Over the next several weeks, many of you will be taking your boats off the lake for winter storage. Did you know that even Lime Lake residents need to have a Michigan Recreation Passport to use the Lime Lake boat launch? Recently, an officer has been at the boat launch issuing tickets. From the DNR: The Recreation Passport is required for motorized vehicle access to state parks and recreation areas and state-managed boating access sites, state forest campgrounds, thousands of miles of trails and other outdoor spaces – all year long! Michigan's state-managed parks and recreation system is largely self-supporting. Funds derived from the Recreation Passport go right back into maintaining and improving the outdoor spaces we all love, and protecting natural resources for the next generation. Get information on how and where to get your passport HERE . Thank you Bob Martin, Lime Lake riparian, for sharing this reminder! Wishing everyone a happy, safe, and ticket-free end of boating season.

Lake water levels around Leelanau County are down due to lack of rain and evaporation. While we do not officially measure lake levels here at Lime Lake, our friends at Glen Lake have reported that the last time their level was this low was in 2016, and the last time it was this low at this time of year was in 2011. Until our area receives sufficient rainfall, water levels on Lime Lake will also remain low. In the past, well-meaning folks have tried to take matters into their own hands. As a friendly reminder, attempting to make changes at the outlet of Lime Lake will not alter the situation; only rain will sufficiently raise our levels. Furthermore, according to GLISA , a Great Lakes collaboration between U of M and MSU, low water levels in the Fall are natural due to evaporation which peaks this time of year when lake temperatures are still warm from the summer and air temperatures are cooler, creating a temperature gradient ideal for evaporation. Low water levels in the fall help protect against ice damage along our shores in the Spring! This holiday weekend and into fall, we encourage all boaters to be especially cautious in shallow areas, for both the safety of other boaters and swimmers, and to protect our lake bottom. A minimally disturbed lake bottom equals a healthy lake. Water levels are down, so let's keep our awareness up! Thank you.

Purple Loosestrife (PL) is a terrestrial invasive species to Northern Michigan that has had substantial impact on several Leelanau County lakes. We have not yet found it on Lime Lake, but if we do, we need to take quick action to remove it. For this reason, we're asking all homeowners to keep an eye out for this rapid spreader. This is the time to monitor for PL as it is typically in full bloom July through October. PL has showy magenta flowers, can grow up to 10 feet in height, and prefers to grow in wetland regions like lakeshores, river and stream banks, wet meadows, marshes and roadside ditches. It has a large impact on the ecosystem because it can quickly dry out those regions, eliminating habitat for many other necessary wetland species. Each plant can spread up to 2.5 million seeds per year! If you think you might have PL on your property, or if you have spotted it somewhere along the lake or nearby, please snap a photo and send it to our Lake Biologist, Kelsey Froelich, so she can confirm and make a plan of action. Text your pics to Kelsey at 616-293-7525 or email them to kelsey.froelich@gmail.com Thank you for your help! Photo Credits: John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University Barry A. Rice, The Nature Conservancy, Davis, CA

