LOFA, Inc.
The Lake Of The Falls Association is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of nature.
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Contact us at lofassociation@gmail.com
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Upcoming events
The spring LOFA board meeting is coming up this Sunday, May 29 at 10:00 at Beavers Resort on Lake of the Falls Road. Everyone is welcome to attend! Bring your questions and concerns and get to know some of your neighbors around the lake.
Remember that Rice Lake’s Great Weed Pull is scheduled for 9 days between May 31 and June 7. Keeping the invasive Curly Leaf Pondweed contained upriver is a vital step in preventing its spread down the chain and into Lake of the Falls. Volunteers are still needed, so if you have a free day and want to do something pretty great for everyone on the Turtle River chain, follow this link to the Rice Lake Association’s website and sign up!
And Zach Wilson of the Iron County Department of Land and Water Conservation is leading river trips on the Turtle River the week of June 12-16 to identify and remove CLP growing between Pike Lake and Rice. Canoes, paddles and related supplies will be provided, so all we need are some willing paddlers. We’ve created a new Google Group to help coordinate this effort; anyone interested in joining can send an email to TurtleRiverVolunteers@gmail.com.
Finally, please have a look at this new page on our website, full of information about protecting our lake and preserving its wonderfullness for future generations. Feedback is welcome – send your comments to lofassociation@gmail.com.
The 2023 newsletter is here!
The Summer 2023 Newsletter (click here to read it) has a larger format because there was so much to say! Read about our latest efforts to control invasive species upriver, news about the upcoming Directed Lakes Survey project with the Wisconsin DNR, and get the dates for this year’s board meetings and the Annual Meeting and Picnic. And watch this website for a new page, coming soon, which will offer lots of suggestions for ways we can defend Lake of the Falls in the face of the new challenges we face, and keep it just as beautiful for future generations as it is right now.
Thinking about spring
. . .and wondering how long it will be before we can get out there and pull some more pondweed! Many of us received this letter from Bob Kary of the Rice Lake Association reminding us that help will be needed again in 2023 in the ongoing battle against Curly Leaf Pondweed and other aquatic invasives in the Turtle River watershed. It’s not too early to think about how we can get involved in the effort.
Your LOFA board of directors has been talking to some nice folks at the Wisconsin DNR about other steps we can take to ensure the health of Lake of the Falls going forward. We’ve got some plans in the works and will be releasing details once everything’s firmed up. So stay tuned, and in the meantime, enjoy the snow!
More shoreline gardening! With native plants!
The best thing we can do to keep our lake in good condition is to take care of our shorelines. The Iron County Land and Water Conservation Department’s Native Plant Sale, now in its 30th year, is a great opportunity to add interest to your landscape with plants that are good for our lake! You can find the brochure here, on their website at https://www.ironcountylwcd.com (click on programs, then click on the native plant sale tile), or call their office at 715-561-2234 to get a brochure mailed to you. The deadline for ordering is February 24. Kick those winter blues with some GREEN!
And remember, the Conservation Department is always available to assist landowners with habitat restorations, shoreline stabilization, tree drops, and more. These projects are eligible for their cost-share program. For more information call the office and talk to Heather Palmquist – she’s always happy to help!
Shoreline gardening with native plants, revisited
For those who missed it, here is a link to the recording of the December 14 webinar presented by the Citizens Lake Monitoring Network on shoreline gardening. Most problems occurring in a lake are caused by surface runoff from developed properties on the shore. We see erosion, more sediment on the lake bottom, changes in water quality, and loss of habitat for all kinds of wildlife. Rain gardens and shoreline restoration with native plants are the best way to prevent these problems and keep our lake healthy for the future. The section on creating a rain garden starts two and a half minutes into the presentation, and the section on shoreline edge gardening begins at about 31 minutes in. The video takes about an hour to watch, and is well worth the time. Take a look!
Shoreline Gardening with Native Plants
The Citizens Lake Monitoring Network has announced their 2022-23 Winter Water Talks online webinar series, and it starts on Tuesday, December 14 with a subject dear to all of our hearts, Shoreline Gardening with Native Plants. Taking good care of our shoreline is the very best thing we can all do to protect Lake of the Falls in the long run. So sign up and learn all about it! Registration is required and can be found at this link. Hope to “see” you at the webinar!
Our website is migrating to a new server starting 11/13 and may not be available for a few hours in the next couple of days. It’ll be back, though!