053018lakelife may

Presorted Standard | US Postage Paid Newport, WA | Permit No. 18 | ECRWWS

Celebrating Life at Diamond Lake and Sacheen Lake Volume 7, Issue 2

May 2018

Can weeds be beneficial?

3,000 miles on a bicycle

Indian runner ducks ‘run’ the lake

You bet.

Who to contact Pend Oreille County Website: pendoreilleco.org Commissioners 509-447-4119 District 1: Chairwoman Karen Skoog (2020) District 2: Member Mike Manus (2018) District 3: Vice Chairman Steve Kiss (2020) Annual salary: $53,945.28 P.O. Box 5025, Newport, WA 99156 Board meets every Monday and Tuesday at 9 a.m. in commissioners’ office, main floor of the courthouse.

Clerk of the Board: Rhonda Cary Office hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday Auditor 509-447-6474 Fax: 509-447-2475 Marianne Nichols (2018) Annual salary: $57,492.24 P.O. Box 5015, Newport, WA 99156 Assessor 509-447-4312 Fax: 509-447-6450 James McCroskey (2018) Annual salary: $57,492.24 P.O. Box 5010, Newport, WA 99156 Treasurer 509-447-3612 Fax: 509-447-0318 Terri Miller (2018)

Annual salary: $57,492.24 P.O. Box 5080, Newport, WA 99156

of each month at the Cusick Community Center for business

Public Works Department 509-447-4513 Fax: 509-447-5890 Located in the lower level of the County Courthouse.

P.O. Box 5065, Newport WA 99156 • Road Division, 509-4474513 P.O. Box 5040, Newport, WA 99156 • Solid Waste Division, 509-447-4513 P.O. Box 5041, Newport WA 99156 • Buildings and Grounds, 509-447-4513 P.O. Box 5068, Newport, WA 99156

Emergency Management 509-447-3731 101 S. Garden Ave., P.O. Box 5035, Newport, WA 99156 Deputy director: JoAnn Boggs

Board of Equalization 509-447-2712 Fax: 509-447-0595 P.O. Box 5018, Newport WA 99156 Board: Margie Fedderly, Mary Cates, Richard Miller, Bob Sanborn, alternative

Noxious Weed Control Board 509-447-2402 Fax: 509-447-6477 noxweedinfo@pendoreille.org 227-B S. Garden Ave., P.O. Box 5085, Newport, WA 99156 Office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Board: District 1 Warren Koontz, District 2 Wes Bailey, District 3 David Hoisington, District 4 Joe Sherman, District 5 Brad Berg The board meets every even month on the second Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the weed board office.

Weed Coordinator: Sharon Sorby Email: ssorby@pendoreille.org

Community Development Department 509-447-4821 • Planning Commission Norris Boyd, Dan Mueller, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Dennis Osweiler, Paul Edgren, Judy Ashton, Wayne Antcliff and Bill Kemp.

Meets on the second Tuesday

Newport Public Library 116 S. Washington Ave., Newport, WA 99156 800-366-3654, Ext. 10 Hours: Monday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday 1-5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Published: May 2018 Publisher: Michelle Nedved Writers & editors: Don Gronning and Sophia Aldous Design: Brad Thew Advertising: Lindsay Guscott, Cindy Boober and Micki Brass

LAKE LIFE is published monthly in May, May, June, July and August as a supplement to The Newport Miner and Gem State Miner, 421 S. Spokane, Newport WA 99156.

TELEPHONE: 509-447-2433 E-MAIL: minernews@povn.com, mineradvertising@povn.com FAX: 509-447-9222

Reproduction of articles & photographs is prohibited without permission of the Publisher.

If you want to receive Lake Life in your mail contact The Miner at 509-447-2433.

2 Lake Life | May 2018

Diamond Lake man, buddy make 3,000-mile bike trip

By Don Gronning of the miner

DIAMOND LAKE – Ed Funkhouser and his friend, Ken Havecost, spent 70 days together on a long distance bicycle adventure, covering 3,073 miles.

“I can’t wait for the next one,” Funkhouser said.

Funkhouser and Havecost had worked together before they retired and were friends, but not particularly close.

“I’m a conservative and he’s a liberal,” Funkhouser said.

