JULY 2023 NEWSLETTER Crockery Lake Association
Helpful Links:
Crockery Lake Website: www.crockerylake.org
Facebook Page: www.facebook/crockerylake
FIREWORKS and FESTIVITIES 2023
A huge thanks to all who participated in the boat parade. It was so fun to see so many boats and it was so hard to decide on the winners. Start thinking about next years entry!
So many took the time to get their yards decorated to celebrate Independence Day. Here are just a few pictures.
And the winner goes to Carl & Karen Elliott for the second year in a row!
The fireworks were a bang up success! This was a new company and they were great to work with. A great big thank you goes to the Gunkel’s for letting us use their land, to Carl & Karen Elliott for finding the company and facilitating everything, to Chester Township Fire Department for being on hand just in case, and to everyone who came to help clean up the field at Gunkel’s on July 4.
We have asked this company to save July 3 for us next year.
HOWEVER, it all depends on YOU!
Our fireworks are 100% paid by donations!
We still need about $3500 to secure the fireworks for next year. Please help!
WE NEED YOU TO JOIN CROCKERY LAKE ASSOCIATION
The Crockery Lake Association Board of Directors meets the 3rd Wednesday of every month from March through October. The Board is elected from lake residents who are willing to give of their time to our lake. A Lake Association is beneficial to all of the lake residents.
If there was no Lake Board:
~ There would be no boat parade or ring of fire.
~ There would be no website.
~ There would be no official Facebook page.
~ There would be no newsletter..
~ There would be no liaison with the township.
~ The township would make all decisions pertaining to Crockery Lake.
~ There would not be monitoring of the lake conditions.
~ There would be no liaison to contact Professional Lake Management if we have an algal bloom.
~There would not be anyone doing any research into remediation for our lake to improve it or to prevent further harm to our lake.
~ There would be no money collected for dues or for fireworks
~ There would be no fireworks.
If we have a majority of lake owners participating as members then our voice to the township is much greater. Imagine letting them make decisions based on 90% to 100% of what the residents would like!
Just to repeat, the Board of Directors are all volunteers. These volunteers love our lake and are going above and beyond when it comes to taking care of our lake.
Do you want to stay informed of all that is going on? We do not print newsletters because it is too costly to print on personal printers or from a print shop. In the past, one of our lake residents generously provided the paper and the printing for our newsletters. If everyone joined the association for only $35 a year we could possibly have newsletters printed. And newsletters would also be distributed by our Board of Directors, another volunteer job. Many have said they do not see the newsletter because they are not signed up on the website to receive communications about the lake. So they are missing all the news.
The Lake Board has always stayed educated through Michigan Lake and Stream conferences and several other offerings by the state to educate us on Best Management Practices.
Over the years several on the Board have attended multiple meetings with ML&SA our watershed district (LGROW), conservation district, other Lake Improvement Board meetings, Ottawa County Parks, MSU Extension, and EGLE. And those who attended have paid for MSU Extension classes and conferences out of their own pockets.
There are no politics involved in the Lake Association. This is strictly for the betterment of our lake and for our residents (riparians).
Won’t you support your lake by becoming a member?
We are offering three options to pay again this year:
* Use the form at the end of the newsletter (you can print just the last page) to send your check to: Greg Slater, 2500 Crockery Shores Road, Casnovia, MI 49318
Use BillPay through your bank website. Send to: Greg Slater, 2500 Crockery Shores Road, Casnovia, MI 49318
Paypal link from our webpage: www.crockerylake.org. You can also donate to the fireworks there. It will be two separate transactions.
Please look for the minutes on the website www.crockerylake.org to get an idea of all we talk about. You will also receive an email from the website that the approved minutes are posted.
If you haven’t visited the Crockery Lake website please do and sign up to receive all of the news and announcements. www.crockerylake.org
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations to board member John DeGeneres and his wife Kassi in the birth of a healthy baby boy the end of June. Big sister is pleased as can be to have a baby brother.
Congratulations to our own Lady of Crockery Lake Nicole (Cole) Gustin who is now Mrs. Andrew Bonter. They celebrated their nuptials on June 10, 2023. Welcome to Crockery Lake as a couple.
2023 CHEMICAL TREATMENT DATES
We are scheduled for one more visit from PLM. At this time they will assess the lake for weeds and algae and decide if another treatment is needed. We have had 5 algae treatments this year: 2 with Chelated Copper, 2 with a peroxide based chemical, and 1 with SeClear which is also copper based but cannot be used before July 1 because of the effect on the marine life.
We encourage you to keep checking the website and attend Board meetings as we explore options for improving lake quality.
