Weed and Water Management Report
Click the title page below for the full report
USCLA Association Dues: $50
Weed Management Contribution Amounts
□ Major Benefactors $1,000
□ Neighborhood & Lake Assoc. $1,000
□ Lakefront/Canal $300
□ Lake Access $100
□ Lake Out Lot / Lake User $25
As in years past, the City of Orchard Lake Village has agreed to receive donations and deposit them in a special Upper Straits Water Quality Improvement Fund.
Please factor your dues and weed management contribution level; mail a check payable to:
City of Orchard Lake Village WQIF.
Memo For Upper Straits Lake on the memo line and mail to:
Upper Straits Water Quality Improvement Fund
City of Orchard Lake VillageC
3995 Orchard Lake Rd.
Orchard Lake, MI 48323
Executive Summary of the LakeScan(TM)
May 2019
Dr. G. Douglas Pullman
Aquest Corporation
Water Quality and Plankton Communities
The LakeScan™ Categories 200 and 400 categories refer to issues related to the clarity of the water. Upper Straits Lake water is generally clear and there were no obvious impairments of either water quality measures or plankton community structure that were observed in 2018.
Submersed Plant Community
Upper Straits Lake is inherently less plant productive than most inland Michigan Lakes in the lower peninsula because of depth and expansive shallow areas that do not seem to support rooted plant growth. It would be reasonable to expect that key LakeScan™ Category 700 (large plant community) metric targets should be lower than other lakes; however,
Upper Straits Lake met or exceeded expectations for nearly every metric value. Nuisance conditions were not generally pervasive in the lake, but the canals continue to be problematic. The canals and constricted bays do require additional management attention. Lake health and ecosystem stability are measured in numerous ways. The species richness (total number of large plant species present), weediness, and perceived nuisance metric values were all very good in 2018. The quality of the plants that were present in the lake did not meet but was very close to meeting expectations. The biological diversity of the lake continues to exceed expectations. The seven-year trend analysis continues to be positive except for the increased presence and dominance of noxious species during the last 2 years. Ebrid watermilfoil and curly leaf pondweed are notorious exotic and invasive weeds in Michigan inland lakes and both inhabit Upper Straits Lake. The dominant nuisance plant species in Upper Straits Lake is a variant of Eurasian watermilfoil known as Ebrid water milfoil, a hybrid Eurasian and northern watermilfoil type. It has been a nuisance in the lake for decades. It grows in widely and seemingly randomly distributed patches throughout most of the lake. This patchy growth is difficult to find and treat. It is disconcerting that the percent occurrence of the plant and dominance have been high for the past two years.
Selective herbicide treatment is recommended.
Emergent Plant Communities
Emergent plant species are not currently a primary focus of the plant control program; however, this could change in the future as the presence of more persistent and pernicious exotic species are noted.
USCLA has been granted 501 (c) (3) status
Contributions are tax deduction eligible
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Your Upper Straits Clean Lake Association weed management contributions in action!
Here's one of a four vessel fleet harvesting the lake. USCLA has already reserved this excellent service company again this season.
Contributions last year will be invested in this year's aggressive weed management program designed to control Ebrid Water Milfoil, Curly Leaf Pondweed and other invasive species noted in the Lakescan Report.
Thanks to all who've contributed -- and those about to hit the mail for the coming season, thanks in advance!
