Spring 2011

High-Fishtrap-Rush Lakes Association

HFRLA’s mission is to preserve and protect High-Fishtrap-Rush Lakes and surroundings which include the headwaters of the Manitowish River for today and for future generations. The association will work to enhance the water quality, biological integrity, fishery, public recreation, boating safety, and aesthetic values of the HFR area. High/Fishtrap/Rush Lakes Association P.O. Box 122 Boulder Junction, WI 54512 Board of Directors Dan Johnson President Mark Lavin Vice President Ken Wiesner Treasurer Leslie Gauberti Secretary Joanne Ader Patt McCarthy Sally Rathke Fred Rathke Helen Schott Ron Winter Committees Membership & Communication/Education Finances Lakes Science Land Use Boating Safety & Access Social

Membership Information Annual membership dues are $25 payable before the annual meeting each year. (A membership year runs from day after annual mtg through the next annual mtg.) To apply for membership, please submit the information listed below with your $25 annual dues payment to: HFR Lakes Association P.O. Box 122 Boulder Junction, WI 54512 Make checks payable to HFR Lakes Association. Information to submit: - permanent mailing address & lake address - telephone number(s) - seasonal telephone number - e-mail address - your interest in joining a committee or participating in activities Newsletter – Leslie Gauberti Photos- Sally Rathke, Leslie Gauberti Website-https://sites.google.com/site/hfrlakes

Annual Meeting & Picnic Saturday, June 25, 9:30am BJ Community Center Please join us at our annual meeting from 9:30-11:30 am at the BJ Community Center! In addition to the business meeting,, we are happy to report that Steve Petersen, DNR Northern Highland-American American Legion (NHAL) State Forest Superintendent will be joining us to talk about our northern forests, the NHAL, Superintendent, and the operation of the Fishtrap Dam. So come with your questions! Following the meeting will be the 3rd annual potluck picnic at the community Fo center building shelter. Bring your own beverages, tableware, and a dish to share. We will have grills going again if you wish wish to bring something to grill, along with soft drinks and dessert. Hope to see you there!

Time to renew or join, oin, if you haven’t! MEMBERSHIP UPDATE A heartfelt welcome to our new members and a big thank you to those members who faithfully renew! Since last summer’s annual meeting, meeting we are pleased to say we have 78 members – of which 66 are current and have voting rights for the upcoming annual meeting (11 new members and 55 renewals). renewals)

NEW & RENEWING MEMBERS Since the Nov. 2010 Newsletter Acknowledgement HFRLA would like to recognize and thank recent new and renewing members for their support and volunteer spirit. New Members - Welcome! Alan & Catherine McCully

Jason & Jodi Roberts

John & Leslie Talbot

HFRLA FRLA Membership Renewals for 2010-11: Tom & Sharon Christie Robert & Kimberly Erdahl Raymond Guzy James & Ann Merrill Jim Stein

John & Randee Conley John & Joann Fiorenza Greg & Bonnie Kruckenberg Art & Lynn Rice Peter & Georgiana Wardle

Tim Cooper Natalie Gordon Mark & Ann Lavin Lenore Serwinski Ken & Barbara Wiesner

Just a reminder - a membership year runs from "the day after the annual meeting through the next annual meeting". To renew for the 2011 annual meeting, see “Membership Information” in the lower left section of this page. For membership questions: Leslie Gauberti [email protected] or 715-904-0234.

DONATIONS A very special thank you goes out to the following members for making a donation to the HFRLA in addition to their membership dues! Jeff & Beverly Marek Randy & Phyllis Porubcanus

Harry & Donnal Piehl Art & Lynn Rice

Note: My apologies to the Mareks and Piehls for omitting your donation acknowledgement in the Fall newsletter – Leslie Gauberti

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An update from your President P ... I returned to Boulder Junction yesterday, April 25th, to full sun and a sixty-five sixty five degree temperature with great hopes of a spring clean-up clean up and returning my piers to the water. Today it is thirty-two thirty degrees and snowing – you’ve got to love it!! Like myself, lf, I am sure most of you are anxiously awaiting the summer season and your Board is looking forward to moving HFRLA in a direction which enhances our collective stewardship of our three lakes. NEW PIER REGULATIONS. Hopefully, all of you had the opportunity to review whether or not your piers were in compliance with the new state regulations. While your Board had addressed this his in previous meetings and newsletters, I thought it was important to provide one last reminder so we all hope you found the March “tickler” postcard to be of help.

