Time Out:
BayLake.org will be in hibernation mode till May, but please use the time to look at the 50 plus postings from 2011 (44 "articles" and 12 "Young Angler" pictures). |
Your "To Do List":
-Watch the Bay Lake History 101 and Railroads & Mining presentations.
-Check the Webcam.
-Enter your "Ice Out" guess.
-View the "Shoreline Protection Made Easy" posting...........and then plan to enhance your shoreline this spring. |
GET INVOLVED......Or Buy Swimming Shoes:
Click here to see the latest Zebra Mussel pictures from Mille Lacs. We've got till ice out to RECRUIT and TRAIN a lot more Access Monitoring Volunteers and RAISE MONEY, but the messages are clear: Prevention is our ONLY hope and The ball is in OUR court. |
New Year's Day Service:
Click here to see pictures from Church Island. |
One More “2011 Young Angler”:
Click here to see what he pulled up through the ice (and just “under the wire”). |
Beautiful Sunset Pictures:
Click here. Then close your eyes and imagine you're sitting on the dock at sunset. What could be more peaceful......or remind us more of how lucky we are? |
Calling All Fishermen:
Gary Malek, Fishing Resources Committee Chairman, has been working with the DNR in regard to the Lake Management Plan for Bay Lake. To read a copy of the Plan, click here. |
Your Support Is Needed:
It's never too late to become a BLIA member and/or to contribute to the BLIA Environmental Fund.
To get memberships on-line, click here. To get them by mail, click here. To read the 2011 Environmental Fund letter, click here. To donate on-line, click here. To donate by snail mail, send your donation to: BLIA, PO Box 461, Deerwood, MN 56444.
Bay Lake is ours to love.....and protect. BLIA is the only organization with a mission to protect and enhance our lake and our community. Our success depends on you. Please join, contribute & volunteer. |
Incredible Christmas Lighting:
Bay Lake is home to a wonderful display of Christmas lighting that was recently reported in the Brainerd Dispatch. Click here to read the article and see the video. Then make time to view the display at the home of Louie & Maridee Smilich in Knieff's Shore Acres. Our community is indebted to Louie & Maridee for their work, dedication and creativity. THANKS! You make Bay Lake a community. |
No Snow, No Problem:
Click here to see the solution. |
17 Shorelines Done, 4 Nearly Done & 1 Starting!
With Wild Bird Lane now recruited, we're heading toward 90% + participation in the Bay Lake History Project. Click here to read more (particularly if you live on Scotland Shores, Eaglewood Bay, Bayview or Highway 10). Click here to see updated History Project pages. |
BLIA Holiday Party 2011 - WOW:
It couldn't have been any better. What a wonderful community! To see pictures, click here. Then put it on your calendar for next year. |
Interesting BayLake.org Activity Stats:
Oh my...our little community website had nearly 50,000 hits in the last three weeks of August. Click here to view an interesting and easy to read graphic about BayLake.org activity. |
Bay Lake History: Railroads & Mining:
I guarantee you will enjoy this short presentation. To open the presentation, click here. The download may take a couple of minutes, but it's worth it. |
Bay Lake History 101 Presentation:
Can you imagine Frenchmen paddling past the location of your cabin over 300 years ago? Learning a little of the history of Bay Lake is fun. To view the presentation, click here. It will take a few minutes to download but you can then scroll through the presentation at your own pace and the file can be saved. |
Finally A Cheap & Effective Deer Repellant:
Click here to see the formula and dramatic results. Click here to see more (visitor suggested) solutions (including two commercial products). |
Shoreline Protection Made Easy:
Fall is a great time to buy and plant perennials and shrubs. Click here to see an easy formula for enhancing your property...........and protecting Bay Lake. |
Cool Stuff & What All BayLakers Should Know |
Access Monitoring Volunteer Hall Of Fame:
Click here to read the latest update from Phil Rollins and to see a list of our currently active Access Monitor Volunteers. |
Zebra Mussels Flourish In Mille Lacs:
Click here to read an August 17th article reprinted from the Star Tribune. |
Zebra Mussels:
Prevention is the ONLY strategy and it's dependent on insuring that all boats are launched from the DNR Public Access. To read more, click here. |
Loons - Our Most Welcome Guests:
To learn about our loon population and see some terrific pictures, click here. |
BLIA Membership Goal - 511 in 2011!!!
We are at 448! If you love Bay Lake, please support the one association that's working to preserve and enhance our lake and our community.......and consider getting memberships for your kids or grandkids. To get memberships on-line, click here.To get them by mail, click here. Then print and mail the form. Thanks! |
The BLIA Environmental Fund Preserves Bay Lake:
To read the 2011 Environmental Fund letter, click here.
