Hello everyone,

I hope that you have enjoyed this glorious spring day. I am writing to remind you of two upcoming events in the Skegemog Wildlife Area. This coming Friday, May 21st, 9 to noon we will have our spring cleanup day. We will meet at the Rapid City Rd. turnoff and spend a few hours cleaning fallen trees and branches on the main platform pathway and on the North Shore pathway. We will divide up into teams once we see how many folks turn out. A few things you might want to bring along are gloves, hat, shoes or boots suitable for walking in the woods, loppers, a trimming saw, sun block, and perhaps bug repellant. I'm sure that there will be extras in the equipment department, so don't worry too much about that stuff. Mostly we need helpers. The work is always pretty light duty and it is always fun being in the woods with friends. At the conclusion of our adventure we will probably meet for lunch at the famous Cone Coral in downtown Rapid City.

The second event is one of Bob Carstens' wonderful nature walks. This one will be on Saturday, May 29th starting at 8 a.m., also at the Rapid City Rd. turnoff. Bob is a well known bird expert and long time National Audubon Society member who knows our area very well. Bob's nature walks are very informative and we are delighted to have him lead us, once again. It's always a treat. Bring along the same hat, shoes, bug repellant and perhaps a pair of binoculars. People who have gone on these walks have always come away saying, "Wow!"

We will keep you apprised of other activities as the summer progresses. Please let us know if you need directions or if you have any questions.

Dave Hauser
(231) 620-5750

2009/2010 Newsletter

We hope that all of you are doing well and that everybody weathered our winter in fine shape. We hope that with the below normal snowfall, you were able to get to the wilderness area for a little cross country skiing, snow shoeing, or just a winter walk while everything is so quiet and peaceful. With spring here early this year, we can look forward to finding some time to enjoy the Skegemog wilderness area and its continuum of seasonal foliage changes and signs of wild life everywhere.

In this issue of the newsletter, I would like to review some of the work that was done by our members last year and look ahead to some of the projects that we are planning for 2010. I would also like to make you aware of some of the issues we are watching, which could have a serious and irreversible impact on the wilderness area and potentially the entire chain of lakes.

What happened in 2009?

The year started with an annual meeting at the Hausers' house on Skegemog Point Rd. We had a good turnout and good discussion regarding the upcoming activity for the season.

On May 25th Bob Carstens and Tom Ford conducted a wild life tour to view spring flowers and some of the many varieties of birds that live in the wilderness area.

On May 30 we had our spring cleanup day in the wilderness area. We had a great crew to clean up downed trees and branches along the platform trail. The beavers had been hard at work raising the water levels and flooding the boardwalk once again making it extremely slippery for walking. As a temporary measure we had to lay down cedar logs for a walking path until we could do something about the beavers.

Controlling the beaver dam became the next priority. For several seasons, we had been studying ways to control the water level while allowing the beavers to do what beavers do in the wild. After web searches, input from the DNR and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC), we went to work to design a "beaver deceiver" that would allow us to lower the water level and keep the boardwalk dry and safe for walking, without making the beavers suspicious of our intervention.

The plan was to bring in 60 feet of 10 inch heavy plastic pipe to divert the water. One end is placed underneath the dam and the other is about 50 ft. upstream of the dam. The inlet also has a fence around it to keep the beavers from plugging the pipe. Everything would be secured with steel posts, nylon strapping, and concrete blocks chained in place to provide ballast. Unfortunately, there was no way to deliver the materials to the site by land, since it is in the middle of the swamp, so it all had to be delivered by boat. Those of you familiar with the lake side of the swamp, know that the water there is only about six inches deep and it is full of tree stumps, just below the surface. To make the voyage we loaded all of the construction materials into a 12 ft. rowboat which had seen its better days. We also took a couple of kayaks to pull the rowboat through the stumps for the last quarter to half mile. Before that though, we used a jet ski to pull all of that equipment over to a spot near enough to the lake side of the swamp. It must have been a very laughable sight, seeing two guys on a jet ski dragging two kayaks and a rowboat piled high with gear heading across the lake. What a circus!

Well, we anchored the jet ski about a half mile from the beaver dam and paddled the rest of the way in without overturning or losing anything. Then about another two hours of slogging around the swamp mud and we realized that we needed added ballast to secure the 60 foot long pipe. So it would require a return trip to finish the job on another day.

A few days later, we made another trip, this time carrying 600 lbs. of concrete ballast with chains to secure it to the pipe. After another few hours slogging in the mud, presto, it was done. That day as we turned to go home, we realized that a cold, strong wind had picked up out of the northwest was going to make the three mile trip back seem like it was 20 miles.

We are happy to report that we made it home safely and that, as of the end of the season, the beaver deceiver was working as advertised and the boardwalk was dry.

Helene Ray Property Restoration

In our last newsletter, we reported that Helene Ray had passed on in November 2008. Her property, also known as the Barker Creek Heritage Site, is where she had lived for many years. It is just east of Barker Creek Nursery on M-72 and extends to the northwest where it joins the Skegemog Wilderness area. The property was in a life estate for Helene's benefit as long as she lived. Upon her passing, it then reverted back to the state with full conservancy protection under the GTRLC. Last spring, GTRLC hired a contractor to restore the site to a more natural state. After the heavy work was done, our crew of volunteers went to the site to clean up the materials and debris that were too small for the contractor's equipment. With the help of Terry Bertrand from Barker Creek, we were able to get a step closer to a more natural condition.