ANNUAL MEETING. Our annual meeting is scheduled th for June 25 at the Boulder Junction Community Center. We are back to our original schedule of the fourth Saturday in June and hopefully we will be able to keep it that way. There will be a special treat this year for all you Packer fans. The “flat-lander” HFRLA board members lost a bet on the rubber game of the 2010 BearsBears Packers’ series and accordingly will be decked out in natty, Packer championship wear, including yours truly. This is a once in a lifetime event, so don’t miss it!!

MEMBERSHIP SURVEY. In my last President’s letter I mentioned the notion of a member survey sur to be included with this newsletter. Due to all the tax exempt matters we had to address, the Board just didn’t get to it. Our plan at this juncture is to devote some time at the annual meeting to solicit input for future initiatives and direction to the he Board. The meeting will offer an excellent opportunity for you to put forth any ideas, so give it some good thought.

TAX EXEMPT STATUS. Income tax season has come and gone and I am happy to report that the IRS has granted us that all important “tax exempt” status. I want to thank you all for quickly returning your votes on the amendment to our articles of incorporation which was a key step in receiving the approval. Our Secretary, Leslie Gauberti, deserves special recognition for all the work that went into the application and you should be pleased to know that this was accomplished without spending any of the association’s financial ial resources on outside professional help. We will have copies of the IRS declaration available at the annual meeting.

BOARD POSITIONS. We currently have an opportunity to fill two Board vacancies. I and my fellow board members will be seeking out any interested i individuals, and should any of you have an interest in joining the board or know of someone who does, please feel free to drop me a note at [email protected]. [email protected]

We will have one business matter to address at the annual meeting to complete this whole process and that involves a membership vote to amend our bylaws to conform to the amended articles of incorporation.

Treasurer's Report

To all my fellow Association members, I look forward to rekindling relationships this summer and hope to see you all at the annual meeting. Dan Johnson, President

Ken Wiesner

Our Association continues to be financially stable thanks to continued support in the form of membership dues and donations. We are keeping ahead of expenses and have a modest balance for future needs. We had a balance of $3273 on 5/1/10. The Treasurer's Report in the Fall 2010 newsletter contained the details de of the $1150 in member fees/donations and $909 in expenses leading to our 11/1/10 balance of $3514. In the past six months we have received $900 in member fees plus $225 in extra donations. Expenses during this period totaled $1083 including $85 forr boat landing inspector gear, $266 for Fall newsletter production/mailing plus two postcard mailings (Bylaws change, and Pier Registration notice), $550 for our new liability insurance policy, $35 for corporation filings with the state, $97 for annual membership bership in WI Lakes, and $50 for annual membership in Vilas Co. Lakes Assoc. Our balance on 5/1/11 is $3556 Our members have donated their time and personal expenses for the Citizen Lake Monitoring and Boat Landing Inspection efforts, refreshments and picnic cnic supplies for the Annual Meeting, and Board work. An annual report of our finances will be presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting. Thank you all for your support!

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Vilas County’s Lake Courtesy Code Developed by the Vilas County Lakes Association and the Vilas County Land & Water conservation onservation Department

Common sense courtesies:

It’s the law:

NOISE – Sound travels far over water

SAFETY – Wisconsin boating laws

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Recommended water ski and personal watercraft hours: 10am to 6pm Quiet hours please: 10 pm to 8 am Towns may have more restrictive hours – be an informed boater

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SPEED – Give ive other lake users a break 

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Slow down for safety and to protect shorelines from erosion Watch for no-wake wake zones and speed limits.

