Q. Who monitors the chemicals to control weeds?

A. Summit Laboratory.

Q. Who implements Summit Laboratories instructions?

A. Professional Lake Management

Q. How do I contact the board?

A. Send an email to deanlakeorg@gmail.com

7/28/2017 Summit Laboratory Update

The beds of Eurasian Milfoil that were treated with systemic herbicides on 6/28/17 are almost completely out of the water column. It will take a few more weeks for the plants to fully die off and decay. I will continue to survey the lake for Eurasian Milfoil and if treatable beds are detected, there will very likely be small isolated treatments in the early fall.

The native aquatic plant population continues to thrive this summer. I intentionally waited as long as possible to conduct native plant treatments. With the heat and sun of mid-summer, the decaying treated plants would quickly be converted to algae. As of right now, they appear to only be creating substantial nuisances in very isolated areas and will be treated next week as per the attached map. I don’t currently have a confirmation on which day. It will likely be Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Please watch for posting signs. This treatment will result in a 24 hour swimming restriction and those of you that use lake water for irrigation will want to not use lake water for 24 hours as well. Diquat breaks down very quickly and will only be used in the areas indicated on the map.

In part because the native plants are actively growing and locking up phosphorus, algae blooms have slowed despite the heat, sun and rain. I’m hoping one more spot algaecide treatment will get us through the 2017 season.

Clumps of Chara (skunky, carpet grass on the bottom of the lake) are lifting in a few places around the lake. The far SE bay is the area most affected currently. Fortunately, many of the lifting mats of dead Chara are small and are breaking down fairly quickly. Algaecides and herbicides are ineffective against dead Chara. As the Chara breaks down and is converted to filamentous algae, the algae however can and will be treated. This lifting of Chara is not nearly as severe as has been experienced in the past fortunately. The best way to eliminate this nuisance would be physical removal with an aquatic vegetation harvester. They are slow, expensive to rent, and require a plant dumping area but actually remove biomass and some phosphorus. If this issue intensifies we can contact potential service providers for a quote.  

6/28/2017 Summit Laboratory Update

Dean Lake Association Members:

Dean Lake is scheduled to be treated for filamentous algae and Eurasian Milfoil today. All water use restrictions will expire before the weekend but please check the yellow posting signs for exact details. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions either (mail@summitlaboratory.com). I have attached a map of the EM treatment areas for anyone that is curious. Due to the second mild winter in a row, EM went from almost non-existent to over 4 acres in a matter of months! This is why we need to aggressively treat this plant before it can spread.

Water clarity has been relatively high for Dean Lake so far this season. The lake has also produced very little algae for how wet the spring has been. I attribute this to the abundance of native aquatic plants this year. As we come into a drier summer weather pattern and the Eurasian milfoil treatment kills off its targets, we may have to plan on spot treating some of the native plants in nuisance areas. If you have plants creating a swimming or boating nuisance, please let me know so I can get them on the tentative treatment map.  

I wish you all a safe and fun Pure Michigan 4^th of July Holiday on Dean Lake! My best, Joel Steenstra

5/16/2017 Summit Laboratory Update

Good Afternoon Members of the Dean Lake Association:

The lake is experiencing a significant filamentous algae bloom as most of you have seen. PLM will be out Wednesday to treat it. I expect the treatment to be highly effective and quick acting with warmth and sun in the forecast. I am planning to have them back out to treat right before the Memorial Day weekend, depending on weather and algal ecology. Typically, up until mid to late June these rapid algae blooms can occur. I try to get out as much as possible this time of year but, if you see something before I do, please let me know so we can get it treated asap. Please don’t hesitate with any questions or comments (mail@summitlaboratory.com or 616-245-3818) and have a fantastic week! Joel Steenstra

Dean Lake Update for Labor Day Weekend 2016:

