that feeds all the water draining from it and running under it into our lake. Protecting Lake Charlevoix means protecting its watershed. The Homeowner’s Guide is a

resource that can help all of us to do our part through simple water friendly initiatives and practices. Although the water quality of Lake Charlevoix is quite high, the steady increase in population and increased development in our watershed over the past sev-eral decade’s results in increased levels of pollutants in the water-shed. The Homeowner’s Guide proposes a number of initiatives and practices that will prevent or at least reduce the portion of those pollutants that reach our lake. Please take the time to read this excellent publication and look for ways to put its recommenda-

tions into practice. Keep it as a permanent resource, share it with friends and neighbors, and if you would like additional copies, please contact us at info@lake-charlevoix.org. Remember, wherever you are, wherever you go, you are in a watershed.

Fall 2016 Inside...

2 - From the President3 - LCA Achievements

4 - LCA Honoraries & Memorials4 - New Members

Photo by Mike Schlitt

PROTECTING, PROMOTING & ADVOCATING FOR LAKE CHARLEVOIX

Fall 2016PANTONE 2738UPANTONE Process Cyan U

The Lake Guardian

As someone who cares about Lake Charlevoix, we encourage you to spend some time reading the enclosed newly published Lake Charlevoix

Watershed Homeowner’s Guide. The Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council in col-laboration with the Lake Charlevoix Watershed Ad-visory Committee, of which LCA is a member, created this informative booklet. When you look at our lake, what comes to mind? Images of shimmering water, wind in your sails, gatherings at the shore? It’s probably a safe bet that your mental photos center on something beautiful, recreational, or relaxing. It’s also highly likely that Quagga mussels, phragmites and brown algae never make your list. And yet, part of keeping the lake fit for lasting memories and fun stuff requires us to be aware of and responsible for our property and our watercraft. Our Lake Charlevoix watershed is the area of land

The Story Behind the Enclosed Watershed Homeowner’s Guide

By John Hoffman & Joel Van Roekel

4 - News Bites

Your Homeowner’s Guide Includes: Description of• the Lake Charlevoix WatershedStormwater Runoff• Low Impact Development• Rain Gardens• Native Plants Guide• Porous Pavements• Rain Barrels• Shoreline Greenbelts• MI Shoreland Stewards Program• Septic System Maintenance•

Dan Mishler - President Joel VanRoekel - 1st Vice President Chris Heroy - 2nd Vice President Mike Dow - Treasurer Sherry Pursel - Secretary

LCA Board of Directors

Joe Kimmell - Director Larry Levengood - Director John Hoffman - Director Kim Tonkavich - Director

www.lakecharlevoix.org Like us on Facebook!

phone calls and emails saying, “Wow, do you see what they are doing across the lake from me? Something needs to be done about that.” We all share the lake and we all have a responsibility to do our part to help protect it. On other notes… Our first poker run was a huge hit. The weather was poor, but the 120 participants still had a blast. Tim and Jennifer Toohey had the best hand, a 9-high straight. We hope to publish the date for the 2017 poker run early in the spring, so more can participate next year. A special thank-you goes out to

Dave Germond and the other volunteers for making the event possible, and also to our gold sponsors, Sommer-set Pointe, Boyne Boat Yard, Lake Charlevoix Brewing, Irish Boat Shop, Mobile Ma-rine, Bulmann Dock and Lift, The Landing Restaurant and Michigan Lake Products. Our annual meeting guest speaker, Dr. Rex Lowe, discussed the issue of the golden brown algae we are now seeing so abundant in the lake. He said these are all “good guys”, but your LCA board is considering a study of the causes of the increase in

these organisms to make sure we aren’t heading down a problem-atic path. First indications from their study in Torch Lake point to increased nutrient levels on the lake bottom as the likely cause, which they say may be increasing due to septic system problems and lawn fertilizers. Other recent activities are highlighted in the photos on the next page. Your board has been very busy. We appreciate your con-tinued support and hope you will look carefully at the enclosed booklet, keep it for future reference, and look for ways you could manage your property to better protect the lake we all love. Now back to my lunges and squats.