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SPACE – Keep your distance

CLEAN BOATS – CLEAN EAN WATERS Invasive Species

Observe loons, eagles and other wildlife from a long distance. Stay away from fish spawning areas in spring and fall Give those fishing and silent watercraft time and space

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CLEAN LAKES – Leave no trace  

Boaters – Stay at least 100’ from swimmers, divers, snorkelers, anglers, and other watercraft, rafts and docks Personal Watercraft – Stay at least 200’ from shore when operating faster than “slow-no“slow wake” speed. Waterskiing and personal watercraft – not permitted after sunset One wearable personal flotation device required for each boater

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Litter kills wildlife – if you carry it in, please carry it out. Use non-lead sinkers and jigs – lead kills aquatic birds

State Law – Launching boats or boating equipment with aquatic plants or zebra mussels attached is prohibited. Clean your boat, motor, trailer, anchor, live-well well and fishing tackle to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species. Do not release unused bait in the lake, river, or stream. Dispose of in trash.

Perform lake CPR – be Courteous, Polite, & Respectful Help keep our lakes safe, clean and enjoyable for everyone.

Report Violations olations to the DNR Tip Line CALL 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800 800-847-9367) or #367 from your cell phone (free for US Cellular customers) Toll Free – Statewide – 24-Hour – Confidential (This is NOT an information number.)

To email a report of violation not in progress: [email protected] -3-

High-Fishtrap-Rush Lakes Association P.O. Box 122 Boulder Junction, Wi 54512

Happy & Safe Summer, Everyone!

Inside:

- Annual meeting & picnic information - Update on boat landing monitoring & invasives “A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is the Earth’s eye, looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” - Henry David Thoreau

Your our membership is very important. The HFR Lakes Association provides a common voice for the concerns, needs and challenges that face our watershed and lakes. s. It will provide the structure needed to organize volunteer efforts to monitor water quality and invasive species threats, as well as represent property owners and their interests with local and state government. Membership gives you the right to vote for board of director positions and to vote on issues requiring membership approval. You will be kept informed of meetings, important dates, significant developments/accomplishments with respect to association business, and be provided information on important issues and challenges that may have serious implications for our lakes. To join see “Membership Information” in shaded box, page 1. Note: If you would prefer not to be on HFRLA’s mailing list please call or e-mail e Leslie Gauberti at 715-904-0234 or [email protected].

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HFRLA 2011 Spring Newsletter Insert Boat Landing Monitoring & Aquatic Invasives Helen Schott according to results released March 31 from the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Madison. The Milwaukee Harbor canals fish kill started the week of March 14 and by March 18, involved several thousand fish.

In August 2010, boat monitor training started for the High Lake and Forest Lodge boat landings. A training class was conducted by Vilas County Invasive Coordinator, Ted Ritter, at Birchwood Cove Resort on High Lake. The training lasted about two hours and 18 volunteers attended from Fishtrap and High Lakes. After the training, volunteers monitored at the High Lake boat landing off of County Highway B on five occasions for about 12 hours. 15 boats were inspected.

If anyone is interested in participating in boat landing monitoring, they should contact board member Helen Schott at 715-385-2965 for scheduling and instruction. The equipment used by boat monitors is kept about a half mile from the High Lake boat landing in a storage unit at the entrance of Birchwood Cove Resort off High Lake Road.

The boaters were very cooperative after the volunteers explained that they were property owners on the lake and were very interested in the health of the lakes and fishery. Most boaters said that they were aware of the need for inspection for invasive aquatic plants and draining water from boat bilges, live wells and motors. The volunteers conducted visual inspections of the boat, motor, and especially the trailer. If any plant material was spotted, the volunteers requested permission to remove it.

The Southern Naiad water plant takeover on Fishtrap has been monitored by Lake Association volunteers and by Susan Knight, PhD. of the UW Extension. This appears to be the case of a native plant already present on the lake greatly increasing its population and displacing other native species. It also appears to be occurring to some extent on High Lake so far in limited areas. Last summer there was some indication that the amount of Southern Naiad on Fishtrap Lake was diminishing and being replaced by other native species such as cabbage and coontail.

The volunteers also emphasized the need to drain water from the boat in order to stop the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). The new rules, to stop the spread of VHS, outlaw transporting water or live fish or minnows from lake to lake. In order to fish multiple lakes in a single day, anglers need to bring a cooler with ice to preserve their catch while they are fishing new lakes. If an angler is using minnows to fish in multiple lakes, they need to purchase and use an aerated minnow bucket that can be kept cool (ice).

On High Lake in the summer of 2010, we also did extensive trapping of crayfish both for monitoring and eating purposes. We trapped well over 1000 crayfish and all but one were Rusty Crayfish, an alien species from the Ohio River and its tributaries.

