YOUR SUPPORT PROTECTS ESLA WATERS

Nearly 500 individuals, couples, trusts, and businesses generously supported ESLA in 2022. Thank you! In 2023, we’ll again continue work to protect, preserve, monitor, educate, and advocate for water quality and member enjoyment of their properties. And we’ll be adding new projects.

A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT’S ON ESLA’s AGENDA FOR 2023

New in 2023 is a shoreline greenbelt workshop with contractors and “plankton drags” to gain insight into levels and distribution of critical, bottom-of-the-food-chain phytoplankton in our waters. We’ll remove invasive species like Eurasian watermilfoil and purple loosestrife that your dollars have helped us effectively control. And we’ll aggressively advocate and educate to keep potential disruptive invasives out. Again, ESLA is offering free personalized Greenbelt analysis for members. Request yours at ElkSkegemoglakes@gmail.com Staff and students from Northwestern Michigan College are back for an encore — at ESLA’s urging — to learn more about the deep waters of Elk Lake. In 2022, their research confirmed the presence of invasive, ecosystem-disrupting quagga mussels. With three newsletters and monthly emailed ESLA-Blasts, we’ll keep you informed.

“IT’S A SHORE THING” SPEAKERS YOU’LL WANT TO HEAR

From April to October, we have an exciting lineup of Shore Thing events speakers. On August 10, Heather Hettinger, the DNR’s top fisheries biologist in northwestern Michigan, will discuss results of the 2022 fish netting survey in Elk Lake. Other remaining events are a presentation by Antrim County Manager of Dams on the latest research, partly funded Friday, Aug. 25 on potential threats to our shorelines and dams from major storms. This year’s final event will be Sept. 21 and feature Jan Stevenson, the leading research on Golden Brown Algae. All events will begin at 5 p.m. at the Elk Rapids Harbor Pavilion next to the boat launch on East Bay. The events will be videotaped and shared on this website and our YouTube channel.

LOVE YOUR LOONS, LAKES, RIVERS: SUPPORT ESLA

ESLA dues, at your discretion, range from $50-$1,000. Not surprisingly, costs for contractors, hosting events, supporting research, ensuring navigational safety with Skegemog-to-Torch River buoys, and other ESLA work have increased. For returning members, consider — if you can — increasing your support level or even becoming a Champion or Legend. For the more than two-thirds of those of you sharing the waterfront who have not been paid ESLA dues, please consider joining at any level. In 2022, ESLA had 16 Champions with immediate gifts of $5,000 or 5-year pledges to reach $5,000; 23 Business Supporters gave $100-$500; 4 dues contributions were $1,000 or more; 16 were $500-$999; 41 were $250-$499; 211 were $100-$249; 159 were $50-$99. Questions? Contact ElkSkegemogLakes@gmail.com or membership Coordinator Deanna Seifried at 937-602-2295 or a board member who may live near you. Contact Us

To pay 2023 dues or other ESLA support with a credit card, click the button “Membership Dues” below. Or write a check to the Elk-Skegemog Lakes Association. Send to P.O. Box 8, Elk Rapids, MI. 49629. Membership is open to all.

*ESLA is a 501(c)(3) IRS-certified not-for-profit organization.

IS THIS YOUR YEAR TO JOIN ESLA’s CHAMPIONS?

ESLA’S successful launch in 2022 of a Champion program allowing supporters to show a deep commitment to meet known and future water quality challenges is back in 2023. We’ve had a handful of new Champions in 2023, but need to increase the level of our new Strategic Environmental Fund to respond to major or unexpected events. Champions may make a $5,000 contribution in a single year or commit to reaching $5,000 in support with at least a $1,000 initial contribution. Questions or Interest in Becoming a Champion? Contact Dean Ginther at 231-676-2928 or ElkSkegemogLakes@gmail.com.

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ESLA’s ’23 SHORE THINGS and ANNUAL MEETING

More than 100 ESLA members have attended each of our first three major events of 2023 — April and May Shore Things and the June 23 annual meeting. All remaining events will be at the Pavilion on the bay side of the East Bay boat launch at Elk Rapids Village Marina harbor.

Here’s the plan for remaining events as of this writing:

August 10 Thursday 5 p.m.: ESLA’s favorite DNR fisheries biologist Heather Hettinger will discuss the findings of last summer’s first fish survey on Elk Lake in more than a decade. ESLA’s “Fish Guy” Ken Krentz will emcee. Our lake association’s advocacy for the survey was a key factor in bringing DNR boats and specialists to our waters for the sampling. Spoiler alert: There’ll be good and worrisome news.

August 25 Friday 5 p.m.: Leslie Meyers, Antrim County’s new Manager of Dams, will discuss how she’s following in predecessor Mark Stone’s path to better understand the risks and potential fixes to prevent damage from more frequent high-volume rainstorms. The phenomenon has revealed potential vulnerabilities for our shorelines and dams in the Elk River Chain of Lakes. ESLA this year helped fund a follow-up to the studies that is specifically focused on the Elk River and Torch Lake outlet into Torch River. ESLA Vice President George Seifried will emcee.

September 21 Thursday 5 p.m.: Distinguished MSU Prof Jan Stevenson and Three Lakes Assn. President Fred Sittel: Stevenson has been the leading researcher on the proliferation of Golden Brown Algae (aka Brown Crud) and whether there’s possible solutions. Sittel has helped lead TLA’s efforts to learn more about the disturbing spread of this yucky, though non-toxic, algae.

Have a Shore Thing speaker or subject suggestion for 2024? Send an email to elkskegemoglakes@gmail.com.