But they had a great time together and more than a few adventures on the ride.

“We agreed to disagree,” Funkhouser said of their political differences. That didn’t stop long conversations, however, he said Funkhouser said the 80mile days through 90-degree heat wasn’t the toughest part of the ride.

“The hardest part was being away from my wife,” he said.

“I have never been away that long before.”

His wife, Penny, met him in San Diego, Calif., at the end of the ride.

The ride started Feb. 1, in Florida. Funkhouser said the only way to prepare in the winter was riding a stationary bicycle, so he was a little nervous about his conditioning.

“Had we trained enough?” he said. “Our goal was to complete it in 12 weeks, but we ended up doing it in 10.”

They consciously chose to start in Florida, as it is flat.

“We pretty much followed the Adventure Cycling As-

Courtesy photo|Ed Funkhouser

Diamond Lake’s Ed Funkhouser, 65, reunited with his wife, Penny, at the end of his epic coast-to-coast bike ride that started in Florida and ended up in Sand Diego, Calif.

sociation’s Southern Tier Bicycle Route,” he said. “Most people travel this route west to east because of the prevailing winds. However, because it was difficult to train for this ride in the middle of winter in the Northwest, we chose to start in Florida where hills are small to none.”

In the beginning, they rode 30-40 miles a day.

“Our goal was to do 40-50,” Funkhouser said. “About halfway through, we got in shape.”

The plan was to mostly camp along the way, resorting to motels only occasionally.

“That changed about half way through,” he said. “We did a good amount of camping, but found sharing the costs of motels was not too bad so we stepped that up a bit.”

They split all expenses, about $3,500.

The shortest distance they travelled in a day was five miles and the longest was 87.2 miles. That was from Blythe to

Brawley, Calif. “That ride was in the desert at 92 degrees with a bit of wind,” Funkhouser said.

They experienced all kinds of weather, heavy rain, light rain and temperatures from the 30s to the 90s. They often were riding against the wind.

“However, no snow like Newport was having,” he said.

The trip gave them a chance to see small town America.

“We saw many, many small towns, that was really fun to do,” he said. “However,

many were losing population and closing down. Just no jobs for the young people, so they move to the bigger cities.

We heard that story over and over.”

The trip took 70 days, which included five days off because of weather and eight days off for general resting.

Funkhouser said while not all drivers were friendly he had nothing but good things to say about truckers.

See ride, 4 May 2018 | Lake Life 3

Powerlifting firefighter sets American record

By Don Gronning Of The Miner

RICHLAND, Wash. – Pend Oreille Fire District 8 volunteer firefighter Michael W. Martin Jr. returned from the United States Powerlifting Association’s ‘Drug-tested’ Washington State Championships, held May 4 in Richland, Wash., with a U.S. Record.

Martin, 57, competes in the Masters 55-59 age group. After setting three consecutive state records, Martin, who weighs less than 155 pounds, broke the American record by almost 10 pounds with a deadlift of 363 pounds.

“I’m competing against myself,” Martin says. At the Richland event, he was the only lifter in his age group, See lifter, 10

Courtesy photo|Michael Martin

Michael W. Martin Jr., 57, works out in his Spring Valley gym. He holds several records and broke another last month, when he deadlifted 363 pounds, beating the U.S. record by nearly 10 pounds.

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RIDE From Page 3

“Truck drivers are the best people,” he said. “They usually honked.”

Among the adventures was a goose attack.

“He came out of a yard and went towards my buddy like a dog,” Funkhouser said. “It stopped car traffic.”

A few of his observations from the trip: “The people in the south were the friendliest folks I’ve ever met.”

“Texas is a big state, it amounted to a third of the ride.”

“We have bad country roads … very rough.”

Funkhouser plans to make another long distance ride.

“It was a blast,” he said. The next ride is for the northern states.

Aquatic Plant or Aquatic Weed?

Role and Benefits of Native Aquatic Plants

By Sharon Sorby Pend Oreille County Weed Board

Native aquatic plants are an often misunderstood and an under-valued part of lake and river ecosystems. Though many people would rather not have them in their favorite swimming spot or too thick in their favorite fishing hole, native aquatic plants provide varied environmental benefits to aquatic habitat.

Food - Aquatic plants are a food source for many animals.

