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Bass Lake Association of Wright County. Annual Business Meeting June 8, 2013 Camp Friendship Annandale, MN. Agenda. Board Members Membership and Treasurer's Report Social Activities Events & Schedule Wildlife Update Loon Nesting Platform Muskrat Trapping Update Fish Die-Off
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Bass Lake Association of Wright County Annual Business Meeting June 8, 2013 Camp Friendship Annandale, MN
Agenda • Board Members • Membership and Treasurer's Report • Social Activities Events & Schedule • Wildlife Update • Loon Nesting Platform • Muskrat Trapping Update • Fish Die-Off • Committee Chair Assignments & Goal Review
Agenda cont. • Invasive Species Update • Weeds • Web Site Information Update • Boat Landing Monitor Program • Safe Boating Reminders & Guidelines • Concerned Citizen Agenda Topics
Your Bass Lake Board Members Jim Dvorak – PresidentBob Strom – Vice PresidentPenny Nesbitt – TreasurerDana Schramm – Secretary Craig Laing Lorene ForceTom Huffman Jon Herrmann
Treasurer’s Reportas of June 1, 2013 Balance in checking: 8/1/12 $ 21,223.55 Balance in checking: 6/1/13 $ 22,373.47
Membership Report 100 properties / 95 owners Year – Paid Members 2010 - 65 2011 – 70 2012 – 53 2013 - ?
Getting to Know You… Bass Lake Social Activities
Saturday, June 22 at 5:30 PMSocial at Hitching Post Choice of… • 8 oz. Sirloin • ½ Rack BBQ Ribs • Grilled Chicken Breast • Deep-Fried Fantail Shrimp • House Caesar Salad • Baked Potato • Dinner Roll • All for $13.99! Beverages additional
4th of July Lake Parade May the 4th Be With You! Just good, clean fun!
Bass Lake PicnicSaturday, August 3 from 3-6 pm Camp Friendship • FREE for the Family with Paid Bass Lake Association Dues! • Raffle Tickets Available to Win Gift Cards and Donated Prizes • Menu Includes: • Chicken • Corn on the Cob • Potato Salad • A-L Last Names Bring Appetizers • M-Z Last Names Bring Desserts • Bring Your Own Beverage
Final Social of the Summer Send-Off to New and Old Friends Before Labor Day! • Date: • Saturday, August 17 • Location—Hitching Post?
Loon Update • Our nesting pair of loons returned just prior to ice out on May 6th. • Bob Strom & Craig Laing placed the nesting platform just south of the point right after ice went out. • Witnessed a couple of territorial squabbles with some rogue loon visitors. • Momma loon has been diligently tending to her eggs, and we expect new chicks to appear any day.
Muskrat Trapping Project • Board Voted to address nuisance muskrats on Bass Lake this year. • Influx occurred on many area lakes last year due to very dry summer. Local sloughs and cattail habitat dried up & caused muskrats to look elsewhere for food at water • Engaged services of Denny Rasset, a local retired person who has many years of trapping experience • Obtained a 14 day “out-of-season” trapping permit from Brian Mies, our local DNR Conservation Officer • Applicable for only those properties experiencing damage
Muskrat update continued • Agreed to pay Denny $10 for each muskrat trapped • 18 Muskrats trapped & given to the DNR during permit period • Official “in-season” trapping period begins the first full week of November • Denny has agreed to return and continue trapping this fall • Has requested a list of addresses where muskrats runs have been spotted near the lake shore • Send email to Jim Dvorak (Jdvorak12@yahoo.com)
Fish Die-off Observed • Fish die-off observed by local resident early • last month – (Loran Georges) • Limited research done on cause • Two possible causes at this point: • Cormorants were migrating through at about that time (most likely cause) – will sometimes injure but not catch their prey when fishing • Columnaris (bacterial infection) highly unlikely, but can affect Blue Gills & Crappies in Spring
Volunteers for Committee Work Social • Lorene • Peggy • Kathy • ? • ? Membership • Craig • Penny • ? • ? • ? Healthy Lakes • Bob • Tom • ? • ? • ? Communications • Penny • ? • ? Duties: Assist chair in identifying committee responsibilities and set 1-2 goals for the year.
