Tidbits from around Lone Lake

Thanks to Katie Talbot for the calming photo above.

Cedar Lake, Aitkin County, just miles from our lake, reported the discovery of zebra mussels in the lake last Thursday. Have YOU been there lately? Are you going there soon? Please, with the movement of any watercraft, water toy, or trailer, choose to either let the item dry out for 5-7 days or wash it thoroughly (remember there is a place to wash boats on weekends at the Spirit Lake landing). We all must be vigilant to keep AIS out of Lone Lake. Thank you for caring.

Did you known? MN DNR burn permits allow the burning of clean vegetative matter only. This means unpainted, unstained, and untreated wood and brush. If allowed at the time, leaves and grass clippings as well. Garbage burning is not allowed by DNR permits.

It harms your family’s health, pollutes air, water and soils, and in this dry season especially, causes wildfires. If burned, toxins are released which get into our food and cause serious health problems, including cancer.

This is not a new law. Household burning has been illegal in MN since 1969.

What should I do instead? Recycle, reuse, compost, chip yard waste or use a garbage service. Keep Lone Lake and Aitkin clean.

For those looking for Lone Lake gear, here is a link to many options for you….even a triathlon shirt!
Great designs available.

https://www.teepublic.com/user/lonelake

For a future newsletter, we are looking for facts, figures, and photos of Lone Lake in the past. If you have information or photos from the 1900’s, please share them with the LLPOA. Yes, the older the better! Email them to lonelakepoa@gmail.com. Thank you!

Good news: 99 LLPOA memberships for 2021. More than our pandemic year, still working towards our previous normal. If we missed you during the membership drive, please click here for the form and information. Why should you join? You are helping to keep our lake clean by supporting AIS research and posting an inspector at the landing to check boats for unwanted aquatic life. Donations are made to the local Rivers and Lakes Fair to help us all learn about our environment, other lake research, and the First Responders of Aitkin county who will be there as needed when you call 911. Just like your family, money is put aside for an emergency, most likely that time when our lake will become a part of the infected lakes of the state. How do we keep it clean? Among other things, the board and other lake residents keep an eye on the loons, water quality, depth, Secchi disk readings, and land usage. Join us in keeping your investment in a quality location. Lone Lake membership page link

Sad news for fisher people, COVID-19 altered the life for fish in our lake now and for a few years to come. The MN DNR did not stock any fish in 2020, none will be added in 2021. It could be that the next survey of fish count, size, and type will not be until 2024. Surveys with sampling often take place every five years but all bets are off as to exactly how things with happen in the next few years.

Water levels: Thankfully, we are still far from the lowest lake levels ever recorded. Rain is needed so if you know a rain dance, please share it with all. Water levels have dropped about one foot since ice out, creating issues for many residents around the lake. What water is in the lake remains clear with a Secchi disk reading of 23.5’ on Wednesday, July 15.

Aitkin Riverboat Days are coming! The city of Aitkin is celebrating 150 years with many activities, a Dump Run, and parade the weekend of August 6-7. Check the Aitkin Age for further details. Aitkin Age link

June Message

Welcome back to another summer on Lone Lake! To once again be able to meet in person and have live events makes everyone smile. There is a lot going on within our lake association and we would like to update you on current and upcoming events.

First, thank you for your membership in the LLPOA. Our membership team has been calling on neighbors and members to sign up with them, mail it in, or online. Currently we have 95 membership renewals and new members. Several areas still have not been covered. If we missed you at the cabin, you can sign up online using PayPal at www.lonelake.org under Donate-Annual Dues or remit your $25 check to the LLPOA, P.O. Box 10, Aitkin, MN 56431. Another way we are better together. This link will get you to the membership form.

Secondly, we are getting ready for the upcoming 4th of July weekend. We will be having the Lone Lake Triathlon, Boat Parade and Dock Contest on Sunday, July 4th. The triathlon begins at 8:30 at the public beach with swim, bike, and run competition for males, females, and teams. Medals for the top three winners in each category. For more details contact Matt VanSlooten at Mattvs14@gmail.com

Following the triathlon will be the boat parade beginning at 1:00pm, meeting in the bay by the public landing. For those "dry-docked", the decorating contest applies to docks, speed boats, and pontoons, so no reason not to share your patriotism and creativity. This year we will travel west (clockwise) with last year's winners, the Gmach/Mann and Holum families leading the parade and acting as judges and photographers.

All long weekend, look for AIS boat inspection the entire 4th of July weekend. Good for us!

Next, please know we are aware many members were concerned about an online posting which advertised camping sites for tents and RV's in the SW corner of the lake. Working with Aitkin Planning and Zoning Director Andrew Carlstrom, the posting was in violation of the zoning ordinances of Aitkin County and the owner ordered to cease and desist. Be sure to check with Aitkin Environmental Service before embarking on projects that alter your dwelling, property, and/or it's use. Refer to your copy of the Aitkin County Shoreland Homeowner's Guide to Lake Stewardship.