Torch River Viewing Platform

For about five years we have been aware that the DNR requires like the Skegemog wilderness area to offer a spot where folks confined to a wheelchair can get close to nature and see what the area is about. Since the Torch river platform pathway is the shortest we have and since the terrain is flat there, and it was clearly the best candidate.

In 2008, we had obtained the needed DNR approval and that October we started to set the footings for a platform extension. The early onset of winter delayed any further work until summer 2009. By then we were eager to "git'er done." We brought in four dump truck loads of road mix gravel to firm up the parking lot and the pathway surface for wheel chairs. Our crack, all volunteer construction crew then built a slightly-above-ground level, viewing deck where wheel chairs can get out in front of the old platform. It's working great and the feedback has been very positive.

Annual Picnic

In September, we had our fifth annual Skegemog Wilderness Area picnic for our volunteers and supporters. It started with a wonderful nature walk to the swamp platform led by our expert birder and naturalist, Bob Carstens. Following the nature walk, we had our picnic at the newly-completed Torch River Platform. We were fortunate to have several special guests. First of all we had Susan Odgers, Columnist for the Record-Eagle, who uses a wheel chair and advocates for better accessibility for people with special needs. She said that the pathway and platform passed the test and she thanked the group for the work. Secondly, we had Rev. Becky Chamberlain, Associate Pastor at the Presbyterian Church of Traverse City to help us dedicate the new platform. Her words and blessing, fit the event to a "T." Delphine Welsh also shared her childhood memories of this site, which was once occupied by her grandfather's boat house. It was a fun time and everyone seemed to be well fed when it was over.

Phragmites Update

In our 2009 newsletter, we reported about the two types of the phragmites plants that can be found around our area - the native species and the invasive species. The native variety has a grass-like appearance and it grows to a height of five or six feet. Its stalks grow in a fairly dense fashion near the water's edge. People and animals can walk through it, even though it's not a terribly pleasant experience to do so. The invasive species of Phragmites quickly grows to a height of 10 - 15 feet and is far too dense to even walk through, unless you happen to be riding a bull elephant. We do have lots of the native variety around the swamp, but so far we aren't seeing the invasive species there. The invasive species has worked its way all the way from the east coast to the shores of Lake Michigan, so it is probably just a matter of time before it invades our lake system. As you can imagine, it could drastically alter the entire ecosystem of the swamp.

Mr. Thom Yocum of Elk Rapids, along with several interns from Elk Rapids High School, are diligently watching for signs of the invasion, but so far, we think it is staying away. To learn more about phragmites you can go to www.michigan.gov/deq/, type in phragmites.

Hydro-electric Dam Relicensure

Another subject you may soon be hearing more about is relicensing of the hydroelectric generating plant in Elk Rapids. It is the dam which sets and holds the level of the lake system and, as such, it establishes the boundary for the Skegemog swamp. The hydro electric equipment at the dam currently produces a major portion of the electricity for the village of Elk Rapids. The dam also provides a barrier from invasive species between the chain of lakes and Lake Michigan. The dam is owned by Antrim County and the hydroelectric equipment is operated by a private company. That company provides a continual monitoring service for the dam and they maintain the lake level at the mandated levels. Without a renewed hydroelectric license, we lose the green/renewable energy source and we lose that continual monitoring of the dam. Without continual monitoring, the dam can quickly fall into a state of disrepair. Without the dam we would have a disastrous impact on the Chain of lakes and the entire ecosystem.

Therefore, we strongly support relicensing of the dam. There will be a public forum to discuss the topic on April 19th, 2010, at the Elk Rapids Governmental Center. Please call or send us an e-mail if you have further questions regarding this process.

What's ahead for 2010?

It seems that there is never a shortage of projects for our small but ever growing taskforce of volunteers. Here are a few of the projects being considered which will be discussed in greater detail at our annual spring meeting on May 4, 2010.

1. 1. Maintaining existing pathways, to include spring cleanup of fallen trees and branches and trimming new growth which obstructs the pathways. That usually starts on our spring cleanup day which is on May 21st, starting at 9 a.m., at the Rapid City Rd. turnoff. We expect to be done by noon and after working, we usually go to Rapid City to have lunch at the Cone Corral.
2. 2. Maintaining and strengthening the main platform structure.
3. 3. Extending the pathways beyond their present boundaries. Specific ideas are creating a clearer pathway from the three ponds area to the railroad bed; improving some of the pathways north of the North Shore pathway, and perhaps adding a new pathway to the southern Torch River area.
4. 4. This is the year we intend to prepare accurate GPS maps of the pathways and we will continue to improve markings for trails
5. 5. Continue to pursue a solution for the crumbling buildings in the Three Ponds area.
6. 6. Work with the GTRLC to produce an educational DVD to tell the public about the wonderful area we all have here.
7. 7. We also hope to clear a connector pathway from the Barker Creek Heritage Site to the old rail bed.
8. 8. And last we will plan to end the season with another annual picnic. The date and details are to be announced

The Tuesday, May 4, 2010, spring meeting of the Skegemog Wilderness Stewardship committee will be held again at the Hausers' house at 9240 Skegemog Point Rd. at 7:00 p.m. I promise not to go past 9:00 p.m. We hope that you can join us for our meeting and one or more of our activities. We're not even asking for any dues or donations. If you have any questions or issues we can discuss, please contact me at (231) 620-5750 or dave@davehauser.net. You can also contact Dale Claudepierre at (248) 644-7614 or ginidale70@gmail.com . Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dave Hauser