Lake Little Sissabagama, Stone Lake, WI
Little Siss Newsletter
Autumn 2024
______________________________
Out Fishin'
A feller isn't thinkin' mean, out fishin';
His thoughts are mostly good an' clean, out fishin'.
He doesn't knock his fellow men,
Or harbor any grudges then;
A feller's at his finest when out fishin'.
The rich are comrades to the poor, out fishin';
All brothers of a common lure, out fishin'.
The urchin with the pin an' string
Can chum with millionaire an' king;
Vain pride is a forgotten thing, out fishin'.
A feller isn't plotting schemes, out fishin';
He's only busy with his dreams, out fishin'.
His livery is a coat of tan,
His creed -to do the best he can;
A feller's always mostly man out fishing'.
from a vintage fishing guide from Sissabagama Lodge
(with apologies to all the fishing women out there.)
High Speed Broadband Coming to Little Siss in 2025
Deanna Westphal from Mosaic (an internet provider) joined us at the late summer LSSOA meeting with the following information.
Our area received a federal grant to provide fiber optic technology. After the grant was received Mosaic started designing where the routes would go. They will be placing it where current speeds are no higher than 10 by 1. There is an aggressive construction timeline. They will start construction in our area in November 2025. The fiber optic speeds will be 100x100 price is $64.95 with a promo special for $44.95. Lines are built for the future. They will be scalable to 10g. They are more than broadband.
How do we partner?
There are 2 forms – a permission to construct and an interest form. They have to have a contract to get a drop to your door. 1 or 2 year contract will get free drop. Price starts when services are installed. If you have a private road, everyone on the road has to fill out the permission to construct form but that does not obligate you to take services. It is called a Right of Way contract. There is NO OBLIGATION!
Information can be found on their website…
https://experiencemosaic.com/residential-services
Edgewater Ordinance
The waterskiing ordinance passed. Both townships now have the same ordinance now which means we can report and have DNR/sheriffs enforce. We should let them know about repeat offenders. 10-6 each day are the hours. Matches all other lakes in the area.
Aquatic Invasive Species
Due to the rise in AIS on nearby lakes such as Big Sissabagama, Stone Lake, members of LSSOA have been working proactively to prevent the spread of AIS such as Northern Eurasian Milfoil in Little Sissabagama and to to be prepared to respond should it be found. LSSOA bylaws were approved to change to allow board officers to make quick decisions on use of funds in the AIS fund.
Jean Accola presented the fundraising campaign for the AIS fund. It was suggested to start with a goal of $20,000 in the fund. This will pay for monitoring and tools needed to find AIS. The funds would allow us to act quickly to mitigate the spread should AIS be discovered.
Please make your donation to LSSOA with AIS fund in the memo line.
Mail to Ron Marquis at 9146 Jade Way N., Lake Elmo, MN 55042-7100
You can receive a tax deduction for donation as LSSOA is a 501c3 organization.
We are also happy to report that the Fleming sisters have started the fundraising with a $1000 donation in memory of their parents Richard and Joan.
Monitoring for AIS
Don Kissinger has volunteered to coordinate an AIS monitoring program on Lil Siss . Natalie Ehler of the Sawyer County Conservation Office is assisting. She accompanied Don, Chuck Abrams and Jean Accola on a tour of the lake in late summer. She is creating a map of zones of shoreline monitoring, with priority designations. She will present an educational session - after the spring meeting - to show examples of actual AIS and instruct us in monitoring techniques - from our boats.
Monitoring will need to take place from Mid May to Mid October.
Wisconsin Boating and Fishing Law Regarding AIS Prevention:
Wisconsin’s regulations require boaters to:
• INSPECT your boat, trailer and equipment.
• REMOVE any attached aquatic plants or animals
(before launching, after loading, and before
transporting on a public highway).
• DRAIN all water from boats, motors and all equipment.
• NEVER MOVE live fish away from a waterbody.
• DISPOSE of unwanted bait in the trash.
• BUY minnows from a Wisconsin bait dealer. Use
leftover minnows only under certain conditions.
Kissinger Families’ History on Little Sissabagama -Alice Kissinger
The Kissinger Family began having a presence on Little Sissabagama Lake in the 1950's, when Harold and Jim's parents rented Dunlap's small white cottage close to the water. Jim actually stayed there with them when he was a kid. When Harold's family came home in the summer, they also visited there. Both Harold and his brother Milan were serving in the US Military at that time.
Harold, Marilyn, and their two sons, Mark and Greg visited the area when Harold was able to take summer leave. Harold and family were sent to Taiwan in 1956 or 57; but they always spent their leave on Little Siss to enjoy fishing and spending time looking for a place to build a home.
Harold and his son, Greg, spent much of their time looking for property; also, they sought to fulfill a plan that Harold had created with some Army buddies: to establish an exotic hunting preserve stocked with imported game animals from Western Europe. Greg tells about plans to bury fences to keep game enclosed, yet high enough to keep animals from jumping over. There were many meetings and conversations with the DNR to make sure everything was within regulations.
Around 1958, Harold and his dad bought the peninsula near the outlet with a cottage that did not have electricity or running water. Their dad was an electrician who installed electricity. The Kissinger family went there every year. The outdoor "biffy" was tolerated. They did dishes and cooking with water from the lake. The additional purchase of a cottage on the east side of the lake made enough room for the Kissingers and the Army buddies to stay when they came to Wisconsin.
Over several decades, Harold purchased 440 acres adjacent to Alberta Lane. That large piece of land was earmarked for the hunting preserve. The final piece of land Harold purchased was between Alberta Lane and Little Siss Lake. It prevented further development along that area.
