Frequently Asked Questions

Why are there so many weeds? Weeds in the water are like weeds in your lawn. Given the right environment, they will flourish and if left unattended, can take over.  Some weeds are considered invasive and non-native.  It is these types of weeds that are targeted for control.  The native ones are actually good for the health of the lake and its inhabitants and thus are allowed to flourish.  “Allowed” meaning, the DEQ will not grant permits to eradicate them.  The only control of native weeds that the DEQ will allow, and on a very limited basis, is when these native species, grow so numerous and thick and in dock areas that they obstruct the boat owners navigability.  This is otherwise known as “nuisance weeds”.

The amount of weeds varies from year to year just like our weather and seasons severity do.  The weather and severity of it, very much affect what grows (in and out of the water).  The colder the water, the less weeds.  The longer the winter, the less weeds.  And vise-versa for both scenarios.

Other invaders also affect the weeds, indirectly.  Zebra mussels are little sharp-shelled organisms that attach themselves to rocks and feed off the material floating in the water.  They serve what would appear to be a good purpose by cleaning the water, but the bad thing about clean clear water is that it allows more sun to penetrate to the weeds that are growing below and encourages their further growth as they make their way to the surface.

Zebra mussels cannot be controlled or eradicated.  Once they are here, they are here to stay.  The only control is to prevent them from coming into our lakes by washing off boats/pwcs at the launches. 

Another invader is human-driven and that is due to use of chemicals that find their way into the lakes.  Chemicals or contaminants like human waste from failed septic systems, phosphates from lawn fertilizer run off and farm lands.  These things we have much control over and this is where all of us can do much to control weeds at the local level.

Foreign weeds/organisms/fish- These invaders are brought into our lakes by several means.  Boats going from other lakes then to ours, flow of water (remember our lakes are series of rivers), human’s dumping things, like fish tanks thinking they are liberating a captive creature.  It is these invaders that can consume the native species and habitats and proliferate beyond what we have control over.  Think of it like a virus.  Science has not found a cure for most viruses and some species of invaders, in the aquatic world are the same way.

Why can’t they just use chemicals instead of harvesters? Harvesting of weeds is where they use a tractor of sorts that cuts off the tops of the weeds and then carries the cut off parts on to a loader where the cut weeds are hauled away.  Harvesting requires a permit from the DEQ and the DEQ again will only allow a limited amount for what they determine to be nuisance weeds. 

Chemicals also are used to control weed growth, but only for certain species.  Chemicals are also highly controlled by the DEQ as they should be as one could only imagine the catastrophe if over-use or the wrong kind of chemicals were allowed.  Highly trained and educated professionals are hired by our local governments to inspect our lakes, several times a year to determine what kind of weeds we have, and what is the best chemical to use against them.  The lake association plays a major role in this process of making sure that these inspections are done to the lake property owner’s satisfaction as well as bringing specific problematic areas to the inspector’s attention.

Why can’t they treat the weeds more often, earlier in the season or later?  See the answer to the question above.  The weeds/water quality inspectors make the determination when is the optimal time for treatments (chemical or otherwise) depending on many factors, such as water temp., weed species, weather conditions, etc..  This is a science not a guessing game.

Why are some areas treated (harvested or chemically) and some not even touched?  The decision of what to treat or not has everything to do with whether the weeds are native or not, or nuisance or not.  If the weeds are native and they are out in front of some vacant farm land or forested non-inhabited areas, then no, those areas are not treated.  However, if the weeds are in a channel for example where they would pose a concern for water flow and clogging of boat props, those areas will be treated.

What does our weeds assessment on our tax bill go toward?  The weed assessment pays for the water quality management consultant and his contractors to guide us in making the correct decisions to maintain our lakes in the most cost-effective and healthy way possible.  It is through their recommendations that we (local lake board) take into consideration when deciding what is best for our lakes.  The monies collected under this special assessment pay for the consultants as well as the DEQ permits, chemicals and contract-hiring of the harvesters and chemical treaters.

Is everyone paying the same amount?  Yes and no.  The assessments are based on the number of users and type of property.  It is geared to charge those users based on amount of use of the lakes.  For example a single family homeowner on the lake frontage will have a lower impact on the use of the lake as there will only be so many occupants of that home compared to a campground, park or business.  These allocations are set and do not change from year to year.  Changes are only made if there is approved/granted change in use or error.

How come there are so few weeds on ________Lake compared to my lake?  Referring to what has already been addressed above.  Every lake is different.  For example, the soils at the bottoms of lake vary from lake to lake.  Just like your yard.  You may be able to grow vegetables fairly easy if your neighbor is a farmer.  But your relative, who lives across town in the city, can’t grow a tree to save a birds life. 

The sandy soils of some lakes seem to be more problematic for weed growth and thus tend to have less water issues.  Sand is a natural filter.  Gravel or marl is not such a good filter and mixed with mud, makes a muck that is perfect for weeds to take hold and spread.  Fish like it too.  Thus, marl-bottomed lakes tend be better fishing type lakes than swimming lakes.  So what kind of lakes are in the North Chain?  Mostly marl although there are numerous sandy spots as well.  Refer to the DEQ website for specifics for each lake in their directory.