I asked Rob what he thought about the effectiveness of copper sulfate and he gave it a moderate to low grade. He was hired on as the GLAâ€™s resident biologist in 1980 and has never stopped looking for ways to preserve the water quality of Glen Lake and discover new ways of dealing with SI through research. He has a wealth of information and is most helpful. While collecting this information on SI, I spent several hours interviewing Rob Karner. Snails are mobile and can move into treated areas within a few weeks, replacing the dead snails. The parasites drift with the currents and winds moving into untreated areas. Accumulates on the bottom and kills the snails, but also other unintended aquatic life.

Dilutes quickly and is only effective for approximately two hours. Can pose a significant threat to the aquatic environment. Accumulates in the lake sediment and in the living tissues of aquatic animals. The purpose of the copper sulfate was to kill the snail that was a key component in the life cycle of the parasite that causes SI. Copper Sulfate was the only option the GLA had for nearly four decades to control SI. Applications continued on and off in small targeted areaâ€™s until 2000.

For more information visit: I: Copper Sulfate Copper Sulfate was first applied in 1947 and ended in 1981 on a lake-wide basis. “When plants take up the running water, they also absorb the toxins before they go into the water,” U’Ren said. The single biggest action a property owner can take to improve the quality of water in the watershed is to plant a vegetative buffer along the stream or shoreline. Water quality can also be negatively impacted by septic systems and the introduction of invasive species. “This increases algae blooms which are not only a nuisance, but when they start to decay, decrease the dissolved oxygen in the water which is harmful to fish,” U’Ren said. “When there’s increased runoff (from roads, driveways and rooftops) it picks up all the pollutants along the way and they go into the watershed.” Fertilizing a lawn up to the water’s edge can degrade water quality, U’Ren said. “Any development along a lake or stream can degrade water quality,” said Sarah U’Ren, program director for The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay. Want clean water? In the meantime, what can we do to keep our water / watershed clean? Some guidance from The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay. Additional information on the watershed and land protection efforts to date can be found on the Leelanau Conservancy website.

The Glen Lake Association has been successful in obtaining CMI funds for their water quality monitoring program. These watershed plans outline best management practices to help maintain watershed health and have been used as a guide for lake associations and residents. The Conservancy has been a successful partner with these plans by protecting important upland recharge areas, wetlands and lake/stream frontage using Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI) funding.

The Glen Lake Watershed, the Lake Leelanau Watershed and the West Grand Traverse Bay Watershed have approved watershed plans. They are written to meet both the state (Department of Environmental Quality or DEQ) and Federal (Environmental Protection Agency) criteria in order to be eligible for various grants and funding resources related to water quality and watershed protection. These plans are a guide for watershed residents to help maintain and improve the health of their watershed.

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