No more treatments are scheduled for this year (2016).  Starry stonewort usually starts to die back in mid to late September on its own but seems to be holding on a little longer this year since weather has been nice.  
 
Unfortunately the only long term plan for Starry stonewort is frequent treatments.  Since it is technically an algae, we really only have a few options for treatment.  Many types of aquatic plants can be completely controlled by herbicides.  With starry stonewort, the treatments only provide a  “burn down” .  Starry stonewort grows as a mat on the bottom and the products cannot penetrate all the way down so it typically burns down the upper 6-8 inches.  Increasing treatment frequency or perhaps doing 2-3 weeks of successive treatments can provide reductions.  That being said, it is not like milfoil where we can get rid of it for several seasons and it can only be managed with the goal of keeping it from being a nuisance.  Next year, I will try to schedule more treatments to keep it at bay the best we can.
 
I hope this helps.
Bob, LOWIA

Recently Bob Richter, President of the Lake Association, received a distress call from a lake resident about a dead deer floating in the water just off shore.  He emailed the Board members for suggestions after the DNR and Sheriff's Office declined to assist.  One of our Board members and family did assist in the clean-up.  This is just background information on how I met Jackie Denton--the person who made the call to Bob!!
​
Jackie and Clayton Denton have a cottage with their 3 children, Jaden age 15, Danielle, age 12, and Dillon, age 9. They live in Dyer, Indiana (a Chicago suburb). They have been coming to Lake of the Woods to camp at Timber Trails RV Park for more than 20 years. Jackie's parents, sister, aunt and cousins continue to camp there. Jackie and Clayton bought  "our little shack" (that is what she called their cottage) in 2011, which is located in the NW corner of the lake by the swim area.
Jackie, a CPA, is a working mom. She says Clayton makes his living selling credit card machines and processing. He is also an actor and writer! He performs with the Faith Theater Company in small and large productions at their church. He has also written his own show called The Gospel According to Joe (www.3sixteencreativeworks.com.)
They are very active at Faith Church in Dyer. Jackie leads kids worship (Shout Out) in the children's ministry.  Clayton is an elder.  Their children attend Christian school.
Jackie says they fell in love with Timber Trails RV Park. They bought a boat and would spend all day on the lake. They enjoy the fireworks on the 4th of July. Jackie says LOW is a nice community. They have nice neighbors. Everyone is friendly and they wave hi. They love watching wildlife. Last year Clayton saved a baby deer from the water (but it died later.)
The family likes to explore the area. They go fruit picking every year. They pick apples, blueberries, cherries, peaches, etc.  They like to watch movies in the local small theatres and visit the fish hatchery and museums.  They have relatives in Grand Rapids and Holland. Jackie loves to garden and she grows flowers around her cottage.  The family likes Nettie's in downtown Decatur for a meal out and love bringing people for the first time to the Hayloft to experience the giant servings of ice cream. The whole family enjoys coming to the lake. They don't have any Wifi and have only a small TV but the children love being at the lake. They read, play outside, use the paddleboard, row boat and enjoy nature. She quoted her oldest son as saying "even here, boredom is fun!"
One concern Jackie has about the lake is the weed growth this year.  She says it is the worst amount of  weeds they have experienced in the lake.
Jackie told me about "a murder on the lake" that occurred 4-5 yrs ago. She said her parents and nephews witnessed one swan killing another swan in front of the campground!  That must have been sooo exciting!!! I'm hoping she can dig up a video for us!
"We hit the Michigan border and we breathe deeper.  It's good living there!"  per Jackie!

You can purchase hunting and fishing licenses online through the DNR website at www.mdnr-elicense.com  When ordering online, you will have an option to receive your licenses and other items by email or by mail. You will also be able to display your purchased license on your mobile device.

On the DNR homepage (www.michigan.gov/dnr), you may also access information on license fees and youth hunting and you can even subscribe to hunting application reminders.

*Michigan has more than 795,000 licensed hunters--third in the nation.
*About 90% of Michigan hunters persue deer.
*Michigan hunters contribute around $2.3 billion to the state's economy.
*Deer hunting alone contributes more than $500 million a year to the state's economy and directly supports more than 5,300 jobs.
*For every $1 spent on a hunting license, Michigan receives $3 from the federal government for wildlife conservation and management.
*Michigan has the largest dedicated state forest system in the nation.
*About 1.4 million Michigan residents, and 347,000 non-residents, have fished state waters.

*The overall annual value of sport fishing to Michigan's economy is estimated at $4.4 billion.
*Michigan has 153 species of fish, making it the most diverse fishery in the United States.
*Lake Superior is known for lake trout and whitefish.
*Lake Huron is known for lake trout and walleye.
*Lake St. Clair is home to the highest catch rate on muskellunge in the world.
*Lake Erie is known for walleye, largemouth and smallmouth bass and yellow perch.
​*Lake Michigan is known for chinook, coho salmon and steelhead.

Different hunting seasons in Michigan can be found online at the Department of Natural Resources website:  www.michigan.gov/dnr

​Gordy & Opal Krum have lived in the village of Decatur since 1950. They built a house on Cedar St and had a cottage on Eagle Lake, where Opal and their children spent the summers.  They decided to move to Lake of the Woods in 1963. A large red brick house on Meadow. . .  It was perfect because they could reside on a lake and were still in the Village.  Their children (Nancy lives in Decatur and Gary near PawPaw) loved to swim in the channel and they enjoyed boating around the lake. 
Gordy had a Chevrolet dealership in Decatur. He also owned Airway Lanes, a bowling alley, in Kalamazoo.  He eventually became the president of the First State Bank of Decatur. When they were first married Opal was a social worker. She gave that up to be a homemaker and mother. She says she also served as Gordy's "go-fer", running errands for his businesses.
Gordy belongs to the VFW, the Masons, the Lion's Club, and he is a lifetime member on the board of the Michigan Bowling Proprietors Association. He continues to work part time at the Bank, too!
Gordy & Opal love Lake of the Woods. When their children grew up and moved out of their house they decided they needed a smaller house. In 2000 they built a house right next door---still on the lake! Opal says the free swimming lessons for children and having a life guard at the public beach are wonderful perks.  She remembers her daughter Nancy swimming across the lake in those swimming lessons!
They talked about how the lake has changed over the years, from small cottages to big year-round houses. Opal says that in the distant past living on the lake was undesirable.  But not anymore. . .!
Their biggest concern about Lake of the Woods is the need for a sewer system around the lake. They would like all lake residents, even if they are part timers, to attend to the health of the lake for the long term.
Their favorite local restaurants are the Hard Times Cafe in Decatur,  La Cantina in Paw Paw, Big Ts in Lawton, and  Zeeks in Dowagiac.
Gordy & Opal appreciate the Lake Association for keeping them aware of what is going on around the lake.