Portage Lake 2022 Management Plan is Underway

The Portage Lake 2022 Management plan for invasive plant species is underway!  Surveys have been started and will continue for a couple of weeks.  Treatment programs will be recommended by our contracted Lake Manager from PLM and reviewed by the Onekama Invasive Species Committee and recommended to the Township Board.

The annual hotspot in Portage Lake for aquatic invasive plants is at Onekama Marine and Easy Street and this is the area for the first chemical treatment.  The treatment will be for two nonnative, invasive plants, Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) and Curlyleaf pondweed (CLP). Both of these species outcompete native plants and can form a monoculture within the waterbody. The Easy Street canal is very shallow and tends have accelerated growth compared to the rest of the lake and is therefore surveyed earlier and managed on a different schedule from the main lake. The Marina, which has a lot of boat traffic, tends to have greater growth than the rest of the lake as well. Further, as boats are vectors for moving EWM around the lake through fragmentation, it is a priority spot for management

PLM found that they are both ready for treatment and they have attached a treatment map and posting sign. Only the areas treated would be posted. The total is 6.5 acres and the cost is ~$3,250.00 using Flumioxazin which works well on both species. See the map and the treatment sign that will be used around the treatment area

Treatment will be this coming Thursday, weather permitting