News - Johns Lake Association

February 25, 2019February 19, 2022

Lake Levels

February 25, 2019

Lake Levels

John Schmidt

The official recorded lake level as of January 2nd was 96.42

This is less than one foot below Normal High-Water Elevation. As you are aware this is pretty high for “dry season.”

As we’ve mentioned in prior newsletters, the outfall from the lake goes to Lake Apopka and the pathway is critical to control lake level. On one hand changes in elevation are very good for the health of the lake and fish habitat.

However, since this 39 square mile drainage basin must be capable of getting water out in periods of extreme weather, there might be some conditions that have changed that we are working to re-evaluate. On 2/19 we had a meeting with OC Commissioner Betsey VanderLey, Michael Drozeck Public Works Manager, Jeff Charles Drainage Project Manager, Mike Parker Town of Oakland Public Works Director, Steve Koontz Town of Oakland Manager and John Schmidt JLIA President to prioritize some of the issues we face on about the lake. We agreed that there is a need to update the Storm Water Drainage Basin data and particularly the flow rates. Some of the other issues we face are dependent on the results of this work and we cannot wait several years to get it done. Mike Drozeck will move this work up on the schedule and provide a timeline.

There is a Joint Planning Agreement that was signed in 2016 between Orange County and the Town of Oakland that also needs to be further developed around the “outfall ditch” to lake Apopka. The details around the specifics of who will handle the work, how easements will be obtained, who pays for the costs and so on were supposed to be worked out in three years. We are working with the various agencies to make sure our interests are taken in to account. This work is complex, will take some time, has budgetary concerns, and requires the updated study information already mentioned to be completed.

February 25, 2019February 19, 2022

Public Hearing on Herbicides

February 25, 2019

Public Hearing on Herbicides

John Schmidt

Date: February 26th, 2019
Time: 5:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Eustis Community Center: 601 Northshore Dr. Eustis, FL 32726
Several of the JLIA board members will attend and provide a summary.

You should be aware that as of January 28th, 2019, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has temporary paused its aquatic herbicide treatment program throughout the state. During this pause, FWC staff will work to collect public comment regarding the FWC’s aquatic plant management program. FWC will hold a public meeting at the Eustis Community Center to gather input about the program.

Everyone is invited to attend to provide valuable input about the program. This has not affected private property owners permits and their contractors. The issues and possible chemicals in question however could be the same.

Stay tuned.

January 1, 2019February 19, 2022

Your New Board Members!

January 1, 2019

Your New Board Members!

John Schmidt

We elected new officers for the Johns Lake Improvement Association in
January. The new board is made up as follows:

President – John Schmidt (Johns Cove)
Vice President – Rick Stuebing (Johns Lake Homesites OC)
Secretary/Treasurer (combined) – Ann Megler (Magnolia Island LC)
Communications – Jason Nadrowski (Johns Cove)
Martin Davis (Deer Island)
Don Hickman (Johns Lake Homesites OC)
Frank Dreano (Johns Landing)

We are working on several issues and have plans to do a better job communicating, setting up a proactive website, and add value to our stakeholders. We’d like to be a proactive one stop shop rather than having you to reach out to all the various agencies, counties, towns, and so on.

There are several examples of Lake Associations in the County/State that do a great job of this for their lakes. We believe that as the lake continues to be more populated with residences that we can also educate and provide valuable information to new or prospective owners.

One of the immediate actions is to make sure we have a good contact list for lake and near lake owners who utilize the lake, so we may need help from HOA’s. We’ll certainly make sure the HOA presidents and agencies are kept informed. Please feel free to forward or provide added contacts for us. Let us know if you have any questions/comments.

October 1, 2018April 2, 2022

Johns Lake 2019 Angler Survey (Creel)

October 1, 2018

Johns Lake 2019 Angler Survey (Creel)

John Schmidt

Johns Lake is a Fish Orlando BIG WATER BODY that is managed by FWC to keep good fish habitat. The creel is just one way they evaluate their work, along with electrofishing, guide reports, Wednesday night tournament results, hook and line samples, TrophyCatch submissions and angler diaries. FWC creels are set up the same every time they run them, so they can be compared with one another. FWC used to conduct them every five years, but they recently shortened it to every 3 years, in order to evaluate the new bass regulation implemented in July 2016 (5 bass limit of fish < 16 inches of which one may be > 16 inches).

In 2019 the creel will run from January 6, 2019 to April 19, 2019. The creel is broken into four periods (Jan 1 – Jan 28th; Jan 29th – Feb 25th; Feb 26th – Mar 25th; Mar 26th – April
22nd). The computer randomly picks 6-week days and 4 weekend days from each period. It also randomly picks whether they will be out there in the morning, mid-day or evening.