To donate on-line, click here.
To donate by snail mail, send your donation to:
BLIA
PO Box 461
Deerwood, MN 56444 |
Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity:
Are you building, remodeling or just clearing things out? The H4H Restore can put them to good use. Please click here to read more. |
| Bay Lake Water Quality Reports: Crow Wing County maintains water quality reports for Bay Lake. For your convenience, we've created links to related sections of the Crow Wing County website. To see "Crow Wing County Water Quality Factsheet - Bay Lake" (a summary page), click here. To see the entire report for Bay Lake, click here. |
Revised Land Use Ordinance:
The revised Crow Wing County Land Use Ordinance became effective on April 22, 2011. For your convenience, we've created links to related sections of the Crow Wing County website. To see the "Land Use Factsheet" (a summary page), click here. To see "Shoreland Alterations" (a summary page), click here. To see the entire Land Use Ordinance, click here. Questions may be answered by reviewing the Crow Wing County website (www.co.crow-wing.mn.us) or contacting Chris Pence. Land Services supervisor for Environmental Services at 218-824-1125 or Chris.Pence@co.crow-wing.mn.us. |
Too Many "Hammer Handles":
To read an article by Gary Malek, BLIA Fishing Resources Committee Chairperson, regarding the mix of fish in Bay Lake and the DNR's plans, click here. To learn more click here to read a Star Tribune article titled "The Great Northern Pike Debate" and click here to read the DNR Lake Management Plan for Bay Lake. |
Attention Owners Of Swimming Rafts:
If you have a raft, please click here. |
Boating Safety & Etiquette
Our lake can be safe and friendly. To see how, click here. |
Points of Reference Map:
Have you ever wondered where Battle Point or Echo Bay or Pioneer Bay is? To see, click here. |
Previous Items - What You May Have Missed In 2011 |
Hard To Believe - One Week To Labor Day Weekend:
Make the season complete by attending the final Church Island service on September 4th. Ice Cream Social. Raffle Drawing. A wonderful place to be. Join your neighbors. Click here to see more. |
Our High Water Level Is Now Serious:
We're used to high water in the spring, but record levels during primetime creates a multitude of problems. Some are a nuisance. Others involve long term damage. We can't control the rainfall but we can be good neighbors. Please click here to read more. |
2nd Annual “Big Swim”:
Last year this new event raised money to send 10 kids to Bay Lake Camp. This year it will be yet bigger and better (whether or not you’re a swimmer). Please click here to read more. |
DNR Blasting Zebra Mussels:
With blasts of hot, high pressure water, state DNR officials hope to keep zebra mussels at bay on several Minnesota lakes, including Lake Minnetonka. In case you missed this on KSTP, click here. |
2011 BLIA Golf Scramble & Picnic:
This wonderful annual event gains momentum every year. Whether you want to golf, eat, drink or just socialize, this is for you. To see the registration form, click here. |
Steve Gamble Returns to Church Island:
Long time friend of Bay Lake, Steve Gamble, will conduct the July 31st service on Church Island. To see more, click here. |
Cuyuna Range Historical Timeline Posters:
The Cuyuna Lakes Trail Association is offering wonderful posters for sale. To see a copy of the poster and where to buy them, click here. |
2011 Runtilla:
The 27th Annual BLIA Runtilla will be held on Saturday, July 23rd. This very popular event continues to generate substantial funds for the BLIA Environmental Fund. Have fun and help Bay Lake at the same time! To see a registration form, click here. |
Churchyard Grass Plays Church Island:
Don't miss this special Church Island Service on July 10th. To read the details, click here. |
BLIA Children's Party:
Traditions make Bay Lake a wonderful community. Bring your pre-school and elementary school age kids and grandkids to the 2011 BLIA Children's Party on July 2nd. To see the event details, click here. |
The Ice is Out:
To see the contest results, click here.
