save sylvan lake

7/30/2019 Save Sylvan Lake

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A Benefit to Save the Lake.

Hosted By: Meghan and Keith Page

Presentation By: Alex M. Devoy


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Overview

Sylvan Lake is the body of water that separates Avon and

Bradley Beach.

Sylvan Lakes island was made using the mud that wasdredged out of the lakes bottom in the early 1970s.

Over time, the island has shrunk due to erosion caused by

falling trees, rainwater, and muskrats.

On the western most tip of the lake is where the lead richmud lies in water only about ten inches deep.

The eastern tip of the lake is where the bodies of gulls,

ducks, and various dead mammals are found.


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How does Pollution Effect Sylvan

Lake? Pollutants such as oil and gasoline run off from the roads. Mixed

with pollen, and other fine bits of debris, it turns into a thick,foamy silt that sticks to animals and anything it touches.

Ribbons, balloons, string, shredded bags, and fishing lines areused by many birds to construct nests to raise their young. Thisposes a serious problem because in the process of nest building,

the adult birds can get tangled in the debris and the young mayalso become the victims of the pollution.

In addition to silt and string, broken bottles and cans litter thewater and shore and pose a threat to turtles; as the bright colorsmake them appear edible. The can also shred the webbed feet ofvarious species of waterfowl.


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The Common Muskrat The Common Muskrat is the main reason why the

walls around the lake are collapsing. TheMuskrats dig into the land and form a network oftunnels all connecting to the water. When thewater rises, or it rains, the tunnels act as pipes,

that carry the water underneath the land. Aftermany months of this, the tunnels cave in, andcause the concrete walls and soil to fall apart andfall into the lake. Muskrats can be the host tomany diseases such as rabies, ringworm, andtularemia.


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The Birds Sylvan Lake is most well known for its diversity of bird

species.

Most birds that call this lake home are members of thewaterfowl family, such as geese, swans, and ducks.Other species include Red-Winged Blackbirds,sparrows, Grackles, and Starlings.

However, we do get frequent visitors such as Ospreys,Egrets, Herons, Hawks, sandpipers, Terns, andSwallows.


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The Turtles The turtles are found in the western tip of the lake.

The juvenile turtles tend to stay in the shallow, sunny waterwhere algae and pond weeds grow.

At the moment, there are four known species of turtlefound in Sylvan Lake: Red-Eared Slider, Common Snapper,Painted Turtle and Northern Diamondback Terrapin.

Only 1 Terrapin was found this year. Her name is Buttons,and unfortunately, she tried to did a nest hole for 18consecutive days, but failed.

Only 1 baby Painted Turtle was found this year too, it wascovered in a slick, foamy, substance and was dead.

Six Common Snapping Turtles were removed forendangering the lives of other organisms.


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The InsectsAt Sylvan Lake, everybody will say that the

mosquito is the most common insect. However,there are a few more very interesting ones to see onthe lakes shore.

Eastern Amberwings, Common Blue Damselflies,Black and Yellow Mud Daubers, and Honeybeesare the most frequently seen insects.

Some other insects are butterflies such as:

Question Marks, Red Admirals, Monarchs, PaintedLadies, American Ladies, Common Sulfurs, andCommon Buckeyes.


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The Insects (cont.)

The Eastern Amberwings, and Common Blue Damselflies feedon mosquitoes, biting flies, and gnats. Large numbers of

dragonflies and damselflies mean low numbers of biting

insects!

The Black and Yellow Mud Dauber is a common, non-aggressive, solitary wasp that uses mud to build nests for its

offspring.

The butterflies and bees are great pollinators. Most of the

common weeds we see around the lake are the host plants tomany butterflies. Promoting, instead of killing these weeds, can

benefit not only the butterflies, but the bees too. The bees

pollinate the flowers on the butterflies host plant.

See Butterfly host plant chart on next slide


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Butterfly Host PlantsSpecies Host Plant

Monarch Milkweeds

Sulfur Pea, clover

American Lady Thistles, Hollyhock, Mallow

Red Admiral False and Stinging Nettles

Question Mark Elm, Hackberry, Jap. HopCommon Buckeye Plantains, Snapdragon

Painted Lady Thistles, Hollyhock, Mallow

Sulfur laying eggs on White Clover Common Buckeye laying eggs onNarrow Leafed Plantain.