Lastly, we will be having a LIVE Annual Meeting on July 17th at 11am at the Preiner's storage building, 30353 Oak Avenue. This year the luncheon will be provide by the LLPOA for health safety reasons. Final details will be sent to members via email and postcard. The annual business meeting will include a bylaw amendment and election of officers and directors. This is where we need you! if you are interest in serving, please let me know at sfrazier@usjet.net. It will be great to see everyone again!

Finally, thank you for your support of the LLPOA. Please contact us with any questions and/or concerns that you have about our lake or the lake association.

See you on the lake!

Steve Frazier
LLPOA president

Lone Lake in years gone by

When did you move onto Lone Lake? How much lake history is yours? Been here for years and years or just the past few?

LLPOA needs your assistance

Sometimes it helps to appreciate the present when we know and understand the past.

If you have old/older/really old photos of Lone Lake, surrounding lakeshore, or activities near our lake, we are hoping you would share them with us.

Please help us with these items/information

• Lone Lake photos

• Photos from this area

• Lone Lake cabins of years gone by

• Lakeside activity photos

• Life on Lone Lake--resorts too

• Memories from years gone by....1950's. 60's earlier?

Butternut hulling – Fred, Myrtle, and Freda Sipher taken circa 1919. (Current lot 68)

How?

If digital, they can be emailed to lonelakepoa@gmail.com

If not digital, please use your technology to make a copy and email it to us. A photo of the photo will still be worth a thousand words.

We have a property owner on the lake who remembers their purchase in 1956. Anyone willing to sit down for a bit and talk about those days? Please email us with your name, phone, and a time that would work for you.

The pandemic has made us grateful for what we have. With a little digging, we will be able to build on the knowledge gathered 25+ years ago when the first copy of the history of Lone Lake was published. Thanks for your help with our history project.

Enjoy your lake activities and your 2021 view.

BC——Boating Courtesy with MN DNR law guidelines

Have you seen them? The Aitkin County Sheriff operates a crew that regularly checks on county lakes. When? The schedule varies, but they have been seen on Lone Lake a few times already this year. Sheriff's officers also will come when they are called about lake usage concerns.

How can you make sure you are in compliance with Minnesota DNR 2021 regulations? Here are a few of the rules that are best to follow.

Humans on any sort of watercraft:

• under age 10 must WEAR a life jacket when on any sort of boat

• A life jacket must be aboard the watercraft, this includes canoes, kayarks and SUP, for each human.

• Boats 16' and longer must also have a throwable life-saving device on board

• BWI (boating while intoxicated) is law in MN. While an open container may be onboard, the driver is always subject to regular intoxication laws. (Note that this June an accident on Big Sandy Lake (Aitkin County), resulted in the boat driver being charged under this law.)

Specific for personal watercraft:

• Operation of a jet ski is only allowed in MN from 9:30a.m. until an hour before sunset. (Note sunset is already earlier almost daily.)

• When a jet ski is within 150 feet (half a football field) of the shoreline, a dock or raft, a non-motorized boat, swimmer, or anchored boat, the jet ski MUST use the no-wake speed of 5 mph or less.

• Wave jumping, a fun activity for many personal watercraft owners, ust be done 150' away from the boat/jet ski creating the waves.

Swimmers--humans, dogs, etc.

• Please make sure you are seen in/on the lake. Wear a brightly colored life jacket or have a floatie of some sort with you. Boat drivers often cannot easily see the black or dark blue life jackets. Do not assume the driver sees you.

• Swim away from the main boat routes if it is a busy time of the day.

The basic thing to remember.....above all, be respectful to others. When in a boat, remember your wake spreads out from you and affects everything in the water and the lakeshore far away. Think of the golden rule to keep you, your friend and neighbors safe and happy.

Summer 2021 Photo Contest

Celebrate summer with an entry of your activity, wildlife, nature scene or summer Lone Lake escape.

This is your last season to enter. Just a few rules:

1. Photo must be summertime, July 1-August 17, 2021 in the Lone Lake "neighborhood".

2. Select your best photo(s)---up to 2 entries per member.

3. Please email them to lonelakepoa@gmail.com by August 17.

Enjoy our return to a more 'normal' with some good photographic memories.

Photo: Keith Youngquist

Lone Lake Tidbits

Photo: Petes A Rhea Johnson

Fireworks this 2021 July fourth? Please use them with intelligent safety precautions during this current dry, dry summer. Despite a bit of rain recently, in the woods and grassy areas surrounding Lone Lake the brush is extremely dry. One small glowing ember from a firework celebration could start a fire we all will regret Be smart. Choose a location without burning issues.

The LLPOA annual meeting, Saturday, July 17, 2021 is at Preiner's garage, 30353 Oak Avenue. 11:00am-1:00pm Lunch provided, nothing to bring in 2021. As LLPOA has "gone paperless". please access annual updated financial data on our website a few days before the meeting.

Warm lake water? You are correct. Dave Scott, our local lake naturalist, found the surface water temperature to be 76 degrees F just last week. Warm for June. Unfortunately, that does mean that the water clarity, recently varying between 26-35 feet, will be experiencing more "green" sooner rather than later. (Know that midweek clarity levels always are higher due to lack of traffic on the lake, less churning up of the bottom muck.) These higher temps also are hard on our resident fish.

