Board Minutes February 19 2015

Call to order at 7:10 PM with the following members present:  Dale Bacon, Steve Laliberte, and Tom Merritt.  Jim Grisim and Ryan Hoops absent.

Motion (Laliberte/Merritt) Move to approve agenda.  Motion carried.

Approval of the minutes  -

Motion: (Laliberte/Merritt) Move to approve the November 6, 2014 minutes.  Motion carried.

Review Treasurer’s Report

Motion: (Bacon,Laliberte) to approve report.  Carried.

Status Reports

Unbuildable Lot Status

There is an unbuildable lot on the south east corner of the lake.  The lot is in tax default.

Memory Care Unit Status

A building permit has been requested.

Fish Survey Report Complete

Results have been circulated. 

Aerator Status

Concerns expressed about aerator safety.  Additional signs were placed.  No action taken.

Communication Strategy

The blog has been updated with 2013 and 2014 minutes and the Fall 2014 newsletter.  There is a desire to change the blog URL to birchlakeimprovementdistrict.org.  We will create a group on facebook for birchlakeimprovementdistrict.  The group will be closed but listed.  Participants request to join.

Harvester Update

We need to begin to research a new storage location.  The city may not be an option in the future.  We need to draft a contract with Aspen for service provided this year for cutting and maintenance.

Sediment Survey

Motion: (Merritt/Laliberte) Move to approve up to $1,500.00 for sediment survey with Blue Water Science.  Motion carried.

Motion: Move to Adjourn (Merritt, Laliberte) – Motion Carried.  Adjourned at 8:10 PM.

Next Meeting:  April 16, 2015

Minutes prepared by Steve Laliberte.

Fall 2014 Aquatic Plant Harvesting

Aspen Outdoor Services completed the weed harvesting on Birch Lake during the first week of August.  Prior to the harvesting activity, Aspen also refitted the conveyor system on the harvester with new conveyor tracks.

This year, the harvesting activity consisted of opening homeowner access where needed, removal of dead plant material, and cutting and removing nuisance vegetation. The focus was on improving the recreational value of the lake while maintaining the aquatic habitat.  The higher than normal high water level helped to reduce the amount of nuisance vegetation that needed to be cut.

Harvested plant material was deposited at the Ramsey County Composting facility.

Fall 2014 Fish Kill Update

Blue Water Science conducted a fish survey on Birch Lake Sept 4-6, 2014, to determine the extent of fish kill observed after ice-out this past spring.  It was conducted during the same time period and at the same locations as the survey in 2011, enabling a valid comparison.

Although a final report has not been issued, Steve McComas, the principal of Blue Water, has shared a summary of his findings. Table 1 from the summary compares the findings of the 2011 and 2014 surveys.  With the exception of a lack of largemouth bass in the 2014 survey, the other fish populations are nearly the same for the two surveys.  As might be expected, the large number of dead bass after ice-out foreshadowed the lack of largemouth bass in the 2014 survey. 

While no bass were trapped in the survey, residents have recently caught several largemouth bass.  In any case, the bass population is very low.

 

The board reviewed the survey results and, based on recommendations from Steve McComas and consistent with the encouragement from residents at the annual meeting, elected to restock largemouth bass yet this year.  On October 16, 2014, about 2,000 fingerling largemouth bass were introduced into the lake.

Birch Lake trapnet results for the fish survey conducted in 2011 and in 2014 by Blue Water Science. Fish data are shown as fish per trapnet.

We can expect to see results from this effort in a couple of years.

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What happened to the cattails? Why the celery plants on the shoreline?

Dale Bacon reports:

I walk around the lake at least once a day.  During these treks, I’ve noticed that the cattail and bulrush populations are way down from previous years.  In some spots, all that is left of cattails is the stubble from last year!  I’ve spent some time trying to determine what caused this.  A sudden explosion of muskrats? Yet another invasive bug??  I talked with Brian Corcorian of VLAWMO about this and learned that he has also seen this in other lakes.  He feels that the primary reason for the population decline this year is the higher than normal water levels we experienced during most of the growing season.  High water levels can prevent the growing tips of the cattail from taking in oxygen needed to support root growth.  Lack of oxygen during the growth period kills the plant.  “No need to worry,” he says, “there are plenty of cattail seeds in the sediment!”

