Summer2016MessagefromthePresidentGreetingsLakeNeighbors!Ihopethisfindsyouwellandreadytoenjoyafullsummeroffunonthelake!HopetoseeyouallatthepicnicinJuly!

TomSchmidt–President-LOFA

SAVETHEDATE:AnnualMembershipPicnicJuly31,201612:00PMBeaver’sResort.

Themembershipmeetingwilltakeplaceat11:00AMwiththepicnicimmediatelyfollowing.LOFAwillprovidemeat,beveragesandcondiments.Pleasebringadishordeserttoshare,alawnchairifyouhaveoneanddon’tforgetyourmoneyforthe50/50Raffle!!TentsetupwilltakeplaceonFridaythe30that10AM.Ifyouareabletohelpmanyhandsreallydomakelightwork!Yourhelpwouldbemuchappreciated.

Elections4positionsareupforre-electionthisyear.Theyare:President,Secretary/Treasurer,andtwoboardmemberpositions.ElectionswilltakeplaceattheannualmembershipmeetinginJuly.Considerbecominginvolved!

RemindersandUpdatesSlowNoWake!PleaserememberthatPWC’smustoperate200ft.fromshoreandmaybeoperatedbetweenthehoursof11:00AMand4:00PMaccordingtoMercerTownordinance.Allboatersmustoperateatslownowakespeedswithin100feetoftheshoreline.Theseruleskeeptheshorelinesafefornestingfish,amphibiansandinsectsthatneedtheshorelineforprotection,foodandshelter.Ifyouhavefriendsusingyourlakehomepleasemakethemawareofthisordinance.

Loonsonthelake!WeallloveourLoons.Pleaseconsidernon-leadfishinggear.LeadingestedsinkerswillcauseLoonstodieadebilitatingdeathwithin2-3weeks.

Planesonthelake!LakeoftheFallshasreturnedtoitsliquidstateandnowtherearethreeseaplanesbasedoroperatingoutofthelake.Afewfactsaboutseaplanesandrightofwayareoutlinedbelow.

Thetermseaplaneincludesanyaircraftdesignedtomaneuveronthewater.

FederalAviationRegulation(FAR)91.115placescollisionavoidanceresponsiblyontheseaplanepilotwiththelanguage,‘Seaplanepilotsshall,insofaraspossible,keepclearofallvesselsandavoidimpedingtheirnavigation’

Forafullreportonsafetyandrightofwayrulespleasevisitlakeofthefalls.org

LakeSurvey!In2015theDepartmentofNaturalResourcesconductedanumberofsurveysonLakeoftheFalls.Toviewtheresultsvisitlakeofthefalls.org

LovingourLakeTheImportanceofAlders!AsourwinterwearyeyesviewthelandscapeinearlyAprilitistheflowersoftheAldersthatgiveusashotofcolorandourfirstknowingthatspringisontheway!Theseshrubs,whichinhabitshorelinesandwetlands,areanimportantpieceofthehealthylakesystem.

SpeckledAldersorTagAlders(Alnusincana)means“growthalongstreams”inLatin.Theyarequickgrowingplantsthatsurviveinthemoreacidicsoilsfoundinwetlandsandalongshorelines.Thisattributehasmadethemextremelyusefulintherehabilitationof

disturbedsites,includingoldmines,tominimizeerosion.

AldershavetheamazingabilitytoconvertatmosphericNitrogenintoauseableforminthesoils,therebybenefittingallotherplantsintheirvicinity,becauseofasymbioticrelationshipwithNitrogenfixingfungusintheirroots.

Theyprovidefood,coverandshelterformanywildlifespeciesincludingAmericanGoldfinch,SongSparrow,Redpoll,Woodcock,Grouse,Moose,White-tailedDeer,Rabbit,MuskratandBeavertonamejustafew.

NativeAmericansusedthebarkandrootsoftheAldertotreatanemia,internalbleeding,sprains,bruises,backachesoritches.Ateawasmadethathelpedtocurediarrheaandtoothaches.

TheSpeckledAlderisahumbleplant,beautifulandfunctionalandcriticallyimportantforthehealthofourlake.Learntorecognizeitandsaythanksthenexttimeyoupassoneby.It’sahardworkingassetinourlakeneighborhood.

Wanttolearnmoreaboutthiswonderfulareawerecreatein?Checkoutthefollowingwebsitesforsummerprogramming.www.ironcountyldc.orgwww.thepinesmercer.comwww.mercer.wislib.org