Fourth of July Flotilla Winners

1st Place: Miracle on Indy (Ice), Becker and Perez Families

2nd Place: Top Gun, Roars Family

3rd Place: BBQ Picnic, Spears Family
Thanks to Dale Ortlip for volunteering to turn his pontoon into the Judgeship this year!
And thanks to all Carol and Bob Herdegen for heading up the judging. Passenger judges scored participants on creativity and participation in this years Flotilla.

Other creative boats in the parade!





2022 Calendar of Events
Party on the Ice
Saturday February 19
Ice Clean-up Day
Sunday, March 13
Annual Members Meeting
Saturday, April 16
Fishing Club Travel Trophy Kickoff
Saturday, May 14
4th of July Flotilla
Monday, July 4 1:00 P.M.
AIS Monitoring
July 26
AIS Monitoring
August date TBD
Octoberfest in September Picnic
Saturday, September 24th
Fishing Club Travel Trophy Results
April 2023
Take the Lake Pledge for Lake Independence!
We are excited to let you know about a new program from Hennepin County called Lake Pledge. The program is designed to educate people about aquatic invasive species (AIS). You will watch short videos featuring local property owners, choose to take a pledge to protect your lake and other Minnesota waters, then see how your lake compares to neighboring lakes. Discover how your daily activities may unintentionally introduce AIS to your lake. The process is easy, the are videos short, entertaining, and very informative.
AIS can cause irreparable damage to native fish and plant populations affecting lake recreation, human health, property values, and the economy. Learn how to protect your lake from AIS.
You can participate through your browser or download the app to your smart phone or tablet!
Link to Lake Pledge’s website:
Link to the iOS app:
https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/lake-pledge/id1610682226?uo=2
Link to the Android app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lakepledge.app
When everyone works together, AIS can be stopped! Thanks for taking the time to check out Lake Pledge and take the pledge to protect Lake Independence.

Lake Independence Pelican likely died of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

LICA Board Member and Loon Center Rescue contact Angela McLaughlin noticed a pelican at Baker Park was potentially not feeling well because it was not in a normal location (sitting beneath a tree, alone, head tucked oddly). It did perk up and open its wings when she approached, but she felt it must have been earlier on in its symptoms. “I’ve seen the virus move very quickly through birds, so in a matter of hours they can go from being lethargic to hanging their head, swinging their head in circles, and tremors/muscle spasms, to death,” said McLaughlin.
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center states that if you see a bird on the HPAI-affected list that’s acting abnormally, there’s a high likelihood of infection. The list keeps growing and changing as new species test positive, but raptors and waterfowl are the most impacted species so far. Since Lake Independence has a healthy eagle and waterfowl population, that’s something for us all to monitor. Though it’s an avian influenza, they have now found it in the red fox population, as well.
Individual birds may exhibit the following signs of illness:
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Inability to fly
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Drooping head
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Swimming in circles
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Trouble standing upright
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Tremors
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Loss of coordination
Other signs of HPAI include multiple dead birds in the same location and timeframe. There is no cure for HPAI.
If someone sees a bird acting abnormally, they should reach out to Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for advice at 651-486-9453. Leave a message and the call will be returned. WRC may also be contacted for orphaned and injured wildlife of other species.
If it’s a raptor, it should be taken to The Raptor Center on the U of M campus.
Deceased birds should be double-bagged and put in the trash or buried (away from the water). And they should be removed from the environment quickly. The DNR is NOT coming to collect dead birds, so it’s up to people to dispose of them. The DNR is asking that people call to report birds suspected of having or dying of HPAI. They should call 888-646-6367, get to the right person, and file a report.
This question has been going around a lot, but as of right now, songbirds are not affected.
Angela can be reached at Angela@lakeindependence.org. She is happy to answer questions.
An adult and juvenile Great Blue Heron relaxing on the back side of island

PHOTO CREDIT: Barbara Zadeh