Please come support Leelanau Clean Water at their annual storytelling event, Bubbling Up. The gathering will take place at the Little Traverse Inn and is sponsored by Here:Say Storytelling and The Boardman Review. These organizations are known for creating meaningful and engaging events. Bubbling Up will present a variety of stories that show and celebrate our connection to that most essential body, WATER. Learn more about Leelanau Clean Water HERE.

Our August 4th Boat Tour will now take place at 3 pm. Seats Available. Would you like to know more about Lime Lake, its geologic history and the science that goes into monitoring and maintaining its health? Join our lake biologist, Kelsey, for a Lime Lake Discovery Boat Tour. This will be an educational and entertaining 90-120 minute cruise of the lake on Friday, August 4 at 3 pm. Topics to be covered will include the history of the formation of Lime Lake and its watershed, the significance of Teichner and Pat's Preserves, what we can do as residents to support the health of the lake, the invasive species to watch out for, and more. There will be many opportunities for you to ask questions. When, Where, What to Bring August 4, 3pm Participants will meet at the Lime Lake Boat Launch at 2:45 pm. Bottled water will be available. Alternatively, you can bring your own beverage of choice in a spill-proof container. Sunscreen/sun protection are recommended. Gather together some friends or family members and reserve your spot today by emailing marybarss@aol.com.

Facts & tips from our lake biologist, Kelsey Froelich As the weather starts to warm up, so will the lake temperatures and that means one thing - swimming! Lime Lake has pristine waters which make for a delightful swimming experience, however some people may develop swimmer’s itch after swimming in the water. Swimmer’s itch is caused by a parasite that lives in our waters and is part of our healthy freshwater ecosystem. You can learn more about swimmer’s itch here. While it is a nuisance to get itchy bumps after swimming, it’s important to know that this parasite does not hurt humans in any way. Did you know? The Lime Lake Association (LLA) has a history of supporting swimmer’s itch research and monitoring with the hope of finding more prevention strategies. We know that there are at least 3 different species of swimmer’s itch cycling through Lime Lake, each with a different snail and waterfowl host. There was even a new species of swimmer’s itch discovered right here on Lime Lake, thanks in part to the LLA’s support! There has also been evidence that some simple prevention strategies can be used to reduce your chances of getting swimmer’s itch. They are: Cover your skin with full body swimwear (Swimmer's itch rarely affects hands, feet and face and BONUS- this eliminates the need for sunscreen on covered areas!) Swim in the afternoon or early evening rather than the morning (Swimmer’s itch risk is greatest before noon) Swim in deeper water Use a parasite skimmer net to remove swimmer's itch from surface water Avoid swimming during an onshore wind Use a ‘kiddie pool’ filled with well water for small children vs shoreline lake swimming Towel off very well immediately after swimming (certain species of swimmer’s itch ‘stick’ to your skin and don’t penetrate until you leave the water) Don’t forget to report your swimmer’s itch cases to our collaborators at University of Alberta, so that LLA can monitor the severity of swimmer’s itch on our lake!

We Want to Hear Your Thoughts The Lime Lake Association would love to hear from you! We've created a survey so we can learn more about your concerns, familiarity with what we do as an organization, and observations. And, of course, we want to know what we can do to better serve the needs of our community. The survey will take less than five minutes of your time and is easy to complete right online. Thank you for supporting our work and our beautiful Lime Lake.

