Lone Lake Tidbits

MAY

Road Clean-up changed to individual efforts Thanks! Check for those few areas still needing a bit of time.

Annual Membership drive online/snail mail. See https://www.lonelake.org/membership to work towards 100% membership.

JUNE

Rivers & Lakes Fair annual gathering in Aitkin--Cancelled for 2020

JULY

4th--Lone Lake Boat Parade ON as scheduled. Noon on 7/4. Meet at public landing with your decorated boat of any sort to head east around our lake.

4th-Triathalon is ON! Train now!

Aitkin County Fair cancelled until 2021

18th--LLPOA annual meeting and potluck delayed for now

GREAT NEWS!

Thanks to those have taken leaves and other materials OUT of the lake in past years, the Secchi disc reading on a perfect lake day, May 12, was 25.5'. This reading in the spring allows our lake to lead the county in water clarity. See the June news brief for more details.

BIG NEWS!

Dave Scott has again obtained for our lake a grant for shoreline restoration. Are you in need? With the goal of making our lake cleaner, using willow wattle, native plantings, and elbow grease, we can learn with a master gardener and practice on your lakeshore. Please email the lake association about your needs, lake lot number, and plans asap. lonelakepoa@gmail.com Thanks!

GOOD NEWS

Missing some leaves? Due to the strong northerly winds, the public beach had many! LLPOA volunteers raked out 5 trailer loads of leaves, and thanks to Aitkin County workers, the last loads were hauled away this week.

May is Road Clean-Up Month

Looking for that pot of gold? Dick P. found plenty of surprises! Could be it still lies in a ditch somewhere along one of the roads surrounding Lone Lake?

Please take a bit of time with your family--or alone if that is the time you need--to assist with the annual spring road clean-up. As with so many other activities, the group clean-up had to be cancelled but as individuals.....it continues.

All you need is a bag and the desire to go for a walk. Parts of all surrounding roads have been cleaned, so huge thanks to those who have already participated. Cruise by to see the condition of the ditch if you want to make the biggest impact.

In one hour, two bags of recycling and garbage were collected along Ditch Bank Road between CR-81 and CR-51 so a short time equals big results. Depending on your definition of the pot of gold, plenty of aluminum and plastic were found, new bricks and assorted signs, papers, and plastic. Assuming the best, there are many people out there with only one glove or sock, or picking up something to drink that is served in a red cup!

Any size group can turn just a short time into a wonderful service to the area. Wear bright colors, watch for traffic, and know you are appreciated. Thanks!

PS.....looking for a spot to clean? We hear the furthest west on CR-28 (find the LLPOA sign) section still needs some TLC.

Dick P. helping with our spring road cleanup

2020 LLPOA Membership Drive

Happy Memorial weekend to all!

The LLPOA membership drive will be conducted online and through 'snail mail' this spring due to the Covid-19 virus. Lonelakers are asked to go to our website at lonelake.org, click on "Donate", then click on "Annual Dues" and follow the prompts to pay online using Pay Pal.

Prefer to write a check? Print the membership form from the website and mail your $25 check to LLPOA at P.O. Box 10, Aitkin, MN 56431 Donations to sponsor a shift for AIS Boat Inspections of $45 (or any part thereof) are appreciated.

Thank you for your membership during this month of May. (Membership drive is on now although we accept memberships at any time.) Please share this with any members you think may not have received the information.

Why join the LLPOA? What do you receive from your donation? Here are the top 11 reasons to join.....focusing on protecting Lone Lake and your investment for the future.

1. A lake management plan that sets goals every 5 years for Water Quality, Protection from Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), Zoning and Planning, Fish and Wildlife, and Water Surface Use.

2. Citizen Volunteer Monitoring Program on Lone Lake-measures water quality, clarity, transparency, and chemical analysis with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for 32 years.

3. AIS Program providing summer weekend inspections to help prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive plants and organisms.

4. Timely news briefs via email to keep members informed of lake issues and events.

5. Lake community communication through our: website, email, Facebook, and Instagram. Links to all at the bottom of this email.

6. LLPOA Board of Directors elected by members which meet monthly, May-October to coordinate programs, grants, act on lake issues, and oversite of LLPOA Action Teams.

7. Provide lakeshore restoration grants, workshops, and oversite of projects.

8. Provides an LLPOA Program Calendar of activities and member events for the lake.

9. Provides paid members with a roster of lake residents.

10. Provides an Emergency Alert System to notify lake residents of catastrophic events.

11. Acts as a spokesperson with the county and state on issues, grants, and legislation affecting Lone Lake.

    We thank you for your membership and flexibility this year. Let us know if you have any questions, issues, or lake worthy news to share.

We'll see you (at a social distance) on the lake!

Steve Frasier,
LLPOA president

PS-Remember, LLPOA has converted to paperless communications. Unfortunately, this may leave your neighbor out of the loop. Please help out, letting them know they need to get their email to us or printing this out for those without techie tools. Thanks!