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We Have A Winner In Our "Can You Guess This Location?":
To see the answer and who "won", click here. |
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Upcoming Events |
Saturday May 26, 2012 at 10 - 12 AM
BLIA Tree & Plant Giveaway - Lonesome Pine |
| Saturday August 4, 2012 - Runtilla |
To see the Bay Lake Calendar, click here. |
Monitor Severe Weather |
To see what's coming, click here,
scroll down to map, click on “Satellite” and click on “Future”. |
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2011 BLIA Annual Meeting |
2011 BLIA Annual Meeting:
On July 2nd, Chris Ruttger chaired an informative (but concise....... the most information per minute on record) and social annual meeting. To see pictures, click here. |
David's Annual Meeting EWM Update:
To read the update, click here. |
Income Less Expenses Equals A Deficit. See The Numbers:
To see the pie charts that were presented by BLIA Environmental Fund Treasurer Chris Gondeck at the 2011 BLIA Annual Meeting, click here. |
2011 Environmental Fund Presentation:
Trish Jesperson & Dominic Ciresi gave a great Environmental Fund presentation at the BLIA Annual Meeting. Their message is clear: To continue meeting our environmental challenges (primarily EWM treatment, access monitoring and water quality initiatives) we need to raise more money. Our giving isn't keeping up with our needs. Or, to put it bluntly, WE need to increase our giving. Please click here to view their slides. When it comes to preserving Bay Lake, letting things slide isn't an option. |
Young Angler Hall of Fame |
Fishing Contest (Please Note Change):
Rather than have a "contest" we will now post the pictures of your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren with their fish. We are changing the focus to children because Bay Lake memories are treasured for a lifetime (and kids are cuter than old guys). So, please send your picture to ericksonpaulsue@aol.com. Note: The fish don't have to be trophy sized..........just the smiles. |
One More “2011 Young Angler”:
Click here to see Jack (and Gary) Malek. |
Help From Grandpa:
Click here to see Everett (and Dave) Perry. |
Success At Woodland Beach Resort:
Click here to see Brandon Bunger & Billy Vohle. |
Diving for Fish:
Click here to see Sara. |
Brother & Sister Team:
Click here to see Mason & Kylie Mulheran. |
Nice Bass:
Click here to see Adrienne Lee. |
Crappies Galore:
Click here to see Ella England. |
One To Remember:
Click here to see Evelyn Haeg |
Cool Fisherman:
Click here to see Jake Goecke. |
Check Out This 2010 Winner:
Click here to see Sam Schwartzbauer. |
Beginners luck or the start of a great fishing career?
To see Nickolas Benson and his huge sunfish, click here. |
Monster Crappie:
To see Quinn Daugherty, click here. |
27" Walleye:
To see Jonathan Paquette, click here. |
BLIA Administrative Stuff |
Address Changes Needed:
BLIA is charged when mailings are returned. If you've moved (or you plan to) please email marlene@brainerd.net with the information. Thanks! |
BayLake.org Contact Information:
Email:
webmaster@baylake.org
ericksonpaulsue@aol.com
sshekels@scottdata.com
Snail Mail:
BLIA
PO Box 461
Deerwood, MN 56444 |
Bay Lake Breezes
The Breezes are now posted on-line. To see current and past issues, click here. |
BLIA Meeting Minutes:
To read meeting minutes, click here. |
EWM Series |
"EWM: Our Exotic Invader"---Part One:
The most often asked questions about EWM and Bay Lake will be addressed on BayLake.org. To read the answer to the first question "Have we lost the battle?", click here. |
"EWM: Our Exotic Invader"---Part Two:
The second question in our Q & A series is: "EWM vs. Northern Milfoil: What's the difference? They look alike, I hate them both and it's getting worse!" To read the answer, click here. |
"EWM: Our Exotic Invader"---Part Three:
The third installment in our Q & A series asks the following questions:
-How Do We Identify and Track Infestation Sites?
-How Do We Determine Which Sites To Treat?
-Fall Versus Spring Treatment: Why Do I Have To Look At The Stuff All Summer?
To read the answers, click here. |
"EWM: Our Exotic Invader"---Part Four:
The fourth installment in our Q & A series asks the following questions:
-"Mechanical Harvesting vs. Chemical Treatment: Why Don't We Just Cut The Darn Stuff"
-"If Treatment Is So Good, Why Not Treat The Whole Lake?
To read the answers, click here. |
"EWM: Our Exotic Invader"---Part Five:
The fifth installment in our Q & A series asks the following questions:
-"What Can I Do With EWM Around My Dock?"
-"What Herbicide Do We Use?"
-"Why Don't We Use the Herbicide "Sonar" (Like Michigan)?"
-"Should We Drastically Expand Treatment?"
