Grass Carp Update May 2023

The Devils Lake Water Improvement District (DLWID) has recently received approval to release 5,000 sterile grass carp into Devils Lake. The announcement was made by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife following a lengthy review process by state and federal agencies to determine the potential impact of the fish on the local ecosystem. The fish have been ordered and are expected to arrive in early June.

Grass carp, also known as white amur, are a type of fish commonly used for aquatic vegetation control. The release of these fish is expected to help control the growth of nuisance plants such as Elodia and Vallisneria, which can negatively impact water quality and recreational activities on the lake.

It is important to note that these grass carp have been rendered sterile to prevent any potential breeding in the lake. The release of sterile fish is a common practice used by water management agencies to control aquatic vegetation while minimizing environmental impact.

More details about the release of the fish will be provided by the Devils Lake Water Improvement District in the coming weeks. The district will work closely with local stakeholders to ensure that the release is carried out in a safe and effective manner.

This release is part of ongoing efforts by the Devils Lake Water Improvement District to improve water quality and recreational opportunities for the local community. The district encourages residents and visitors to continue to support these efforts. The DLWID is committed to preserving and enhancing the natural beauty and recreational opportunities of Devils Lake. The release of sterile grass carp is just one of many initiatives that the district is undertaking to achieve this goal.


Fireworks Display on July 3 2023

The Devils Lake Neighborhood Association board has decided to once again proceed with our annual fireworks display on Devils Lake.  The location of the display will be similar to the last two years as it maximized the viewing available from shore, details can be found in our Fireworks Safety Plan.  Please note that the display will not be visible from Regatta Park, but Brown Bear State Park and Sandpoint Park should prove to be good locations to enjoy the show.  

This is the time of year we ask for donations to fund our show.  This year we need to raise $18,000, follow this donation link or the button below to contribute. It's never too early to help us meet our goal. The safe and sane way to enjoy the Independence Day holiday is to enjoy the best fireworks show in town on Devils Lake.  

Mark your calendar.

Fireworks Display
Date: Monday July 3rd
Time: 9:30 PM (or Dusk)

 


Boat Parade Scheduled

Everything is set for another great holiday weekend.  We will complete the holiday weekend with our ninth annual boat parade.  Safety is the name of the game so please take a look at our boat parade safety plan and our fireworks safety plan to ensure your day is as safe as it is fun.  Here's the details.

Boat Parade
Date: Monday July 3rd
Time: 4:00 PM


DLNA Reference Library

The Devils Lake Neighborhood Association (DLNA) publishes a variety of reference articles on our website, covering topics such as water quality, invasive species, and environmental stewardship.

In the past two to three years, the DLNA has written a number of articles on the threat of invasive species in Devils Lake. These articles discuss the impact of invasive species on the lake's ecosystem, and they offer tips on how residents can help to prevent the spread of invasive species.

You may not be aware of it but these articles remain posted on the DLNA website. These reference articles are an important resource for residents who are interested in learning more about the challenges and opportunities facing Devils Lake. It is our hope that these articles provide residents with the information they need to make informed decisions about the lake's future. Here is a list of articles related to our current weed infestation which you may find interesting to review. 

2/18/2023

ODFW Commission Approval

10/16/2022

Fall Harvesting (Video)

10/16/2022

New Devils Lake Strategic Plan

9/17/2022

Harvesting 2.0

9/1/2022

Carp Update September 1, 2022

9/1/2022

Harvesting Lessons Learned

9/1/2022

Elodea Lifecycle

7/30/2022

Harvesting Week 1 Completed

7/28/2022

Harvester Arrives (Video)

7/23/2022

Elodea Update

7/22/2022

Harvester Project Ready

7/14/2022

Weed Harvester Coming

7/14/2022

Way To Hustle!

7/10/2022

Grassroots Effort Launched

7/10/2022

Photo Sharing Request

7/10/2022

Spread The Word Not The Weed

7/10/2022

HOUSTON...

6/23/2022

New Elodea Removal Video

6/4/2022

Aquatic Plants - Elodea

6/4/2022

What Can I Do?

5/2/2022

District Funds New Management Plan

9/5/2019

Aquatic Plants 101

4/29/2019

Lake Aeration Installed

In addition to its reference articles, the DLNA also publishes a newsletter, hosts public meetings, and advocates for the lake on the local, state, and federal levels. By doing so the DLNA is a valuable resource for residents who are interested in protecting and enhancing the natural beauty and recreational opportunities of Devils Lake.


ODFW Commission Approval

An important goal towards the eventual placement of sterile grass carp in Devils Lake this season was achieved today. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission met in Portland Friday February 17th, 2023. As you know the required administrative rule changes that we have been working extensively with ODFW staff to draft must be approved by the Commission and we were on the agenda. In short, the Commissioners unanimously approved the rule changes presented by ODFW staff. This clears the way for ODFW to finalize the DLWID Grass Carp Application currently on file. The District has been working with the ODFW staff for the past several months and are approaching the final steps required for approval of the application.  Currently, we estimate re-stocking the lake with sterile grass carp sometime between May or perhaps June.  You can watch the hearing beginning at the grass carp agenda item at this link.

We wish to congratulate the Devils Lake Water Improvement District on receiving this important approval. We wish to thank the members of the DLNA Weeds Group who played a key role in this achievement. Thank you as well to Oregon Representative David Gomberg for his support during this process. Finally, thank you to all in the community who supported our weed harvesting efforts last season and especially all who took the time to write the Commission prior to the meeting.  Indeed, Commissioner Labhart specifically mentioned all of the letters and emails received in support of the proposed rule changes.  

So what exactly did the Commissioners approve today? You can read the full text of the Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) change at this link. Here is what we accomplished and why. Prior to this rule change we were forbidden to place grass carp in the lake because the public has access to the waterway. The approved rule simply changes an existing exception from “land owned or controlled by an irrigation district” to the expanded definition of “special district”. This new wording captures Devils Lake as we have DLWID. This single word change effectively grants authority to the ODFW staff to approve our application and permit the placement of sterilized grass carp in Devils Lake. 

What do we still have to accomplish? The District and ODFW staff must finalize the requirements of carp placement and then must receive final approval of their application. Once approved the District will purchase the fish from the approved vendor who will place PIT tags into the nose of each fish. The initial order will be shipped across the country and placed directly in our lake. We will keep you posted on each of these developments in real time. 

Also coming this year is Round 2 of weed harvesting on Devils Lake. A small committee has been formed and we'll soon be meeting to work out the details for the 2023 season.  We will adjust our operations applying lessons learned from our first season. And again count on us to keep you informed on those plans. This is a great day for Devils Lake, we are looking forward to a successful restocking in the near future.


Letter Writing Time Again

The Devils Lake Water Improvement District and its Board of  Directors has spent the past few months working to bring grass carp back to Devils Lake.  We are nearing the finish line and it's time to ask for your help once again. Please take the time to draft a letter to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission (ODFW) based on the instructions below to voice your support of the reintroduction of grass carp in Devils Lake.  Here’s an update on our progress, followed by our letter writing request.

The District is pursuing a permit under OAR 635-056-0075(2) from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to re-introduce sterile grass carp into Devils Lake. In furtherance of this goal the District has submitted a permit application which also serves as its management plan setting forth the timelines, policies, and processes that will be used for the re-introduction and ongoing management of grass carp in Devils Lake. In order for our permit to be processed certain changes to the Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR’s) pertaining to grass carp are required. 

We have been working extensively with ODFW staff to draft the required rule changes.  Once finalized, these draft rule changes will be presented to the ODFW Commission in February with a recommendation from staff for approval.  The District is optimistic that these rules will be approved leading to the successful placement of grass carp in late spring of 2023.

