Here are two letters to the Benzie Record Patriot in plain text for local archive, with links to the letters at the BRP site. Dan Kelly corrects CLWA President Dave Wynn's factual errors, (noted with •) and then Dave Wynn's full letter. Why does the CLWA consistently misrepresent the science and their conversations with experts?
Kelly: Concerned about Eurasian Water Milfoil treatment issues
Letter to the Editor
Aug. 11, 2021
TO THE EDITOR:
In his July 19 letter to the Record Patriot, Crystal Lake and Watershed Association President Dave Wynne suggested the CLWA has the “real facts”. I'm not sure what real facts are, but CLWA's record on standard issue facts is terrible.
According to CLWA, poisoning Crystal Lake is supposed to prevent Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) from hybridizing — becoming resistant to herbicide. But there's ample evidence that repeated herbicide application causes hybridization.
Diver Assisted Scuba Harvesting (DASH) is an alternative to poison that CLWA has consistently disparaged.
• DASH is cost prohibitive — false
A single herbicide application followed up by DASH is the protocol recommended by Michigan's EGLE, according to a DASH contractor. One application of herbicide plus DASH on Crystal Lake would have cost about $40,000. That's $10,000 less than CLWA gave to Beulah's stormwater project.
In July, CLWA did a second herbicide application a month ahead of their announced schedule. Why the big rush? DASH is not scheduled this year or for 2022.
The terrible health cost of 2,4-D, specifically for the developing endocrine system (hormones) of kids was ignored by CLWA.
• Herbicide is required before DASH — false
Dave Wynne stated the DASH contractor Mike Smith said herbicide needed to be applied before DASH. Mike's response when I called to check was "I never said that.” DASH can remove EWM without any herbicide.
• Beulah waterfront closed by DASH — false
Dave Wynne wrote on July 19, "The CLWA rejected the use of DASH treatment … Beulah waterfront ... would have to be closed to public use for several weeks in the summer. ..."
DASH could start in May and finish in June, before the water warms up. The DASH boat would be flagged for scuba divers, which means other boats would have to stay 75 feet away. The lake bottom might be stirred up by the divers. Other than that, zero interruption of boating, fishing and swimming.
Wynne: Offers information about group's initiatives
The CLWA rejected the use of DASH treatment for numerous reasons in the best interests of the lake, including the fact that the Beulah waterfront and other locations would have to be closed to public use for several weeks in the summer while this operation was taking place.
Mr. Kelly's assertion that "legacy environmental challenges are not being addressed" is rather puzzling, in view of the fact that his list of needed initiatives (Cold Creek remediation, discouraging riparian lawns, septic system maintenance) exactly describes the CLWA's current overall program to protect Crystal Lake.
In fact, the June 5 issue of the Record Patriot contained an article by Colin Merry, "Beulah awarded $500K to prevent E. coli outbreaks," naming the CLWA as a partner in this project with the Village of Beulah and the Benzie Conservation District "to reduce urban pollutant loads and stormwater that are having an impact on Cold Creek and Crystal Lake in an effort to reduce E. coli and nutrient rich sediment while preserving the cold-water fishery."
The CLWA is pledged to contribute $50,000 in matching funds for this project. The CLWA produced a flyer promoting septic system maintenance that was included with Crystal Lake township summer tax bills, and provided reminders that appeared in other watershed township newsletters.
The 2016-2018 lake survey mentioned documented a total of 6.1 acres of infestation, mostly concentrated In the eastern end. The lake was resurveyed in 2020-2021 and the untreated infestation had grown to 7.1 acres, now found in all areas of the lake. The entire treatment project was authorized under a permit issued by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE, formerly DEQ) and applied by a certified contractor licensed by the State of Michigan.