CURRENT NEWS BULLETIN BOARD
2025 LLA MEETING SCHEDULE
Board meetings are open to the membership for public comment at the beginning of the meeting. Please contact a board member if you wish to be put on the agenda. Board meetings begin at 6:00 pm.
2025 BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE
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Date |
Location |
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Thursday, February 20, 2025, 4:00 p.m. |
Special Meeting, Gilbert Lodge |
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Thursday, April 10, 2025, 6:00 p.m. |
Long Lake Township Hall |
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Thursday, May 1, 2025, 5:00 p.m. |
Gilbert Hall |
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Monday, June 2, 2025, 5:00 p.m. |
2025 Discussion Mtg., Boone’s Long Lake Inn |
|
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 6:00 p.m. |
Long Lake Township Hall |
|
Thursday, August 14, 6025, 6:00 p.m. |
Long Lake Township Hall |
|
Saturday, August 23, 2025, 9:00 a.m. |
Annual Meeting, Boone’s Long Lake Inn |
|
Thursday, September 11, 2025, 6:00 p.m. |
Long Lake Township Hall |
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Thursday, October 9, 2025, 6:00 p.m. |
Long Lake Township Hall |
|
Thursday, November 13, 2025, 6:00 p.m. |
Long Lake Township Hall |
WELCOME BACK TO PARADISE!
Annual Summer Kick-Off Meeting
Boones Long Lake Inn
June 2nd, 2025
Discussion meeting at 5:00 pm
Back Deck Social 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Eurasian Watermilfoil Treatment Dates:
Our Lake Management Committee will be treating various sites for Eurasian Watermilfoil on the following dates: June TBD, 2025, and July TBD, 2025. Riparian homeowners will be notified directly if treatment is in front of their property. Please stay a safe distance from our treatment boats during treatment.
Thank you in advance!
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE | Dave Baker
I am pleased to announce that the 2025 Welcome Back to Paradise event will take place at Boone’s Long Lake Inn on June 2nd at 5:00 PM. Thank you to Boone’s Long Lake Inn for hosting us again this year! This newsletter provides updates from the committee chairs about what is happening at LLA. Your board members will provide a summary of this information at the meeting. Your Long Lake Association has undergone notable changes since we were last together at Boone’s. In February 2025, we successfully completed our merger with the Long Lake Foundation. Through that merger, we are a stronger organization and better suited to meet the increasing challenges facing our lakes. Many of the Foundation’s former directors are now on the LLA Board. Please take a moment on June 2nd to welcome them!
With the merger, LLA added three new committees, Education, Boat Wash, and Fundraising. The Education committee will share information with you about the best practices for protecting our lakes. The Boat Wash committee seeks to place boat washes at our boat launches as a first line of defense against the transfer of invasive species into our lakes. The Fundraising committee will seek to improve the Association’s ability to meet its funding needs without raising member dues. Please visit the LLA website to donate!
The Long Lake Association continues to pursue its mission “to preserve Long, Mickey, and Ruth Lakes as a natural resource and recreation area through protection and prudent use of its environs.” As part of this mission, we will continue the successful effort to control the levels of invasive Eurasian Watermilfoil in our lakes. This program is only possible thanks to your support.
Also, during 2025, we will modify the successful NMC intern program to collect and analyze lake water samples to enhance our mutual understanding of the health of our lakes. This year we will supplement our NMC intern with an intern that we will share jointly with the Benzie Conservation District (“BCD”). We hope that partnering with BCD will allow us to benefit from BCD’s experience working with other lakes in the region.
LLA monitors the quality of the fish and loon population on our lakes and reports that information to you. We are engaged on our islands to place docks, maintain trails, and look after the restrooms on Long Island. We interact with our community leaders on behalf of our members. Most importantly, we work hard to communicate with our members through our newsletter, our website, our in-person meetings, and our year-end letter.
I encourage those of you that are not LLA members to join for the annual membership fee of only $45.00. Your dues help us in our mission to protect our lakes. Current members, please renew your membership for the new year and consider renewing as a Centurion or Guardian member. Your dues are essential to our ability to deliver services to you. A dues envelope is enclosed for your convenience.
