The Pickerel Lake Conservancy (PLC) has announced the purchase of 80 acres of property in the Chekapa Creek watershed. This will be preserved as natural wetland and prairie and will create significant protection for the water quality of Pickerel Lake.

According to Mark Schulze, PLC President, “The PLC has taken another step to expand our footprint into the watershed to protect the water quality for the long term. Chekapa Creek is a primary tributary flowing into Pickerel Lake, and this protection will have a meaningful impact on the water quality of the lake well into the future.”

PLC has acquired the 80-acre Stanley Gruby farm and homestead property, now known as the Chekapa Creek Watershed Project, thanks to the generosity of donors to the Conservancy’s Watershed Protection Fund. The Watershed Protection Fund was established in 2018 by the PLC to support permanent protection of water quality on Pickerel Lake. Property acquisition allows the establishment of permanent vegetative buffers in sensitive areas of the lake’s 19,779 acre watershed to prevent erosion and runoff from contaminating the lake.

Chekapa Creek, which drains from One Road Lake four miles east of the property, is one of Pickerel’s two major tributaries. Chekapa meanders the entire half-mile length of this property and is joined near the east end of the property by another southerly flowing ephemeral stream. These features make this acreage a vital segment of the Conservancy’s initiative to protect Pickerel’s water quality for future generations. (See details and map)

The 8-acre parcel of undisturbed conservation land located along the southwest corner of Pickerel Lake has long served as an important component of the lake’s watershed, as well as habitat for wildlife. The land had previously been owned by the state’s Game, Fish and Parks Department. It was purchased at a September 2021 auction by a group of Pickerel Lake property owners who wanted the land to continue to be utilized as a natural runoff filter to preserve Pickerel Lake’s water quality.

PLC President Dan Loveland said that the donated land fits nicely with the nonprofit organization’s mission to protect the water quality, natural resources and ecosystems of Pickerel Lake by promoting conservation, research and education, so that the lake may be preserved for the enjoyment of people today and for generations to come. “We hope to take advantage of other future opportunities to acquire land that protects Pickerel Lake’s critical watershed,” Loveland said.

PLC has been involved in funding other projects to protect the lake’s watershed, but this is the first time that the nonprofit organization has taken ownership of real estate. The donation carries a donor stipulation that the land must be used solely for conservation purposes and cannot be sold or used for commercial, residential or agricultural development.

The PLC Board of Directors has discussed raising funds to incorporate a nature trail and additional native pollinator plants to provide both public recreation and conservation education opportunities, similar to an existing nature trail along the east unit of the State Park at Pickerel Lake.

Closing on the real estate transfer is expected to take place by the end of 2021.

The new PLC Directory is hot off the press. The Directory is $40 per copy. You can purchase copies of the new Directory from Board members or you may contact us at info@pickerellakeconservancy.org to request a copy by mail. There is a $5 charge for mailing.

The Pickerel Lake Conservancy and South End Association hired Clark Engineering to evaluate and provide possible solutions to improve water quality in the south end of Pickerel Lake. The focus areas of this study are the local roads along Webster Boulevard and the area upstream of the CR6 (Highway) culvert.

This report identifies short-term, intermediate, and long-term projects designed to improve the overall watershed management. A multi-level approach with practical options in the areas of road maintenance, intermediate projects, comprehensive planning, and zoning/building regulations are recommended. (See study)

Native aquatic plants are a natural and beneficial component of a healthy lake ecosystem. Among other things, they provide oxygen to the lake, shelter for aquatic life and help with water quality. There are times, however, when native aquatic vegetation becomes so prolific that it becomes a nuisance and interferes with swimming, boating and other lake activities. In such circumstances, PLC recognizes that limited removal of nuisance vegetation may be warranted if done in a responsible manner. The following summarizes PLC’s guidance regarding removal of aquatic vegetation

PLC supports limited mechanical removal when excess weeds interfere with lake activities such as swimming and access to boat houses, lifts and docks.

PLC currently is opposed to any form of chemical or biological treatment of native aquatic vegetation. Use of such substances should be thoroughly researched and specifically approved by state and other stakeholders for a specific purpose, location and time period. It should only be considered after mechanical removal efforts have been deemed insufficient or when aggressive invasive species have been detected in the lake.

Recommendations for removal and disposal of nuisance vegetation are as follows

REMOVAL

• Vegetation should be removed carefully in a manner that minimizes chopping into fragments. Many aquatic plants propagate from fragments. Cutting or tearing plants into pieces could end up making the nuisance vegetation problem grow even worse.
• Aquatic plants should not be removed on a large scale. Removal should be limited to swimming areas around docks and lanes for boats to access lifts and boat houses
• Care should be taken not to disturb the lake bottom, which could release algae producing phosphorus into the water column.
• Once dislodged, aquatic plants should be removed from the lake and not allowed to float away.

DISPOSAL

• Aquatic plants removed from the lake should be disposed on land.
• Pickerel Lake currently does not have a designated land area to dump aquatic vegetation.
• Aquatic plants make good compost when layered with other composting materials.
• Try spreading out the vegetation on the ground and allow them to dry out for a day or so. Once dry, they mulch easily or can be burned using safe burning practices. They are also much lighter to carry when dry.
• Area landfills that accept yard waste will likely accept aquatic vegetation in reasonable quantities.
• Dumping piles of aquatic vegetation in ditches or onto public and private property is irresponsible and quite possibly illegal.
• Under no circumstances should aquatic plants be dumped back into the lake after they have been removed.

