Thank you to all of our 2020 Sponsors!   We have posted all the individual business cards under the new 2020 Sponsor tab for your viewing.   Let’s show our appreciation by utilizing their services!

Here is a list of all the business that have take out and/or delivery options during our COVID-19 Shut-Down.  Let’s help support these local business if you can!

To-Go Phone to Fork       

Osprey Nesting Platform Information

Osprey Nesting Platforms: There has been interest in adding Osprey nesting platforms to our lakes. Tom McCue has taken the lead and has provided the Association Board with research regarding adding these platforms. Jim & Patti Koza of Royer Lake and Terry Voss of Fish Lake have offered locations on their properties for placement. The Board has approved up to $400 in order to construct these platforms, and REMC will supply the poles, labor and photo equipment. Be sure to visit our Facebook page and website to stay updated as the project proceeds.

Lake Structures – Aquatic Vegetation Control Laws

Lake Structures – Report Data Collected by the Fisheries Biologists

Lake Structures – Royer-Fish Acoustic Images-Maps

LAKE STRUCTURES & WEED / PLANT COMMUNITY:

Please don’t kill our lake weeds. Our lakes need our plant community to sustain fish population. The Indiana DNR and the Fawn River Hatchery have notified us they are suspending all weed control permits until further notice.

After speaking with a fisheries biologist at the Fawn River Hatchery about our lakes ecology we have learned a lot about our lakes. Unfortunately, we do not have much structure left in our lakes. Why are lake structures so important? They increase not only Oxygen Levels but Fish Cover as well. Predator fish depend on the structures to ambush their prey. Forms of natural fish structures we should have in our lakes are fallen trees, rocks, beaver lodges and weeds. It was noted during the last survey that both Fish and Royer Lakes do not have sufficient weed growth to sustain a healthy fish environment. Weeds are our most important form of structure; they provide the oxygen and cover needed for our fish to survive.

We will be meeting with a biologist this spring. He will be informing us about how to improve our lakes ecology by protecting our lakes weeds and natural habitat, and will help us map locations for new lake structure placements. The forms of new structures will consist of brush piles, logs and possible rock piles. Once we have mapped out where to add the new structures, we will obtain a permit from the state for the placement.

To view the Report of Data Collected by the Fisheries Biologists, the Aquatic Vegetation Control Laws, and the Acoustic Imaging Maps from 2013 and 2019 visually showing the declined plant community, please visit our website fishandroyerlakes.com. Lake structures and weed/plant control will be a topic of discussion at our Annual General Meeting in June. – Erik Pearson, President

Notice to all Fish and Royer lake residents
The Indiana DNR and the Fawn River Hatchery have notified us they are suspending all weed control permits until further notice.
It was noted during the DNR’s last survey, Fish and Royer lakes do not have sufficient weed growth to sustain the oxygen levels needed for a healthy fish environment. Oxygen levels considerably drop at the 11’  level.
They are currently composing a letter which will explain in detail the
need for greater weed growth on both lakes. They will also meet with us this Spring to discuss adding fish structure to our lakes.
They are asking us to report any illegal weed control being performed on our lakes. There should be none.
The newsletter is scheduled for distribution at the end of this month.
It will contain more information about fish stocking, and this year’s
upcoming events.

We have scheduled the next cleanup day listed above.

Volunteers, we need your help in accomplishing this project to bring new funds into our fish stocking account. Please try to help out.

Thanks

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDNR/bulletins/279d4f6

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/INDNR/bulletins/278c542

Let’s Share Some Holiday Spirit! Candy & Jeff Slabaugh are wonderful folks who live at on Fish Lake, on the road beside Maplewood Nature Center. They love to help others, and contribute so much to so many people. Jeff’s even a new lake association board member! Like many of us, it is hard to suddenly find ourselves in the humbling position of needing help. And so, we get the gift of taking turns supporting each other!

This last Wednesday, Candy had a second foot surgery. She will be recovering for about four months, non-weight-bearing. She is on disability from teaching her precious Montessori toddlers, but not receiving any disability income.

Would you like to offer support through Meal Train or Day of Caring?

1) MEAL TRAIN:
Click on (go to) the following link for Meal Train. Click on the Calendar tab to provide a meal, there’s no food allergies and not picky eaters, just glad for the help. Click on the Donations Tab to make a donation contribution. Every little effort means a lot! From meals to donations, from rides to doctors appointments to errands, from household tasks to letting the dogs out. If you can, please offer your time!

Meal Train for Candy Slabaugh
https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/lmroem 

2) DAY OF CARING:
Saturday December 28, 8:00 am -12:00 pm.
Have fun volunteering with lake friends to build a deck & ramp to make Candy & Jeff’s house accessible! Thanks to Habitat for Humanity and Council on Aging, we will have pre-assembled component parts of platforms and ramps to join together. Habitat director John Sesson will be supervising the installation. Come out and enjoy good company and food to keep your energy up!

Please call Heidi Rupley at (574)-612-4039 to volunteer for our Day of Caring and/or contribute some food for that morning. Heidi will provide the Slabaugh’s address when you call. – Click on the Meal Train link to provide a meal or other donation.

Thank you for your spirit of caring, coming together during this holiday season to care for our lake friends Candy & Jeff!

Sincerely,
Heidi Rupley (Jennifer Walker)

https://www.wthr.com/article/annual-christmas-tree-sale-supports-indiana-school-blind-and-visually-impaired