Magician Lake Marine Patrol Statistics
According
to the CassCounty Sheriff's Marine Patrol Division, Magician Lake had
88 hours of patrol, 422 contacts, 39 tickets, 93 warnings, and 10
complaints
in 2006. The point of contact for the Marine Division is Sgt.
Philip Esarey Office (269)445-1225, Cell (269)506-1028, E-Mail
PhilE@CassCo.org. Also check here for the 2008 Boater Safety Class schedule.
Also, the additional hours we purchased were used as follows:
Cass County Sheriff’s Office
Magician Lake Contract
Friday 8-3-07 4p to 7p 3hrs
6 contacts 0 tickets 2 warnings
Saturday 8-4-07 12p to 3p 3hrs
13 contacts 4 tickets 1 warned
1. Expired Registration
2. Short 2 PFD’s
3. 100 foot violation
4. Violation of 15 day permit
Sunday 8-12-07 12p to 4p 4hrs
14 contacts 1 ticket 0 warned\
1. Reckless operation
Saturday 8-18-07 12p to 3p 3hrs
7 contacts 0 tickets 0 warned
Saturday 8-25-07 5p to 7p 2hrs
4 contacts 1 ticket 1 warned
1. No Paper Registration
Saturday 9-1-07 1p to 4p 3hrs
13 contacts 1 ticket 1 warned
1. No BSC (Boater Safety Certificate)
Sunday 9-2-07 3p to 7p 4hrs
20 contacts 4 tickets 0 warned
1. 100 foot violation
2. 100 foot violation
3. No BSC
4. 100 foot violation
Monday 9-3-07 3p to 6p 3hrs
7 contacts 2 tickets 1 warned
1. No BSC
2. No registration numbers on vessel
Back to top
News of Local Interest
Fish Virus
VHS (Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia) a
virus affecting mostly walleye and yellow perch in inland lakes like
ours first appeared in Michigan in game fish in Lakes Huron, Erie and
St Clair. The symptoms include: red lesions on the skin behind
the gills, multiple hemorrhages in the intestines. Please
don’t release these fish and do report findings to
http://www.mighigan.gov.dnr Egg stations are being disinfected at
local hatcheries. We will not receive any walleye fingerlings this
year. It is important that your bait be from virus free sources; try to
find such a source and tell your guests. Please do not empty bait
or containers into the lake or on the ground around the lake,
especially minnows. All bait is to be suspect. Do not
transfer fish from lake to lake and do not rinse buckets or empty live
wells that have been used to store fish from another lake in
Magician.
Back to top of article
Back to top
Foam
The following is a letter we received
regarding the foam seen on Portage lake that will shed some information
on the foam we see on ours
Good Afternoon,
A number of individuals have recently voiced concern about seeing foam
on Portage Lake. In response to those concerns, we have
researched the suspected cause of the foam.
Several Portage Lake Watershed Forever Technical Advisors and local
residents have indicated that the foam is a result of natural
causes. Foam on lakes most often occurs when aquatic plants die
off and release oils that are turned into foam by wind and wave
action. All of these conditions are currently present on Portage
Lake.
Please refer to this link from the Michigan Department of Environmental
Quality below for more information about how foam naturally occurs on
lakes and streams.
http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-ead-tas-foam.pdf. I have also attached the fact sheet directly to this message.
Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.
Thank you for your continued interest in the health of the Portage Lake Watershed!
Regards,
Laura Heintzelman
Plan Coordinator
Portage Lake Watershed Forever
Back to top of article
Back to top
SLVFD's rapid response saved our burning
home
Thursday,
February 7, 2008 11:05 AM EST
To the editor:0f the Dowagiac Daily News
This letter is being written to publicly thank the
Sister Lakes Volunteer Fire Department. On Jan. 12, we were victims of a
house fire. The "lightning-fast" response of the entire team saved our
home from destruction. From the moment they arrived on the scene, their
primary concerns were for our safety (and the safety of our pets) and the saving
of our home and personal belongings. They accomplished both.
As a
result of the extreme care they took in the handling of our personal belongings,
very little was damaged that cannot be replaced. They even carried our new living room furniture out
to the garage along with pictures and other valuables.
One of the
firefighters even took the time to help us find and remove one of our
cats.
We were amazed at the caring and compassion of the entire
department during such an emergency situation. They are not only trained
professionals, they are outstanding human beings who truly care about
people.
The Sister Lakes community is very fortunate to have the Sister
Lakes Volunteer Fire Department to serve and protect them. Not enough
credit is given to our brave men and women who volunteer their time to serve
their community.
Our eyes have been opened to their dedication to this
dangerous job. Our small communities would be alone and helpless during
emergencies without their service.
Words alone cannot express our
gratitude to the entire Sister Lakes Volunteer Fire Department.
God bless
you all!
Dick and Judy Swisher
Sister Lakes
Back to top of article
Back to top
Updates on Crooked Lakes Augmentation
The
following is an excerpt from an email from our President Charlotte Pool
concerning the augmentation project.
"In a certified letter from the DEQ dated December 14, 2007, the lake
augmentation application submitted by Big and Little Crooked Lakes has been
denied.
Based on several reasons it was determined that this petition has been
reviewed and found that existing and potential adverse environmental effects
would result. The DEQ finds that the following "adverse impacts to the public
trust, riparian rights, and the environment are not minimal, while feasible and
prudent alternatives are available. "
Basically the DEQ had answers to all of the complaints and perceived
problems submitted by the augmentation application.
So despite the error that was made regarding our original thoughts on the
denial, in the end, the petition was turned down in December and not November.
However, they do have the right to appeal this decision by filing a
petition for a formal administrative hearing 60 days from the date of this
denial (February 14, 2008)" To read the rejection letter click here.
Read an article about water management on this link.
Back to top
Cass: Protect Great Lakes water from
diversion
Monday, April 21,
2008 10:40 AM EDT
CASSOPOLIS - Cass County commissioners adopted a
resolution April 17 for the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact to guard against
diversion.
"This risk is increasing as water shortages become
more acute and the parties that oppose ceding control of the waters of the (St.
Lawrence River) Basin to the Great Lakes states and provinces become more
powerful," states Resolution 52 of 2008 offered by Commissioner Debbie Johnson,
D-Niles.
"This resource can only be protected by joint agreement and
action by the eight states, including Michigan, and the two Canadian provinces
that are wholly or partially within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River
Basin."
The compact will require congressional approval and a treaty with
Canada.
Nearly identical bills required to implement the
compact have already been introduced in Michigan's House and Senate.
"Be
it resolved that the Cass County Board of Commissioners urges the Legislature,
in the strongest possible terms, to ratify the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River
Basin Water Resources Compact without further delay."
Back to top of the article
Back to top
Cooperative
Lakes
Monitoring
Program