON’T GO OUT!
Also fishing shanties must have reflectors on each side so snowmobiles won’t crash into them at dusk or during snowstorms.
President’s Corner