two

Mike Dow

What an incredible summer! What an incredible lake we share! The boats and docks are coming out, the colors are starting to change and it’s time to start getting the legs ready for ski season. It’s also a good time to reflect on what is important about Lake Charlevoix and sharing it with our friends and family. As a charter boat captain, taking groups out sailing on the lake, I am so often reminded what a special gem we have here. For many of my clients, this is their first time being on Lake Char-levoix, and to a person, they all

gasp at the beauty, comment on how beautifully natural much of our shoreline is, and are in awe of the water clarity. They are also very impressed that Lake Charlevoix was voted the second best lake in the nation in 2012, and after a day of sailing on it they seem to agree that it was well deserved. With 6 hours to spend together, the conversation also usually includes a discussion of the efforts of LCA to protect the lake and of our educational efforts around native plants in greenbelt buffers and best practices for property management. It is rewarding to me to be able to point out properties that illustrate that our work is having an impact, as I see more and more native plants being reintroduced and natural areas left undisturbed. It is our hope that the booklet enclosed with this abbreviated newsletter will encourage more lake-friendly changes in the future, as there are still opportunities where owners could replace their manicured lawns close to the lake with more native plants, which can help protect the lake. As always, LCA is here to help if anyone needs advice. On the downside, it is especially disheartening to see the occasional prop-erty where seeming disregard for our suggestions has occurred and natural shoreline areas have been bulldozed to bare earth all the way down to the high water mark. We hope everyone will help us educate our neighbors so this practice is stopped. I’m not fond of receiving

Presidential Meanders

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

..

.. Dan Mishler, LCA President

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brown Algae in Lake Charlevoix September 2016

TLC Poker Run Our first ever Lake Charlevoix Clean & Safe Boating Poker Run event was a big success. Despite the wet weather, we had more than 100 participants and many sponsors take part in the event and join us for a fun reception to find out who had the best hand.

Look WHaT THe LCa Has b e e n u P T o T H I s Y e a R

Greenbelt ToursThe LCA was proud to work with MSU Extension to bring Greenbelt Workshops to Lake Charlevoix. The workshops explored natural shoreline landscaping using ecological principles and practices to reduce erosion and achieve stabilization and safety of shorelines. Participants learned how shoreline greenbelts reduce runoff, enhance habitat for fish and wildlife, deter geese, improve lakefront aesthetics and save lakefront homeowners money. The workshops were made possible by an MDEQ 319 grant.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

three

Mike Dow

312 students had another great year aboard the Beaver Islander for Stu-dents Experience Lake Charlevoix. (SELC). This is the 23rd year of students participating in several learning stations centering on Lake Char-levoix including lake health, invasive species and discussions with the coast guard. A special thank you to Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council for their partnership in this special educational event.

Inland seasAgain this year, participants of the Inland Seas Educational Sailing Tours engaged in hands-on water quality testing and discussions with School Ship Employees and local experts about how we can all work together to protect our lake.

Stover Creek is an important cold water tributary within the Lake Charlevoix Watershed. The Stover Creek Watershed Management Plan was created to address concerns about the

creek’s water quality. Spe-cific to this larger plan, the LCA is happy to participate in the Belvedere Manage-ment Plan. The Belvedere Management Plan will result in action steps to enhance the golf course’s protection ef-forts of Stover Creek. Please visit the TOMWC for more information. www.watershedcouncil.org

stover Creek Restoration

Thank you for your support! These efforts would not be possible without you.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TLC Poker Run Our first ever Lake Charlevoix Clean & Safe Boating Poker Run event was a big success. Despite the wet weather, we had more than 100 participants and many sponsors take part in the event and join us for a fun reception to find out who had the best hand.

Look WHaT THe LCa Has b e e n u P T o T H I s Y e a R

Greenbelt ToursThe LCA was proud to work with MSU Extension to bring Greenbelt Workshops to Lake Charlevoix. The workshops explored natural shoreline landscaping using ecological principles and practices to reduce erosion and achieve stabilization and safety of shorelines. Participants learned how shoreline greenbelts reduce runoff, enhance habitat for fish and wildlife, deter geese, improve lakefront aesthetics and save lakefront homeowners money. The workshops were made possible by an MDEQ 319 grant.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

..

..

..

