FOECLA Awarded 2nd Healthy Lakes & Rivers Grant!
We are proud to announce that we have been awarded our second Healthy Lakes & Rivers grant from the DNR! Our application on behalf of area property owners was fully-funded. We will administer $10,000 for shoreline improvement projects this year and next. The projects will include rain gardens, infiltration and diversion practices, fish sticks, and […]
LEEP Featured on Live! from North Woods and Waters Oct. 25 7-8pm
Our Lake Ecology Education Program (LEEP) will be featured on Live! from North Woods and Waters on October 25. Christine Neff and Melissa Kjelvik will discuss how LEEP engages local youth to launch them on a positive lifelong relationship in environmental stewardship. A comprehensive lake ecology education program aligned with Wisconsin state standards, LEEP’s goal […]
Fireworks? Don’t Forget the Permit!
With the cancellations of “Good Neighbor Days” in Gordon and the Fourth of July parade and fireworks in Barnes this year, residents and guests who wish to display fireworks on their property (owned or rented) are reminded to contact their town clerk for a fireworks permit. There are public displays scheduled in the Hayward area […]
New Lake Brochures with Valuable AIS Info Now Available!
Visitors and property owners alike will benefit from three brochures recently published by the Town of Barnes. The brochures are tailored to Tomahawk/Sand Bar, Upper Eau Claire and Middle Eau Claire lakes and provide information on boating safety and preventing the spread of aquatic invasive plants. Of particular interest is information on which invasive(s) are […]
Boating Safety Brochure Now Available!
Check out our new boating safety brochure! In addition to information on boating laws, the brochure provides practical suggestions for taking care of our lakes and their sandy soils, which are particularly vulnerable to shoreline erosion and plant displacement from boat wakes. To download and view our brochure, just click on ‘Water Safety’ at the […]
FOECLA Welcomes New Board Members
Four people joined our board of directors this fall! On October 8, we gathered to thank our two outgoing directors and welcome our new directors. Outgoing board members Barbara Possin and Thom Storm each received an Aldo Leopold bench handcrafted by board member Marty Olson and signed by board members. Photo (L to R): Denny […]
First Healthy Lakes Projects Completed
This month we mailed our first reimbursement checks to property owners who are participating in the WDNR’s Healthy Lakes & Rivers grant program with us, and we’re enjoying this more than we can say! Reimbursements so far are for a shoreline 350-square-foot native planting ($1,000), an upland water diversion ($445), and a rain garden ($962). […]
FOECLA Awarded 2021 DNR Healthy Lakes & Rivers Grant
Friends of the Eau Claire Lakes Area (FOECLA) has been awarded a 2021 Healthy Lakes & Rivers (https://healthylakeswi.com/) grant from the Wisconsin DNR. The purpose of this grant program is “to protect and restore the health of our lakes and rivers by increasing property owner participation in habitat restoration and runoff and erosion control projects.” […]
A Day on the Water with the BAISS Boat Crew
The Town of Barnes BAISS boat crew harvested curly-leaf pondweed (CLP) on June 23 as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the spread of this aquatic invasive. Two divers joined the boat operator for six hours on Upper Eau Claire Lake. In addition to “bagging” a lot of CLP, the crew noted the presence […]
White Hummingbird Visits Sweet Lake
White Hummingbird 8/26/20 (Credit: Thom Storm) A white hummingbird was seen on Sweet Lake on August 26. While it moved too quickly to get a good look at it, it’s more likely it was a leucistic hummingbird than a true albino. True albinos have pink eyes, while leucistic hummingbirds have black eyes, bills and feet. […]