Exposed weeds in your area? Please remember to remove only dead material (brown) from your lakeshore. Those green plants help to maintain a multitude of items and life, including keeping the sand nearby. We need these green plants to keep our lake fresh and living. The fish and all residents thank you.

Water level down on your shoreline? Measurements show that the lake has dropped 6-8 inches since ice out. We do need more rain.

Have you met a boat inspector at our landing? Aitkin County is short of inspection staff this summer so not all shifts can be covered. This is good if you are looking for part-time employment. (Contact SWCD in Aitkin.) This is really bad for our concern about AIS, Aquatic Invasive Species, especially with infected lakes such as Farm Island and Mille Lacs so close by. Remind your guests (and yourself) to check boats, wash them at the Spirit Lake landing, and allow to dry out/clean before putting in a different lake. If you purchase used lake toys or lifts, etc. from another lake, please make sure they dry out for at least a week before putting them in our lake.

The LLPOA membership drive is winding down. Of course we will be able to accept your registration at the annual meeting, July 17, but you are also able to complete it online or by mail. See the website for more details.

Community Events

July 8-10 Aitkin County Fair

August 6-7 Aitkin Riverboat Heritage Days

What's in your bucket?

Do you fish? Do you purchase your bait?

Everyone fishing desires the best method to lure a fish onto his/her line.

(Photo by Chris Cheng)

If using live bait, where does it come from and what happens to your live, unused bait at the end of an enjoyable day fishing?

In Minnesota, bait sold at bait shops must come from within Minnesota. 60% is harvested from shallow lakes with the remaining 40% from aqua cultures, (as per U of M research).

These University of Minnesota researchers mailed surveys in 2019 to resident and non-resident licensed anglers. 70% of the returned surveys reported using live bait, and of those, 20% illegally released their unused bait into the lake water at the end of their day.

Why is this against the law in Minnesota? This is another way aquatic invasive species are unknowingly transported from lake to lake. This increases the risk of fish pathogens spreading to wild fish.

The MN DNR recommends using the receptacle available at some public landings for leftover bait, put it in the trash, or compost pile. If you self-harvest, releasing back into the same lake is acceptable. Watch for stickers provided to bait shops and reminders at boat launches about bait disposal. Remember, this is another route to keep Lone Lake and all MN lakes clean. We all thank you.

Here are some links for more information:

What to do with leftover minnows

Don't dump your unused bait

Moving from lake to lake? Visit Spirit Lake, just west of Lone, for a quick boat bath!

Thanks to the Aitkin Age, this is "hot" news just off the presses! This summer, Aitkin County SWCD has positioned cleaning units throughout the county for boat owners to wash their boats before moving to another lake and possibly transferring AIS. Hot water kills aquatic invasive species, even when you can't see them.

Why take the time to do this? There are four reasons to make use of a decontamination unit:

1. visible water can’t drain completely

2. enclosed tanks probably didn’t drain completely

3. a boat has been in a lake or river more than 24 hours

4. if something can be felt on the bottom of a boat or trailer

Closest to Lone Lake is the unit at the Spirit Lake public access on weekends, less than 3 miles down the road. Weekdays the units will be in Aitkin at the Aitkin County SWCD office, 307 2nd Street NW. #216, Aitkin, MN.

Remember, this is important for all boats.....those kayaks and canoes included if they travel between lakes.

For more information, click here.

Notice the cleaner ditches?

The LLPOA held its spring road clean-up on Saturday, May 15th. It was a beautiful morning and 16 dedicated members cleaned the roads around the lake from County Road 28, 380th Avenue and Oak Avenue (County Rd. 39).

Attending were Nancy and Fred Lane (lot #117), Linda and Zint Kics (lot #109), Alyssa (lot #109), Jerry Nelson (lot #25), Mustafa Bulut (lot #113), Beth-Anne Rowe (lot #12) , Roberta and Bob Kosloski (lot #1), Dianne and Walt Weisser (lot #2), Sam Norton (lot #2), Jim Benda (lot #9), and Karen and Steve Frazier (lot #111) .

The group met at the public beach at 9:00AM without having to wear masks and enjoyed delicious coffee and rolls compliments of Mike Paulbeck and Paulbeck’s Market.

There was an unusually large amount of trash this spring including diapers, mittens, tires and lots of cans and plastic bottles. The LLPOA sincerely thanks all of these member volunteers for taking time away from the fishing opener but know the fish are happy!

Do you have willow wattle in your future?

Carried over from 2020, LLPOA has access to a grant for shoreline restoration. Volunteer hours support our ability to access dollars for keeping our lakeshore clean and natural. We continue to seek out volunteers to assist with efforts and interested lakeshore owners who need assistance with natural lakeshore maintenance.

If interested, please email your name and needs to lonelakepoa@gmail.com.

Willow wattle is a natural way to encourage growth along your shoreline. More information available on the MN DNR website (click here)