.

students experience Lake Charlevoix

Watershed academyThe LCA is pleased to support the TOMWC’s Watershed Academy. The Watershed Acad-emy is a pro-gram that engages high school biology students and provides an opportunity for them to become experts in their watershed. After learn-

ing about their watershed, stu-dents present their findings and research to “tell the story” of their

watersheds at the Watershed Academy Summit. This Fall ten local schools participated,

three from Charlevoix County: East Jordan, Boyne Falls, and Boyne City.

In Honor of Jonathon & Lynn Friendly’s Anniversary by Stephen Little & Barbara Wotila

In Memory of Bill David by Mary Lou David

In Memory of Jan Crowe by William Crowe

In Memory of Bob & Barbara Winter by Bob & Sally Winter

In Memory of Bud & Fran Kohler by Janet Kohler-Dueweke

In Memory of Carolyn Dawson by Victor & Wilhelmine Miller

In Memory of Charlie Winn by Janna Winn

In Memory of David & Carol Woodward by Mark & Diane Drane

In Memory of Dean Whittaker by Charlie & Julie Stratton

In Memory of Don & Gloria Conn by Don & Sherl Conn

In Memory of Doreen Yobst by James & Kathleen Hayden

In Memory of Helene Lewandowski by Robert & Catherine Kirk

In Memory of Jack Ewing by Rotary Club of Charlevoix

In Memory of James R Spalding by Marjory Spalding & Cynthia Spalding Corbin

In Memory of John & Ranny Rieker by David & Peggy Thompson

In Memory of John Alberts by Raechel Alberts

In Memory of John R. Danly Sr. by Bill & Dea Danly

In Memory of Lynda Kennedy by Bill & Barb Keating, Chuck & Ellen Story,

William & Barbara Vogel

In Memory of Marian Craig Leers by Warren Shadek, Peter Shadek, & Karen Carroll

In Memory of Mark Robert Jones by Robert & Joanne Jones

In Memory of Nancy Fulkerson by Victor & Wilhelmine Miller

In Memory of Richard Wolfe by Ellen Wolfe

In Memory of Robert Elzerman by Joyce Elzerman

In Memory of Samuel R. Merrill by Raymond & Louise Rau

LCA Thanks You!

Julie

Stra

tton

Welcome New Members

Richard & Donna DolinskiRobert DravesJames & Kathleen HaydenDonald & Jennifer JessFreda KjolhedeWilliam & Linda LaskoMichael & Patricia LambertMichael LowryWilliam & Linda McLaughlinSteven MillsRobert Jr. & Kimberly MolterRaymond & Louise RauResort Properties, Inc.Rotary Club of Charlevoix

Michael & Caroline SottrelJames StraleyJames & Michelle SwenorRoderic & Patricia TinneyTim & Jennifer TooheyKevin VansolkemaRonald & Rebecca VoightJeff WellmanEd & Linda WillisDaniel & Marion WoodEdward & Rosemary Zoebeck

New Lifetime Members:Michael & Patricia BiberChuck & Julia EisendrathGeorge & Jill GolderJohn & Barbara Hoffman Delbert Terrill Jr. New Members:Kim BakerJulia BandfieldBud & Judy BossBoyne City Tap RoomTom Darnton

four

LCA Changes: • The LCA welcomes a new Ambassador, Darrell Zavitz and thanks Tony Parker for his service.

LCA Membership Year: • Please note that the LCA Membership year runs from June 1st to May 31st. May is our renewal month for memberships. If you have not renewed yet or would like to make an additional donation to the LCA this year, please visit our web-site and feel free to use our online link. www.lakecharlevoix.org

LCA Email List:• If you prefer to receive our newsletter and other LCA mail via email only, please contact us at LCAemaillist@lakecharlevoix.org

Township Ordinances: • Several area townships are updating the waterfront sections of their ordinances to make them more lake-friendly. Please check your township website for details before you begin a project.

Septic Systems: • LCA board members have been participating in a committee tasked with developing a recommendation for up-grades to the health department regulations for septic system maintenance. A report is coming soon.

LCA Members Posting: • Visit our website www.lakecharlevoix.org to view the LCA Member listing under “Membership”. It is updat-ed approximately once a month.

News Bites...

Julie

Stra

tton

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Boyne Boat YardBulmann EnterprisesIrish Boat Shop Lake Charlevoix Brewing CompanyMichigan Lake ProductsMobile MarineSommerset PointeThe Landing Restaurant

CLEAN AND SAFE Poker Run Gold Sponsors: