What's New

70 lake neighbors gathered with hosts, the Weinert and O'Sullivan families, for the first "Spider Lake Celebration in the Twin Cities" at the Edina Country Club.  After socializing, and meeting many new folks, Spider Lakers were treated to a special short film that captured the essence of life on Spider Lake of one family, beginning in 1910.  Sights, sounds, smells and heartfelt stories filled the room as 3rd generation Spider, Marnie Mamminga shared stories from her grandparents' era through the 1970s in a film created by 2nd generation Spider, John Wood.  

Presentations on the mission, activity, threats, and financial needs of of SCLA were delivered by President Steve Smith, AIS Chair Ray Langer, and hosts Jim Weinert and Michael O'Sullivan.  The evening closed with an announcement of an $80,000 MATCHING GIFT CHALLENGE from three anonymous benefactor families who will match every dollar contributed to SCLA through December 31, 2017 up to $80,000.    

One donor family initiated the match with a $50,000 match challenge and two other families were inspired to add an additional $30,000 to the match, resulting in an aggregate $80,000 match available to all benefactors. 

THANK YOU ALL!  Let's continue our momentum to reach our target of $800,000 endowment and $400,000 operating reserve fund!

Over 170 lake friends and neighbors enjoyed each other, delicious food, and the beautiful North Star Camp for the 2017 Annual Picnic.   Marnie O. Mamminga, 3rd generation Big Spider resident and author of "Return to Wake Robin, One Cabin in the Heyday of Northwoods Resorts" read from her new book  "On a Clear Night, Essays from the Heartland" which reflected on the charm of life on Spider Lake.  Thank you to all volunteers, especially Gina Blyaney and Lynn Okuno, for a delightful afternoon.

SCLA HEALTH ALERT

SCLA sent an email to all members this week to remind you of the danger of blue-green algae on Fawn Lake.  Below is the text of the email.

BLUE-GREEN ALGAE PERSISTS ON FAWN LAKE 

Blue-green algae can produce toxins that are harmful to both humans and animals. Gina LaLiberte, a Water Resources Management Specialist, at Wisconsin DNR advises residents:

• DO NOT swim in areas of water that contains blue-green algae
  
• DO NOT let children play with scum layers, even from shore.   
  
• DO NOT allow dogs in these area as they are likely to ingest the algae if swimming or drinking water at the shore
• DO NOT boat or water ski over water that looks like “pea soup," green or blue blobs, or if a scum layer or puffy blob is floating on the surface
  

Additional information on the DNR’s website and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website:

http://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/bluegreenalgae/

https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/water/bg-algae/index.htm

CONSERVATION EASEMENT WILL PRESERVE WILDLIFE HABITAT AND HELP PROTECT WATER QUALITY OF SPIDER LAKE FOREVER

In the Fall of 2016 Michael and Margaret O'Sullivan donated a conservation easement to protect their property against further development.  The easement is designed to preserve their land as wildlife habitat and to help protect the water quality of Spider Lake and surrounding waters.  The O'Sullivans worked with Bayfield Regional Conservancy, a land trust that works with property owners to protect habitat in four counties of Northwest Wisconsin.  In May 2017 the O'Sullivan family announced their donation to their neighbors and to SCLA members at the Annual Meeting.  The family hopes that their gift will inspire other property owners on the Spider Chain of Lakes to consider the benefits of conservation easements for their own property.  Thank you, O'Sullivan family, for your inspirational leadership!

For more details on this story (the original article from Bayfield Regional Conservancy), click here.

The first “Wine and Wisdom” Social at the Spider Lake Golf Resort on Clear Lake was a resounding success.  Nearly 50 people gathered for appetizers, drinks and socializing with their neighbors. 

Cable Natural History Museum naturalist John Kudlas engaged the crowd with the “Benefits and Importance of Shoreland Protection and Restoration”.  Deb Amery of Spider Lake showed the shoreline restoration project that was completed on the Amerys’ land last year.

Kudlas spoke of the essential role of the “Riparian Buffer Strip: That strip of land where water meets land near a lake or stream.  It can extend into the water for hundreds of feet.  This margin of land is where all life comes together…abridge between two worlds. It is a place essential for a diversity of plants and animals to survive.  In fact 90% of all life found on our lakes and rivers are found in this riparian zone.”  (from Shoreline Restoration—Lakeshore Owners Guidebook)  

Thanks to all who made this event a success!

