Current News

Amy Roedl from the Vilas County Land and Water Conservation Department worked the 4th of July weekend at the T-Dock boat landing on Yellow Birch Lake inspecting boats and educating boaters regarding Clean Boats and Clean Waters.

Boaters learned how to check their trailers for Eurasian Water Milfoil before launching and when they leave the water to prevent spreading the aquatic invasive species. Amy also shared information about not transporting live bait and fish from lake to lake.

The 2022 Spring Newsletter has mailed, and is now available online.  Click on the image to view the Spring 2022 Newsletter.

Since December 2021, the Vilas County Land, Water and Forestry Committee has been discussing how to better deal with the cost and logistics of maintaining the picnic area on the north portion of Cranberry Island, which is owned by Vilas County.

Over the past few months ERCLA board members and members have been attending the committee meetings. There have also been several letters to the Vilas County News-Review editor in recent months regarding this topic.

The following are some of the issues regarding the island that have been discussed at the last few committee meetings.

• A determination needs to be made as to the condition of the existing pier and then develop a plan to either repair or remove it.
• The toilet situation requires resolution including the cleaning frequency and by whom, or is there a different approach which would be to replace or remove it all together?
• The existing picnic tables needs repair or removal.
• It has been suggested that the existing grills and fire pits be removed all together to prevent any chance of the island catching fire.
• Shoreline erosion requires an evaluation.
• A general maintenance plan including garbage removal requires evaluation.

At the recent April 5th meeting, the committee again discussed all of these issues and determined that some members of the committee will visit the island after ice out to personally observe and review them firsthand in order to develop an accurate account of where things stand. Going forward the committee will then develop a plan regarding upgrading and maintaining the island. ERCLA President Chuck Berg was in attendance and offered ERCLA’s help to develop a plan that would allow ERCLA volunteers to be part of the solution.

Finally, the good news for all ERCLA members who have been concerned about the suggested option to sell the island is that the committee officially voted to take the sale of the island off the table as they move forward in their planning process.

ERCLA will continue to keep you, our members, updated regarding the Cranberry Island plans as they progress.

Please keep in mind we will need your help to maintain the island if that is part of the plan so please contact moc.liamg@enilnoALCRE if you would like to be added to our list of volunteers that will help be part of the solution.

Stay tuned for updates as they come in.

Onterra, LLC., recently completed an early summer Eagle River Chain of Lakes survey for Eurasion Water Milfoil (EWM). Onterra, headquartered in De Pere, WI, provides a variety of lake-related services ranging from science-based diagnostic and feasibility studies to comprehensive lake management plans consisting of aquatic plant inventories, stakeholder education, watershed and water quality analysis, and implementation plan development.

Onterra was hired by the Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission (ULERCLC), with support from our organization to complete two biomass surveys per year. The first survey was just completed. The second will be completed in early September, and is referred to as the Peak Biomass Survey, which allows Onterra to survey at a time when the EWM is at it’s peak growth. Both surveys provide critical data used by the ULERCLC and ERCLA with the help from Onterra’s expertise to manage the Chain’s EWM population from year to year.

Onterra, the lake management consulting firm that directs milfoil management for the Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission, has provided the final report of the 2020 EWM management program on the Chain.

The reports are listed by lake on the Commission website. Each report contains chainwide treatment results and conclusions, and lake-specific summary and conclusions. The 2021 chainwide treatment strategy is also outlined.

View the Report here.

In addition, Onterra has provided a new interactive Eagle River Chain EWM map.  You can click on various layers of the map, such as hand-harvesting sites or EWM colonies, and get additional information in a pop-up window. You can toggle layers, change base maps, measure distance and acreage, and print your own maps.

Check it out here.

Be sure to visit the Commission’s website for complete information on the milfoil management program on the Eagle River Chain.

Onterra, the lake management consulting firm that directs milfoil management for the Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission, has provided the final report of the 2019 EWM management program on the Chain.

Onterra, the lake management consulting firm that directs milfoil management for the Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lake Commission, recently presented the results of this year’s milfoil management program and outlined the strategy for 2020.

The Wisconsin Shoreland Initiative was formed in 2015 to organize a response to the attack on the Eagle River Chain of Lakes and the area rivers by legislative actions taken as part of the state budget process (Act 55).

That one amendment to the budget removed much of the local control of lakes and ended years of informed data driven regulations of riparian properties. It also removed the Vilas County Lake Classification System that was put together to balance property rights with protection of the lakes and rivers in this area.

The Wisconsin Shoreland Initiative is ERCLA’s lobby group. Visit the Wisconsin Shoreland Initiative website for more information on the efforts to regain local government control.