On behalf of your LLA Board, we express our appreciation to our partners: Oleson Foundation, NMC, Long Lake Township, and Green Lake Township for their ongoing support! We are looking forward to greeting everyone when we get together again in June!
Dave Baker, President, Long Lake Association
THE CRESCENT SHORES BOAT LAUNCH IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Display Your LLA Support!
Encourage other riparians to join and preserve our gems.
MARINE PATROL & OTHER ENFORCEMENT CONTACT INFO
CENTRAL DISPATCH NON-EMERGENCY – (231) 922-4550
(non-emergency calls for service for Law Enforcement, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services)
MARINE PATROL (Sheriff Dept.) – (231) 922-2112 (seasonal enforcement of boating laws on inland lakes).
This number will be monitored beginning May 1st. In an emergency, dial 911.
DNR REPORT ALL POACHING (RAP) line – (800) 292-7800 (CALL OR TEXT)
(If you witness loon harassment, poaching, etc.).
To file a complaint about a short-term rental, call the Long Lake Township complaint hotline anytime at (231) 600-7044.
You can also call the office during regular hours—8:00 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. (closed at noon), Tuesday through Friday—at (231) 946-2249.
Our Sheriff Department’s Community Police Officer is Deputy Sean Mugerian, who says, “… My job is to bridge the gap between the public and the law enforcement that serves them.” As the opportunity arises, please introduce yourself. He can be contacted at (231) 633-2579. This number is not monitored, so in an emergency, dial 911.
When reporting any marine incident, try to get the MC number. Pictures and especially videos of the incident are beneficial.
2021 marks a significant milestone for Long Lake!
As it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the origins of the Long Lake Association.
How did this party get started?
In September of 1921, twenty-five Long Lake property owners at the south end of the lake banded together and pitched in $1 each to form an organization named the Evergreen Beach Resort Association. This pioneering group of lake lovers recognized the need to organize to effectively maintain the quality of Long Lake for themselves and generations to come. The name was formally changed to The Long Lake Improvement Association in 1948. Later, the word Improvement was dropped, and the organization was incorporated as it stands today. Watch for more fun facts on our website and Facebook.
August 1982 Newsletter
June 2021 Newsletter
JOIN THE LONG LAKE ASSOCIATION
LLA ’s only source of annual income is from the membership dues that our residents and families contribute. These funds allow us to operate as a not for profit organization and provide operating funds for the Board to direct to projects and programs that are in the best environmental interest of Long, Mickey, and Ruth Lakes. Joining and Membership Renewal is easy!
Just click the button below labeled JOIN LLA TODAY! Your payment can be made using PayPal or by credit card. Or, if you receive your newsletter by US Mail, a membership envelope is included in the Spring issue. If you have not become an LLA member yet, please consider doing so this year! LLA Membership is open to all interested parties.
Long Lake Association is 501c4 certified!
GUIDANCE FOR HOUSE GUESTS/RENTERS ON THE LAKES:
If you rent your home/cottage, please remind guests that your neighbors are year-round residents. Please be respectful and keep noise low, especially in the evenings. Turn off outdoor lights before going to bed as these can shine directly into neighboring houses and even into homes across the lake.
For those operating a wave runner, the law states that a person shall not operate a PWC on the waters of this state from sunset to 8:00 A.M local time. Contact Marine Patrol at (231) 922-2112 to report violators. For more boater safety information, please go to https://mymlsa.org.
Please be mindful and respectful of the many loons and other wildlife when on the lake. Many loons will have young with them, which are hard to see. Loon Watch’s general rule of thumb for good loon etiquette is to keep two hundred feet from loons and loon chicks. State and federal laws prohibit the disturbance and harassment of the loons and wildlife. There is a $1,000 fine for harassing a loon in Michigan. Report complaints to Traverse City DNR at (231) 922-5280 or Marine Patrol at (231) 922-2112. If this is not successful, contact the DNR REPORT ALL POACHING (RAP) line-800-292-7800 (CALL OR TEXT).
INVASIVE SPECIES [ZEBRA MUSSELS] | Rick Dahlstrom
Zebra and quagga mussels are in Long Lake!