Ducks and geese eat the seeds, leafy parts and tubers of plants such as pondweed (Potamogeton spp., Stuckenia spp.), watershield (Brasenia schreberi), arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), water pepper (Polygonum spp.) and duckweed (Lemna spp.).

Songbirds use fluff from cattails (Typha spp.) as nest material and eat the seeds of many emergent plants.

Otter, beaver, muskrats, turtles, moose and even bear graze on a variety of aquatic plants.

Several kinds of invertebrates, especially aquatic insects, eat aquatic plants.

Historically, humans have also used aquatic plants as a food source. Cattails have edible shoots and roots, and the pollen has been used in biscuits. Arrowheads form large edible tubers at the root ends. These “duck potatoes� were eaten by Na-

SK-Marine

See weeds, 8 May 2018 | Lake Life 5

‘Song of the Open Road’ tunes up at Circle Moon Theater SACHEEN LAKE – “Song of the Open Road,” a summer musical getaway, will be presented by Northwoods Performing Arts June 1-2, 8-9, 12 and 15-16 at the Circle Moon Theatre.

The musical features cast of wise and quirky hobos who find themselves with an unexpected challenge on their hands.

“Open Road” features comical campfire wisdom and lively, beautiful song that promises to warm the heart.

Tickets are $25 per person for the dinner show, or $12 for the show only. Senior and children tickets are $10. Dining service begins at 6:30 p.m. and the curtain opens at 7:30 p.m. For tickets or reservations, call 208 448-1294 or go online

Library community meetings May 31, June 5 NEWPORT - The Pend Oreille County Library District has some meetings coming up to solicit public input that will assist in setting priorities for the district over the next several years. Discussion topics have included trends in libraries and what services, spaces, resources, and programs

residents would like to see in their larger communities.

The next meeting will be Thursday, May 31 at the Diamond Lake Fire Station.

On June 5 there will be a meeting at the Camden Fire Station and June 12 at the Fertile Valley Fire Station.

All meetings will start at 6 p.m.

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Innovative training for EMTs

By Don Gronning of the miner

Pend Oreille County is on the way to having more than a dozen new emergency Medical Technicians, thanks to a pilot program started by Capt. Scott Doughty, training officer for the South Pend Oreille Fire & Rescue.

“It was a pilot program,” Doughty said. He said he called the state Department of Health to find out if he could put on a training program using a combination of livestreaming and in person classes. “They said nobody

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had done that before.”

The unique program allowed people to take EMT classes at both the north and south parts of the county and using streaming video. In addition to SPOFR, Fire Districts 2 and 6 participated.

“This saved driving time and allowed us to basically double the number of EMTs that will be turned out with the new class,” said SPOFR volunteer Perry Pearman.

The live streaming allowed interactive classes.

“Students could ask real time questions,” Doughty said.

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The training took 170 hours and took place in April. At the south end of the county, people came to the Sacheen Lake station and at the north end went to the station at Tiger.

There were four or five Saturdays when the group gathered together for handson training.

Doughty said there were 13 people who completed the program – including four women.

There were six people who took the training at the north end of the county and seven at the south end. They ranged in age from 18 to in their 60s.

The next step for them is to take a test at Post Falls or Spokane to become certified nationally.

Doughty will write up a best practices guide for the program so others can use it. It will outline what worked and didn’t work with the program.

“One of the things that we found was important was that cell phones that use WiFi created a lag time with the internet,” Doughty said. Having students keep their cell phones off allowed the internet to live stream more smoothly.

In rural areas, volunteer firefighters and EMTs perform a vital service.

“Every fire agency in Pend Oreille County needs volunteer EMTs and or firefighters,” said Fire Chief Mike Nokes of the South Pend Oreille Fire & Rescue. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for your community you can contact Nokes at 509-447-5305.

The Boys on the Lake

Unique ducks find new home on Diamond Lake

By Sophia Aldous Of The Miner

DIAMOND LAKE – “Hey boys, how are you?” Diane Lundgren asks, stepping into her back yard, holding a plastic grocery bag. The boys to whom she is referring step briskly from the water behind her Diamond Lake home and hurry toward her.

The “boys” in question are four Indian runner ducks, all male, that Lundgren received from a friend three months ago. What sets them apart from other ducks is their erect posture when they stand, and how they run, not waddle, to Lundgren’s side.

