BIRCH ISLAND LAKE ASSOCIATION
WATER QUALITY COMMITTEE
BIRCH ISLAND LAKE PHOTO GALLERY
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Back to a typical weekend with the thunderstorm Saturday evening and more rain predicted for today (Sunday).
Only .3 inches of rain from the storm.
You may see hundreds of minnows in the shallow water next to the beach. Also you might spot spawning circles left by the female fish.
A member asks why there are sandy beaches on the south shore. The answer is the ice pack is blown by the prevailing north west winds in the fall and spring onto the shore causing a build up of sand.
Click on the 2012 level graph below to see the lake level changes.
Goslings and ducklings have been sighted around our lake.
A member reports a loon nest sighting. Last year we didn't have any loons born on our lake but the year before we had two. It was fun watching them grow and leaving for the Gulf states in the fall.
We have posted the 2011 DNR reports for our four test sites (we are the only area lake with that many sites). Click on REPORTS above and then on 2011 lab reports to see them.
The DNR narrative report on our lake's deep hole for 2011 appears in the following paragraph. Most important is the reported chlorophyll level (3.4) that is much lower than other lakes in Northwest Wisconsin. Low chlorophyll indicates a decreased chance of algae blooms.
"Chemistry data was collected on Birch Island Lake - Deep Hole- Near Center. The average summer Chlorophyll was 3.4 µg/l (compared to a Northwest Georegion summer average of 18.5 µg/l). The summer Total Phosphorus average was 14.5 µg/l. Lakes that have more than 20 µg/l and impoundments that have more than 30 µg/l of total phosphorus may experience noticeable algae blooms."
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The DNR is worried about the dry conditions contributing to forest fires. Local land owners with 30 acres or more have been contacted and asked to contract with loggers to remove the downed trees. Seventy acres in our lake's south watershed are now being logged. Our committee is monitoring that logging to prevent any affect on our lake water quality.
The Scott and Jackson fire departments are scheduled to speak at our May meeting.
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The BILA board is looking for members willing to run for office. The election for president, vice president and board member at large will be held at the May meeting on Saturday, May 26 at the Lakeside Lutheran Church at 9:00. If you're interested in becoming a candidate for vice president or member at large please contact Tim Adair.
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MAY PHOTOS
___Pileated woodpecker___________
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___Downy woodpecker_________
Rose breasted grossbeak_
Move your cursor over the page names at the top of the screen to see more choices.
The mission of the Birch Island Lake Association Water Quality Committee is to preserve lake water quality, help prevent invasive species from entering our lake, and to clean litter from the water and shoreline.
LAKE LEVEL AND TEMPERATURE
May 20, 2012
May 20, 2012
Lake Level (Average = 995 feet above sea level)
994.16 Feet (.84 feet or 10.08 inches below normal)
Water Temperature at 3 Feet Dockside 10 A.M.
69
CLICK HERE FOR THE 2012 LAKE LEVEL GRAPH CLICK HERE FOR THE 2012 LAKE TEMPERATURE GRAPH
Click on BACK to return to this page from a graph.
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Photographs by Arlene Borman
