Water Quality:

Water Treatments

There have been several questions regarding the water treatments so we’ve developed a quick summary of what the process is. But the actual timing of those treatments are based on what we are seeing realtime on the lake. If we begin to see algae growing or any other invasive species, we reach out to Lake Pro and ask for a treatment. As soon as we know what the treatment date is, we will post it on the website ASAP. Unfortunately we cannot predict when our lake might need a treatment other than the annual treatment at the beginning of the year.

We selected Lake Pro as our treatment specialist because they value the environment impacts of their treatments as a top priority. The limits that are imposed and posted when a treatment is made are either those required by the state DNR or by using an extreme caution standard. Most of the time the treatment is safe within hours of treatment since they use themost environmentally friendly treatments. Click on the link below to see more information on Lake Pro, Inc.

General Process

A. There is an annual survey done of the lake in early spring, generally around April.  This survey covers the entire lake and looks for algae, phragmites, and any invasive organismincluding potential causes for swimmers itch.

B. Once the survey is complete, we work with Lake Pro to schedule the treatment which is generally a couple weeks out. We will post that date as soon as we know it.

C. There are exceptions to that process which allows advanced notice. This would happen if there is an unexpected serious invasion that needs to be treated quickly so it will not spread and overwhelm our lake. This has happened a few times. As an example, this spring we had early algae growth and had an emergency treatment on March 28th. By catching the problem early we not only solved a serious situation but also used less chemicals and saved some money by catching it in it’s earliest stages. Unfortunately we can’t predict when this happens and generally it doesn’t give us the option to give much advance notice, generally just a few days. But we try to limit where the treatment is so the whole lake isn’t impacted.

D. A mid summer survey is done to schedule a second treatment if needed. This is similar to the initial survey done in early spring and allows us to give a couple weeks notice for treatment. We had that survey on June 15th this year with a treatment after the July 4th holidays on July 8th.

E. The 3rd and final survey takes place in August prior to the 2nd phragmites treatment. We are controlling the phragmites infestation with 2 treatments a year. This year that 2nd phragmites treatment is scheduled for August 26th. We hope this helps you to understand how we manage the care of the lake. If you have any questions, concerns or spot something that needs treatment, please reach out to your Disappearing Lake Association (DLA) Board Representative. We will respond quickly to your request.

Lake Pro:

We contract with an aquatic and lake management company called Lake Pro, Inc.  Generally, the Lake Pro team can be seen surveying and treating the lake in May/June.  Swimmer's itch and algae blooms are two of our main water quality issues treated by Lake Pro.   Click on the link below to see more information on Lake Pro, Inc.  

Swimmer's Itch:  The itchy rash associated with swimmer's itch looks like reddish pimples or blisters. It may appear within minutes or days after swimming or wading in infested water. Swimmer's itch usually affects only exposed skin — skin not covered by swimsuits, wet suits or waders.  Click on the link below for more information regarding swimmer's itch.  Please let your DLA rep know if you encounter swimmer's itch while swimming.