The Wednesday night tournament shuts down when we “fall back” from daylight savings time and then starts again when we “spring forward” into daylight savings. There are two randomly selected creel week days that will fall during the Wednesday night tournament time. However, as mentioned above, they track the information on the Wed night tournaments aside from the creel.

During similarly constructed creels conducted on Johns Lake in 2011 and 2016, they had largemouth bass catch rates that were around 1 bass/man-hr. For example, if two average bass fishers on Johns lake fished from 6 am – 12 pm, that would be 12 man-hrs (6 hrs fished x 2 fishers). Accordingly based on the last two creels, they would catch an average of 12 bass during their trip.

There are very few waters in Florida that can brag of catch rates of one bass/man-hr or higher. In the last two decades, bass catch rates this high have only been recorded in this area on West Lake Tohopekaliga, the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 Reservoir in Palm Bay, Turkey Lake (A Fish Orlando FAB FIVE) in Orlando and the Winter Park Chain (A Fish Orlando BIG WATER BODY) in Winter Park.

One of the main reasons Johns Lake’s bass fishery is good is because the water levels fluctuate. The low’s allow for growth of terrestrial and transitional wetland plants, that when flooded, provide energy for the system via epiphytic algae (the green algae slime that is on the stems of plants). The aquatic insects and small fishes eat the algae, which are in turn are eaten by bigger predators. The highs allow for flooding and control nuisance plants (cattails, etc.), and flood associated wetlands, which after the waters subside, bring the baitfish produced in these wetlands, back into the lake to provide food and energy. While you may not believe this after the last two years of high water on your docks, the highs don’t get as high for as long as they historically used to before canals and structures were built, which is part of the reason they must spend some time treating cattails, floating mats, etc. on Johns Lake. However, it is nothing compared to the mess that would result if water levels were strictly stabilized!

An extreme low occurred in 2001, when most of Johns Lake dried up. It stayed down until 2003, and in the process, large stemmed woody plants, etc. grew on the lake bottom. When the lake re-flooded, FWC stocked it with 250,000 fingerling bass. Stocking of bass only works on new waters and those that have dried up and re-flooded. Only a small percentage of the bass stocked survive after the first year, but these become the brood stock (spawners) that repopulate the lake.

With all the energy produced from the flooding of the terrestrial vegetation came amazing action for big bass in 2006 – 2012. This was documented in our 2011 creel. Approximately 400 – 600 trophy bass were caught Jan – Apr in the 2011 creel! In the first year of TrophyCatch (2012), Johns Lake was second in the state for submissions.

All good things do come to an end, and by 2013, most of the woody stemmed vegetation produced from the 2001 drought was gone. While the catch rates for bass were still good in the 2016 creel, accordingly, with this energy source reduced, we saw a drastic reduction in memorable (> 20 inch) and trophy (> 24″) bass.

One trophy bass FWC shocked and tagged ($100 prize) on Johns Lake last spring was caught by an angler within one week of tagging. All the fishery biologists in the state insert $100 trophy tags in bass that they electrofish in order for the research division to get a “handle” on how many are kept and how many are released. In the past few years on Johns Lake they have tagged approximately 11 trophy bass and 9 of the 11 tags have been returned. Fortunately, the anglers released all their tagged Johns Lake trophy bass.

FWC’s Fish Orlando annual report can be found each year on their website. You can also check out FWC’s web page. They also have a Fish Orlando app available for apple phones, but it only covers the FAB FIVE, URBAN PONDS and fish ID. It is currently being updated to IOS12. Good luck fishing!

October 1, 2018April 2, 2022

18th Annual Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade

October 1, 2018

18th Annual Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade

John Schmidt

This year is the 18th Annual Johns Lake Boat Parade! The event will be held on Sunday, December 18th at 6:15pm. Come out and decorate your boat with lights and join in the fun! Last year we had 32 boats in the parade, and many spectators at the public boat dock on Lake Blvd.in Winter Garden, as well on the shoreline in many backyards.

All boats participating should gather by 6:10 PM in the NW corner of Johns Lake. THIS IS A NEW MEETING LOCATION FROM LAST YEAR. The lead boat will start the parade at 6:15 PM by blasting an air-horn several times. All boats should follow in-line and slowly head east. The parade route will follow the northern, eastern, and southern shores of Johns Lake (from Johns Lake Landing in Lake County to Twinwaters in Orange County, where the parade ends). The parade will take about 2 hours to complete. Please see the Parade Route Map.