Despite wet and hot weather, filamentous algae production has been very minimal lately. There are currently no algaecide treatments scheduled for the remainder of the 2016 summer season. Only a small 1 foot by 3 foot patch of Eurasian milfoil has been observed to date this year. I plan to hand harvest it unless more is detected soon. The patches of Chara that lifted up from the bottom have broken down nicely and are all but recycled. Native Naiad plants are beginning to near the water surface in a few spots around the lake but the benefit they provide (clear water) is far outweighing the minimal nuisance they are creating so the plan is not to treat them with contact herbicides. I did notice an interesting phenomenon this week. The duckweed from the far southeast cove was blasted out into the lake by strong rain and wind. Duckweed likes cold high nitrate ground water so we tend to not see it colonize larger lakes. The “line” of Duckweed out in the eastern part of the lake caught my eye and can be seen in the photo attached. The line should break up and be unnoticeable in the next few days. All in all, Dean Lake is in fairly good shape and ready for Holiday recreation! Enjoy the last hurrah of summer everyone.     

Purple Loostrife:

I was recently asked to post information about Purple Loosestrife. As many of you have noticed, it is in full bloom around many Michigan lakes and roadside wetlands. Dean Lake has an established population of Purple loosestrife. This plant is often targeted for control as it is highly invasive, displacing native shoreline plants and degrading critical shoreline habitat. Because this particular plant is a lower priority to control than plants like Eurasian milfoil, we are relying on volunteers to help us contain and remove it. We need your help!

Refer to the photos below for assistance in identifying this plant. Look for purple it pinkish flowers in clusters on shoreline plants with angular to square stems. The plants don’t flower until mid to late July so often they go unnoticed until the mid-summer bloom occurs. If you roll the stems in your fingers, you will notice the angular or square nature of the stem. Very few native shoreline plants have angular stems.

Purple Loosestrife is a prolific seed producer and incredibly hardy. Mowing the plant will not kill it and in most areas that the plant is mowed, it continues to outcompete native vegetation and spread. Spraying adult flowering plants will also increase the spread of the plant. Roundup-like systemic herbicides will kill adult Purple loosestrife plants but all native plants contacted are also killed. The seeds are not affected by systemic herbicides and will germinate and repopulate the treated area. Seeds are often viable for multiple years.

The best way to remove PL is to carefully pull or dig it up and dump it in a trash bag. The tap roots often run fairly deep and unless they are completely removed, the plant will return. The picture below shows the authors attempt at removing a plant by pulling. The shallow roots pulled out but the tap root remained. It is likely a new plant will sprout from this root next spring. Another option is to cut all the flowers off the plant and dump them in a trash bag. The remaining green leafy (seedless) vegetation can then be sprayed with Roundup. Thank you for your willingness to help and please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.     

7/29/2016 Summit Laboratory Update

DLA Members:

Dean Lake was on track for one of the best summer seasons in recent memory… then we experienced some Chara shedding. Chara is an interesting aquatic “plant.” It’s actually an algae that forms colonies that make it appear very plant like, but it’s isn’t vascular and therefore is very difficult to treat with herbicides. Think of Chara as the carpet on the bottom of the lake. Chara helps to keep the lake clear and provides habitat for fish. It’s a beneficial, if not critical organism in Dean Lake. Unfortunately, it has become overabundant and when the extreme heat of last week hit, it started to lift from the bottom of the lake along much of the shoreline. Think of your cat or dog shedding their winter coat in the summer. The phenomenon seems to be most extreme following very mild winters. I’m seeing this phenomenon in numerous lakes right now. It is much more pronounced in Dean Lake because Chara is so abundant.

