Iron County lakes group plans June events on plants and invasive species
ICLSP’s June slate will pair a trivia night, plant ID outing and symposium with a July 12 invasive-species blitz using iNaturalist.
Iron County Lakes and Streams Partnership is lining up a June slate that puts lake stewardship where residents already gather, from a brewery in Alpha to the shoreline at Sunset Lake and the hall in Crystal Falls. The goal is practical: help people recognize what belongs in Iron County waters and what threatens the recreation, fishing and shoreline use that define summer here.
The month opens Wednesday, June 24 at 5 p.m. with lake-and-stream trivia and storytelling night at Alpha Michigan Brewing Company. The brewery and ICLSP will provide brats and non-alcoholic beverages, and organizers are bringing the event back after it proved popular last year. It is designed as an easy entry point into water education, with a social setting tied directly to the county’s natural resources.
Hands-on learning continues Thursday, June 25, when Dr. Jo Latimore and Erick Elgin of Michigan State University’s Center for Lakes and Streams will lead a plant identification adventure at the Sunset Lake boat launch from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to bring water socks or water shoes so they can wade in shallow water while learning to identify aquatic plants. Latimore’s MSU profile describes her as an aquatic ecologist and outreach specialist focused on aquatic invasive species prevention, detection and management, along with volunteer monitoring, science communication and engagement.
The biggest educational stop comes Saturday, June 27, when the Aquatic Invasive Species Symposium runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Crystal Falls Township Hall. Lunch will be served, the event requires preregistration, and the cost is a $20 donation. Speakers will cover prevention, identification, treatment options, permitting, funding and the Clean Boats Clean Waters program. The stakes are familiar to anyone who uses local water: zebra mussels strip plankton that small fish need, and their sharp shells coat docks and rocks, while Eurasian water milfoil can grow dense enough to interfere with swimming and boating.
That concern is not theoretical in Iron County. A 2025 article noted that Eurasian water milfoil had already taken root in a dozen local lakes, and this year’s programming follows last summer’s focus on healthy shorelines, aquatic plant life and legal issues related to lakes. The partnership’s mission is to preserve, maintain and enhance Iron County’s water resources, especially by preventing, reducing and eliminating aquatic invasive species through awareness, education and coordinated projects.
The outreach continues with the MiCorps AIS Detection Blitz from Monday, June 29 through Sunday, July 12, using the iNaturalist app to help volunteers observe and report aquatic invasive species in Michigan waters. The statewide effort is billed as the second annual blitz and is open to volunteers of all levels, extending the county’s June events into a longer push for early detection and faster response. In Iron County, protecting the water means paying attention before a shoreline problem becomes a countywide one.
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