“I call them pencil ducks,” Lundgren says. “Or ‘My boyfriends on the lake.’”

Indian Runners are a special breed of domestic duck imported into Europe from the East Indies. They stood out from the flock due to their upright position and efficient egg-laying abilities. They were referred to as ‘penguin ducks’

by Dutch explorers and some of the early importers.

According to Lundgren, her friend Charlie gave the ducks to her after she told Lundgren that the males were pestering her females.

“I was so touched, because I loved going to Charlie’s and watching them (Indian Runners),” says Lundgren. “Their movements are so funny, but so graceful at the same time.

They are low maintenance and a lot of joy. Nowhere near as much work as a dog.”

The four drakes (male ducks) were given names by Lundgren’s grandchildren.

Being girls, they wanted to give the ducks feminine names. Lundgren advised them that she would like the ducks to be gender specific.

Hence the monikers Horsey, Michael, Sven, and Kristoff were bestowed on the brown and white waterfowl.

“Horsey is definitely the leader; you see he runs the show,” Lundgren says. “Sven is the most affectionate. None of them are quite to this point yet, but I think he’ll be the first to let me pick him up and pet him. That’s my pipe dream, anyway.”

Even though the ducks See ducks, 11

Miner photo|Sophia Aldous

Diane Lundgren feeds her Indian Runner Ducks some bread behind her home on Diamond Lake. Lundgren received the drakes as a gift from a friend.

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WEEDS From Page 5

cattail, rush and bulrush stems.

Erosion control - Submersed and emergent plants protect shorelines from erosive wave action or currents. They also help keep sediment on the lake bottom, which increases water clarity.

Nutrient cycling - Aquatic plants are a vital part of the complex system of chemical cycling in a lake, and can influence oxygen supply in the water. Aquatic plants can also soak up pollutants from contaminated water.

Resist invasion - A diverse healthy native plant community is better able to repel invasion by opportunistic noxious weeds.

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So what’s the problem?

If aquatic plants are so wonderful, why are they sometimes perceived as a problem? Most of the time, problems arise when dense plant growth impedes recreational activities like boating and swimming. When growth becomes very thick, the density can also harm some fish by contributing to low dissolved oxygen levels at night, or by hampering the search for food or avoidance of predators.

This very dense native plant growth is usually caused by an overabundance of nutrients, often from sources like failing septic systems, fertilizer run-off and agricultural waste.

These increased nutrients accelerate the natural process of lake aging (eutrophication), increasing plant and algal growth. Once nutrients are in a lake, they can persist for decades before being flushed out, fueling plant See weeds, 10

Candidates set to collide in county races Sheriff, PUD, county commissioner races draw opponents

By Don Gronning Of The Miner

NEWPORT – Candidate filing week concluded Friday in Pend Oreille County, with several candidates filing on the last day.

There are enough candidates that the Aug. 15 top two primary will be needed to narrow the race for at least two Pend Oreille County races, as well as a number of state contests, but the majority of county positions are unopposed.

Washington is a vote by mail state so ballots will go out July 19 for the Aug. 7 election. The top two vote getters will move on to the general election regardless of party.

The nonpartisan Pend Oreille Public Utility District (PUD) position 1 representing the south part of the county drew five contenders – incumbent Dan Petersen, Joe Onley, Fred J. Zakar, Devin Beach and Dallas Johnson.

Sheryl Miller is running for Pend Oreille County commissioner position No. 2 representing mid county, with no party preference.

She will face incumbent GOP commissioner Mike Manus and Jeff Pitman, also a Republican. All have Newport addresses.

Pend Oreille County elections officials drew the name order for the ballot for the primary elections Monday.

For the county commissioner position, Sheryl Miller will appear first, followed

by Jeff Pittman and Mike

Manus.

For the PUD commissioner position, Joe Onely will appear first, followed by Dan Peterson, Devin Beach, Fred J. Zakar and Dallas Johnson.

Jon Carman and Glenn Blakeslee are vying for the open office of Sheriff, both running as Republicans.

