2024 Memberships: MI Riparian Discount

2024 Memberships: MI Riparian Discount

A reminder! If you renew or join the GLQO for 2024 by the end of this month (February), you can receive a discounted subscription to the Michigan Riparian ($14 vs. $25 for regular membership). Hurry, only 13 days left!!The membership renewal form can be found here, and you can also join online here. Dues and donations from GLQO members help us continue our work to protect the waters of Gull Lake and the surrounding watershed .. Keeping it Clean is our motto!continue reading →
Upcoming PFAS Public Meeting

Upcoming PFAS Public Meeting

On Monday, October 30th, from 6:00-8:00PM, the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART) will host a public meeting about the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) investigation associated with the North 34th Street (Richland) site. A MPART representative will share information about MPART and an overview of PFAS, which are a large group of human-made substances used in manufacturing, firefighting, and consumer products. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will provide information about possible health effects related to PFAS exposure. A representative from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy…continue reading →
Announcing the 2023 MiCorps Conference

Announcing the 2023 MiCorps Conference

The Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), a network of volunteer monitoring programs that collect and share surface water quality data statewide, is holding its 2023 Annual Conference at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station in Hickory Corners, Michigan, on Oct. 20, 2023. Those traveling to the conference have the option to spend the night at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station on Oct. 19, 2023, and participate in an afternoon workshop and evening reception. Registration is now open for the 2023 MiCorps Conference. The agenda includes sessions on stream macroinvertebrate identification, freshwater mussel monitoring, volunteer…continue reading →
Michigan DNR Final Report on Wake Boats

Michigan DNR Final Report on Wake Boats

After previewing a draft of the report last Fall, the Michigan DNR Fisheries Division has just published its final report on Wake Boats, and it's even more comprehensive in this final form. The basic recommendations of the report are as follows: Boats operating in wake-surfing mode or wake-boarding mode, during which boat speed, wave shapers, and/or ballast are used to increase wave height, are recommended to operate at least 500 feet from docks or the shoreline, regardless of water depth. Boats operating in wake-surfing or wake-boarding modes are recommended to operate in water…continue reading →
GLQO’s 2023 Annual Meeting

GLQO’s 2023 Annual Meeting

There was a great turnout for the GLQO Annual Meeting at the Kellogg Manor House at the Kellogg Biological Station on Tuesday, June 13.  It was a fun and informative meeting! A highlight was presentations by Brandon Armstrong and Geoff Rhodes from Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy about the work they are doing monitoring PFAS (and other chemicals) in surface waters and fish.  They included specific information about Gull Lake and answered questions from those attending. Please note that they are happy to answer additional questions; their contact information is…continue reading →
GLQO Meeting Minutes

GLQO Meeting Minutes

Thanks to GLQO Secretary Gary Mittelbach, we are putting our meeting minutes online for members and the public. You can go directly to the page that contains the links to recent minutes, or access it via our Resources for Lake Lovers Page.continue reading →
When Good Lakes Go Bad

When Good Lakes Go Bad

By Gary Mittelbach A recent article in MLive shows just how much it can cost to control invasive plants once they invade and take hold in a lake https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2023/03/portage-readies-to-begin-five-year-effort-to-clear-austin-lake-of-invasive-plants.html . Residents of Austin Lake in Portage (MI) are going to spend $117,445 in 2023 and up to $450,000 over the next five years in efforts to reduce the abundance of invasive plant species (including Eurasian Milfoil and Starry Stonewort) and other nuisance weeds in their lake. The volunteer organization the Austin Lake Riparians worked with the Portage City Council to form a special lake…continue reading →
New State Guidelines Recommend Limiting Consumption of Smelt from Gull Lake

New State Guidelines Recommend Limiting Consumption of Smelt from Gull Lake

Important news for Gull Lake anglers. Newly released guidelines from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommend limiting the consumption of smelt from Gull Lake to 2 serving per month. The new smelt guidelines are based on elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) found in rainbow smelt from Gull (and 5 other Michigan lakes). PFOS is in the family of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These long-lived chemicals can build up in fish and in the people who eat these fish. The new Michigan Eat Safe Fish…continue reading →