We have been assured that the ODFW Commission will place this issue on its agenda for their meeting held February 16th and 17th, 2023. Our attorney Sarah Stauffer-Curtiss from Stoel Rives will be making comments on behalf of the lake. We are not recommending that our public attend this meeting as we feel it will be more effective for the Commission to hear our support for the rule change via written submissions.

This is where you come in. We have created a template for the Commission and we would request everybody forward it to the ODFW Commissioners.  All letters must arrive at least 48 hours prior to the meeting, so the due date for this request is February 14th, 2023. Does it really do any good for each of them to receive a couple hundred of the same letter? Indeed it does.

Thank you in advance for your participation. 

Here's what to do by February 14, 2023

  1. Download the letter from this link. (WORD) (PDF)
  2. Optionally edit the letter to include your name and address. 
  3. Send the letter as an attachment by email, feel free to add a few photos if you wish. You can add a more personal message in the body of the email or modify the 4th paragraph to describe how the elodea invasion has affected you directly.
  4. Send the email to [email protected]
  5. Let us know you did it by completing a brief questionnaire

Fall Harvesting (Video)


New Devils Lake Strategic Plan

The Devil's Lake Water Improvement District Board of Directors approved a new strategic plan for Devil's Lake at its October meeting. The entire text can be found at this link. Here are some of the highlights.

At its core the new strategic plan is based on the District’s mission and four main goals.

MISSION

The District is authorized to direct a range of initiatives, programs, and actions to achieve the restoration, maintenance, and enhancement of Devils Lake. These responsibilities can be grouped under four general areas, which form the District’s core mission: water supply, water quality, natural systems, and public access. The District has established goals for each of these areas of responsibility:

Water Supply Goal: Ensure the proper supply and level of water in Devils Lake to provide for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses while protecting and maintaining water resources and related natural systems.

Water Quality Goal: Protect and improve water quality to sustain the water resources, environment, economy, and quality of life. 

Natural Systems Goal: Preserve, protect, and restore natural systems to support their natural hydrologic and ecologic functions and improve the environment for fish, wildlife, and humans in Devils Lake and its watershed. 

Public Access Goal: Improve and maintain public access and awareness, safe and efficient navigation, and recreational opportunities in and on Devils Lake 

The District is implementing a wide array of programs and projects to meet these four goals. These activities are grouped under 7 Strategic Initiatives:

  • Minimum Flows and Levels Establishment and Monitoring
  • Water Quality Assessment and Planning
  • Water Quality Maintenance and Improvement
  • Aeration and Oxygen Level Improvement and Monitoring
  • Conservation and Restoration
  • Mitigation of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Infestation
  • Public Access, Marina, and Community Outreach

 

Each of these strategic initiatives is described in detail in the plan document.  Upon approval the Board discussed how this plan will require review and possible modification as required by the impact it has on the lake environment.  This review will occur annually.


Ballot Measure 22-213

The Devils Lake Neighborhood Association cannot and does not take a position in any election.  We do however try to help keep our neighbors aware of important issues that impact the neighborhood. 

On November 8, 2022, voters will be asked whether to approve an increase in property taxes for the next five years for the Devils Lake Water Improvement District (DLWID). If approved, funds will be used to continue District operations, which includes vegetation management, water quality testing, district operations, and special projects.

According to the 2022 General Election Voters Pamphlet the tax revenue from this measure would allow the Devils Lake Water Improvement District to continue its vegetation management program. Programs to be funded annually by the revenue include approximately $200,000 for targeted herbicide treatments, $50,000 for mechanical harvesting and disposal, and $67,000 for re-stocking and managing grass carp in Devils Lake. The district has in their operating budget monies for vegetation management, this additional levy is what the district needs to control the vegetation at its current level.

