Our Partners UP North
by Mike Golas, President of Iron County Lakes & Streams Partnership and
Denise Fauntleroy, President of Invasive Species Control Coalition of Watersmeet
On August 9th-13th, 2021 Dr. Jo Latimore and Erick Elgin of MSU Extension visited Gogebic and Iron County in the western Upper Peninsula. Their week-long event was hosted by the ISCCW-Watersmeet Lakeguards and the Iron County Lakes and Streams Partnership. They visited lakes in both Iron and Gogebic Counties. Lakefront property owners and stakeholders discussed a variety of lake matters including shoreline health and the factors that affect shorelines, shoreline restoration projects, plant identification, healthy native plant ecosystems, native wild rice beds and invasive aquatic plants.
The western Upper Peninsula is exposed to vectors of invasive species movement from Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and bordering and nearby states especially Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. However, while having some scattered but serious infestations of aquatic invasive species, the western UP is less impacted by colonies of AIS than southerly MI and WI locations. This makes it an interesting laboratory for application of technologies and practices that have evolved over the years that might be less effective against more established colonies of invasives. In addition, users of local water bodies are now much better educated about and prepared to deal with and prevent aquatic invasive species than we were years ago. MSU Extension, MiCorps, Michigan DNR Conservation Officers, USFS, local invasive species management teams including conservation districts, township governments and many others have elevated the level of protection and the variety of aquatic invasive species management techniques now being applied. The strategy of “awareness, education, technology application and cooperation” might be a bit more effective in the UP thanks to years of experience and knowledge gained throughout Michigan. We also have the opportunity, because we can leverage the prior experiences and resources of others, to focus on the most effective programs of invasive species prevention and control.
Jo and Erick’s on-site visits bring valuable experiences and resources to the western UP and fortify our ability to effectively and efficiently form customized strategies to fit our unique ecosystems. Not all lakes, shorelines and invasive colonies are the same. MSU Extension’s suite of resources helps us pick and choose the best method that can lead to the most effective management practices and outcomes.
This popular program will return to Iron and Gogebic Counties in August 2022.
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Seeking Natural Shoreline
Examples?
By Julia Kirkwood, EGLE Nonpoint Source Program and
the Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership
Bioengineering is an all-natural solution that uses plants, appropriately sized rocks, and woody structure to protect shorelines from erosion. These practices are being used on small, medium, and large lakes with low to high energy waves. Each site comes with a lot of “depends” and a solution must be tailored to each individual site though sometimes there are sites where the most natural solutions just can’t work.
One of the questions that we get asked the most is do you have any pictures or examples of different types of bioengineering solutions? While we do have pictures of our demonstration sites on the MNSP website used for our Certified Natural Shoreline Professional Training they are not always the best of examples for homeowners. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has developed a variety of new resources to assist individuals who want to improve their shoreline and learn more about bioengineering and other inland lake best management practices (BMP). One of which is an easily accessible site that is an Arc GIS Story map that highlights many different types of projects on lakefront properties.
Arc GIS Story Map
Pictures, plans, and information highlighting a variety of bioengineering projects are all included, from low to high energy sites and seawall replacements.
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Fact Sheets & Sample Designs
Use these new documents to find a solution for your shoreline.
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Native Plants
Native plants are always part of a natural shoreline erosion control solution. A mix of trees, shrubs, sedges and flowers is typically recommended to reestablish the root structure needed to provide the most resiliency against erosive forces. But which ones are best for your shoreline? The MNSP has some recommended plant lists available to choose from - though there are other native plants that can be used. You can also find links to sources of Michigan Native plant growers too!
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Thick ‘rock snot’ continues to be found in Michigan rivers
By Paige Filice, Michigan State University Extension, and Jo Latimore, Michigan State University Extension - May 26, 2022, the original article can be found here.
Didymo, a nuisance alga known as rock snot, could be trouble for the treasured trout fishery in the Upper Manistee River.
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Didymo will cling to objects underwater. The white in these images is extracellular didymo stalks. The stalk material lacks chlorophyll which is why blooms appear a pale yellowish brown to white color, but not green like typical algae blooms. Photo credit: Erik Rambo.
Anglers and paddlers are noticing a new phenomenon on the Upper Manistee River—a thick, brown snotty looking algae is clinging to rocks, downed trees, and anything else under the water. Didymo (Didymosphenia geminata), more often referred to as ‘rock snot’ due to its unappealing appearance, was reported in the Upper Manistee River last fall and it continues to plague popular fishing locations on the river. While non-toxic, didymo covers streambeds and reduces habitat for macroinvertebrates, an important food for fish such as trout.
Didymo is microscopic but under the right conditions it can “bloom,” forming dense mats of extracellular stalks giving it a snot-like appearance and making it visible in streambeds. Despite its name, it’s not actually slimy but instead feels like wet wool. Mats can be over six inches thick, making fishing, boating, and swimming unpleasant. In addition, didymo mats trap sediments and can have potentially long-lasting effects on the food chain as they smother other plants, insects and mollusks.