If this is your first time decorating your boat for a parade, here are a few tips:

Christmas lights run on 120v AC and are designed to operate from your home electrical current. To operate lights on your boat, you will need to purchase a DC to AC power inverter. Power inverters are available at most auto parts stores, Wal-Mart, and Harbor Freight. Power inverters convert your boat’s 12v DC power to 120v AC. Inverters do have a limit as to how much power they can generate from your boat’s DC battery. Inverters are rated by watts; the more watts the inverter can handle, the more lights you can put on your boat. Most power inverters above 150 watts will need to be connected directly to your boat’s battery terminals to provide full power as 12v outlet plugs (cigarette lighters) are power limited by a fuse.
The use of LED lights provides the ability to power many more lights than incandescent lights. A 300-watt power inverter connected directly to your battery could power over 600 LED lights as opposed to 60 incandescent lights! Be careful though, as some units will overheat if too much load is placed on them. Test your lights for a period of time before the parade starts. Make sure you use UL-approved outdoor lights as the lights on your boat may get wet and you do not want to cause a fire or shock someone on your boat!

August 1, 2018April 6, 2022

Johns Lake Improvement Association Financial Statement

For year ended 12/31/17

Balance at 01/01/17	$6,884.46
Income
Member dues	1,430.00
Interest received	0.69
Balance with income	8315.15
Expenses
Cattails mailings	263.10
Corporate filing fee	61.25
P.O. box annual fee	68.00
Commercial service charge	8.00
Donation ONP	150.00
Donation FOLA	100.00
Total expenses	650.35

Balance at 12/31/17	$7,664.80

State and Local Agencies

Lake County Aquatic Plant Management
(352) 343-9419
Lake County Department of Environmental Utilities
(352) 343-3776
Orange County Environmental Protection Agency
(407) 836-7400
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (EDPA)
(407) 893-3303
St. Johns River Water Management District
(386) 329-1429 or (407) 897-4346
Orange Storm Water Management
(407) 836-7990
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
(407) 858-6170
Town of Oakland
Dennis Foltz – town manager (407) 656-1117, ext 2103

JLIA Board of Directors

Martin Davis
President
407 877-3455

Ann Megler
Treasurer
407 654-1269

Don Hickman
Secretary
407 656-2392

Mary Louise Grable
407 656-2919

August 1, 2018April 6, 2022

Johns Lake Boat Parade: Save the Date!

August 1, 2018

Johns Lake Boat Parade: Save the Date!

The 18th Annual Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade will be held on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018. We will be sending out information, and looking for volunteers to help.

Next Meeting

An announcement will be sent before the next meeting. Anyone wanting to attend is welcome. If you want to get more involved, this is your opportunity.

Share the News

Share this newsletter with your neighbors, and ask them to let us know if they want to receive information regarding our lake.

August 1, 2018April 6, 2022

Do You Have Aquatic Midges?

August 1, 2018

Do You Have Aquatic Midges?

(aka blind mosquitoes)

Aquatic midges, or blind mosquitoes, don’t bite, suck blood, or carry diseases, but they can be a real problem for homeowners on the lake. They can be beneficial as a food source for fish, and lakes where the midge breeds are the best fishing lakes. However, the nuisance created by these little bugs far outweighs the benefit.

One of our JLIA members shared this photo:

The aquatic midge has four stages in their life cycle: egg, larvae, pupae and adult. The eggs are laid on the surface of the water in a gelatinous mass that can contain upward of 3,000 eggs that will hatch in 2-7 days. The larvae then feed on that gelatinous mass for about 2 days, they then burrow into the mud and feed off organic matter in the mud and water. After a period of 2-7 weeks, they transform into pupae and swim to the surface of the water. Within hours, the adult midge emerges- then look out!! The adult midges usually emerge in large numbers between April and November. During the day, they hang out in cool shady place and swarm at night to mate, preferring the lighted areas around homes (pools, porches, accent lighting). They do not feed, so they only live 3-5 days, then the life cycle begins again.

Midges eventually attract spiders, their natural predator. The accumulation of midges in the webs results in frequent washing of home exteriors. As these midges die and decay, they can produce an offensive smell similar to rotting fish.

Their occurrence and survival often indicates the type and amount of nutrients found in the water. Attempts at control involving insecticides or fogging units only address the adults (who have shown to develop a resistance to pesticides) and can even be counter-productive if it kills the natural predators. These attempts at control are only temporary as the next generation emerges rapidly. Midges breed in water that is excessively rich in nutrients, frequently caused by runoff from the land that contains organic materials, fertilizers (phosphates), among other materials. These nutrients stimulate the growth of aquatic plant life (such as algae), resulting in the depletion of oxygen. As nutrients increase, so does the population of midges.