Proposed New Initiative • Cedar & Sugar Lake Assns. initiated a program to have volunteers monitor their boat landings • Grass roots action designed to help stop boaters from introducing invasive species into their lakes • A few, small larger lake associations have hired summer interns to serve as monitors • Our goal here today is to gauge the general interest in such a program, and to see if there would be enough volunteers to serve as landing monitors throughout the summer.
2013 Boating Safety • Guidelines & Recommendations
Required Equipment • Wearable life jackets easily accessible for each person on board • Throw cushions, noodles, etc. are no longer approved as a primary device, but a USCG approved throw cushion is required on boats 16 ft or larger • Children 10 & under must wear a life jacket while underway (mandatory requirement)
Required equipment (continued) • Navigation lights (white on back, red on the left front & green on right front) • Non-motorized boats (kayaks, canoes, row boats, etc.) should have a flashlight • Docking lights should only be used when approaching a dock or landing • Fire Extinguisher (USCG approved BC Type I or II) • Horns and/or whistles • Ventilation fans must be in working order
Stop Aquatic HitchhikersNew Reg.’s for 2013 • Required by Law!! • Clean – all visible plants and animals from boats & trailers & other boating equipment • Drain – All water from motors, live wells, bait containers, & bilges before leaving the water access landing • Dispose – Any unwanted bait or unwanted fish in the trash (not in the lake) • To report a violation, contact Brian Mies, our Conservation Officer, at 320-398-8000
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers (Recommended) • Spray, rinse, or dry boats and recreational equipment to remove or kill species that were not visible, before transporting to another water body, especially after leaving zebra mussel or spiny water flea infested waters. • Do one or more: • rinse with very hot tap water; • spray with high pressure; • dry for at least 5 days.
Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers (cont.) • For more AIS (aquatic invasive species) information, contact the DNR Invasive Species Program, Ecological and Water Resources, at (651) 259-5100 or (888) 646-6367 or visit www.mndnr.gov/AIS
General Prohibitions • To operate a watercraft in a careless or reckless manner. • To operate a watercraft so its wash or wake endangers, harasses, or interferes with any person or property. • To operate a watercraft so it obstructs ordinary navigation. • To operate a watercraft within an area legally marked off as a swimming area, or within 150 feet of a diver’s warning flag
General Prohibitions (cont.) • To ride or sit on the gunwales, bow, transom, or decking over the bow, sides or stern of any motorboat while underway. • To chase wildlife with a motorboat, or operate a boat where it is prohibited – including marked spawning beds. Avoid traversing any emergent or floating vegetation, if possible. • To intentionally obstruct a seaplane.
General Prohibitions (cont.) • To attach a watercraft to any buoy, except a mooring buoy, or to tamper, remove, or destroy a navigational aid. • To deposit or leave refuse in or upon the waters of the state or at public access areas.
Invasive Species Update • Primary Weed Concerns • Eurasion Milfoil • Curly Leaf Pondweed – (present in Bass Lake) • Purple Loose Strife • Treatment permits are difficult, but not impossible to get from the DNR • Must document distribution in previous years • Must have weed mats present & locations tracked with GPS coordinates
Invasive Species Update, cont. • Sequence of Events • Lake Vegetation Management Plan must be in place along with goals for invasive specie management (especially if you want to treat more than 15% of the lake) • Point Intercept Study during the year prior to treatment – done by independent contractor • Delineation study during the year just prior to treatment – includes GPS way points to mark treatment locations, also done by independent contractor • Application submitted to DNR for treatment application.
Proposed New Initiative • Cedar & Sugar Lake Assns. initiated a program to have volunteers monitor their boat landings • Grass roots action designed to help stop boaters from introducing invasive species into their lakes • A few, small larger lake associations have hired summer interns to serve as monitors • Our goal here today is to gauge the general interest in such a program, and to see if there would be enough volunteers to serve as landing monitors throughout the summer.