Zebra Mussels
Zebra mussels are a well-known invasive species in the Great Lakes region. Together with their cousin the quagga mussel (which can grow a little larger and live in deeper waters, but looks the same), they have spread into inland waters and the Great Lakes since they arrived in Lake St. Clair.
2024 Update
Before 2020, we had very few findings of Zebra Mussels in Long Lake. Based on reports from LLA members, 2021 showed a significant increase in Zebra Mussel findings. Since then, reports from members indicate that the problem has worsened. The number of reports and the reported size of the colonies have increased. Larger colonies are problematic because they can cause injury due to their sharp-edged shells. The picture shown is an example of a colony that was found along the shoreline off Crescent Shores.
The LLA has researched treatment options to eliminate or control the growing numbers of zebra mussels. One treatment method uses a product named Zequanox. Experiments using Zequanox were conducted in Lake Michigan and in Round Lake near Petoskey. The tests proved ineffective and expensive. Currently, there is no effective remedy for Zebra Mussels.
Given that there is no magic remedy for eradicating Zebra Mussels, what can we do? The LLA suggests that as you come across them, cleanly remove them from their attachment and destroy them on dry land. Do not leave any part of the mussel body in the water. PLEASE educate friends, relatives, and renters who may be bringing boats onto the Lake to wash their boats and clean out ballast or bilge tanks before launching. Put the new boat washing station at Long Lake Township to good use! While Zebra Mussels have made it into our lakes, we can still prevent other invasive species from gaining access.
Thank you for all that you do to maintain the high quality of Long Lake.
FEMALES CAN PRODUCE A MILLION EGGS A YEAR!
In 2021 zebra mussels are again reproducing in Long Lake. Each female can produce a million eggs in a year. As you see in our lake they are often found attached to clamshells. If you see Zebra Mussels on rocks, clams, dock stands, or anything else, please immediately remove them from the lake. We should all stay vigilant while enjoying our time in the water.
Preserve our lakes future – Donate Now!
We are blessed to live in a spectacular watershed. But what does it take to maintain the health and beauty of this precious asset? It takes organizations dedicated to preserving the natural features and ensuring our enjoyment of this community long into the future. That is where the Long Lake Association and the Long Lake Foundation come in. These organizations have different functions but share the same goal–preserving the beauty of Long Lake and its watershed for years to come. Consider the two organizations to be a partnership working for the benefit of the environment and its members. Here is a closer look at the work each does:
LONG LAKE FOUNDATION
- As a 501c3 entity, LLF provides leadership and financial resources for projects and programs that enhance Long Lake and the Long Lake Watershed.
- LLF orchestrates the protection of the islands from fires and erosion
- Makes possible the Long Lake/NMC Freshwater Studies program that monitors water quality on Long,
Mickey, Ruth, Fern, and Page Lakes. - Works in concert with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy helping to make the Timbers
Recreation Area a reality. - The LLF has made significant contributions to the enhancement and enjoyment of the lake investing over
$7,500.00 annually on average over the last 3 years.
LONG LAKE ASSOCIATION
- As a 501c4 entity, LLA is the administrative arm of this partnership.
- Through committees, the LLA oversees communication with the membership, monitors community
affairs with the township, the news and information source, promoting community involvement. - LLA is the boots on the ground and muscle that targets; Lake Science, Community Affairs, Fishing and
Wildlife, Lake Management which includes the detection and management of invasive species and Water Safety. For example, we continue to treat Eurasian watermilfoil twice each year to improve the quality of the lakes for boating, etc. using advanced technology to limit the amount of chemical required to treat the lakes.
Both organizations are vital for the long-term health of Long Lake Watershed. To assure cohesiveness, a prescribed number of individuals sit on both boards.
As you plan your end of year giving, consider a tax-deductible contribution to the Long Lake Foundation. Your donation will help preserve the beauty of Long Lake for the next generation. As always, your contributions to the Long Lake Foundation are tax deductible under the 501c3 designation of the IRS code. These funds will go directly to the Long Lake Improvement Fund.
Thank you in advance for your generous donation.