So, what do we do? Herbicides and algaecides do not break down cellulose, especially when it is calcium coated like Chara. Mother Nature has to recycle it and that takes time. The good news is that in warm water, this happens much quicker. The Chara I looked at yesterday was breaking down nicely. As the Chara breaks down, filamentous algae forms around it. In one of the pictures included you can see the plant-like Chara and the slimy algae together in my hand. We will have PLM treat the floating debris with algaecides next week. The idea being that by that time, the bulk of the Chara will be converted to algae. The algaecides will lyse the floating algae and hopefully the remaining Chara will sink, or at least most of it. Look for PLM mid-week next week and look for most of the Chara to sink shortly thereafter. Sometimes we don’t have perfect solutions to lake issues, but this is the best one available.

Please don’t hesitate with any questions or comments, be very well, and continue to enjoy summer! Joel Steenstrra

5/27/2016 Summit Laboratory Update

Hello DLA Members:

PLM  treated for algae earlier in the week. We had planned to treat last Friday but unfortunately they were unable to unlock the launch and had to move onto the next client before we could get it opened. This leaves us in a tough position for the Holiday weekend. With a wet and very hot weekend forecasted, the chance of algal blooms is very high. The soonest PLM can return to treat would be Wednesday and I have them holding a spot for Dean Lake on the schedule.

Enjoy the Memorial weekend and please don’t hesitate with any questions or comments.

8/14/2015 Summit Laboratory Update

Dean Lake Update August 14, 2015:

The lake is hanging in amazingly well the last few weeks. Native aquatic plants (pondweed and naiad) are popping up sporadically around the lake. I have my fingers crossed that they will not need to be treated. They are the reason water clarity has been somewhat stable this summer and the algae hasn’t been even worse. I fear that treating the native aquatic plants will crash water clarity and cause significant algal blooms. Standby on that front.

Speaking of algae, with hot and wet weather back in the forecast, I have a tentative spot algae treatment scheduled late next week. The plan is for this to be the last treatment prior to the Labor Day weekend. If we get extreme weather and blooms for right before the Holiday weekend, there will still be time to conduct a touch up treatment.

7/10/2015 Summit Laboratory Update

Wednesday Dean Lake was spot treated for filamentous algae. Additionally, an isolated patch of Eurasian milfoil south of Turtle Cove was treated with systemic herbicides. Typically, as we roll into July, the need for frequent algae treatments begins to diminish as drier weather patterns set up. I will continue to keep a close eye on the lake, but I am hoping we will not need to treat algae again until mid-August. There is a chance native plants will be treated only where dense beds form and only if water clarity improves. Treating aquatic plants too aggressively will result in turbid water and possibly algae blooms.

6/6/2015 Summit Laboratory Update

There are significant filamentous algae blooms in multiple locations along the north shoreline. PLM treated filamentous algae last Friday morning. The MIDEQ requires algae treatments be spaced at least 7 days (168 hours) apart. The lake was treated last week in the am so it will again be eligible tomorrow in the late am/pm. The weather forecast could be better but I still expect conditions will be conducive enough to knock out nearly all the algae by Friday evening/Saturday morning. In a few more weeks the frequency and intensity of algae blooms will subside. Between nutrient levels in the storm drains decreasing and aquatic plants actively growing and locking up nutrients, I expect we will be able to reduce treatment frequency as historically has been the case. Please don’t hesitate with any questions or comments. Remember, algae treatments do not result in water use restrictions but if you are watering ornamental plants with lake water, you will want to wait ~48 hours before watering following a treatment.   

5/9/2015 Summit Laboratory Update

I was able to stop and look at the lake Wednesday and noticed the shoreline filamentous algae was starting to bloom, especially in some the north bays. I called Professional Lake Management to see when Dean Lake could get on their treatment schedule. They couldn’t get out until Monday and based on what I saw Wednesday I thought that should work out fine. We need the algae to be nearly fully bloomed before it can be affectively treated. I knew yesterday would be hot and partly sunny but didn’t think algae would bloom dramatically in one day with ~60⁰ F water. Of course, Dean Lake is home to some very ambitious algae and the bloom in some of the north bays was fairly significant. With more seasonable weather in the forecast for the weekend, the bloom should slow quickly. If we can get a little sunshine Monday, the treatment should take full effect in 24 hours or less.