While on the topic of aquatic plants, I’ve also noticed a lot of water celery plants around the shoreline.  I talked with Steve Enger of the DNR and learned that in the fall the water celery plants become more buoyant which, when coupled with wave action, causes them to be uprooted and float to shore!  Another of life’s burning questions answered!

Quarterly Meeting Minutes November 6, 2014

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Call to order at 7:15 PM with the following members present:  Dale Bacon, Ryan Hoops, Steve Laliberte, and Jim Grisim.  Tom Merritt was absent.

Motion (Laliberte/Hoops) Move to approve agenda.  Motion carried.

Approval of the minutes  -

Motion: (Laliberte/Hoops) Move to approve June 5 minutes. Motion carried.

Motion: (Laliberte/Hoops) Move to approve July 17 minutes.  Motion carried.

Review Treasurer’s Report

Motion: (Hoops,Laliberte) to approve report.  Carried

Status Reports

Harvesting Painting Update

Not complete.  Aspen has the paint.  We are seeking another contractor to complete the job.

Buckthorn Removal Project

Completed treating about 100 plants.  After two months half are dead and the others showing stress.  We will do more next summer.

Fish Survey / Restocking Update

We are waiting for the final report from Blue Water.  2,000 bass each 6 inches long were planted in October.  They will be large enough to spawn in the spring.

Aerator Status

The aerator is running and the signs have been placed.  We need to purchase new signs.  The old ones are rotting.  Ryan will order some new signs.

Communication Strategy

Steve will post newsletter on neighborhood and the BLID blog.  There is a facebook page for Birch Lake.  We should take it over.

Steve to draft a communications plan on how we will use FB, Blog, email.

Building Birch Lake Through Social Service

Many residents prefer not to promote the lake because it attracts more usage.

Storage

Steve has extra aerator posts.  Jim has spare aerator motor, bubbler, and small ice signs.  We need to inventory what we own and where it is.  There may be harvester parts in Bret and Marine boat house. 

Rod Kruser may have a spreadsheet.

Motion: Move to Adjourn (Grisim, Laliberte) – Motion Carried.  Adjourned at 9:06 PM.

Minutes prepared by Steve Laliberte

Fall 2014 Chairman's Corner

By Dale Bacon

BLID Quarterly Meeting July 17, 2014

Call to order at 7:04PM with the following members present:  Dale Bacon, Ryan Hoops, Steve Laliberte, and Jim Grisim.  Tom Merritt was absent.

Motion (Grisim/Laliberte) Move to approve agenda.  Motion carried.

Approval of the minutes  - we will approve via email

Review Treasurer’s Report

Motion: (Hoops,Laliberte) to approve report.  Carried

Election of Officers

Motion: (Hoops/Grism) Move to Elect Bacon as Chairman, Hoops as Vice-Chairman, Merritt as Treasurer, and Laliberte as Secretary.  Carried

Motion: (Grism, Hoops) Move to make Bremer Bank as depository.  Motion Carried

Motion: (Grism,Hoops) Move to make the White Bear Press the official BLID newspaper.  Motion Carried.

Motion: (Grism,Hoops) Move to approve Julie Yoho contract for another year.  Motion Carried.

Discussion

We have the permit to harvest. We will ask Aspen to get going.

Fish Survey will be Sept 3,4, 5

Mark Burch North Shore Restoration Project Update.

There is some erosion.  We will put in stone walkways.  We will add more boulders for fishing. 

Newsletter goes out Monday/Tuesday

Motion: Move to Adjourn (Grisim, Laliberte) – Motion Carried.  Adjourned at 8:25.

Minutes prepared by Steve Laliberte