5 things you can do to preserve Lone Lake

With events on hold or cancelled during COVID-19, there are many things we can do as lake shore owners to protect the health of Lone Lake. On this topic, there is good news and bad news to share....

Good news: Lone Lake continues to be the clearest lake (6.8 meters/22.31 feet) in Aitkin County as per the data from the "Water Quality Standards for Aquatic Recreation in the Mississippi River-Brainerd Watershed"

Bad news: The same 2019 report and the MN Pollution Control Agency Report of Aitkin County impaired lakes (2020) shares the news that Lone Lake is declining in water quality and clarity.

The culprit? Total phosphorus (decaying organic materials) going into the lake or being brought up by boats from the lake bed.

The 5 simple steps we can all be part of to reverse this trend

1. Remove leaves, sticks and washed-up dead debris from your shore and beach.

2. Keep a natural buffer between your lawn and the water to filter drainage.

3. Have your septic system checked for cracks and leaks the next time you have it pumped.

4. While cruising the lake (i.e. little or no wake) stay out in 15-20 feet of water to prevent prop disturbance of the lakebed. (LINK TO DNR DEPTH MAP HERE)

5. Prevent shore erosion by conducting water sports and deep wake surfing in the deepest parts of the two large bays.

As the LLPOA we can all work together to reverse this decline in water quality and clarity. We will then see our lake's name disappear from the list of declining water quality lakes! Thanks for your commitment to work on improving our lake quality to what is can be again.

See you on the lake,
Steve Frazier, President

2020 LLPOA Membership Drive Changes

What to do? While Memorial Day weekend is the start of the LLPOA annual membership drive, you may not want any visitors at this time, Even 6' away is too close they say.

To keep everyone at a more healthy social distance, we would like to try another new opportunity.

Online membership payment via PayPal or printing a membership form from the LLPOA website and mailing it and your check to the address listed are both easy options.

Please take the opportunity to do this within the next few weeks. Using the dues money for important things such as keeping our lake free of invasive species makes more sense than spending dues to mail members a form..

Watch your email for the current LLPOA membership roster. A perk for you, the LLPOA member.

Know a lake neighbor who doesn't have email or internet? Please help us out by printing a form for them, dropping it off, and reminding them to mail it in. Good neighbors.....that is what we all want to be for our lake. Thank you.

You can make a difference.

Join LLPOA in helping keep Lone Lake clean & healthy!

Your cabin neighborhood needs you this month of May!

Need to stretch? Take a walk? Ready for double duty?
(Share your event photos at #lonelakecleanup please.)

Hmmm? With the continued concern about COVID-19 and social distancing, the annual spring road clean-up by Lone Lake residents will happen because YOU will be there to help.

Many participants of the annual spring cleaning are over age 65, so we are looking for you, the "under age 65" Lone Lake resident, to join us in cleaning the roadsides that surround our beloved lake. (All are invited but especially looking for new participants!)

No need to sign up for a certain section or arrive at a given spot at a specified time. (Unfortunately, no delicious Paulbeck's treats either.....stop and pick up your own soon!)

Please take that walk this month of May for the wonderful springtime air WITH a bag for garbage (and one for recycling) if you can.

Choose a location near your lake home....along Cty Road #28 (290th/Ditch Bank), Cty Road #81 (380th/Beach Road), the short section of Cty Road #12 (Deer Street), or Cty Road #39 (Oak Ave.)

How far? How far can you go? Some have said they can walk the entire north side of the lake! Can you do a quarter of a mile? 100 or 1000 feet? Out and back will make both sides clean.

As long as there is something to pick up, please pick it up. We are the ones who see garbage most often and we can take care of our neighborhood. This year we do ask you to dispose of the litter with your own household garbage.

Please make safety your first concern:

• "Gloves" can be old bread bags or something similar as desired.

• Wear bright/fluorescent/easily visible clothing

• Be focused on traffic. Stay vigilant and out of the way of vehicles.

This is a great opportunity for family volunteering during this unique time. Thank you!

Please send a photo of your family participation using the hashtag #lonelake-cleanup so we can celebrate involvement of a little bit of time and effort. We are all in this together.

Spring 2020 | President Letter

Hi Lone Lakers!

It is definitely spring on Lone Lake as the ice went out as of Sunday, April 19th according to Dave Scott, our official 'Ice On' and 'Ice Out' record keeper! This beats last year when the ice disappeared April 24th. According to the MN DNR 'Ice Out' occurs when the lake is completely free of ice. Or, it may be when it is possible to navigate from point A to point B. Ice out may also be when a lake is 90 percent free of ice. Observers use consistent criteria from year to year when reporting lake ice-out dates.

The LLPOA will now gear up for the coming boating season on Lone Lake along with all our other activities. We will be following the safe practices of social distancing and whatever may be required as the times, they keep changing.

