Your Support Makes a Difference!

Your generous donation can help us launch a comprehensive ProcellaCOR treatment program in 2024, targeting the entire perimeters of both Lake Catherine and Channel Lake, which have been greatly affected by Eurasian Water Milfoil. Here’s how your support will make a difference:

1. Environmental Preservation: ProcellaCOR is a targeted treatment that eliminates Eurasian Water Milfoil without harming native aquatic plants or wildlife. By supporting our initiative, you are contributing to the preservation of our local ecosystem.
2. Recreational Enhancement: Our lakes are popular recreational spots for fishing, boating, and swimming. Your donation will help restore these lakes, ensuring that families and communities can enjoy them without disruption.
3. Biodiversity Conservation: Eurasian Water Milfoil poses a threat to the diversity of native plant and animal species. With ProcellaCOR, we can create a healthier, more balanced aquatic environment that supports a wide range of biodiversity.

Please give generously. Every dollar counts. Your support will have a direct and positive impact on our local water ecosystems.

How to Eradicate Eurasian Water Milfoil in Our Lakes

In 2023, the invasive plants in Lake Catherine and Channel Lake grew to unprecedented levels. Luckily for us, there is a new herbicide technology called ProcellaCOR that is genetically engineered to attack only Eurasian Water Milfoil at its roots and leave the other plants and environment untouched. To be clear, plants in the lake are necessary for oxygen and fish habitat, and are necessary to maintain a healthy lake. And, while Eurasian Water Milfoil is not the only invasive plant choking out our waterways, it is the main one. We have the opportunity now to come together to greatly reduce or even eradicate Eurasian Water Milfoil from Lake Catherine and Channel Lake.

We are asking those who have contributed to lake improvement in the past, including via the harvesting program, to put your donations toward this treatment. The sooner we can raise the money, the sooner we can be freed from this incredible nuisance.

Eurasian Water Milfoil is an aggressive invasive species that outcompetes native vegetation and displaces fish and wildlife habitat. It also creates navigational constraint for recreational lake users due to the dense stands and surface matting nature of the invasive plant.

Constituent Impact

Over the past five decades, these two most northern lakes of Lake County continue to demonstrate with high levels of ecological challenges that have stricken the lakes with invasive aquatic plant growth. Impacts of the ecological challenges occur within, throughout and around the lake(s). These ecological challenges are not only displeasing in appearance, they create safety hazards for fishermen, boaters, and swimmers and they continue to destroy the overall health of the lakes.

Take for example long time Lake resident for 23 years, Luke Donath, who says that “this year has been the worst year yet.” “At one point we could not get our Pontoon boat more than 30 feet before our motor was clogged!” Furthermore, his visiting grandchildren report that their friends’ lakes don’t have these problems and therefore their enthusiasm to come visit has gone down. “We need help to save our lake before it’s too late!”

This aquatic plant infestation spans from 100-400 feet off the shoreline by boat to depths ranging from 0 – 15 feet. Lake resident John Captain purchased harvesting for his lake frontage in previous years but did not do so in 2023 due to cost and duration effects after the 2 cuttings/harvestings during 3 the summer in previous years. John states, “that after seeing how choked with weeds the lake is out in front of my property this year, I will be purchasing the harvesting in coming years; hopefully the price can be reasonable” (Captain, J., PC, Aug. 11, 2023). Furthermore, John reports, the impeller on his outboard for motor cooling had to be replaced last summer, in which he strongly suspects the “weediness” of the lake contributed to it. Not only are the residents on Lake Catherine affected by the lake issues, so are the community sectors surrounding and utilizing these lakes.

To the southeastern shore of Lake Catherine resides a 40-boat slip marina currently operated by the Felter’s Homeowners Association (FHA) for over the past 90 years. The Felter’s treasurer, David Kwasiborski, describes the condition of the lake to be the worst, affecting any and all of the powered watercraft that utilize the lakes. Constant issues reoccur with powered watercraft, as the infestation of plants clog up intake valves, requiring constant and costly repairs/flushing to their engines-making enjoyable watercraft activity on the lake a constant and costly headache.

A Certified Pro Specialist ProcellaCOR contactor will perform survey work on Lake Catherine and Channel Lakes in early spring to identify locations and coverage of plant beds and recommended application / dosage strategies. This contractor will ensure all public notifications and permit applications are prepared and submitted in compliance with State regulations, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Fox Waterway Agency and that all permits are secured prior to beginning project work as needed. The licensed contractor will perform ProcellaCOR applications in Spring 2024 based on best management practices.

After treatment, Friends of Catherine and Channel Lakes will monitor the lake’s water quality and the status of the targeted weeds or algae. The organization will evaluate the treatment’s effectiveness and be prepared for potential follow-up applications.

Harvesting

Harvesting in the lakes may still be required this season to control other invasive plant species in the lakes, for example, coontail. We are investigating the approval process by the EPA and will be devising a harvesting plan in the coming weeks.

Townhall Presentation

Click here to review the presentation that was delivered during the community townhall held on January 25, 2024.