Recommendation for lakefront residents:

Reduce the use of unnecessary outdoor lighting, and indoor lighting that will attract midges to the
windows and building
Use a “light trap” in a corner of your yard to attract midges. Use of bug zappers is not recommended because they kill beneficial insects as well as the midges.
Prevent nutrients from entering the lake by eliminating debris at the lakeshore (leaves, grass clippings, etc.)
Prevent fertilizer (phosphate) from washing into the lake by maintaining barriers to prevent runoff
and by not fertilizing between the barrier and the lake.
Consider planting aquatic plants that improve the waterfront by removing excess nutrients that the larvae feed on. Though this is a slow process, it help to improve the overall lake health and wildlife habitat.

All of this information and more can be found on the following University of Florida site.

November 1, 2017April 2, 2022

Plants for the Lakefront

November 1, 2017

Plants for the Lakefront

Mary Louise Grable

For some reason many lakefront homeowners have the erroneous concept that the perfect landscape should include a lakeshore comprised entirely of sand. There are numerous attractive plants that benefit wildlife, help control erosion, protect water quality and should be included in the landscape plan.
Shoreline vegetation that is beneficial should not be removed simply to construct a beach. In fact certain trees and endangered plants cannot be removed. Plants that are native to the area greatly reduce or eliminate the need for the use of fertilizers and pesticides. It is okay to remove invasive nonnative vegetation such as torpedo grass, but some of the shoreline needs to be replaced with native plants. There is an excellent website that provides substantial information on restoring the lakefront. Go to Seminole County’s website to find all you need to know about the many aspects of the process.

An emergent plant known as Duck Potato or broadleaf arrowhead has lance shaped leaves and provides showy white flowers with three petals. The flowers appear on stalks that are taller than the leaves. It is a Florida native and grows well at the shoreline or in the water. The tubers are edible and were once a staple for the indigenous people.

Maidencane, a native Florida grass, is excellent for shoreline stabilization. It is a perennial grass growing 2 – 5 feet in height and is found only in freshwater. Although it can get out of control, it is easier to manage and should not be confused with torpedo grass (Panicum repens) which is a nonnative invasive species and almost impossible to control.

Pickerelweed is an attractive Florida native plant found in shallow freshwater and often used as an ornamental plant in water gardens. It is easily recognizable by its beautiful violet blue, uncommonly white, flower spikes which bloom almost the entire year. It is common, extending by rhizomes to the height of 2 – 4 feet. Bees and butterflies are attracted to the flowers, ducks and people eat the seeds and the leaves can be boiled like greens. The plant provides good cover for birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects and
swimming mammals.
It is doubtful that cypress trees were once found on Johns Lake, but currently several lakefront landowners have been successful in growing them. These unique trees dominate the wetlands and are the most tolerant of floods of all Florida trees. The deciduous, often Spanish moss laden conifer has been part of the landscape for thousands of years. It is excellent as wildlife habitat, for flood control and maintaining water quality.

Bald cypress grows mainly in wetlands over many years and may reach over 100 feet.
Its leaves are linear and spread on branchlets. Pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) does not grow as large and favors depressions in pond and lake margins. Its leaves are awl-shaped and press against branchlets. Some botanists consider them separate species; others as variations of the same species. Both are unique and attractive trees.

In addition to the plants identified in the above article, other commonly found native plants are shown below. There are may species available from some of our local aquascpaing
nurseries. They are all beautiful additions to your lakefront landscape, and you will be amazed at the number of birds, butterflies, fish and mammals that will be visiting your new and Florida Native shoreline!

Fire flag

(Thalia geniculata)

Soft rush

(Juncus effuses)

Swamp lily

(Crinum americanum)

Golden canna

(Canna Flaccida)

Blue flag iris

(Iris Virginica)

Scarlet hibiscus

(Hibuscus coccones)

November 1, 2017April 2, 2022

Grass Carp

November 1, 2017

Grass Carp

Mary Louise Grable

Grass carp are nonnative fish imported from Asia for the control of higher invasive aquatic plant species such as hydrilla. They are a more cost effective method of control than using herbicides
or the use of mechanical means. A combination of the methods is the most effective in trying to control hydrilla. Estimates for using grass carp to control hydrilla are $15 per acre as opposed to $100 – $500 per acre using herbicides. Mechanical harvesting is even more expensive.

Grass carp are one of the largest members of the minnow family. Their life span is approximately 15 years. It takes about 6 months to a year for the fish to become effective in controlling vegetation. One of the few species of fish that eats plants, the grass carp does not eat all varieties of plants. It is important that overstocking does not occur. The grass carp found in Florida lakes have three sets of chromosomes (triploid) and are certified to be sterile. The largest triploid found in Florida was 15 years old, measured 56 inches in length and weighed 75 pounds.

These fish have large scales with a silvery to dark gray back, lighter golden sides and white belly. The body is round with a broad head. The fish are stocked in Johns Lake. Sometimes they are caught while fishing for tilapia or catfish. If a grass carp is caught, it is required that it be released