Algal blooms can be almost instantaneous in the late spring as water temps rise, the sun angle increases, and the storm drains flow. I do my best to frequent the lake and predict blooms so they can be treated before they become a nuisance but I always appreciate when I get calls from riparians letting me know real time what they are experiencing in their area. Hang in there and have a great weekend. The cavalry is on the way. Thanks, Joel Steenstra  

10/31/2014 Summit Laboratory Update

I received a call yesterday and a few emails today about some of the north shore bays looking like “pea soup.” Janet Wood brought in a water sample and the causative agent was a blue-green algae called Anabaena. Thick, dense, extensive Anabaena blooms are associated with the production of toxins but I’m not guessing there is too much swimming going on in this snow storm. It is common for Michigan lakes to experience minor Anabaena blooms each spring and fall. This bloom is fairly extreme and indicates very high phosphorus water has entered the lake. Without getting too technical, phosphorus is the limiting nutrient for aquatic plants and algae in the lake. They have plenty of everything they need to grow except phosphorus. Occasionally, lake inlets (storm drains on Dean Lake) supply so much phosphorus that nitrogen actually become the limiting nutrient. When this occurs, specialized blue green algae like Anabaena will bloom as they have unique heterocysts that allow them to fix their own nitrogen.

So, what to do? The bloom will likely crash within a few days, especially with cold, cloudy weather in the forecast. I would suggest keeping yourself and your pets out of the affected areas. Health risks should be very minimal and if there is no contact or consumption, there is zero risk. I don’t want to be flippant about the bloom but if this occurred during the summer use months, we might have to treat it or issue a swimming restriction. Please don’t hesitate with any questions or comments. Thanks and have a great Halloween weekend everyone! Joel Steenstra  

8/16/2014 Summit Laboratory Update

The lake has been looking fairly good the last couple of weeks, with the exception of an isolated filamentous algae bloom and some Naiad nearly topping out of the water. I have been hoping to be able to time one last algae treatment to knock out any current issues and insure no nuisances all the way past the Labor Day weekend and beyond. This weekend, things might get a bit shaggy in a couple of isolated areas but with relatively cool weather in the forecast, I have opted to have PLM treat on Monday or Tuesday (August 18/19). I attached a treatment map with this update showing locations and treatment types. In some areas, algae is causing an issue. In others, nuisances stem from aquatic plants. There were also areas where both plants and algae are creating an issue. It is my hope that this will be the last treatment required for the 2014 season, but we will have to see what Mother Nature brings us. Algae treatments take hours to see results. Aquatic plant treatments take up to 10 days. Treated plants stop growing at the time of the treatment but it might take more than 10days to drop them to the bottom.

There was talk of Eurasian Milfoil and a few concerned Dean Lakers sent me to inspect their waterfronts. I am pleased to say, I didn’t find any EM in these locations. I did find a few stems hiding under a dock that will be treated when PLM is out next week. Please don’t hesitate with any questions or comments! Thanks, Joel Steenstra

6/06/2014 Summit Laboratory update

Dean Lake Association Members:

First let me apologize for my lack of communication. The Summit Laboratory website was hacked/infected recently and it has made my normal routines next to impossible. I think we finally have the issues resolved.

Dean Lake is scheduled to be treated for shoreline filamentous algae tomorrow. The weather forecast is ideal. I anticipate a fast acting, successful treatment. There are no water use restrictions associated with this treatment. This is the second algae treatment of 2014. My bet is that filamentous algae will continue to be a problem until the aquatic vascular plants (seaweed) start vigorous growth. When it blooms, it will be treated.