Stay tuned for LLPOA updates. Starting this year, as members voted to use less paper beginning in 2020, look for shorter news briefs rather than the former newsletter. Delivered to your email, we will keep you in the know for our lake.

We'll talk again later.
Steve Frazier
LLPOA President

COVID-19 Update April 2020

Governor Tim Walz announced Tuesday, April 14, that the continued reopening of essential businesses would include:

*bait harvesters

*garden centers

*lake service providers who "install and support the installation of docks, boat lifts, and other water-related equipment."

In addition and more importantly to many, the guidelines ask any out-of-state visitors, including cabin owners returning from warmer climes, to self-quarantine for 14 days upon your arrival at your summer place.

Details for those of us arriving from other MN areas realize it is time to utilize the Golden Rule AND Minnesota Nice for residents of Aitkin County.

Saturday, April 18, the boat landings in MN could again become busy with boaters choosing to be alone or with their immediate family to enjoy the lakes. Please remember to allow at least a boat length between you and anyone else both at the landing area and on the lake.

Anywhere while at the lake, please.....

...Practice social distancing of at least 6 feet.

...Use this time to bring "spring" to your property by staying home on your property.

...Any chance of being sick....stay away from others and know Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin has 4 intensive care beds which need to provide for the year-round residents as well.

Thanks in advance for helping to mitigate this crisis on the lake we love.

Dr. Loon | April 2020

Dear Dr. Loon,

Springtime always brings so many chores for us cabin owners. What things should I do as I get my beach ready for summer that will help keep Lone Lake clean?

Signed,
Cabin Worker

Dear Cabin Worker,

Welcome back! A pair of us arrived April 10 to a mostly ice-covered Lone Lake, but with webbed toes crossed, we are looking for a good nesting home this year.

Please know that we will again need to balance the phosphorus and nitrates in the lake to keep us all healthy but not overwhelm our lake with degrading chemicals. We know none of you knowingly pour items into the lake, but spring run-off carries all sorts of unhealthy chemicals and items into our lake.

A BIG producer of phosphorus and nitrogen? Leaves. Those leaves/pine needles that fell into the lake and all seem to be on YOUR shoreline? Please rake them out......don't just let them sink and stay....allow them to dry off and haul them away from our lake. Also important, leaves flowing with the spring run-off need to be stopped as well. so take the time to filter what you can instead of allowing them to increase phosphate in the lake (as they rot) for years to come.

Anything flowing to the lake, (as each of us upgrades and updates our property,) needs to be a focus so a clean lake can be a safe home for fish, wildlife, and all users of Lone Lake.

Check out this website for more information. PCA website

See you on the lake.....watch out for all slow-moving lake lovers!

2019 Heading to the history books

Fall on Lone Lake is favored by many with colorful leaves, misty mornings, chores completed and wonderful summer memories. The final LLPOA board meeting looked forward to 2020 with a multitude of important agenda items.

Bob, Jennifer and Marty retire from the board

We are actively searching to fill the positions of Secretary and two director/team leader positions (Fisheries and Wildlife, Water and Surface Use). Due to the purchase of a new residence by Marty Cook and Jennifer O'Neill, (both having served the board with a passion for many years but now are retiring to another lake,) these seats are open for 2020. We hope you will consider volunteering to help.

Last year at this time we learned that our beloved Lone Lake, while still a gem in Aitkin County, is trending downward in the area of lake clarity. Concerns are being raised with other county data as well, but lake clarity is the most evident and discussed.

While this topic is not a current disaster but more of a wake-up call, we cannot take our water clarity for granted. We do need all residents and users of Lone Lake to become active sooner rather than later.

Some of the casual factors that will be discussed and studied by the association in 2020 include:

• changing climate

• greater season of rain and wind

• shore erosion

• clear mowing to the lake without a buffer zone

• possible sewer/drain field issues

• wave and underwater current action from wake boats

• boat "cruising" too close to shore which disturbs lake bottom vegetation

We need your input as we approach this issue with the understanding that everyone has the right to enjoy the lake. As an association, we need to work cooperatively as we seek recommendations to preserve and protect Lone Lake for future generations.

The final Lake Management Plan, when finished and adopted by the board, will be emailed to members and posted on the website for comment and discussion.

As the lake year ends, a final thank you to Bob Kosloski, Marty Cook, and Jennifer O'Neill, all retiring from active board members. Whether it was road clean-up organization taking notes, sharing DNR fish facts, making willow wattle or sending out important information for all members, they gave of themselves, their time, and talents. We and future generations are the benefactors. Many, many thanks.

We would like to thank you for your support of our lake association. Look for the Lone Lake roster/directory to be emailed to all members later this fall. This is just another benefit of being a LLPOA member. We had 108 paid memberships this year. In a perfect world, we would like everyone on the lake-all 181 properties-to be members and involved. Convince your neighbor to join! Thank you for another great year on Lone Lake.