Lake Independence Citizens Association

Fourth of July Flotilla Winners

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

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

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Ice Clean-up Day

Sunday, March 13

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Annual Members Meeting

Saturday, April 16

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Fishing Club Travel Trophy Kickoff

Saturday, May 14

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4th of July Flotilla

Monday, July 4 1:00 P.M.

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AIS Monitoring

July 26

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AIS Monitoring

August date TBD

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Octoberfest in September Picnic

Saturday, September 24th

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Fishing Club Travel Trophy Results

April 2023

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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:

https://lakepledge.com

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:

• Inability to fly

• Drooping head

• Swimming in circles

• Trouble standing upright

• Tremors

• 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.