To read the answers, click here. |
| "EWM: Our Exotic Invader"---Series Conclusion: To read the final article, click here. |
History Project |
Historical Picture Contest:
It took two weeks to identify this point, but we have 3 "winners". Click here to see the most recent winner and a new picture. In order to minimize download time I started a new Previous Pictures and Winners page. Click here to see Previous Pictures and Winners - Volume Two. Click here to see Previous Pictures and Winners - Volume One. |
History Parties:
The Cottage Hill Road/Indian Point Shoreline finished their project with a wonderful Celebration Party and, not to be outdone, Echo Bay SW (Gray's Shore) held their second Celebration Party. To see the Indian Point /Cottage Hill article, click here. For an updated History Project Update, click here. To see your shoreline's status, click here. |
10th Shoreline History Project Completed!:
To see pictures from the Echo Bay SW/Gray's Shore Celebration Party, click here. Historical fact: Gray's Shore (see Bay Lake Points of Reference Map on the Home Page) and Gray's Bay on Lake Minnetonka are named after the same family. |
History Project: 9th Shoreline Celebrates & Another Starts:
To see pictures of the Cottage Hill/Indian Point Kick-Off and the Woodland Beach East, Sand Beach Park & Greg Road Celebration Party, click here. |
Bay Lake History 101 Presentation:
Can you imagine Frenchmen paddling past the location of your cabin over 300 years ago? Learning a little of the history of Bay Lake is fun. To view the presentation, click here. It will take a few minutes to download but you can then scroll through the presentation at your own pace and the file can be saved.
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Bay Lake History: Railroads & Mining:
The first of our mini-presentations is now ready. I guarantee this exciting story will capture your attention (and it only takes 10 minutes!). To open the presentation in pdf format, click here. It may take a couple of minutes to open, but it's worth doing. Then, if you want more detail, click here to open the related timeline. |
2011 Memories |
Final 2011 Church Island Service & Social:
Click here to see the pictures (and then put this event on your 2012 calendar). |
More 2011 "Big Swim" Results:
Click here to see the last swimmer to cross the finish line. |
BLIA Members Thank The Scramble & Picnic Sponsors:
To see a great group picture, a list of our very appreciated sponsors and the financial results, click here. |
2011 "Big Swim" Results:
Hansen's to White Hawk. Wow! Click here to learn more. |
2011 BLIA Golf Scramble & Picnic:
Lots of sun, a couple light showers, a ton of fun and money for the BLIA Environmental Fund. To see pictures from this wonderful Bay Lake tradition, click here. |
2011 Runtilla Pictures:
Click here to see pictures of this wonderful event. |
2011 BLIA Runtilla:
Wet but successful. To read more, click here. |
2011 Fireworks:
WOW! To see the pictures of this wonderful Bay Lake tradition, click here. |
BLIA Tree & Plant Giveaway:
BLIA members continue to enhance and protect Bay Lake by planting seedlings and native shoreline plants. To see the article and pictures, click here. |
Water, Water, Water Everywhere:
To read about our high water level, click here. |
Oh My!
To check out the hats (and Baylakers) at Derby Days, click here. |
2010 Memories |
Access Monitor Volunteer "Hall of Fame":
These folks are out there on the front line. To see the volunteer list, click here. |
Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) 2010:
To see a map of the 2010 infestation sites, click here.
To read about BLIA’s EWM treatment strategy, click here.
To see EWM ID cards, click here. |
Awesome Bay Lake fireworks
To see pictures, click here. |
Minnow Camp 2010:
Once again, Minnow Camp is a huge success. To see the pictures, click here. |
Runtilla Is A Huge Success (Again!):
To read about the 2010 Runtilla, click here.
To see event pictures, click here.
To see award pictures, click here. |
Fantastic Golf Scramble & Picnic:
To see the pictures, click here. |
The Fishing Contest Builds Memories:
To see the winners (and a "whopper"), click here. |
Fellowship, Treats & Prizes:
To see pictures of the final 2010 Church Island Service (& Hot Dog, Pie & Ice Cream Social), click here. |
2010 Fishing Contest Update:
To see the competition, click here. |
2010 Runtilla Results:
To see the winners, click here. |
And the Winners Are.....KIDS!
The first annual (?) "Send A Kid To Camp" swim relay was a little cool, but very successful. To read about it, click here. NEW |
Gary's "Dockers" Pull Together For BLC:
To see who, click here. |
Have Fun While Protecting Bay Lake:
To see Access Monitor Volunteers in action, click here. |
Water Sampling Along The New Highway:
To see our volunteers in action, click here. |
Fishing Contest Memories:
To see the "catch" (and a couple of proud anglers), click here. |
"Fall Beauty" Pictures:
To see Bay Lake dressed up in her finest fall colors, click here. |
BLIA Christmas Party 2010:
In spite of Mother Nature, the 2010 BLIA Christmas Party was a wonderful success. Great food , a cozy setting and good friends. What could be better? To see the Event Article, click here. To see all of the pictures, click here. |
"Winter Beauty" Pictures:
To visit the page, click here. |
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