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Julia Kirkwood, Watershed Project Manager at Michigan EGLE (Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) was the featured speaker at the GLQO 2022 Fall Fling, giving a short presentation on Lakescaping. We've placed her presentation here on our website, along with a second, more in-depth presentation on the same subject.Why Lakescaping? * Improved biodiversity * Less shoreline erosion * Fewer of those pesky geese!Julia's Fall Fling Presentation (PDF)Julia's Second Lakescaping Presentation (PDF)continue reading →

Every year we get reports from fellow riparians and GLQO members saying that that their neighbor or someone they know is blowing their leaves and/or lawn clippings into the lake and what can they do about it. The answer is, please tell them that what they are doing, while not illegal, is certainly bad for the lake. Leaves and lawn clippings contain nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous that promote the growth of algae. Also, as the leaves decay over time, their decomposition consumes oxygen. Both are harmful to the lake in large…continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 Fall Fling 2023 - Tickets are $40/each One Ticket ($40)Two Tickets ($80)Three Tickets ($120)Four Tickets ($160)Five Tickets ($200)Six Tickets ($240)Seven Tickets ($280)Eight Tickets ($320)continue reading →

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 →

The GLQO would like to thank everyone who helped make this year's Fall Fling a success! Here's a little video with some pics of the event, and special shout-outs to the Event Sponsors!continue reading →

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 →