8/14/23 Water Quality, Fall AVAS survey, Optional Treatment
LAKE REMEDIATION
Clean Flo/SIS.bio
The Crockery Lake Board of Directors met Wednesday, August 2, 2023 for a special board meeting to discuss remediation of our lake using the technology and services of Clean Flo/SIS.bio. This company uses aeration and enzymes to digest the sludge, phosphorus, nitrates, and ammonia in the lake that are causing all of the algae, unwanted weed growth, and murky, unhealthy water. We have been diligent this summer having algae treatments on the lake. After a treatment we see some improvement but only for a short period of time. The lake is better today 8/7/23 because we have had cooler temps and much cooler nights. But that doesn’t mean next year will be any better. The clarity was 5 feet which is the best it's been all year, however the Dissolved Oxygen which is a big marker if a lake is healthy or not went from 8.22 to 6.12. This is a significant drop because the fish need oxygen to live.
It is time to bring on the big guns rather than the chemical warfare which is only making the lake worse.
On July 27, the CLA board had a ZOOM meeting with Dave Shackleton from Clean Flo to learn more about the process. To move forward we need a survey of the bottom of our lake which will show the depths and shapes of the bottom and underwater terrain. This will also show the depth of the sludge that is on the bottom which would be the baseline before treatment starts and then with future testing will indicate the effectiveness of the treatment.
We are seeking donations for this Bathymetric Survey. This would be the baseline survey for our current lake bottom and would give us a marker to determine future sludge reduction.
The amount needed for the test is $10,000.
Your CLA Board of directors are willing to donate from their own pockets to get this remediation going. We already have $8,350 committed by those who were at the meeting and believe in this treatment.
Would YOU be willing to help also? Are YOU ready to have a clean, healthy lake?
Send your donation to Crockery Lake Association, ℅ Greg Slater, 2500 Crockery Shores Road, Casnovia, MI 49318.
After over a year of research we believe we have found the solution to clean up our lake. There is multiple data showing the effectiveness of Clean Flo in lakes and ponds of all sizes.
Join us a special board meeting on August 23, 2023 at 7pm at the Chester Township Hall for more information with special presenter Dave Shackleton from Clean Flo.
Web addresses to videos for more information on the Clean Flo system:
www.clean-flo.com/
PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE
Purple loosestrife has been spotted at many locations on the lake. It may look pretty on the shoreline but it is a very invasive plant that harms the environment. It is an erect perennial herb standing three to ten feet tall. Its average height is five feet. The plant blossoms every July through September with purple flowers that are located in long spikes at the tip of its branches. Its leaves are opposite or whorled on a square, sometimes woody stem. One purple loosestrife plant may grow as an individual stalk or as several stalks clumped together. As beautiful as this plant may appear, its beauty is deceptive, as purple loosestrife is gradually altering our nation’s wetlands. Native lookalikes of this plant are swamp loosestrife and blue vervain.
Where Does Purple Loosestrife Invade?
Optimum habitats for purple loosestrife include freshwater marshes, open stream margins and alluvial floodplains. Purple loosestrife also invades wet meadows, pasture wetlands, cattail marshes, stream and river banks, lake shores, irrigation ditches, drainage ditches and stormwater retention basins. Purple loosestrife is often associated with cattail, reed canary grass and other moist soil plants.
What Makes Purple Loosestrife a Good Invader?
Purple loosestrife prefers moist organic soils, fluctuating water levels and full sunlight; which are conditions that can stress many native plants. However, this plant can survive in many conditions associated with disturbed sites, such as construction sites. It can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions (temperature, sunlight, pH, nutrient levels) and can establish itself on a variety of substrates (gravel, sand, clay, and organic soil). Purple loosestrife has no natural predators, such as disease or insects on this continent; therefore, it has an incredible ability to out-compete native vegetation and to form dense stands.
How Does Purple Loosestrife Spread?
Purple loosestrife’s ability to spread contributes to its success as an invader. One adult purple loosestrife plant can produce 2.5 million to 2.7 million seeds annually. Seeds are roughly the size of ground pepper grains, and are viable for many years. They may remain dormant in the soil until conditions are right for germination. These seeds are easily dispersed and transported by water, wind, bird feathers, animal fur, footwear, boats, boat trailers and car tires. Purple loosestrife is also capable of resprouting from broken stems, underground roots and plant fragments. If mowed, the cut stem pieces will send out new roots and form new plants. The once commercial sale of purple loosestrife also increased the spread of this plant by introducing it to various wetlands and home gardens. This plant is illegal to sell, trade, plant, or share in Michigan, per Michigan's Natural Resources Environmental Protection Act (Part 413 of Act 451).
Why Is Purple Loosestrife a Problem?
