1. Any winter lake user should use extreme caution when in the vicinity of the floating pipeline, located roughly between Wickline Islands on the east and the Highland Shores beach on the west. Winter lake users are also reminded of the presence of the rip-rap “collars” around Wickline Island and O’Brien Shoals.

2. Our variable weather this winter also means lake users must use extreme caution on the ice during warmer temperatures.

3. The Wonder Lake Sportsman’s Club (WLSC) conducted a clearing project of Fireworks Island on January 12th, as detailed in the report on the following page. Another island workday is scheduled for Saturday, February 17th at 9 am. If safe ice conditions prevent working on the island, brush clearing work will instead be performed at the Merchant Creek property owned by the Nippersink Watershed Association (NWA). Check both the WLSC and NWA Facebook sites for final information. Volunteers will (as always) be welcome.

4. On January 20th, the Nippersink Watershed Association conducted a workday, clearing invasive brush from a portion of the Merchant Creek stream corridor. This volunteer work is being done in advance of an upcoming IEPA Section 319 funded stream stabilization project to help minimize the significant amounts of sediment that this parcel has delivered to Wonder Lake over the past decades.

5. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is planning to conduct a fish survey of Wonder Lake in the Spring of 2018. The last fish survey was conducted in 2011, and included the following summary:

Overall, there is a diverse fishery in Wonder Lake. Opportunities for memorable catches of largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye and black crappie exist. Continued stocking and monitoring of this fishery will maintain a great place to fish for the residents of Wonder Lake.

6. The MPOA has renewed the contract with the US Geological Survey for the operation of the stream monitoring gage at Thompson Road. The cost of operating this gage is split between the MPOA and McHenry County, as it provides valuable information to both entities. Real time precipitation, stream discharge, and stream stage information can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/y8vezzhl

7. The Illinois Lakes Management Association is hosting its 33rd annual conference at the Parke Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington, Illinois from March 22nd to March 23th (with workshops held on the 24th). Registration information is available at https://ilma-lakes.org/conference-registration

8. On March 23rd, I will be attending the 6th Annual Fox River summit in Burlington, Wisconsin. While the focus is on the Fox River, many of the topics being discussed have direct connections to issues facing Nippersink Creek and Wonder Lake, including: • Urban Leaf Management and Phosphorus Loading in Local Waterways • Chloride Impact Study for the Southeastern Wisconsin Region • Waukesha County Aquatic Invasive Species Strategic Plan Registration Information is available at: https://www.southeastfoxriver.org/river-breakdown

Island Restoration Committee Report for February 14, 2018 MPOA meeting
Mark Nichols – Chairman, Committee members Tony Musel, Dennis Gallo, Ken Shaleen
WEST BAY ISLAND RESTORATION

On January 13, 2018 the Island Restoration Committee started work on Fireworks Island in West Bay. Email notification of the work day was sent to the Ski Team, Boy Scouts, Nippersink Watershed Association (NWA), Explorers and MPOA email list. The work day was listed on the WLSC and NWA Facebook pages. Nineteen (19) Sportsman Club members, including Six (6) members of the Woodstock High School Fishing Team, and Five (5) other community members worked to remove the invasive plants. Work started at 8 am and was completed about 1 pm with lunch served. Approximately 70% of the island was cleared of undesired shrubs and trees, which were burned. Hey and Associates. donated equipment and herbicide.

Committee Time 1/14/2018 John Naatz, Chris Woerner, Tony Musel, Ken Shaleen, Tom Stygar, Zac Duplain, Bryan Verdino, Brian Barnfield, Tom Provenzano, Jason Conrad, Jacob Laha, Tommy Stygar, Mathew Fallaw, Joey Fallaw, Tom Sharkey, Mike Napier, Dennis Gallo, John Tollini, & Mark Nichols

Total work hours: 1/12/18 – 96

Community members: Randy Stowe, Preston Skultety, Bob Schell, Tim Richie, Corey Bowen