Bass Lakes Area Environmental Partnership Welcomes You
Our Mission:
Our mission is to promote public awareness, forge partnerships among citizens, scientists, and professionals, and foster the protection of the lakes' ecosystems and habitats for today and for generations to come.
About Us:
The Bass Lakes Area Environmental Partnership was created in 2021 by riparians from Big Bass and Little Bass Lakes in Irons, Michigan committed to education, control and prevention of aquatic invasive species, and improvement of fishing and fish habitat through innovation and cutting-edge science. Designation as a 501(c)3 organization enables us to apply for grants and solicit donations for financial resources to meet our mission. We are starting out small, but hope to expand in the future to include other waters within our watershed.
The founding principles of the Bass Lakes Area Environmental Partnership are:
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Provide education about the lake and shoreline ecosystems
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Prevent and combat the spread of invasive species in the lake and shoreline ecosystems
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Protect and improve fishing and fish habitat in the lakes
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Solicit grants and donations in order to take actions to accomplish our goals and to pay for educational programs
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Other charitable efforts related to lake and shoreline ecosystem health and fish habitat in the area
Link to Communications by Year
2021
2022
2023
2024
Projects: Current, Planned and Completed
Useful Links:
DASH: What is DASH and Why Do it?
EGLE (Environment Great Lakes Energy - formerly DEQ)
Friends of BBLB Lakes Facebook
MISIN (Midwest Invasive Species Network)
MI Natural Shoreline Partnership
MLSA (MI Lakes & Streams Association)
Your Lake & You
Here is a link provided by Ms Garcia's elementary school class. Thanks kids!
Clean Your Boat: Learn about Invasive Species
THANK YOU to our generous sponsors!
How You Can Help Us In Our Mission:
(or what's in it for you)
Should you decide to help us keep our lakes healthy and beautiful to maintain your property value and provide a terrific environment for enjoyment, your objective should be to learn about what is happening in many area lakes and what could happen in your lake. Most of the lakes in our geographic area and watershed are infested with at least one aquatic invasive species and are subjected to herbicidal treatments. Long-term effects of continuous herbicidal treatment on the ecosystems of the lakes and shorelines are uncertain. Once the dire and costly nature of this problem is understood, hopefully you will partner with our efforts through volunteering time and/or money to help abate the issues.
Under 'Useful Links' you will find links describing aquatic invasive species, what they are, and what they can do to ruin our once pristine waters. No one can help us but ourselves because state and local government are either not able or not willing to financially assist riparians with this issue. We are a grassroots effort that seeks to actually accomplish goals, not to make flashy web pages and engage in platitudes.
Even in its infancy, our organization partnered with Trout Unlimited and the US Forest Service to initiate a 2020 Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH) pilot study to determine if this method could help abate the Eurasian watermilfoil infestation in Big Bass Lake and decrease the use of chemical treatments. We want people to realize that they can make a difference in their environment and through partnering with us, learning how to leverage the tools available in the most effective and least damaging way. We view chemical treatment as a stop gap measure, not the solution.
Our ultimate goal is to educate others on how they can take charge of efforts to control and prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species problems in their lake, expand these learnings to other lakes in the area, and preserve the health and beauty of the unique aquatic ecosystems in Northern Michigan.
Contact Us:
Bass Lakes Area Environmental Partnership
Bass Lakes AEP
PO Box 15
Irons, MI 49644
