top of page

Recap of membership survey

by Craig Olson

In the first of what are expected to be an ongoing series of surveys to communicate with and hear from you, our membership and community. Who took the survey and what did they say?

 

An active sub group of members are the primary respondents of the initial survey. 85% are long term members with 4 or more years of membership in LICA compared with 55% of current LICA members. About half are current or past board members. Respondents represent about a third of our current membership.

 

The annual meeting was the most frequently attended activity followed by the 4th of July Flotilla. Over 90% say they plan to renew their membership. Over 80% indicated they are familiar with LICA’s mission statement.

​

Most respondents are interested in LICA working on water quality including controlling zebra mussels, invasive aquatic plants & weeds, wakes from boats, and teenagers. Other priorities mentioned include shoreline protection, fish stocking, social activities, member education, reducing the nutrient load into the lake, and funding an alum treatment.

 

Allowing multiple individuals within a household to respond allowed us to hear from any of the adults within a household that wanted to respond.However, we didn’t track the actual number of households responding to the survey. There are an about 110 lakeshore households on Lake Independence. There are about 73 current members of LICA.

LICA Annual Meeting Recap

LICA held its 2022 Annual Meeting at Camp Ihduhapi on Saturday, April 16th. Dan Kellander, Property Manager at Ihduhapi, and LICA board member, was a wonderful host. He provided regular and decaf coffee, three flavors of ice cream, and M& M ice cream sandwiches. Tom Blanck also provided delicious hot chocolate.

 

LICA general business was conducted and among other things, a motion was passed to amend LICA Bylaws to read that board members served for two years not three years. LICA member Bob Franklin conducted the board member elections. Three board members were re-elected for another term, Dan Kellander, Angie McLaughlin, and Randy Cole. Three board members stepped down from the board, on behalf of all LICA members Bob thanked Craig Olson, Mike Garwood and Mac Smith for their service. New candidates Carol Herdegen and Dale Ortip were elected to fill two of the three positions open.

 

Speaker Brian Vlach, Three Rivers Park District (3R), Senior Manager Water Resources, gave a wonderful overview of his work that included updating the Independence Total Maximum Daily Load report (TMDL), aquatic plant surveys and management, and zebra mussel update. There was great interest and after his presentation  and he answered many questions. When asked if members who were using zebra monitoring plates should continue to use them, Brian said yes. He suspects that the zebra mussel population could crash as it did in other lakes, and it would be good to know if it correlates with water chemistry changes. Pioneer Sara Creek Watershed Commission (PSCWC) pays 3R to do bi-weekly testing of five lakes including Independence, Ardmore, Halfmoon, and Spurzem.

​

Fun on the Ice

by Angela McLaughlin

The middle of winter may have you dreaming of the warm summer sun and boating on the lake, but it doesn’t have to be dreary. There are plenty of activities to keep you active and happy all winter long. And Lake Independence is a great place to recreate in the winter.

 

Walk the Lake

Get your boots on and hit the water, errr…, ice! Enjoy a nice walk on the lake while it is fully frozen. Be sure to wait until the ice is thick enough to support weight. The MN DNR recommends at least 4 inches of solid ice. For extra grip, add traction devices to the bottoms of your boots and/or grab some hiking poles to help prevent slipping. 

 

Ice Skating 

There comes a perfect time of year when the ice on the lake is thick but we haven’t had much snowfall. And if this winter is one of those perfect years, that means a lot of space for ice skating. Some homeowners with lakeshore property will even clear a patch just for skating. 

 

Skiing 

Cross-country skiing is a great aerobic activity that keeps you active during the cold winter months. Don’t have your own skis? That’s OK! Three Rivers Park District rents ski gear at the Baker National Golf Course, which also offers groomed ski trails. 

 

Ice Fishing

Ice fishing is a favorite pastime in winter. Whether you have an ice house or just a comfortable camp chair you can plop on the ice, ice fishing is a great way to pass the time. There are several “hot spots” around the lake that are popular for winter fishing. *Hint: look for the clusters of ice houses!

 

Have another idea for winter fun? Share it with us at info@lakeindependence.org or on our Facebook page.

This swan family saying good bye to the Lake the day before the snow fell.
IMG_2864.jpeg

PHOTO CREDIT: Barbara Zadeh

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

​

AIS Monitoring

June date TBD

​

4th of July Flotilla

Sunday, July 4 1:00 P.M.

​

AIS Monitoring

August date TBD

​

Octoberfest in September Picnic

Saturday, September 24th

​

Fishing Club Travel Trophy Results

April 2023

​

Zebra Mussels - Fall 2021

This summer we have seen the largest infestation in one place when board member Mac Smith overturned his paddle boat in the end of August and found a large number of zebra mussels.

image_67226625_edited.png
image_67219713.JPG

If you find zebra mussels please snap a picture and send details to us at info@lakeindependence.org.

65265323987__E5B063E7-A872-4F7E-A85F-C1601ED29D25.jpg

Hennepin County Sheriff's office issues warning about poor ice conditions

After Tuesday's (Feb 14) warm temps and all-day rain, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office has issued a warning about lake ice conditions. The Sheriff's Office says "local ice conditions are bad and getting worse."

Due to this years poor ice formation, double the inches indicated below:

ice_thickness_banner.png

Education

Outside Expertise

  • Guest Speakers

  • Webinars

  • Board to attend education events

    • MAISRC, State of Water, etc;​

Content Development & Management

  • Articles for Website

  • Information Distribution

  • Newsletters

Advocacy

Water Quality

  • Shoreline Restoration

  • Channel Dredging

  • Lake Vegetation Management Plan

  • Carp Study

Volunteering & Partnerships

  • Lake Levels

  • Secchi Disk Readings

  • AIS Monitoring

  • Pioneer Sarah Watershed Commission

  • Camp Ihduhapi

  • Three Rivers Parks

Community

Membership

  • Guest Speakers

  • Webinars

  • Board to attend education events

    • MAISRC, State of Water, etc;​

Social Events

  • Annual Members Meeting

  • Seasonal Parties

  • 4th of July Flotilla

  • Fishing Legue

For more information about why salt is bad for our lakes, streams and rivers on our Chloride page

Current Project Objectives

  • LICA volunteers Pat and Dick Wulff will continue to monitor and record the MN DNR lake level gage readings daily. Readings will be reported to MN DNR and posted on website weekly or when a large rain event occurs.

  • LICA volunteers Kim and Jim Klancke will continue to participate in the MPCA Citizens Lake Monitoring Program, and report the ice on and off dates. 

  • LICA will clear Pioneer Creek as needed to maintain open channel outflow.

  • Develop a Lake Vegetation Management Plan.

  • Participate in the Hennepin County AIS Early Detectors Program

  • Ongoing communication with all Lake stakeholders, including Three Rivers Parks, the DNR, the Lake Sarah-Pioneer Creek Management Commission, the Lake Ardmore Residents Association,  Hennepin County and the cities of Medina and Independence.

  • Organize and participate in annual events, including the Winter Party on Ice, Annual Meeting, Fishing Seminar, 4th of July Flotilla, and Medina Celebration Day.

  • Continue efforts to recruit new members

  • Continue expanding our website and adding fresh content.

bottom of page