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Outline for Pollinator GardenPlanting Key:

1. Butterfly bush, dwarf (2)2. Purple coneflower (2)3. Tall Brazilian verbena (2)4. Autumn Fire sedum (6)5. Bronze fennel (2)6. Aster x frikartii Mnch (2)7. Broccoli (6)8. Oregano (2)9. Anise hyssop (3)10. Lantana (2)11. Purple annual verbena (6)12. Pinkish-purple swamp milkweed (2)13. Annual ageratum (6)14. White sweet alyssum (about 12)15.Carpet zinnia (about 12)

Other plants such as Parsley, Pea, and

Plantain, can be added for butterflyhost plants.

Courtesy of: Sally Roth, Birds & Blooms.


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Fish Fish are almost never seen in Sylvan Lake.

Unfortunately, that also means we know very littleabout them, and what species there are in the lake.

So far, we know there are Green Sunfish, Catfish,Common Carp and White Perch.

Fish are the main food source for herons, egrets,ospreys, turtles, and cormorant.

At the moment, one species of fish living in this lake is

listed Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species. The fish is the Common Carp.


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Fish Photos


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Fish Survey

Species Weight Length Time/Date

White Perch 1.75 ounces 6 inches 2:20 pm- 7/7/12

White Perch 1.5 ounces 5.5 inches 2:39 pm-7/7/12


White Perch 2 1/8 ounces 6 inches 3:07 pm-7/7/12


Catfish 4.75 ounces 10 inches 3:30 pm-7/7/12

White Perch 1.5 ounces 6 inches 3:44 pm-7/7/12

White Perch 1.75 ounces 6 inches 8:18 pm-7/7/12Catfish 12.25 ounces 12.5 inches 5:15 pm-7/9/12

White Perch 1 1/8 ounces 6 inches 7:05 pm-7/9/12


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Fish Survey (cont.)

Species Weight Length Time/DateCatfish 7 ounces 9 inches 7:12 pm- 7/9/12

Catfish 1 lb. 2 ounces 13 inches 7:19 pm-7/9/12

White Perch 1 ounce 5.5 inches 7:22 pm-7/9/12

Catfish 8 3/8 ounces 10 inches 7:27 pm-7/9/12

Catfish 6 ounces 9.5 inches 7:34 pm-7/9/12

Catfish 7.25 ounces 10 inches 7:50 pm-7/9/12

Carp 5.25 ounces 9 inches 8:03 pm-7/9/12

Catfish 6 1/8 ounces 9 inches 8:28 pm-7/9/12


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Fowlers Toad The Fowlers Toad is the only amphibian that makes its

home in Sylvan Lake.

The Fowlers Toad is a common North American toad

found in Streams, lakes, ponds, and slow movingwater.

In the breeding season, the males sing to attractfemales willing to mate. The females then lay eggs in

the shallow water. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, andthen grow into toads.

The Fowlers Toad eats invertabrates such asmosquitoes, flies, beetles, worms, and grubs.


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Endangered or Threatened Species at Sylvan Lake There are several species in danger living, or visiting Sylvan Lake regularly.

Endangered Threatened/Near Threatened

Least Tern (VI) Osprey (TH), (VI)

Black Skimmer (VI) Black Crowned Night Heron (TH), (VI)

Pied-Billed Grebe (VI) American Kestrel (TH), (VI)

Sedge Wren (VI) Diamondback Terrapin (NT), (RE)Roseate Tern (VI) Monarch Butterfly (NT), (RE)

Common Carp (VU), (RE)

KEY:Vulnerable (VU)Near Threatened (NT)Threatened (TH)Resident (RE)Visitor (VI)


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What We, As a Community, Can Do We can voluntarily choose to help clean up the lake. By picking up trash and other foreign debris, we could

potentially be saving animals from dying.

Report damage, injured animals, and any suspicioussightings you see at the lake to the police, or AnimalControl. What may seem as not a big deal, may actuallybe an important matter. Example: A gull with fishing linearound its wings, or, A piece of the wall falling into the

water from borrowing muskrats. Raising money and getting together to construct pollinator

gardens, and add greenery such as cattails, reeds,milkweeds, and shrubbery to brighten up the shoreline andgive the lake a healthier appearance.

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