Yesterday, I was pleased to see water clarity is still high, the bluegills are on there beds, and I still haven’t seen any Eurasian milfoil… yet. Have a great weekend and please don’t hesitate to call or email with any questions, Joel Steenstra

6/14/2013 Summit Laboratory update

Dean Lake will be treated for filamentous algae Monday 6/17/13. This treatment will be very similar to those the lake has already received this season. Until we get some dry weather, we will have to continue frequent treatments. The last set of storm drain inlet samples I analyzed came in with phosphorus concentrations above 1000ug/L. Our goal for in-lake concentrations is ~20ug/L so that is 50x’s higher than what the lake can process without side effects like dense filamentous algae blooms. Please hang in there, we will eventually get control of the algae. Permit (minimum of 7 days between treatments and no more than 25% of the lake acreage per treatment) and ecological limitations (fish kills) have my hands tied but as typical summer weather patterns set in, we will see a decrease in the need for treatments. Have a great weekend and don’t hesitate to contact me. Thanks, Joel Steenstra

6/04/2013 Summit Laboratory update

First and foremost, Dean Lake is scheduled for a filamentous algae treatment Friday June 7. The relatively calm and cloudless conditions of the last few days have resulted in dense filamentous algal blooms along much of the shoreline. It can happen quickly when nutrient levels are so elevated from all the storm drain inputs. This treatment should be very similar to the last one. Weather looks conducive at this point. We should see a dramatic reduction by the end of the day Saturday. Let’s hope we get a little wind following the treatment to avoid the isolated fish kill from a few weeks back.

That brings me to my second point of discussion. The isolated fish kills that occurred mainly in the NW and N. Central bays are a clear indicator that we can’t be any more aggressive with algaecide use. I am limited by the ability to predict weather, the applicators availability, and the ecological conditions of the lake. In a perfect world, I would have like to of had the lake treated today being very sunny and not too hot, perfect treatment conditions. Given that we just recovered from the fish kill and the weather forecast was looking mild, I felt last week that we might be able to wait until the end of the week as to not burn through financial resources and see more extensive fish kills.

Please hang in there for the next couple of days. The forecast is calling for much less sunshine so I don’t expect the algae to bloom much more. Thanks to those of you who called or sent a picture. Please don’t hesitate to call or email with questions or comments. Be well, Joel Steenstra   

5/24/2013 Summit Laboratory update

I began receiving emails about dead fish along the Dean Lake shoreline going back to last Sunday. At this point I feel I have enough information to post an update. The fish kill I observed is consistent with dissolved oxygen depletion following a filamentous algae treatment. The fish effected appeared to be exclusively bluegill/sunfish. Most of the fish are yearling or juveniles. I did see a handful of 4-5 inch dead fish but the vast majority were immature.

Why did it happen? The last filamentous algae treatment occurred during ideal weather conditions. It was sunny, fairly warm, with no wind. As the dense mats of treated algae broke down in the hours following the treatment, the decomposition began to consume oxygen. Because there isn’t much weed cover in the deeper areas of the lake, young fish will sit right at the lakes surface or attempt to hide in the filamentous algae blooms. Normally, there is at least some wind during the decomposition process. All it take is a little wind to mix oxygen depleted water with oxygen rich water. This was not the case unfortunately. Before they The no wind part is huge here because as the dense filamentous algae lysed had time to realize the danger, the young gills suffocated.

Important points: The algaecide did not kill the fish directly, it was lack of dissolved oxygen from decomposition. PLM didn’t “overtreat” the filamentous algae, it was just an unfortunate perfect storm scenario. Had there been even a breeze, I don’t think the kill would have occurred. The kill was acute, oxygen in no longer depleted, I don’t expect and more fish to be effected. I saw abundant amounts of healthy, living young gills/sunfish in areas that experienced kills. I don’t expect this kill being detrimental to the fishery. Dean Lake has an overabundance of small gills. Large spawning gills were for the most part not effected. These gills are just starting to lay eggs. As long as this years fry survive, there should not be a noticeable impact to the gill/sunfish fishery as a whole. Bass and Tiger Musky growth rates might be mildly slowed as this kill did reduce their food supply. There are still plenty of juvenile panfish to sustain them.