Photo: The Good Harbor Bay Watershed: Shetland Creek connects Lime Lake to Little Traverse Lake and Shalda Creek connects LTL to Lake Michigan If you're lucky enough to live on one of our inland lakes here in Leelanau, you might be very invested in being a good steward of the health of your shoreline and the waters you swim in and admire with your morning tea. But like all living things, our lakes are interconnected in many ways. The well-being of any one of our lakes really does depend on what is happening around it. Lime Lake is part of the Good Harbor Bay Watershed, a 29,020 acre area that includes Little Traverse Lake, the shore of Good Harbor Bay, many smaller lakes, streams, and wetland and forested areas, Shalda Creek that travels from Little Traverse Lake through the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, and Shetland Creek that connects our lake with Little Traverse Lake, as shown in the image above. Shetland Creek is the main outlet of Lime Lake. It leaves Lime Lake on the north end, meanders under M22, and drains into Little Traverse Lake. Lime Lake is the most upland body of water in our watershed. This is important because what we do on Lime Lake matters. Anything we put into our water can drain into Little Traverse Lake and then into Lake Michigan. Photo: The mouth of Shetland Creek as it enters Little Traverse Lake Last week our lake biologist, Kelsey Froelich and her daughters Adley (7) and Lainey (5) took it upon themselves to spend an afternoon removing debris from the first half of Shetland Creek. Actually, the family had gone out simply to explore the creek. They soon noticed the trash that was accumulating and sprang into action. "Once we realized we were on a clean-up mission, Lainey became very adamant that we get every piece of garbage," said Froelich who has included her daughters in her work as a lake biologist since they were toddlers. They help with monitoring for invasives, collecting water samples, and now keeping our watershed trash-free. Photo: Some of the trash collected from Shetland Creek. Anything left in Lime Lake and the watershed can stay there, ultimately affecting the biodiversity and health of the lake. "For the girls, the clean-up became quite an adventure, and they loved the surprises along the way, like finding a leach and a crayfish living in cans. It's interesting that these living organisms are doing the best they can with what we give to them (such as making a home out of a discarded container) but this is certainly not natural and healthy," Froelich reminds us. It's a beautiful thing to see someone modeling care and responsibility for the next generation of stewards of our very special part of the world. It's also true that more of us need to be taking action. You may not have time to do a creek cleanup, but all of us can take the time to be mindful about what we allow into our lake. The next time you're out on the lake or exploring any part of our Good Harbor Watershed and peninsula enjoy the beauty that we're a part of, keep an eye out for what doesn't belong there, and be mindful not to leave anything behind other than your wonder and appreciation. Lake Biologist, Kelsey Froelich, with her daughters, Adley and Lainey, and the trash they removed from Shetland Creek Mark Your Calendar Come learn more from Kelsey about all of our Lime Lake stewardship projects at our annual meeting taking place on July 27th, 9 am, at the Cleveland Township Hall! Learn more about the Good Harbor Bay Watershed Protection Plan HERE . Please help us continue our work, renew your Lime Lake Membership HERE .

On Friday, June 21, we had another successful event digging for Yellow Flag Iris (YFI) in Pat’s Preserve on Lime Lake! Thank you to our volunteers who weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty! Volunteers from left: Julie Doherty, Mark Fisher, Caleb Garone Why do we dig up Yellow Flag Iris? YFI is an invasive plant species in Northern Michigan. It does not have natural predators and is much hardier than its native counterpart- Blue Flag Iris- so YFI will out-compete Blue Flag Iris if they are growing together. Over the course of several years, one YFI plant will multiply and can take over an entire shoreline region.  Lake Biologist Kelsey Froelich and volunteer Bill Frank with several large clumps of YFI How does Yellow Flag Iris reproduce? The seeds from the YFI can float, so if they are dropped into the water, they will float down shore until they are washed onto land. YFI also reproduces via underground rhizomes (roots) with a central node. One plant can clone itself to make many new plants without using seeds at all. YFI in bloom How do we remove Yellow Flag Iris?  The easiest way to remove YFI is to dig it out. Make sure to get as much of the root mass as you can and any central ‘nodes’ (hard, pink-ish roots) that you can find. Once dug, it can be placed in a garbage bag and disposed of. If you dig YFI in an area that is directly on the shoreline, you may consider planting other native species in its place to hold the soil in place. Multiple years of digging may be necessary to fully eradicate YFI from your location. Volunteer, Bill Frank What is the lake association doing to combat Yellow Flag Iris? Our lake biologist, Kelsey Froelich, conducts a YFI survey by boat in early June and locates all blooming YFI. She then reaches out to property owners that the Association has an email address to alert them of the sighting. Kelsey is also working with the Leelanau Conservancy to remove YFI from Conservancy property. Our goal on Lime Lake is complete eradication  of YFI!  To identify YFI when there are no blooms, look for the prominent mid vein on the iris leaves Are we making any progress? Yes! We decreased our YFI locations by 6 sites in the past year and have dug with the Leelanau Conservancy for three years now. Last year, we replanted dig sites on Conservancy land with native Joe Pye Weed seeds, harvested from the Hatlem Creek Preserve (near Glen Lake) and we saw great growth in those areas this year!  A clump of dug YFI Joe Pye Weed, planted last year after digging up Yellow Flag Iris Have questions? Feel free to email kelsey.froelich@gmaill.com  with any questions that you have!

