Lake Pro gives millpond update

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In the summer of 2010, mill po...

HOLLY, Michigan – While Eurasian milfoil was to blame for previous weedy conditions in Holly’s millpond, Paul Dominick, a representative of Lake Pro, Inc. informed council members that it’s now an overgrowth of native plants that is contributing to the stagnant conditions of the nearly 15-acre pond.

Last month, Hadley Street resident Jim Clark spoke out against millpond conditions, accusing village management and the Department of Public Works for contributing to the problem by opening the millpond’s dam too soon after the initial chemical treatment had been administered in May.

Village management took immediate action following Clark’s complaint, asking Lake Pro, Inc. to return to the millpond for an assessment of the conditions. While millpond residents were expecting a second chemical treatment to occur on July 22, Lake Pro, Inc. opted to apply chemicals 6 days early, treating the pond once again on July 16.

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Paul Dominick

During the July 27 Village Council meeting, Dominick drew a diagram and explained the past, present and future of the millpond regarding weed control.

“The bottom line is we’ve been treating about 14.7 acres of the mill pond – we don’t treat the whole thing,” he said. “We leave the section of Rose Township alone even though there is flow coming in.”

In the past, Dominick said the main goal was to treat the “target species,” Eurasian milfoil. “That’s been the target species for years – since we came in after the harvester.”

Dominick said Eurasian milfoil had always been the dominant plant species up until a couple years ago. “For the last couple years, things are changing,” he said. “We are getting control of the milfoil in a lot of areas and allowing other plants to grow.”

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Chara is a form of algae that ...

Dominick said a specific form of algae, Chara, is now causing problems along the perimeter of the pond. “What people are starting to notice, especially around the edge is this green looking form of a plant which is called Chara algae – it grows up from the bottom and gets really thick and lays on the surface.”  Dominick said Chara is fast-growing and thrives on the nutrients in the pond.

While Dominick said algaecide can be used to control the Chara, it general grows back quickly. “You can do a couple of treatments – it will reduce it, but it will be back up within a couple weeks.”

To date, Lake Pro, Inc. has been using a two-application process for treating the Eurasian milfoil – dropping contact herbicides on the target plants in early summer, and returning a couple months later to apply another round.

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The native plant species "coon...

With an approximate average depth of 5-feet, Dominick said the millpond is still about 70 percent milfoil, but that other native plants like Coontail and Northern milfoil are beginning to grow and become a problem.

“The contact herbicides we use for invasives like the Eurasian milfoil don’t affect the native plants – they don’t harm them,” he said.

Dominick said a systemic treatment, or a treatment in which the herbicide kills the plant back to the root may be in order.

Currently, the millpond special assessment pays Lake Pro, Inc. approximately $8,000 in treatments and permitting fees to control invasive weed species. An additional systemic treatment that would treat all the plants could cost as much as $400 more per acre, Dominick said.

“Are you suggesting another $6,000 treatment?” Village President Pete Clemens asked.

“No, not at all – not at all,” Dominick said. “We’re going to come back and survey the millpond after these plants die in a few weeks to see what’s really going on.” Dominick said Lake Pro, Inc. would then revisit the matter with village officials as to what the next step may be.

“It might be good for the future to do herbicide treatments, but also if possible, do one harvesting treatment,” he said. “So you can cut some of the good natives – keep them, but keep them low to help control the invasives – that would probably be the best plan.”