Lime Lake Water Transparency Testing, June-August This position has been filled. Thank you! Water monitoring is an important part of tracking the health of our lake and watershed. With direction from our Lake Biologist and following the guidelines of The Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program, we test for the following: Transparency, Chlorophyll-A, Phosphorous, and Conductivity. We are in need of one volunteer to conduct Transparency testing June, July, and August. Transparency (or water clarity) is measured using Secchi Disk technology. This involves boating to the deepest part of the lake, lowering a small plate into the water, determining the depth at which the plate is no longer visible, and establishing a numerical rating. The results are then emailed to our Lake Biologist, Kelsey. This test will be conducted twice each month for three months. Kelsey will give specific details and training to anyone interested. This is a fun and interesting way to participate in the stewardship of our lake! Anyone interested in volunteering should email Kelsey at kelsey.froelich@gmail.com with “volunteer secchi disc” in the subject line. You can learn more about water testing and the CLMP and The Michigan Clean Water Corps HERE. https://micorps.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CLMP-Secchi-FactSheet.pdf

As a non-profit organization, the Lime Lake Association operates based on your tax-deductible donations and membership dues. All moneys go toward our mission of stewarding the purity and beauty of Lime Lake. How do we do that? First and foremost, we have a contract with a Lake Biologist, Kelsey Froelich. Much effort goes toward comprehensive water quality testing, remediation of invasive species, education, preservation of our shorelines, free greenbelt consultations and more. We also hold a yearly meeting for all members and community members the last weekend in July where we report on all the year's activities, findings, and opportunities. There's time for socializing over snacks and drinks and interesting educational content provided by Kelsey. It's a wonderful way to meet your neighbors and the association board, and see first-hand the efforts that go into the care of our lake. While we offer several membership tiers beginning at $50 up to $1000, we're asking that all riparians consider a minimum yearly donation of $250. This amount breaks down to approximately 20 dollars per month to keep our lake the haven and inspiration that it is. Your generous and tax-deductible annual donation of $250 will allow us to maintain our current programs with diligence, increase our outreach through more education and community offerings, and be ready should an invasive species like Eurasian Milfoil become detected in our waters. Larger lakes in our area, where the invasive has taken hold, spend up to $100,000 per year on this problem alone. Do you have to live on Lime Lake to be a member? While many of our members are riparians, you do not have to be one to join our association. If you love Lime Lake, benefit from it being healthy, and want to take part in protecting and preserving it, make a donation of any amount today and join us at our annual meeting. To become a member of the Lime Lake Association, make your tax-deductible donation HERE. If you have any questions reach out to limelakeassociationmi@gmail.com

Riparians! Have you scheduled your Greenbelt Consultation? A greenbelt is a strip of diverse and native vegetation including trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers that grow naturally or are planted along the shoreline. The most important benefits of greenbelts are erosion control and pollution filtering. By keeping sediments and excess nutrients from washing into the water, greenbelts keep the water clear and cool. An added benefit is deterring geese who prefer well-manicured lawns with unrestricted access to the water. Recent surveys, by drone and kayak, revealed a concerning deficiency in natural shorelines and greenbelts surrounding Lime Lake. The good news is that this is within our control. Free Lake Biologist On-site Consultations To encourage establishing and enhancing greenbelts on the lake, the LLA is supporting on-site consultations by our Lake Biologist, Kelsey Froelich. During the half-hour consultation, you will gain a deeper understanding of the natural process and science that a natural shoreline plays in the health of the lake ecosystem. Site specific opportunities will be discussed so you can create a greenbelt plan for your shore. Education - Not Enforcement! Your consultation will focus on providing an understanding of the natural processes and their effect on the lake health. In other words, education. We are giving riparians the information to make the changes they deem appropriate to improve lake health while providing space for water accessibility and recreation. The decisions are left to the property owner and the LLA has no interest in enforcement. Do you know what the greatest threat to the overall health of Michigan inland lakes is? Did you guess nutrients? According to the National Lake Assessment (NLA), the correct answer is the loss of nearshore habitat – both on the land and in the lake. Luckily for Michigan’s inland lakes, lakefront property owners can help change this trend through the practice and implementation of lake-friendly landscaping and erosion control methods. Begin the process of stewarding the land and lake for your own enjoyment and that of future generations! Schedule a free consult today. All who have participated have offered glowing feedback about how much they learned from Kelsey. She’s pretty awesome and we’re lucky to have her as a community member and our very own lake biologist. Schedule a Greenbelt Consultation HERE.