Sunday, September 3, 2017

4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

North Star Camp for Boys,  on Boys Camp Road

Enjoy a picnic dinner including hamburgers and pulled pork sandwiches

from one of our own lake neighbors:  Mike B and Black Iron Bar and Grill

(gluten free buns available)

Adults = $15/person

Children 5 – 10 years = $5

Under age 5 = free

Please bring an appetizer or a dessert to share

Register by August 27

Sign up and pay online:  Spiderchainoflakes.org 

or

 RSVP (and pay at picnic)

gpblayney@gmail.com and lynn.okuno@gmail.com

Join more than 150 lake friends as we celebrate the Labor Day Weekend and the beautiful Spider Chain of Lakes we love so dearly.

We look forward to seeing you soon! 

Yellow Flag Iris has recently been discovered in several locations on the Spider Chain of Lakes.

YELLOW FLAG IRIS is an aggressive INVASIVE PLANT that poses a significant threat to our lake system. Your URGENT action is needed!  See picture on the AIS tab of this website.

Iris pseudacorus is a fast-growing and fast-spreading invasive plant that can outcompete other wetland plants, forming almost impenetrable thickets, in much the same way as cat-tails (Typha) do. “Individuals produce from several dozen to several hundred rooted rosettes and flowering shoots connected by durable rhizomes” (Falinska 1986).

This is urgent because Yellow Flag Iris plants produce seed heads at this time of the year. Each capsule releases up to 120 buoyant seeds, with 95% of them able to float for up to two months. We want to remove the plants before the seed heads mature!

What you can do to help protect Spider Chain of Lakes:

• Check your property for any Yellow Flag Iris.
• If you find Yellow Flag Iris, and the plant is accessible, remove the plant as follows:
• Wear gloves; skin irritation can occur with contact with plant roots.
• Clip flower heads and pull or dig out plants and roots.
  
• Place all plant material in garbage bags and take to Town Hall Solid Waste, at no charge.
  
• If you cannot access the roots of the plant, remove the flowers and seed pods (wearing gloves), bag the material, and take it to Town Hall Solid Waste, at no charge.

Tell us your property location, and site of Yellow Flag Iris on your property. We will ask volunteers to check your property and remove plants from your shoreline.

Volunteer to help remove Yellow Flag Iris from designated areas by sending your contact info to: Spiderchainoflakes@gmail.com

If you are able and willing, please take photos before and after removal of Yellow Flag Iris, and send them to us (at email address above) so we can document how well our efforts work.

Thank you for helping to protect our beautiful chain of lakes!

The Aquatic Invasive Species Committee of the Spider Chain of Lakes Association

Thank you to the over 50 BOATS FULL OF Families who participated in the 2017 Boat Parade

Our new hosts provided a spectacular location for the parade this year.  The Singers, Mamminga/Oatman Band all added beauty and goosebump inducing moments

Thank you to outgoing Commodore Arnie Hill and Incoming Commodore Scott Crosby!

Spider Lakes Environmental Education for Kids (SLEEK) Drew over 50 Children and 20 Adults!

Over 70 adults and children learned how to talk like a loon at SLEEK 2017. Naturalists from the Cable Natural History Museum explained what makes loons unique and the important role they play on our lakes.  

Thank you to Sue Lebby and her band of volunteers who created such an interesting, fun, interactive event with professionals from Cable Natural History Museum.   Stay tuned for the 2018 program!

Step 1.  Login to www.spiderchainoflakes.org using your email and password.  Forgot your password?  Click the link and follow the instructions to reset.

Step 2.  Find the Event*. On the lower right side of the home page, under UPCOMING EVENTS, click on the blue date for the picnic:  September 3, 2017.  This will take you to the event details, and at the bottom of the page you will see a REGISTER button.  Click it.

Step 3.  Register.  If you are registering just YOURSELF, the instructions are self-explanatory.  If you are registering YOURSELF and OTHERS, please register yourself first, then include the other members of your party as GUESTS.  (Otherwise, you’ll end up having to do each entry separately).

Step 4.  Decide how you will pay. If you want to pay online, please follow the guidance provided.  You can pay using PayPal if you have an account, or you can use a debit or credit card (with a credit or debit card, the payment will still be labeled as PayPal on your bank statement).

If you want to pay at the picnic or by mail, you may click the button labeled ‘Invoice Me’, and we will accept your checks or cash by mail or at the Picnic. You can mail checks to:  SCLA,  PO Box 1082,  Hayward, WI 54843.

*Please remember that this event is for SCLA Members and their guests.  While you’re on line, you can check to see if your membership is current (if it’s not, you can renew online while you’re there!).  Otherwise, you can renew as you check in for the Picnic.

Thanks so much, and we look forward to seeing you at the Picnic!