This message includes a great deal of important information, so please be sure to read it in its entirety.
Association Dues for 2024 are $20
The annual dues amount has stayed the same for many years. To cover the cost of our HC-COLA (Hubbard County Coalition of Lake Associations) fees, stay on top of Curly-Leaf Pondweed control, and allow us to do more as an association, we plan to increase the amount to $30 in 2025.
This year's dues should be paid by May 15.
Please write checks to Portage Lake Improvement Association and mail to:
Amy Aasen, PLIA President
20575 US 71
Park Rapids, MN 56470
Interest in Privately-Funded Walleye Stocking
One of our residents brought forward the idea of looking into private walleye stocking. This would supplement the work of our local DNR Fisheries. I have had a few conversations with Wade Massure at the Park Rapids Fisheries - and he confirmed that they would be willing to approve our request to do so. The next step is to work with the regional office in Bemidji to identify possible vendors. At that time, we would be able to get a cost estimate from an approved vendor. The first required form will be submitted to the Bemidji office this week. If anyone is interested in being part of a working group/task force for this cause, please contact me by Monday, Feb. 26.
AIS Monitoring and Treatment
As I have shared in previous messages, the association did not treat any open water for Curly Leaf Pondweed (CLP) in 2023. We contracted with PLM to complete a survey in 2023 and will do so again in 2024. In June 2023, they reported that the area they found was small and that they noticed that the CLP presence was down in other infested lakes as well. It’s possible the severe winter and late spring contributed to CLP not thriving as much as it had in years past. It will be interesting to see what they find this June after a winter that was very much the opposite of last.
Private/Resident AIS/Weed Treatment
If you have previously contracted PLM for treatment of your shoreline area, you should have received your 2024 contract from them by now. If you have not had a PLM contract recently and are interested in their services, you can call them at 866-687-5253 or visit the website: https://plmcorp.net/
Doing More in 2024!
The executive committee is committed to building a more connected Portage Lake Community and has identified a few new events to try this year. In addition to our off-season monthly social gatherings, we have planned some new summer events as well. We plan to try a monthly “Meet in the Middle” event where we gather in the middle of the lake to hang out and share a snack or two. The first one will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12. More details will be shared as we get closer to the event. Another June event will be our Summer Solstice Shindig on Friday, June 21. We don’t have a lot of details around this one yet, but we envision it to be somewhat like a progressive dinner, but by boat/pontoon. If anyone is interested in helping plan these kinds of events, we would welcome your involvement, so please let me know.
Annual Meeting and Potluck: 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24We felt it important to get this date identified early so people can add it to their calendars. The annual meeting is a great time to engage with other members on topics that are important to the well-being of our lake and its residents. We’ll start at 5 p.m. with a potluck, followed by a guest speaker and then the official meeting.
Stay Connected - New Website
Be sure to bookmark the new Portage Lake Association website: http://www.portagelakemn.com It’s a bit of a work in progress, so your feedback and ideas are welcome. Key features include a calendar of events and an archive of monthly updates.
Thanks to you all for your commitment to Portage Lake and its residents.
As always, reach out if you have any questions.
Looking forward to an early spring and a wonderful summer!
Amy Aasen, President
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