Purple loosestrife negatively affects both wildlife and agriculture. It displaces and replaces native flora and fauna, eliminating food, nesting and shelter for wildlife. Purple loosestrife forms a single-species stand that no bird, mammal, or fish depends upon, and germinates faster than many native wetland species. If wildlife species are displaced, those that cannot move into new areas may be lost. By reducing habitat size, purple loosestrife has a negative impact on fish spawning and waterfowl habitat. The plant also diminishes wetland recreational values such as boating, fishing and hunting. This, in turn, may hurt local economies. Purple loosestrife affects agriculture by blocking flow in drainage and irrigation ditches and decreasing crop yield and quality.
How to stop the Purple Loosestrife Invasion - PULL IT OUT repeat PULL IT OUT
Physical Control of purple loosestrife is possible for smaller stands of plants (fewer than about 100 plants). It involves physically removing the plant from the soil. Removal should ensure that all root and plant pieces are dug out of the soil. The best time to remove purple loosestrife from the soil is prior to seeding time (August/September). Removal after this time will not eliminate the seeds that have already been produced by the plant. Once the plants are removed they should be burned or tightly bagged to prevent the spread of seeds or re-sprouting. Composting is not an alternative as the plants may regenerate in the compost pile. If hand-pulling during flowering time, cut off the flower stalk and bag it before removing the plant and roots to minimize seed dispersal.
WELCOME TO NEW RIPARIANS (residents)
Welcome! We encourage you to attend the board meetings which are the third Wednesday of each month from March through September/October at 7:00pm. The location is announced on the website, Facebook and by email. We would love to meet and greet you and answer any questions you have about our lake. You can also contact us through crockerylakeassociation@gmail.com.
This is your new neighborhood! We want to welcome All of You!!! We look forward to getting to know you!
Remember if you have a new neighbor, please let Paula Humphrey (616.498.0363 ) know so she can pay them a visit.
IT MAY BE WORTH A TRY
Last year, we were looking at an option for cleaning up the phosphorus and nitrates in the lake. This was called bio-augmentation and used microbes released into the lake to digest these nutrients that are making Crockery Lake quality so poor. This would have been a lake wide treatment but it was costly. By doing some further research, one of our lake residents found a company that the microbes can be purchased from individually and used at your lake frontage. This will not clean up the whole lake. If we proposed to treat the whole lake with this treatment it would require an EGLE permit. However, you can treat your own water. If you would like to try this treatment at your lake frontage you can find more information at https://www.newtechbio.com/dead-algae-and-duckweed-digester.htm or contact Carl Elliott 616.822.9250.
CROCKERY LAKE T-SHIRTS
Lesha and Nicole are offering T-shirts again this year. Specially designed and printed by Nicole. All profits go to the Crockery Lake Fireworks Fund. Please get your orders in soon.
Adults S-XL— $20
Larger sizes will be more
Kids - $15
Call or text Lesha Gustin at 616-822-7139.
ADVERTISE
Do you have an item to sell?
Advertising in this newsletter is FREE to Crockery Lake Association Members.
Advertising for business is $25/year. Inclusion of any advertisement in the CLA Newsletter does not equate to an endorsement by the Crockery Lake Association.
Inclusion of any advertisement in the CLA Newsletter does not equate to an endorsement by the Crockery Lake Association.
CLA BOARD of DIRECTORS
President / Betsy Ludwick
Position Expires: 4/30/24
616.723.5704 / betsylud@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor, Website and Facebook page Administrator
Vice President / Dan Atwood
Position Expires: 4/30/26
616.240.5670
dan@atwoodforestproducts.com
Represents: 2833 - 2871 Crockery Shores, Kaycee Lane, Crockery Woods
Treasurer / Greg Slater
Position Expires: 4/30/25
616.638.6930 / greg.gsesllc@outlook.com
Representing: 2221 Van Dyke St - 2391 Van Dyke St
Secretary / Paula Humphrey
Position Expires: 4/30/25
616.498.0363 / paulah2700@gmail.com
Representing: 2392 Van Dyke - 2516 Van Dyke
Immediate Past President / Bob Blauwkamp
Position Expires: 4/30/24
616.957.9007 / rblauwkamp@gmail.com
Representing: 2332 - 2550 Crockery Shores Road, 24th Ave, Hoover
DIRECTORS
Mollie Gaggen
Position Expires: 4/30/26
313.712.6437 / molliesterr@gmail.com
Representing: 2081 Van Dyke - 2211 Van Dyke
John deGeneres
Position expires: 4/30/24
225.287.1420 / johnkassidegen@gmail.com
Representing: 2563 Crockery Shores Road - 2798 Crockery Shores Road
Position open
Position Expires: 4/30/26
Representing: 2519 Van Dyke - 2681 Van Dyke
Bill Marks
Position Expires: 4/30/2026
616.430.8372 / williamjrix@gmail.com
Representing: 2705 Van Dyke St - 2835 Van Dyke