We're looking for volunteers to help us pull the invasive plant Yellow Flag Iris from areas located in Pat's Preserve near the south east end of Lime Lake. We'll meet in the Pat's Preserve parking lot off of Maple City Road at 12pm. Bring a friend, stay as long as you can, and let's have some fun while we preserve and protect our Lime Lake natural habitats. To sign up and get more information, please contact Kelsey, our lake biologist and organizer, at 616-293-7525. Thank you!

Please come support Leelanau Clean Water at their annual storytelling event, Bubbling Up. The gathering will take place at the Little Traverse Inn and is sponsored by Here:Say Storytelling and The Boardman Review. These organizations are known for creating meaningful and engaging events. Bubbling Up will present a variety of stories that show and celebrate our connection to that most essential body, WATER. Learn more about Leelanau Clean Water HERE.

Our August 4th Boat Tour will now take place at 3 pm. Seats Available. Would you like to know more about Lime Lake, its geologic history and the science that goes into monitoring and maintaining its health? Join our lake biologist, Kelsey, for a Lime Lake Discovery Boat Tour. This will be an educational and entertaining 90-120 minute cruise of the lake on Friday, August 4 at 3 pm. Topics to be covered will include the history of the formation of Lime Lake and its watershed, the significance of Teichner and Pat's Preserves, what we can do as residents to support the health of the lake, the invasive species to watch out for, and more. There will be many opportunities for you to ask questions. When, Where, What to Bring August 4, 3pm Participants will meet at the Lime Lake Boat Launch at 2:45 pm. Bottled water will be available. Alternatively, you can bring your own beverage of choice in a spill-proof container. Sunscreen/sun protection are recommended. Gather together some friends or family members and reserve your spot today by emailing marybarss@aol.com.

This position has been filled. Thank you! BOAT CAPTAIN & BOAT NEEDED FOR JULY LIME LAKE DISCOVERY BOAT TOUR Each summer the LLA offers Boat Tours to discover what makes Lime Lake special. Our watershed biologist leads a fun and educational hands-on tour during which participants learn how the lake was formed, what influences water quality, how to keep our watershed healthy, and more. This summer we’re looking for a lake resident volunteer who has a pontoon boat that can accommodate at least 10 people. He or she would also need to captain the boat. The tours will take place on EITHER Monday, July 24 or Friday, August 4. There will be 2 sail times, early afternoon (1-3pm) and evening (4-6pm). This volunteer opportunity will be a fun way to show off your boat, meet more of your lake neighbors, have some fun, and learn just how spectacular our lake is! If you have a boat and can be available to captain the excursions, please reach out to LLA Board Member Mary Barss at marybarss@aol.com as soon as possible. Please add Discovery Boat Captain in the subject line. Thank you!

Facts & tips from our lake biologist, Kelsey Froelich As the weather starts to warm up, so will the lake temperatures and that means one thing - swimming! Lime Lake has pristine waters which make for a delightful swimming experience, however some people may develop swimmer’s itch after swimming in the water. Swimmer’s itch is caused by a parasite that lives in our waters and is part of our healthy freshwater ecosystem. You can learn more about swimmer’s itch here. While it is a nuisance to get itchy bumps after swimming, it’s important to know that this parasite does not hurt humans in any way. Did you know? The Lime Lake Association (LLA) has a history of supporting swimmer’s itch research and monitoring with the hope of finding more prevention strategies. We know that there are at least 3 different species of swimmer’s itch cycling through Lime Lake, each with a different snail and waterfowl host. There was even a new species of swimmer’s itch discovered right here on Lime Lake, thanks in part to the LLA’s support! There has also been evidence that some simple prevention strategies can be used to reduce your chances of getting swimmer’s itch. They are: Cover your skin with full body swimwear (Swimmer's itch rarely affects hands, feet and face and BONUS- this eliminates the need for sunscreen on covered areas!) Swim in the afternoon or early evening rather than the morning (Swimmer’s itch risk is greatest before noon) Swim in deeper water Use a parasite skimmer net to remove swimmer's itch from surface water Avoid swimming during an onshore wind Use a ‘kiddie pool’ filled with well water for small children vs shoreline lake swimming Towel off very well immediately after swimming (certain species of swimmer’s itch ‘stick’ to your skin and don’t penetrate until you leave the water) Don’t forget to report your swimmer’s itch cases to our collaborators at University of Alberta, so that LLA can monitor the severity of swimmer’s itch on our lake!