VHS, which can infect several dozen different native fish species, including muskies, northern pike, walleye, large and small mouth bass, and all panfish species, and cause them to bleed to death. It does not affect humans. Infected fish shed the virus in their urine and reproductive fluids and the virus can survive in water for at least 14 days. Fish also can be infected when they eat an infected fish.

The Rusty Crayfish are very aggressive and will force all other crayfish species into severe decline. The rusties will also eat and destroy entire weed beds needed for fish habitat. Rusties have destroyed weedbeds in Boulder Lake and hurt the fishery. Rusties, when taken, cannot be released so all were boiled up with Old Bay seasoning, pealed, and eaten. Leftovers were put in gumbo. Both were delicious.

The first detection of the virus was in a freshwater drum from the Lake Winnebago system in 2007, and also in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan that same year. The virus was first confirmed in Lake Superior in 2010 from samples of lake herring. Earlier this year in midMarch, 2011, a fish kill of thousands of gizzard shad in the Milwaukee Harbor ship canals was caused by VHS,

There is some indication in the literature that extensive trapping and removal of rusty crayfish can help preserve weedbeds so our readers may want to consider joining this effort. Check the internet on how to collect rusty -5-

crayfish and how to identify the species. www.dnr.wi.gov nd search for Rusty Crayfish.) The DNR requires a fishing license to collect rusty crayfish and they must be transported in a container that they cannot escape from.

Nature Notes.

Rusty Crayfish are generally 3-5 3 inches in length. You can identify ntify a rusty by the rusty spots on its shell. If you see one, watch how it moves sideways or shoots backwards as if jet propelled. Its periscope eyes help it hunt for food and see danger in all directions. Its gills can't be seen, they are under the hard body shell. The crayfish is an omnivore and opportunistic feeder, feeder using its pincers to hunt mostly at night. It prefers a meal of plants plants and dead animals but will catch its dinner if given a chance. In the spring look for eggs or young attached under the female's tail. It is illegal to transport live crayfish from one place to another or to use live crayfish for fishing bait. (Info. & drawing taken from Wisconsin DNR EEK! website.)

What’s in your tackle box?

Internet, and can also be found in some bait and tackle shops. Switching to non-lead lead tackle is an inexpensive and easy way to make a difference.

Get the lead out! Lead fishing tackle kills loons, eagles, swans, turtles, and other aquatic wildlife dependent on Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers, and streams each year. All it takes is one lead sinker to kill a loon. What else can you use? Some sinkers and jigs are now made from non-poisonous materials such as: Steel, tin, tungsten, bismuth, pewter, ceramic, densified plastic, and glass. These alternatives are simple to find and order on the

What will a change cost you? Non-lead Non tackle is generally only pennies more than lead equivalents. What else can you do? Dispose of your lead tackle properly – do not throw it in a lake or trash can. Take it to your local household hazardous waste collection site or a scrap metal collector/recycler. Spread the t word – tell others about the hazards of lead to wildlife and people. Encourage the switch to non-lead lead sinkers and jigs. Ask your favorite bait/tackle shop to carry lead alternative fishing tackle. Also, use nonlead ammunition for hunting

Enjoy fishing and the outdoors without poisoning wildlife by using non-toxic non tackle! ( info taken from the WiDNR website). website

Community Info & News Town Officials: Land ‘O Lakes 715-547-3255 Dan Balog – Chairman Michael Stopczynski - Supervisor Samuel Otterpohl - Supervisor Flossie Knoth - Clerk/Treasurer www.landolakes-wi.org Boulder Junction 715-385-2220 Charlie Spencer, Chairman Denny McGann, Supervisor Dennis Reuss, Supervisor Cindy Howard, Clerk/Treasurer www.townofboulderjunction.org

There’ss a new group in the area: The Boulder Junction Community Foundation! The foundation is a new incorporated nonprofit whose first major focus was the creation of an endowment fund, the earnings from which will be used to award grants to local nonprofit organizations for charitable projects or programs that benefit the Boulder Junction Community. For additional tional info about the foundation, their mission, and ways to donate, onate, see their website: www.boulderjunctioncf.org - 6 -Donations big & small – we accept them all!