This scenario illustrates the reason we subscribe to cautious and conservative use of algaecides/herbicides. Negative side effects can manifest themselves quickly when thresholds are crossed. The unprecedented amount of high nutrient stormdrain runoff Dean Lake received this spring has left us no choice but to aggressively control filamentous algae. Now that aquatic plants in the lake are beginning to grow and lock up nutrients, and the weather is returning to a more typically pattern, we should see a decrease in the need for algae treatments and therefore a decrease in the chances of something like this occurring again this season.

For those of you interested in catching larger panfish, this should end up being a positive. The fewer fish, the lower competition of food and habitat, the faster and bigger they grow.

Please don’t hesitate to call or email with questions or comments. Thank you to everyone who emailed to quickly bring this to my attention. Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Joel Steenstra

5/08/2013 Summit Laboratory update

Dean Lake is scheduled to be treated tomorrow May 9 for filamentous algae. The weather looks ok, not great but ok, and we can’t wait any longer. There will very likely be another treatment in a week to 10 days. I can’t remember a spring where so many plants produced pollen at once. If this keeps up, we might see quite  a bit on the surface of the lake. I will keep my eyes on the lake and I know you’ll be doing the same. Don’t hesitate with any questions or comments.

4/25/2013 Summit Laboratory update

It was great to see so many of you last Thursday. The weather we have all been waiting for is finally right around the corner! I see 70’s in the forecast. That means we will have a long awaited opportunity to treat the filamentous algae. Weather allowing, PLM should be on the lake Monday to conduct the first algae treatment of the season. As of earlier this week, isolated blooms were occurring across the shoreline. This is a classic spring scenario with small doses of algaecide required to treat numerous patches scattered around the lake. Look for the boat to be on the water for awhile.

Lake water should be above 55 degrees by then and the sun is forecasted to be shining. Filamentous algae may gain some momentum of the weekend but I anticipate it to be very slight if at all noticeable. What we might see is algae that is currently coating the bottom of the lake, fill with gases from photosynthesis and come up to the surface of the lake. This is exactly what I have been waiting for in order to deliver a cost effective algae treatment. I’m confidant that is exactly what we will get with a treatment earlier next week.

I will keep a close eye on algae production over the next few weeks but please don’t hesitate to contact me with your observations and questions too.

Have a great weekend, Joel Steenstra

4/08/2013 Summit Laboratory update

I expected to see filamentous algal blooms this spring being that we finally had a normal winter with more typical ice cover. I didn’t expect the blooms to be so scattered and extensive. The current blooms I sampled are Ulothrix spp., a common MI filamentous algae. With water clarity finally recovered back to what we saw 4-5 years ago, sunlight is penetrating deeper into the water allowing for algal blooms to cover the bottom of the lake. These deep blooms are very difficult/inefficient to treat. Once the algae fills with gas and floats to the surface, treatment is much more effective/efficient. Copper sulfate algae treatments require sunshine, especially when lake water is cold. As soon as the weather allows, PLM will conduct the first treatment of 2013. This may be as early as the end of this week but is completely weather dependent and the forecast at this point doesn’t look great. I will post an update as soon as we ale to schedule a treatment. Thanks and don’t hesitate to call or email with questions or comments. Joel Steenstra

4/05/2013 Summit Laboratory update

The ice has finally receded! It looks like the long winter is finally over. I am receiving calls and emails about dense filamentous algae along the shoreline. I will be out Monday to get an algaecide treatment scheduled. Please be aware that with lake water still below 50 F, we NEED a sunny day to treat or the treatment will be a complete waste of resources. The algaecides will quickly break up the shoreline growth if the weather is conducive. It is not surprising that dense algae is being observed. Lake water is currently high in phosphorus due to release from the sediment over the long winter. Until the Chara and aquatic plants wake up and start growing, algae blooms will likely occur. When and if they do, I assure you they will be treated. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thanks, Joel Steenstra