Given the clear history of rapid aquatic vegetation overgrowth in Devils Lake, vegetation management has become our key priority. Our district completed a successful treatment project which improved several acres of the Lake. However, this treatment only covered a limited amount of invasive milfoil eradication. Since the 2019 project, our waters have taken a major turn. A very prolific submerged plant has all but overtaken Devils Lake. In under 18 months what was very sparse vegetation has exploded to cover very large expanses of our waterbody. If the growth continues at this rate the lake will soon become non-navigable and negative impacts to fish and wildlife will increase. The district has begun a pilot targeted herbicide application program and is working with State Fish and Wildlife officials to reintroduce sterile grass carp as control methods. Additionally, a mechanical harvester has been contracted to work on the Lake to maintain navigability. Due to the cost of these management options additional funding is necessary to continue managing the vegetation overgrowth in Devils Lake.

The levy is $.2499 (In-Watershed) and $.128 (Outside-Watershed) per $1,000 of assessed property value. At the $.2499 rate a home valued at $300,000 would pay $75 per year or less. At the $.128 rate a home valued at $300,000 would pay $39 per year or less.

 


Harvesting 2.0

If you have been following our updates you know we have recently completed three weeks of mechanical harvesting on Devils Lake.  The main goal of that project was to gain on lake experience with harvesting while removing as much elodea as we could. In the meantime, the condition of the lake has evolved with large masses of plant material floating to the surface eventually gathering in various locations around the lake.  

We have learned from our research that this calving is part of the elodea’s survival strategy.  These large mats eventually sink to the bottom where they overwinter and emerge next spring as a new population of plants.  In the meantime, they act as a nearly impenetrable “reef” of material that can stop a boat in its tracks. Normally our wind patterns would deposit nearly all of this material on the Southern shore but this has been an unusual fall with winds blowing from the North, South, and East.  This has resulted in elodea rafts being deposited all over the lake, with highest concentrations still on our Southern shoreline.  

Faced with this reality the Devils Lake Water Improvement District board has located a second harvesting company with a machine available for use in Devils Lake.  The District was able to procure a harvester and a crew to operate it out of the bay area in California from Aquatic Harvesting Inc.  They will be arriving September 19th and operating the harvester on our lake for up to a month.  This is a different machine than the one we had on the lake in August with a 8 foot wide cutter, a cutting depth of 6 feet and a much larger capacity to store cut weeds.  It also is better equipped for unloading the material on the shore once cut.  

The goal of this second project is to remove as much material as possible from the lake.  If these rafts of elodea effectively are the seeds of next year's weeds we want to get as much of that out of the lake as possible in hopes that it will slow the expansion of this infestation.  

This project has come together quickly and is truly a community effort.  Several of our local businesses are assisting the District in getting this off the ground.  Our sincere appreciation goes out to North Lincoln Sanitary Service, Sexton Construction, and Whistler Construction for their invaluable help.  We will also need volunteer help from our community, please consider raising your hand for the effort.  If you know of anyone that we can put on the list to volunteer to operate an excavator to load the dump trailers, transport the dump trailers to the dumping location and return the dump trailers to the lake loading site, or if you're willing to occasionally help clean up our offload sites please let us know.

Harvesting is an expensive proposition and the Devils Lake Neighborhood Association has solicited and collected many donations to fund our first project.  This second project will be primarily funded by the Devils Lake Water Improvement District who help fund the DLNA project.  Our remaining harvesting funds will be forwarded to the District to help fund this important project.  We are still accepting donations, so if you made a donation and still want to help or if you committed to a donation and are not sure where to make the payment you can follow this link or the button in the sidebar.  All harvester donations will be forwarded to the District to help defer the cost of operations over the next month.  

Additionally, the District is working out the details of relocating a harvester owned by Aquatic Harvesting Inc. to Devils Lake which will be its permanent home for the next 4-5 years. This machine includes a barge that connects to the harvester making the offloading task more efficient. This will guarantee we have a harvester on the lake next spring to begin removing the new growth as it appears.  Harvesting represents an important component of the District's vegetation management plan which also includes herbicide and the eventual reintroduction of grass carp in the lake. 

Thank you all for your participation in this season’s harvesting projects.  This is all new to our community but we have gained some valuable experience and hopefully began to reduce the weed population in Devils Lake. 



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