Welcome to Our New Website

Welcome to the new and improved Manistee Lake Association web site. We hope you like the look and the many additional features. We have tried to make the site far more useful as a source of information and communication. Many of the features are in the members only area so we encourage everyone to become a member and to register for the member area. Access is free to MLA members. Members please make sure to update your member information so we have current contact information for you. If you are a new resident who does not receive our newsletter, please give us your contact information so we can add you to our database. Just click on the contact us link under website feedback on the lower right of this page and submit your information.


We invite comments and suggestions to improve the site as well. We want to make this site as useful and user friendly as we can.  We have tried to minimize some features to lessen download times for those of you with slower internet connections. We will continue to add information to the site and to improve features as we go so please check back often and let us know what you think. I hope you enjoy our new home on the web. Spread the word around. Manistee Lake can always use more friends.

 

Manistee Lake

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Now that warmer weather is here (or soon will be I hope) and the ice is off the lake, it is a good time for sharing a few reminders for this time of year just for your information.
 
Open burning of debris and yard waste.
As we know once the snow is gone, things get pretty dry pretty fast. Please be sure to check the DNR Burn Permit Map at https://www.dnr.state.mi.us/burnpermits/ before burning to make sure it is allowed. And obviously don’t burn if it is windy out even if open burning is permitted.
Also remember that the Coldsprings Township fireworks ordinance prohibits the use of fireworks if open burning is prohibited per the DNR map.
 
Fertilizer
I’m sure you have all seen previously posted information about how bad fertilizer is for our lake. It is worth noting that there is also state law about the use of fertilizers near water.Part 85 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act prohibits the use of phosphorus containing fertilizers except under certain exemptions.
 
Sec. 8512b.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), (3), (4), or (5), a person shall not apply to turf a fertilizer labeled as containing the plant nutrient available phosphate (P2O5).
 
More importantly the act restricts the use of phosphorus containing fertilizer near surface waters.
 
(6) A person shall not apply fertilizer to turf within 15 feet of any surface water, unless 1 or more of the following apply:
(a) A continuous natural vegetative buffer at least 10 feet wide separates the turf from the surface water.
(b) A spreader guard, deflector shield, or drop spreader is used when applying the fertilizer, and the fertilizer is not applied within 3 feet of the surface water.
(7) A person shall not clean a fertilizer spreader that is used to apply fertilizer to turf in a manner that allows wash water from the spreader to discharge directly into waters of this state, including, but not limited to, a drain under the drain code of 1956, 1956 PA 40, MCL 280.1 to 280.630.
 
Buoys
Over the last couple of years some lake residents have expressed concern about the increasing placement of buoys in the lake. It is worth noting that placement of buoys is also regulated under Part 801 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act.
Sec. 80159.
 
A person shall not place a beacon or buoy, other than a mooring buoy, in the waters of this state except as authorized by a permit issued by the department pursuant to part 13. The department may issue a permit for the placing of buoys or beacons in the waters of this state to mark obstruction to navigation, to designate bathing areas, to designate vessel anchorages, or for any other purpose if it will promote safety or navigation. An application for a permit shall contain information required by the department. If buoys or beacons are placed in the waters of this state without a permit having been issued, the department may order their removal. If, in the judgment of the department, buoys or beacons authorized by the department are found to be improperly placed, the reason for their placement no longer exists, or the buoys or beacons do not conform to the uniform system of marking established by state regulation, the department may revoke the permit authorizing their placement and may order their removal. Revocation of permits and orders of removal shall be by written notice to the person placing the buoys or beacons or to the person to whom the permit was issued at his or her last known address, directing the removal within a specified time. The person to whom the notice is directed shall remove the buoys or beacons in accordance with the instructions. If the person fails to remove the buoys or beacons within the specified time, the department may cause their removal, and the cost and expense of the removal shall be charged against the person authorized to place the buoys or beacons or, where authorization has not been granted, the person placing such buoys or beacons and shall be recoverable through any court of competent jurisdiction.

Due to on going COVID19 related restrictions on meetings and that there are no agenda items in need of immediate attention, the meeting of the Manistee Lake Improvement Board scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2020 has been cancelled. No meetings are yet scheduled for next year but when meeting dates are established they will be posted and sent via email blast.

 

The Manistee Lake Improvement Board has authorized our lake consultant to proceed with limited spot treatment  to eradicate milfoil in approximately seven acres in six  locations on Manistee Lake. The treatment is scheduled for  July 16, 2020.  The areas in blue and in red are the locations to be treated.

 

Due to on going virus related restrictions, pubic meetings can not be held at the Township Halls or the CETA Hall.  So the July 4, 2020 meeting of the Manistee Lake Association has been moved to the pavilion at Sands Park. Still 9:00 AM. The pavilion is outdoors and has enough space that everyone should be able to maintain appropriate social distancing. Masks should still be worn in case distance is difficult to maintain due to weather or the number of attendees.  We will not have a sound system so hopefully, the weather will be quiet so everyone can hear.

 

Meeting agenda is available  by clicking on the MLA Meeting Agendas tab on the left Public Menu column of the home page

Thank you to all who submitted their Manistee Lake Association membership dues and contributions to our Lake Fund. We received about 100 responses to our Spring newsletter and membership mailing. We normally get our biggest membership renewal at our May MLA meeting but, of course, that meeting had to be cancelled this year.  So the mail in response was good but there are still a lot more of you out there who are not paid up MLA members.  There are nearly 500 people in our database (drawn from the MLIB Special Assessment District list). While not everyone  lives directly on the lake, you all have some interest in making sure our lake is preserved for future enjoyment. So we still need to hear from a lot more of you.

 

You can print the MLA Membership Form from the MLA website (manisteelake.org). Just click on the Membership Form link in the Public Menu and it will open as a pdf. Please fill it in, make your check out to the Manistee Lake Association and mail it as instructed on the form. It’s that easy and you will be contributing to the important work of the Manistee Lake Association, serving all of us, members or not. Thank you ahead of time for your generosity and commitment to Manistee Lake.

Some of you have already received the annual notice of herbicide application to Manistee Lake. I just want to remind everyone that these notices go out every year as a precaution in case we need to apply herbicide to control Eurasian Milfoil outbreaks. This notice does not mean that herbicide application will actually occur.  This notice is required if herbicide is to be applied and is sent out every Spring just in case a decision is made to do herbicide application. No such decision has been made for 2020 by the Manistee Lake Improvement Board.  You may recall that although these same notices were sent out last year, no herbicide application was done as there was not enough milfoil to warrant any treatment.  No decision on whether or not to treat milfoil this year will be made until after the Spring milfoil survey is complete.  No date has yet been set to conduct this survey as we await improving weather and a safer viral environment. If a decision is made to apply herbicide to any areas of Manistee Lake, information will be made available ahead of time through this Facebook page, the MLA web site and email from the web site.

Due to the on going Corona virus related social distancing regulations, the Officers and Directors of the Manistee Lake Association have decided it is necessary to cancel the regular Memorial Day MLA meeting originally scheduled for Saturday May 23, 2020. The next scheduled meeting for the MLA is set for Saturday, July 4, 2020 at 9:00 am at the CETA Hall. Hopefully we will be able to meet by then.

 

The Manistee Lake Improvement Board has also cancelled its meeting originally scheduled for Monday May 18, 2020 at the Excelsior Township Hall.  The next scheduled meeting of the MLIB is on Monday  July 27, 2020 at the Coldsprings Township Hall.

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