On April 24th signs were placed at all 6 boat landing warning of the high water and requesting “NO
WAKE” operation of water craft. Please minimize wakes so shoreline erosion can be reduced. As
soon as the lake level is closer to “normal” the signs will be removed. If there is very minimal
precipitation over the next few weeks the lake should hopefully be close to “normal” by mid-June.
The side openings and center stop logs at the Dam have been wide open since Nov. 2022. The Dam
was designed to handle the 100 year flood event and pass 100 to 120 cubic feet of water per second at
lake levels 18 to 24 inches above the “normal” lake level. The Hay River which begins at the Dam is
being monitored for any obstruction that could impede flow downstream.
Commissioner Mike Werner and I attended the Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Conference on April 19th
to the 21st . The in-person attendance was a record and allowed us to collect and share information
about the main issues and challenges facing other lake districts and associations. The dominant topic
of many conversations and several conference sessions focused on wakes, wake boat and other
watercraft operation that created wakes. Several Lake Districts and Counties have passed ordinances
restricting the time of day and location on the lake where “Wake” boats can be operated. At the state
legislative level the discussion is more targeted on the depth of the water at a defined and regulated
distance from shore. Studies have documented not only the effect of waves on shoreline erosion and
dock safety but also the scouring effect of large high waves on the bottom of lakes. In the event the
distance from shore and depth of water become the “measuring stick” for determining whether Wake
boats can be operated on lakes, many lakes that are small in area or narrow will become restricted.
Currently, any lake less than 50 acres is automatically a “NO WAKE” lake. On the internet you can
access “A Field Study of the Maximum Wave Height, Total Wave Energy & Max Wave Power, by
the UW of MN, Antony Falls Laboratory, at the University Digital Conservancy website,
We continue to work with the WDNR on the permit application for dredging along the north side of
Library Lake. The application was accepted by the WDNR on Dec. 20, 2022. On Jan. 20, 2023 at the
first of several meetings with the WDNR, additional questions were raised requiring additional
sampling and data to be obtained and submitted. Hopefully the permit will be issued soon so we can
move forward of the fund raising campaign for covering the dredging costs and the bid spec. package
for the dredging can be released for bid.
The treatment for Eurasian Water Milfoil will not occur sooner than the week of May 22, 2023. The
exact time and date will depend on water temperatures, wind direction and velocity and the growth of
the EWM which tends to grow earlier in the spring than other aquatic plants. The goal is to treat the
milfoil before the native aquatic plants start to grow. To keep the herbicide confined between the
surface and the thermocline, the ideal water temperature needs to be between 55 F to 60F with the
thermocline around 16 to 20 ft. The thermocline is the point where the water temperature becomes
rapidly cooler and the water density prevents the herbicide from diluting beyond than the thermocline.
Areas of the lake such as City and Cemetery Bay where the water depth is less than 10 feet may be
treated sooner than other locations on the lake. Gallon “milk” jugs will be used to mark the locations
where treatment has occurred. Please leave them alone as they will be picked up by the company
applying the treatment. Signs will also be placed at the shoreline of properties where the treatment is
being applied. Maps showing where this year’s treatment will occur can be found at the BDLMD
website, beaverdamlake.org
The Library Lake Nuerer and NE Storm water ponds were burned off as part of the spring maintenance
process. Additional shrub trimming and scrub tree removal remain to be completed. Rock Leaf Water
Environmental will be planting 1000 plant plugs along the shoreline of Library Lake within the area where the wild flower seeds were spread last fall. A number of trees will also be planted as part of the WDNR Lake
Restoration grant the Lake District received this past March.
Please note that the 2023 BDLMD Annual Meeting is now scheduled for Sat. Aug. 5, 2023 at the
Cumberland Middle School starting at 9:30 AM. Unexpected scheduling conflicts would have
prevented several commissioners from attending the previously announced Sat. July 15th meeting date.
Comments