In late summer 2019, fragments of curly-leaf pond weed (“CLPW”) were first identified in the northwest portion of Pickerel Lake. The PLC sounded the alarm on this issue and is leading the fight to combat CLPW. We are providing information about CLPW, why it is a problem, and the PLC’s plans to combat CLPW at Pickerel.

1. Why CLPW is a problem.

CLPW is an invasive aquatic plant that has been found in many lakes in the United States. Like many invasive species, CLPW is spread from one body of water to another by an unintentional transfer of plant fragments on boat trailers.

CLPW is an aggressive, fast growing aquatic plant with unique characteristics which make it difficult to combat and eradicate. Unlike native aquatic vegetation which remains dormant over the winter, CLPW starts to grow during the winter months when the lake is covered with ice and snow, and even in the absence of much sunlight. CLPW grows very rapidly in early spring as soon as the ice is out. It is therefore way ahead of native aquatic plants in terms of spring growth and propagation.

CLPW usually reaches its maximum height and growth stage in late May and early June. At that point, it reaches the lake surface. Generally, CLPW grows in water 15 feet deep or less. The plants produce what are called “turions,” analogous to pine cones, which are produced when the plant reaches maximum height in late spring/early summer. CLPW propagates by dropping the turions on to the lake bottom, and the turions then sprout in the next fall or winter.

CLPW forms heavy, dense, weed mats that can be 3 to 10 feet deep. These dense mats of vegetation can make boat traffic difficult or impossible, and also prevent swimming and other lake activities. Because of the dense nature of CLPW, it displaces native aquatic plants.

By mid-summer, CLPW plants usually die. As the large mass of dead plant material decomposes, it depletes oxygen and adds phosphorus to the water. The extra phosphorus generated by the decomposition process adds to the existing phosphorus problems in freshwater lakes. This creates an additional problem by worsening late summer algae blooms. In addition, the dead plant material eventually washes onto lakeshore beaches where it is a nuisance and must be removed.

2. PLC’s plan to combat CLPW.

PLC has retained PLM Lake & Land Management Corp. to develop and implement a plan to combat CLPW at Pickerel. PLM has over 15 years of experience in working with lake associations, state agencies, municipalities, watershed districts and others in combating and managing various aquatic invasive species, including CLPW. PLM is very well qualified and is highly recommended. SDGFP reviewed the PLM proposal and supports our plan to use PLM to combat CLPW. (But GF&P has no money to help in this effort.)

In Spring 2020, PLM will conduct what it refers to as a “delineation survey” of Pickerel. This survey involves traversing the entire shoreline of the lake by boat in depths 15 feet and less to visually identify CLPW. CLPW is easy to identify in late spring because it is the only aquatic vegetation visible at the surface of the lake. In locations where CLPW is identified, PLM will conduct a more detailed survey to determine the scope of the infestation.

Based on the survey, PLM will prepare a written plan with recommendations on how to combat and control CLPW in Pickerel now and in the future. At this point we do not know the extent of the infestation. Typically, CLPW is controlled by the application of an herbicide. There are several different herbicides that can be used. Some of these have an adverse effect on native vegetation. Therefore, in late summer 2020, PLM will conduct a follow up survey of vegetation in the lake to catalog the types of native vegetation present. This will enable PLM to select the appropriate herbicide to combat CLPW while having the least impact on native plant species in the lake.

Depending on the scope of the infestation, we can expect that PLM will recommend the application of an herbicide in the spring of 2021. PLM will probably recommend an additional survey of the lake in the spring of 2021 to identify once again the location of CLPW infestations. PLM uses a sophisticated technology to properly apply the herbicide and to incorporate variables such as water depth, water flow, wave action, etc. The herbicides are quite effective, but must be properly and carefully applied in order to have optimum impact.

If we are lucky, the infestation will be small, and we may be able to eradicate CLPW. PLM has had significant successes in controlling CLPW. However, once established, CLPW is notoriously difficult to eliminate and, if there is an infestation, the effort to control CLPW could take years. We expect to have an ongoing relationship with PLM as we continue our efforts to combat CLPW in the years ahead.  We will keep you informed about the battle to combat CLPW.

3. What you can do.

We need your help in this process. First, we need your help in identifying CLPW plants in the lake. CLPW grows in water 15 feet deep or less. It may be growing adjacent to your dock or boat lift. We are enclosing pictures of CLPW plants. If you see a plant that looks like CLPW, please take a picture and a sample and report your findings to the PLC at ais@pickerellakeconservancy.org so we can determine whether or not it is CLPW. Identification can sometimes be tricky because CLPW closely resembles a native plant. If you do identify what you think is CLPW, mark the location carefully so we can do further investigation of that area.

Combating CLPW is a long-term and expensive battle. Please contribute to the PLC. The PLC is working to protect the lake, your enjoyment of the lake and your property values. So please become a member and help us fight CLPW and other aquatic invasive species.

Thank you.
Pickerel Lake Conservancy