Other county races drew GOP candidates who were unopposed, including Assessor Jim McCroskey, Auditor MaryAnne Nichols, Prosecutor Dolly Hunt and Clerk Tammie Ownbey. Nicole Dice is the only candidate for the open position of treasurer.

She is also running as a Republican.

Robin McCroskey is the only person to file for the seat of District Court Judge, currently held by Philip Van de Veer, who will not seek re-election. McCroskey is a long-time Newport area attorney and public defender.

At the state level, incumbent Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, will face Democrat Karen Hardy for the Legislative District 7 position, which covers Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry and part of Spokane County.

Incumbent Joel Kretz, RWauconda, drew three challengers for the state House of Representatives position 2 job. Christine Ives of Omak, who stated no party preference, and Democrats Mike Bell of Nine Mile Falls and Crystal Oliver of Spokane will challenge Kretz.

Incumbent Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, R-Republic, is being challenged by Democrat Randall “Randy”

Michaelist of Mead.

As expected, Democrat Lisa Brown of Spokane will run against Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, for the 5th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Other challengers include Republicans Jered Gavin Bonneau of Spokane Valley and Kari Olavi Ilonummi of Arlington. Dave Saulibio of the Trump Populist Party is also running.

Saulibio lives in Colbert.

The race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Maria Cantwell, D-Seattle, is being sought by 30 candidates, including Cantwell.

Others running include Steve Hoffman of the Freedom Socialist Party, Sam Wright of the Human Rights Party, Mike Luke of the Libertarian Party, Clint R. Tannehill of the Democratic Party, Roque Rocke De La Fuente of the Republican Party, Charlie R. Jackson of the Independent Party, Jon Butler of the Independent Party, Mohammad Said of the Democratic Party, Don L. Rivers of the Democratic Party, Keith Swank of the Republican Party, Dave Bryant of the Republican Party, RC Smith of the Republican Party, GoodSpaceGuy of the Republican Party, Matthew D. Heines of the Republican Party, Joey Gibson of the Republican Party, Dave Strider of the Independent Party, Glen R. Stockwell of the Republican Party, Alex Tsimerman of the StandupAmerica Party, James Robert Deal of the Green Party, Jennifer Gigi Ferguson of the Inde-

pendent Party, Brad Chase of the FDFR Party, Art Coday of the Republican Party, Matt Hawkins of the Republican Party, Thor Amundson of the Independent Party, Tim

Owen of the Republican Party, John Orlinski of the Republican Party, George H. Kalberer of the Democratic Party and Susan Hutchinson of the Republican Party.

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LIFTER | Wife is still in the U.S. Navy; to retire in 2020 From Page 4

but what he really means is he competes to improve himself and set a good example.

In power lifting, the athlete competes in squat, bench press and deadlift. A deadlift is a lift from a standing position, without a bench.

Martin grew up in Wenatchee and currently lives near Newport. He won the 2013 IPL World Champion-

ship in addition to numerous state, national, and military titles since 1979. He also holds five state and three American records.

“The last event I competed in was more than two years ago in San Diego,” he said.

“For this event, I dropped more than 21 pounds in 25 days and had to lift almost 100 pounds more than I anticipated, but the ‘mental’ game is what I focus on in my

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strength and conditioning coaching.”

In 2014, he retired with more than 26 years in the U.S. Navy.

“I joined the Navy to see the world,” he said. He worked in radio and television broadcasting while in the Navy. He won his first world championship in Antwerp, Belgium in 2000.

His wife, Denise, is still in the Navy. She is set to retire in 2020.

Martin is a certified personal trainer, sport and exercise nutritionist, and tactical athlete strength and conditioning specialist. Martin’s next competition will be the International Powerlifting League’s World Record Breakers event Aug. 4-5, in Portland, Ore.

Miner photo|Don Gronning

Martin has been lifting weights since he was 13. At age 57, he’s still lifting and setting records. He shows the medal he won setting a U.S. record.

WEEDS | Provide habitat for animals From Page 8

tive Americans. Watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) has many historic medicinal uses, and its spicy vegetation is still used in salads and garnishes. Even the submerged plant coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum) has been used for medicinal purposes.

Habitat - Aquatic plants provide important habitat for small animals like aquatic insects, snails and freshwater shrimp, which in turn supply food for fish and waterfowl.