Harold, Milan & Jim Kissinger, 1992
Harold and Marilyn decided to live in the Stone Lake area when Harold retired. They bought property for a home on Big Siss and moved there in 1975. Mark and Greg each had some property on Little Sissabagama. Greg and his wife, Lynn, built a house on the Northernmost bay of Little Siss and have been living there since 2006. Mark no longer owns land on this lake, but has Harold and Marilyn’s home on Big Siss.
The hunting preserve idea remained for several years; but as the Army buddies retired, they lost interest. Harold began repurchasing the property while Jim, Milan, and their dad began purchasing part of the group ownership. Jim was in the Army, and then college, when this was happening. After Jim and Alice were married in 1961, they both came to the lake and bought the former Beckwith cottage. They began living there full time in 1998.
 |
| The Jim & Alice Kissinger Family |
Now Alice spends her time between the cottage in the summer and Eau Claire in the winter. Their oldest son, Don, and his wife, Sue, have built a home just up the shoreline. Their daughter, Lynn, and her husband, Mike, may build a cottage between the 2 existing ones. Two other sons (Mike and Scott) enjoy coming to the lake, but have no plans to build here. Eventually all 4 of the Kissinger kids will own the cottage Alice is living in now.
The upshot of this tale is that there will be some Kissingers on Little Siss for years to come.
Septic Systems, Nitrogen, and the Health of Little Sissabagama
-Peter Tanghe
In summer 2022, the Little Sissabagama Shore Owners Association commissioned a survey to assess the lake’s health from the perspective of plant life. According to the report, we have low amounts of filamentous and floating algae which is a sign of historically manageable levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the lake. This article is a quick review of nitrogen, its negative effects on lake health, and its toxic effect on young people. So let us take a deeper dive into our septic systems and how nitrogen is managed.
Nitrogen is an essential chemical element in all living things. Although vital for life, it must remain in balance for overall health. It is estimated that an adult human produces around 12.5 pounds of nitrogen, mostly in urine. Additional sources of nitrogen can come from food wastes that enter the septic system. When lakes are surveyed there is a known septic system failure rate of around 10-20%. Depending on the substance, the definition of a “failed” septic system may vary.
A septic system failure will directly impact the area immediately around the faulty system. In addition, vertical contamination of ground/well water or horizontal contamination of the lake can affect us all. Increased nitrogen levels cause algae blooms, use up oxygen in the lake, kill fish populations, decrease water clarity/quality, and speed up the aging of the lake. Little Sissabagama’s small size creates risk from even minor increases of nitrogen as it has limited abilities to dilute these substances.
An interesting, albeit rare, condition occurs when infants and young children are exposed to food/formula made with well water having high concentration of nitrates. (Nitrates are chemicals made of nitrogen and oxygen molecules.)
Therefore, when using well water to prepare formula and food for infants and children, annual or semiannual testing should be done to assure that nitrate levels meet recommended levels.
Septic systems are a type of Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS). The simplest septic system has a tank and a soil absorption system (SAS) or a soil treatment unit (STU). The septic tank is where primary treatment of waste occurs usually through anaerobic digestion and settling of solid waste. Septic systems have a biomat which is a thin layer of organic material that is home for anaerobic bacteria. The effectiveness of the biomat changes as it matures. Only about 5% of the nitrogen in wastewater is removed in the septic tank; because the anaerobic conditions can only remove that amount of the nitrogen waste.
The wastewater leaves the tank and disperses into the soil or drain field. The ground serves as a filter that “cleans” the waste via chemical reactions, microbial digestion, and mechanical filtering. Once nitrogen (ammonia) goes out into the soil, it can be changed into a couple of different substances depending on multiple variables such as temperature, organic and microbiologic material content, soil type and pH. These processes change over time as the septic system ages.
Wastewater then moves down into the ground water where it seeps into the lake or wells. Nitrogen is just one substance managed by septic systems. There are other substances like phosphorus, trace organic chemicals (TOrCs), bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemicals that are dumped into the system. If septic systems are effectively treating nitrogen, it is assumed that they treat other potential pollutants as well. However, as our knowledge expands, we must be mindful of pollutants that are considered unsafe at any level. For example, the EPA recently proposed near-zero requirements for public utilities for certain “forever” chemicals.
In Wisconsin, septic systems are addressed in the State Department of Safety and Professionals Department, Chapter SPS 83, Private Sewage Systems. DSPS Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS). Initial installation of a septic system requires soil testing to get a permit for installation, repair, or alteration. There are no requirements for ongoing monitoring of function. However, Wisconsin requires inspection and pumping of septic systems every 3 years. There are many useful resources though to help with the responsibility of maintaining your septic system. This includes the Wisconsin Fund.
As stewards of our lake and our community, we should all make sure that our septic systems are well maintained and functioning for the sake of our lake and all of us neighbors, human and non-human alike.
Resources
Cold-water Aquatic Invasive Species Shoreline Survey Little Sissabagama Lake https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=272A631058BFC3A5!147452&ithint=file%2cdocx&authkey=!AGnyL_Y9Lv-uOLQ
https://dsps.wi.gov/Pages/Programs/POWTS/Default.aspx 3/17/23
https://www.epa.gov/septic/about-septic-systems 3/13/23
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/climate/epa-water-pfas-chemicals.html
lynnshoneywagon.com
Lake Trivia Query
Have you ever wondered where the name Manicure Island came from? Does anyone know? How about a conjecture? Write a short piece for the next newsletter if you have anything to add to this quandary. Send it to Jean at jaccola9@gmail.com
Publisher/Writer: Jean Accola jaccola9@gmail.com
Editor: Anne Skwira-Brown