Golden Drake Realty

Fish galore! MSU and EGLE scientists and representatives inspected our 2,700' natural shoreline and attached wetland habitat improvement project on Portage Lake today and were very pleased to see the increase in desired native shoreline vegetation and large diversity of FISH and other wildlife using the new habitat!

We are filing a permit for a phase II effort to increase the shoreline's resistance to the drastic increase in size and quantity of boats on Portage Lake, as well as more wildlife habitat.

Natural shorelines and improvement projects like this keep lakes healthy for fish, wildlife and human recreation. Here's how the 2,700' of natural shoreline on Portage Lake makes Portage Lake healthy -

Natural shorelines remove:

1. Toxins
2. Heavy metals
3. Road salts
4. Watercraft fluids such as gasoline, oils, greases, antifreeze
5. Household poisons such as herbicides, pesticides, solvents, detergents.
6. Lawn fertilizer, agricultural fertilizer, livestock and pet wastes.
7. Nutrients left behind from decaying weeds and algae.
8. Carbon from air (the attached wetland bog)

MORE, natural shorelines and attached wetlands:

9. Soak up floodwater first
10. Trap sediments stirred up by watercraft
11. Absorb watercraft waves
12. Increase and stabilize the lakes "food web" keeping the lake alive
13. Provide breeding grounds for fish and wildlife
14. Increase population and population diversity of fish and wildlife.
15. Wildlife refuge for birds, turtles, herons eagles, ospreys, frogs, fish.
16. Regulate the lake's temperature
17. Provide filtered water for aquifers - wells - our drinking water
The Natural Shoreline Preserves on Portage Lake were created through a cooperative effort of Golden Drake Realty, Natural Shorelines Forever, and volunteers. The next time you drive by this area on your boat, remember all it's doing to make the lake healthy for you, your family and generations to come.

Naturalshorelines.com
Goldendrake.com

For years Golden Drake Realty has been warning of these possible, now real safety conditions, distributing prevention information, holding seminars, placing material in all our lake listings and personally teaching lake residents how to help prevent this. We've been accused of overreacting. So be it.

This is the second toxic algae warning in two years on the Portage Chain and we are concerned of more to come if we don't change the way we live on and near lakes.

These toxic algae blooms affect the safety, recreation, and eventually property values of all of us who live on the chain. Please, everyone, pass the (last attached image) prevention information on to anyone who lives on, or near the Portage Chain of Lakes or any other water body you know of. We have more at the office if you need it, free. Thank you.

To my fellow lakefront Realtors, come on by and get all the free info you need to put information on the info table for your listings, and to educate your upcoming lakefront buyers. We owe it to our lake communities.

From Washtenaw County:
"Hamburg Township, Michigan, July 14, 2022 – Livingston County, in consultation with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, is issuing a public health advisory about a suspected - harmful algal bloom (HAB) in Loon Lake in Hamburg Township, Michigan. People and pets should avoid direct body contact with scums in the lake, water that is blue-green, or water that looks like it has a green sheen or spilled paint on its surface. People and pets should also avoid swallowing the lake water."