Studies have shown that vegetated areas support many times the number of these tiny creatures than non-vegetated areas do.

Cover - Young fish and amphibians use aquatic plants for cover from predatory fish and birds. This, coupled with the abundant food supply they offer, makes aquatic plants important nurseries for young fish, frogs and salamanders.

Housing supplies - Sturdy emergent plants provide many birds and mammals with material for nests and dens. Humans construct baskets, mats, boats and even dwellings from See weeds, 12

Courtesy photo|Sharon Sorby

DUCKS | Run off the geese that try to occupy the docks From Page 7

aren’t quite lap animals, anyone watching can tell that Lundgren is their person. She says she can tell the ducks about by their markings.

Every morning she comes out to the lake with her coffee and her “boys” aren’t far behind.

They put themselves to bed every evening in a small straw lined pen that Lundgren set up in the back yard next to the house. “They do have natural predators like owls, hawks, eagles, stuff like that,” she says.

“My cats actually like them and leave them alone. I thought there might be problems there, but there isn’t. We’ll see what happens when it gets to summer time and people start coming out to the lake with their dogs.”

There was worry on Lund-

gren’s part when she acquired the ducks that their quacking and roaming might disturb the neighbors, but the opposite has happened. The ducks run off the geese that try to occupy the docks (“Except when the geese are having their chicks, then they refuse to be run off,” Lundgren says) and their quacking is so quiet that it’s almost a murmur. There’s also the added benefit that they eat slugs and grasshoppers, all though Lundgren makes sure they are properly fed with bird food and the occasional treat.

“All my neighbors seem to like them; I haven’t received any complaints so far,” Lundgren says. “I didn’t want to be that person that brings a nuisance pet into the neighborhood and makes everyone annoyed, but people seem to enjoy them as much as I do.”

& Anita’ s Antiques Wednesday ~ Saturday 10AM to 5PM Sunday 11AM to 5PM

Miner photo|Sophia Aldous

In no particular order: Horsey, Kristoff, Michael and Sven enjoy some leisure time.

Year round fishing coming to lakes

Courtesy photo|Fred Willenbrock

Opening day Carson Willenbrock, 5, of Diamond Lake, caught this 24-inch rainbow trout on the opening of fishing season Saturday, April 28. The opening day was cool and wet, reported the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. WDFW checked 28 anglers that day, who caught 72 fish, keeping 43 of them and releasing the rest. WDFW reported the largest fish they checked was a 23 inch rainbow trout.

SPOKANE – Thanks to a rule simplification by the state, fishing on Sacheen and Diamond lakes will be year round, starting July 1.

“There’s some excellent fishing beyond October,” Madonna Luers of the Washington Department of Fish and Game said.

She said the year round fishing will allow for ice fishing.

At Diamond Lake, WDFW lists black crappie, brown bullhead, brown trout, green sunfish, largemouth bass and yellow perch as the main species in the lake.

In Sacheen Lake, there are brook trout, brown bullhead, green sunfish, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, tiger trout and yellow perch.

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May 2018 | Lake Life 11

WEEDS

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Blue-Green stains on sinks, lavatories, etc.

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12 Lake Life | May 2018

From Page 10

and algae growth even after nutrient sources outside the lake have been addressed.

Another problem can arise if an invasive species is introduced to the lake. This often happens when recreational users unknowingly carry plants from one waterbody to another, or when someone discards aquarium plants into a lake. Noxious weeds like Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum), Brazilian elodea (Egeria densa) and fragrant waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) are aggressive and can crowd out more desirable native vegetation.

Learn your plants to keep lakes healthy What can individuals concerned about their water do? Preventing or eliminating pollution and curbing sources of excess nutrients are vital steps for maintaining lake health and recovering degraded lakes. In addition, you can better monitor lake health year to year if you get familiar with aquatic plant species and typical seasonal changes in vegetation.

Educated observers can often detect invasive non-native plants at an early stage, when control or elimination is easier and cheaper. However, proper identification of aquatic plants, particularly non-native species, can be tricky. You can request an aquatic plant field guide from the Weed Board office.

If you are still unsure about what plant you have, send a photo to the Weed Board, noxweedinfo@pendoreille.org. We will help you identify the plants and the steps that should be taken, if any. Let’s work together to keep our waters healthy.