8/22/2012 Summit Laboratory update

Dean Lake is scheduled to be spot treated on August 22nd for Thinleaf Pondweed. This native aquatic plant typically isn’t much of a nuisance on Dean Lake but the unprecedented heat of this summer is making mountains out of molehills. Dense beds of Thinleaf are reaching the surface in isolated locations across the lake. The treated plants should fall out of the water column just prior to the Holiday weekend. The treatment product to be used is Diquat (24 hour swimming restriction). It is relatively inexpensive, highly effective and fairly quick acting for Thinleaf spot treatments. I was hesitant to treat native vegetation as water clarity has been minimal since early summer. As we enter late August, the cooler nights should reduce the risk of planktonic and filamentous algae blooms following the treatment. Please don’t hesitate to call or email with any questions.

Additionally, Janet Wood submitted (2) storm drain inlet samples last week. These are the only samples that have been submitted so far in 2012. This data is highly valuable to the outlet feasibility study and could be critical to future lake improvement decisions. If you live near a storm drain inlet, please strongly consider collecting a sample during a rain event. The ideal situation is a strong rain following a period of dry weather, but any data is better than none. I will leave additional sample bottles with Janet and she is willing to hold your samples in her refrigerator for me to pick up later. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Thanks,

8/09/2012 Summit Laboratory update

Dean Lake is scheduled to be treated for filamentous algae Thursday or Friday (weather dependent) Aug 9/10. It is my hope that this treatment will get us through the next couple of weeks. It is very likely there will be one more treatment prior to the Labor Day weekend. That will likely be the last treatment for the 2012 season unless we get a warm and rainy September.

I have received a few calls about nuisance aquatic plants (non-algae issues). Because the lake is struggling to maintain clarity and the fishery is under tremendous stress (pike kill), I am very opposed to treating aquatic plants with contact herbicides at this time. I have noticed the invasive plant Curly Leaf Pondweed in small scattered patches. As the lake cools, more CLPW beds may form. If this is the case, I will initiate a selective treatment. This would likely not be until September. Please don’t hesitate to call or email with any questions or comments.

7/11/2012 Summit Laboratory update

Dean Lake was spot treated for filamentous algae today. The treatment was very isolated as most of the shoreline was in great shape (given the heat). I had reservations about any treatments given the recent fishery issues but feel it is best to conduct smaller treatments more frequently for the time being. Dissolved oxygen should be affected less and recover quicker this way

Like most of you, I’m still sick about the loss of the adult pike population. Talking with my colleagues, Dean Lake was one of many lakes to have fish kill issues last week. Even a few lakes with deeper, cooler, and more oxygenated water lost adult fish (pike and walleye). One of these lakes even had an aeration system in operation. There was really nothing we could do to avoid the unfortunate situation. Running the pump might help but I highly doubt it would be able to keep lake temps down when the air is over 100 degrees F for almost 3 days. I recorded the highest water temps of my career during that stretch.

In order to move forward with following this sad incident, I need your help. I really need info on the smallest pike found dead. Also, did anyone find any deceased tagged Tiger Musky? They should have been slightly more able to endure the heat stress than the Northerns. My guess is they are going to be ok. The heat kill likely didn’t eliminate all pike, just larger fish. We can talk to the DNR about getting a few adult Northerns stocked this fall, possibly at no charge to the association. Looking forward to your responses! Joel Steenstra

Please email deanlakeorg@gmail.com and mail@summitlaboratory.com

With dead fish count

7/06/2012 Summit Laboratory update

The lake will likely be treated middle of next week for algae. We have to wait for this heat to subside before conducting an algae treatment as to avoid anymore stress on the fish.