This position has been filled. Thank you! BOAT CAPTAIN & BOAT NEEDED FOR JULY LIME LAKE DISCOVERY BOAT TOUR Each summer the LLA offers Boat Tours to discover what makes Lime Lake special. Our watershed biologist leads a fun and educational hands-on tour during which participants learn how the lake was formed, what influences water quality, how to keep our watershed healthy, and more. This summer we’re looking for a lake resident volunteer who has a pontoon boat that can accommodate at least 10 people. He or she would also need to captain the boat. The tours will take place on EITHER Monday, July 24 or Friday, August 4. There will be 2 sail times, early afternoon (1-3pm) and evening (4-6pm). This volunteer opportunity will be a fun way to show off your boat, meet more of your lake neighbors, have some fun, and learn just how spectacular our lake is! If you have a boat and can be available to captain the excursions, please reach out to LLA Board Member Mary Barss at marybarss@aol.com as soon as possible. Please add Discovery Boat Captain in the subject line. Thank you!

Yellow Flag Iris (YFI) Eradication, June 21 & 22 As invasive species have the potential to substantially alter a local ecosystem, efforts are made to eradicate them when found. Volunteers are needed to help pull Yellow Flag Iris (YFI) from both the Teichner Preserve, June 21 (1 pm), and Pat’s Preserve on June 22 (10 am). YFI is a wetland plant native to parts of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. In our region, however, it is an invasive species and considered poisonous. YFI poses a significant threat to our lake ecosystem as it is a fast-growing and fast-spreading plant that forms almost impenetrable thickets that out-compete native wetland plants. The YFI eradication efforts will be directed by The Leelanau Conservancy with assistance from our association and we’re looking for volunteers to help. This is a wonderful opportunity to get involved in the protection and preservation of our lake and to meet other association members and conservation-minded friends. Our own Lime Lake Biologist, Kelsey Froelich, will also be onsite at the Pat's Preserve event to help and answer questions. If you're interested in participating at the Teichner Preserve, volunteers will be traversing wet/sensitive terrain so tall muck boots and coordination will be required. If you’re available on either June 21st or 22nd, please RSVP to Caleb Garone at cgarone@leelanauconservancy.org by June 20th. Volunteers are asked to wear gloves. Thank you for supporting our ongoing efforts to preserve and protect Lime Lake!

While our Lime Lake Association has been dedicated to stewarding the purity and beauty of Lime Lake as a non-profit organization since 2015, we've also been known for our low-key disposition and preference for keeping Lime Lake out of the limelight. Our lake enjoys being a bit of a well-kept secret in Leelanau County. None-the-less, with the launch of this website we're proud to improve our online presence toward the goals of uniting and supporting our lake community while also making it easier for anyone to become a member, learn more about how to be a good steward of Lime Lake and the watershed, volunteer at an event or on a committee, and keep up with news and announcements. We hope you will feel inspired by all that we do to preserve and protect the environmental purity and beauty of Lime Lake. You will find many resources here such as scheduling for free shoreline consultations, guidelines for maintaining your septic systems, tips for safe boating, all of our lake biologist reports, and more. In addition, you will find a password protected member directory, a convenient way to make your annual tax-deductible donation, a lost and found page, and an online survey to help us serve you better. Rather than sending out a twice yearly newsletter via snail mail, we will now keep you updated about our work and upcoming events and opportunities on our blog. Take some time today to travel through your new site, and during your visit please take the following actions: Sign up to receive occasional emails and updates from our association HERE Make your annual membership donation HERE Learn more about this summer's volunteer opportunities & sign up HERE Complete our online survey to help us better serve you HERE Schedule your free Greenbelt Consultation. Learn more HERE We've also created an Instagram page and if you are so inclined, we invite you to share your Lime Lake moments with us! Send your photos and photo credit information to info@limelake.org. Thank you for supporting this very special place we call home.