Didymo is native to the northern regions of Europe, Asia and North America and is likely native to Lake Superior and parts of Canada, according to Michigan’s Invasive Species Program. While didymo cells have been documented in the Great Lakes Basin and Michigan waters in low abundance, nuisance blooms are a recent issue and first appeared in the St. Marys River in 2015. Didymo tends to grow in clear, shallow, moderately flowing freshwater streams with rocky substrate. Researchers are still working to determine what triggers didymo’s nuisance blooms.
Didymo blooms have generally increased across the United States. Scientists believe this may be partly due to changing environmental conditions. Didymo may also be spreading to new waterways on fishing gear, a common method in which nuisance species spread. Research has shown didymo can survive for 40 days in cool, dark, damp conditions such as on angling equipment, neoprene and felt-soled waders, and boots.
“Right now, didymo is a big puzzle with a lot of people working to address it. We need to find out why it’s showing up where it is and more importantly, how best to decontaminate gear to prevent it from spreading,” said Ann Miller, an aquatic biologist and avid Manistee River flyfisher. “Right now, many local fishing guides are doing their best to avoid the stretch of the Manistee where didymo is blooming but fishing is their livelihood.”
What can you do to help?
There is no effective method to eradicate didymo from the environment. To prevent spreading it and other nuisance species, it is critical for recreational users to decontaminate their equipment after leaving a waterway. Decontamination includes cleaning, draining and drying everything that has entered the water, including boats, anchors and anchor lines, trailers, boots, waders, nets and other equipment.
Decontamination steps when moving any gear from one waterbody to another should include the following:
- Clean all mud, debris and aquatic plant material from equipment such as boats, trailers, waders, hip boots, dip nets and other field gear. Didymo, like many nuisance and invasive species, is not always visible so wiping down equipment is beneficial, even if you cannot see it. For didymo, a study has shown that soaking equipment for one minute in hot water or a chemical disinfectant such as bleach (diluted to 2% strength) or soapy water (5% solution) is an effective cleaning technique.
- Drain live wells, bilges, bait buckets and any other water from equipment before leaving the access site.
- Dry your gear and watercraft for at least five days, if possible, before going to a new waterbody.
Other tips to consider when fishing in waterways known to have didymo:
- Plan time to decontaminate between trips.
- Avoid hopping between multiple rivers in a single day.
- Designate specific gear, especially porous items like felt soled waders and anchor rope, for use only in infested waters.
Visit Michigan State University Extension’s Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Waters program for more information on preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species on boating and fishing equipment.
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While didymo is often referred to as ‘rock snot,’ it is not slimy like typical algae and instead feels like wet wool.
Report didymo sightings
In addition to cleaning gear, one of the most important steps you can take is to report observations of didymo and any other suspected invasive species to conservation organizations. You can report to the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN), a regional database used by invasive species specialists predominantly in Michigan and the Midwest. After creating an account, you can report your observation and biologists will be notified. Additionally, didymo can be reported by emailing the location and photos to EGLE-WRD-AIP@Michigan.gov. The United States Geological Survey also maintains a Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database that accepts reports from the public.
This article was originally published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu.
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Summer webinars
It's always a great day, when you are sitting waterside. You have a refreshing beverage, you can hear the soft lapping of the water and the birds chirping. Your computer is fired up, ready to devote just a slice of your summer to protect the beauty right there in front of you. Since most sessions are recorded you are free to save them for later when the call of the water is just too much to ignore.
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NotMISpecies Webinar Series - Didymo: what you need to know
June 9, 2022 at 9AM
Dr. Ashley Moerke of Lake Superior State University will provide an overview of didymo's ecology, potential impacts on cold water organisms, and what LSSU researchers are doing to to better understand spread, impacts and potential triggers of didymo nuisance blooms. Moerke will be joined by staff from DNR and EGLE to answer questions and discuss techniques to help prevent further spread.
Register for this event
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How Michigan’s Water Use Program
Preserves and Manages our Water Resources
June 7, 2022 at 1PM
Michigan and the other Great Lakes states have each enacted laws to manage their groundwater and surface water resources and prohibit diversions outside of the Great Lakes Basin. This webinar will explain why we have water use regulations, how they work, and what it all means for Michigan’s citizens, industries, and future generations.
Register for this event
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Not in my backyard! Managing invasives with help from CISMAs
Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 9:00 AM
Are invasive plants taking over your landscape? Find out how you can take control. Vicki Sawicki of North Country CISMA and Elise Desjarlais of Lake to Lake CISMA will share identification tips and demonstrate treatment tricks for common invasives including garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed and several invasive shrubs. Learn the importance of monitoring, retreatment and restoring beneficial vegetation after invasive species removal and how to get additional resources from your local cooperative invasive species management area.
Register for this event
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Michigan Lakes and Streams Association, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, state-wide organization dedicated to the preservation, protection, and wise management of Michigan’s vast treasure of inland lakes and streams.
Ready to help us protect Michigan's waterways?
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