Al:

Thanks for the heads up. Never in my decade of monitoring lakes I have never recorded water temps as high as I have this week. As you know, the hotter the water, the less dissolved oxygen it can hold. Large Northerns need cool oxygen rich water. Dean Lake is bath water top to bottom right now. The only thing we can do is run the ground water pump. I don’t think it will completely solve the issue and we really need to the to keep dropping a little yet. Ultimately, we need mother nature to turn down the oven. Please keep me posted. I have a bad feeling we will lose some of the biggest oldest pike. The muskies and smaller pike should be fine though. Cooler weather is in the forecast so hopefully they can hang in there for a few more days. Have a great weekend, Joel

6/27/2012 Summit Laboratory update

Dean Lake was spot treated this morning for Filamentous Algae. A few isolated flare ups were occurring mainly along the north shoreline but given recent weather the lake is looking great. On a bright sunny day like this, the algaecides will be very quick to break up the green mats. Lake levels are slowly dropping as dry conditions persist. As the water drops, some recently exposed shoreline features (rocks, shallow points, pump intake lines, etc.) are looking a bit green and nasty. With ample sun in the long term forecast, I will be keeping a close eye on algal issues and if they arise, they will be treated. Water clarity remains very high and the lake is looking ready for the 4th of July.

6/08/2012 Summit Laboratory update

Please post the following update. Thanks and have a great weekend, Joel

While out on Dean Lake Tuesday afternoon, I was pleased to see water clarity is still quite high. Lake levels are slowly beginning to drop and with the long term weather forecast predicting slightly drier than average conditions, I’m hoping it will remain high for the foreseeable future.

The invasive aquatic plant Curly Leaf Pondweed didn’t form dense treatable beds this spring but did pop up around a few docks. As the water warms, it becomes dormant and drops out of the water column not to be seen again until late fall.

I have yet to see any Eurasian milfoil this season which is fantastic. There is a good chance a few strands will grow. I will be patiently hunting it as I make my visits to the lake this summer season, but if you ever see a plant you think might be EM, never hesitate to bring it to my attention.

Filamentous algae is beginning to gain momentum in scattered patches along the shoreline. I am planning a treatment for algae middle of next week. The hot sunny conditions may spur some blooms over the weekend but they shouldn’t be significant as to impair recreation.

I noticed numerous bluegills still on their beds this week. I still have yet to see a Tiger Musky, but I’m sure they are doing just fine. Have a great weekend and never hesitate to call or email.

5/16/2012 Summit Laboratory update

Dean Lake Association Members:

Professional lake management is scheduled to treat Dean Lake for filamentous algae on Friday May 18th. With warm sunny weather in the forecast for the end of the week and weekend is ideal for an effective treatment. Algaecides are applied directly to floating clumps of algae, so look for the treatment boat to focus mainly on the shoreline and near shore areas. There are no swimming or water use restrictions associated with this treatment. Please disregard the “tentative” lake treatment dates posted on the website calendar. If algae re-blooms, which is very likely, it will be treated Friday May 25th WEATHER PERMITTING. The State of MI will not permit algae treatments to be conducted less than 7 days apart.

Currently, water clarity is high on the lake. As long as relatively dry weather persists, this should continue. As boat traffic and algal production increase over the next few months, it will decrease but we are beginning to recover from the dramatic water clarity issues of the past few seasons.

While out this week, I witnessed numerous clouds of larval bass. It’s early for bass to have already spawned but this is another impact of the record breaking heat of this winter and early spring. The bluegills are just about to start spawning. I heard about concerns that the recently stocked Tiger Musky were eating up all the gills. I feel strongly that this is not the case. Most of the Tigers will still be limited to preying on “throw back” bluegills at this point. Based on what I saw this week, there is no shortage of “throw back” bluegills out there right now. In fact, hopefully the Tigers will begin to reduce the number of smaller gills thereby increasing the growth rates of larger gills. Please contact me if you have any concerns in this regard (616-245-3818) or mail@summitlaboratory.com.