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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 →

The Annual Meeting of the Gull Lake Quality Organization will be: Tuesday, June 11, WK Kellogg Manor House, Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 East Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI. Happy hour starts at 6:30PM.This is your opportunity to learn about what GLQO does … and you can do…to preserve and protect the beauty of Gull Lake and its watershed. As part of the meeting we will have a presentation by Erica Bays, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.  Erica will be sharing updates on PFAS monitoring in and around Gull Lake. We…continue reading →

GLQO's Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 9th (7-8:30pm) at the Carriage House Classroom at the Kellogg Biological Station (see map and directions below).  There will be a short business meeting where new Board members will be introduced and confirmed, followed by an informational presentation by Matt Diana, Michigan DNR Fisheries Biologist, on the status and management of fisheries of Gull Lake including northern pike, smelt, trout, and other species of interest. The presentation will conclude with an opportunity for Q&A. Following the presentation there will be a social hour where…continue reading →

Folks, we are thrilled to announce a partnership with one of our members, local photographer, educator and environmentalist Fischer Jex. From President Kay Gross:The GLQO is delighted to have Fischer Jex working with us this summer as coordinator of the Boat Wash at Prairieville Township Park.  Fisher has a strong background in education and outreach and a passion for preserving and protecting Michigan waters! As such, he will be helping us to expand the outreach efforts of the GLQO  this summer. As a start to this, he has created a new Facebook page: www.facebook.com/gull.lake.wildlife. …continue reading →

It's back, and you should mark your calendars! The GLQO Fall Fling, 2022 Edition, is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, 25 September from 6PM-8PM at the Gull Lake Country Club. Stay tuned for more details!continue reading →

The GLQO, among many other organizations, helped fund a study done by the University of Minnesota on the nature of wake waves as they moved away from boats and towards shore. We are sharing the results of this study here. Note that the study only defined the characteristics of such waved at various distances from boats, not the impact to people, lake wildlife, lake bottoms or shorelines; further research will be able to make use of these findings to determine these impacts. We hope this information will be useful to area Riparians, recreational…continue reading →