Click Here for answers to Pat's 2008 Picnic Quiz

Good News! So far our initial lake inspection has not found any invasive aquatic plants. Please speak up at the summer picnic if you would be willing to join the weed inspection team.

Slow-no-wake bill passes Legislature - A bill (SB 12) that will establish a statewide slow no wake zone for motorboats within 100 feet of a lake’s shoreline awaits the Governor’s signature to become law. This bill is a positive step forward to preserve water quality, prevent shoreline deterioration, and improve public safety for citizens who are fishing, swimming, and paddling on our shorelines. Boating too close to shorelines can contribute to shoreline erosion problems, reduce water clarity by stirring up lake bed sediments, release phosphorus—the nutrient responsible for algae blooms—from lake bed sediments, and harm fish habitat when propellers uproot shore land plants. A provision within the bill allows local boating ordinances to extend slow-no-wake zones farther away from the shore (for example, 200 feet as Dane County has done). Local boating ordinances may also specify slow-no-wake zones that are less than 100 feet from the shoreline. This provision recognizes that there are some locations where a more localized approach may be desirable to accommodate recreational use. An exemption is also included for water-skiers pick up and drop off zones.

On a cold and wet September 13th, I performed an aquatic vegetation survey with a few other Half Moon Lake residents. (Actually - the rain felt good after the unusually dry lake lowering weather we had this past summer.) We had the great fortune of being accompanied by an experienced lake inspector from Bone lake and also a Polk County Land & Water Resources representative. We sampled the lake at "high risk" areas at the boat launch and also near Co. Rd. G (along the north shore). We also inspected a few other sites including the sand bar (south) and near the outlet structure. With the help of our expert companions, we identified several different aquatic/emergent plants including: northern water milfoil, coontail, water marigold, bulrush, water crowfoot, pickerel loostrife, wild celery, large-leaf pondweed (a.k.a. muskie weed?), flat-stem pondweed, common waterweed, filamentous algae, and a small muskweed species that had quite a powerful order. Three species of water lily were also found. To my great relief we did not find the two more common invasive species: eurasian milfoil and curly-leaf pondweed. Earlier that day, we all sat around a table to look at actual samples of invasive weeds, specimens of invasive rusty crayfish, plant identification literature, and Clean Boat/Clean Water newsletters. We learned that Bone Lake has 23 teams of inspectors. Each team of about two persons meets for a few hours during each monthly inspection. If we use Bone Lake's program as a yardstick - we at Half Moon are in need of about 10 more inspectors. We learned that eurasian water milfoil beats out other plants for sunlight, crowds out predator fish, and forms thick mats on the water surface. I was quite surprised to learn that EACH lakeshore property owner on Beaver Dam Lake (near Cumberland) pays $500 to $600 each year to treat Eurasian milfoil ! Individual land owners have no choice but to pay since they have a Lake District (a taxing entity like Half Moon).

Please volunteer to help with the Half Moon Newsletter. Fun and informative articles are especially needed.

Contact any District board member (see below) if you are interested in getting involved with the Half Moon Lake District Association - or if you have any good ideas for lake rehabilitation and/or protection.

Check out the new web links at the bottom of this web site (especially the first link listed).

East side of the lake on 5-9-08