Golden Drake Realty

12/05/2023

Looking to hire a videographer who can create videos with our videos from an iPhone and Minolta MN67Z with our chosen music. Please PM, thanks.

12/04/2023

ENVIRONMENTAL HABITAT PROJECT - PORTAGE CHAIN OF LAKES UPDATE.

We could not be more pleased with Delta Dock and Hoist and Dennis's Tree Service for their dedication and critical involvement with us on our lake health improvement project. On our last project installing 33 trees we had to transport each tree, one at a time, across the ice, and tediously place them, overlapped, bind them together and fasten to the shore. This was a very physical, time consuming and dangerous process to do this on ice. Now, however, Dennis's Tree service harvests the trees, transports them to a staging site and builds the entire habitat configuration safely on shore and then Delta Dock and Hoist transports, precisely places, and anchors our habitat assemblies on the shoreline protruding out into increasing depths.

Not only is Delta Dock and Hoist and Dennis's Tree Service innovative and extremely hard working groups, but they understand and want to be a part of this environmental habitat project for the health of the lakes they, and future generations recreate on.

With their involvement, we can install trees on the shorelines and shallow in a fraction of the time, installed precisely to our EGLE Permit - and far safer. Instead of having to wait for "safe ice", we can install almost year round now, drastically increasing the number of these projects we can get done. This project, and this new innovative method, has the attention of the highest level officials at EGLE, DNR, Michigan Natural Shoreline Partnership, Michigan Lakes and Streams Associations and many other environmental conservation groups.

Nine assembled groups of 3 trees - totaling 27 trees were installed on 6 different shoreline locations on the Chain of Lakes on a 40 degree day with a water temperature of 34 degrees. We plan 6 more groups of trees to be installed in December. This is truly tough, real hands on environmental work which is actually making a big difference.

Why are we doing this? What are the benefits again?

First of all something none of us knew: 93% of all species in a lake inhabit the shallow area in a lake from the shoreline out to the "drop off". Further, 72% of the species in a lake are completely restricted to this area for their entire lives. This is why we are increasing the habitat in these areas and will continue to do so.

Here's a few direct benefits from our projects - all contributors to our goal of healthy lakes: Historical natural sequestration of carbon, shoreline protection and sediment retention, increased productivity of essential algaes, vertebrates, increasing fish, plant and animals habitat, food sources, breeding, spawning and refuge areas, food chain / web increase, fish diversity - and far more.

A simple google search of "coarse woody habitat or coarse woody debris in lakes and rivers" will overwhelm you with even more facts as to why these projects are essential to the health of our lakes and rivers.

Thanks again Delta Dock and Hoist and Dennis's Tree Service for your genuine and essential involvement in completing these very important environmental habitat projects.

More at naturalshorelines.com

05/01/2023

GARBAGE REMOVED FROM THE PORTAGE CHAIN OF LAKES.

Golden Drake Realty removes 426 pieces of garbage, 90% plastic, removed in 4 hours from the shoreline and bottom of the lakes by hand. This is tedious, and strenuous work using long extension tools to remove this wet, heavy garbage.

Total pieces of garbage removed from the lakes to date: 1,526.

Please people, please pay attention to your garbage. This is not accidental, and even if it was it just means you need to take personal responsibility to be more careful. Sorry, no excuse for this.

01/13/2023

Last call! Enrollment for Michigan State University Extension's Introduction to Lakes online course closes January 8.

(Did you know two of the instructors are MiCorps' own Erick Elgin and Jo Latimore?)

https://www.canr.msu.edu/courses/introduction-to-lakes

01/12/2023

GOLDEN DRAKE REALTY IS MOVING!

Same great community, same great service.

Times have changed. We've changed with them. We’ve loved our main office, but we’re moving to our much smaller branch office and investing in our ability to be more agile, responsive, mobile and face to face.

We may be moving to keep up with the times - but these things are unmovable:

Being trusted.
Hard work.
Five Star Reviews.
You are #1 – Not us.

Goldendrake.com

09/27/2022

Fantastic success! Portage Lake nature preserve underwater pictures!

One of the main goals of the 2,700' natural shoreline habitat improvement project created by Natural Shorelines Forever and Golden Drake Realty was to increase habitat for fish and wildlife and make Portage Lake healthier.

On a natural and healthy lake there is one dead tree fallen into the water and left to stay every 75 - 120 feet. Our current lake life culture removes all tree wood debris whenever it comes in contact with the lake. This deprives lake microbiology, fish and wildlife with any place to breed, feed, live and flourish - exist - and makes lakes less healthy.

In cooperation with DNR, MSU and EGLE, we put 50,000 pounds of stumps, logs and full trees back into the lake along the shore.

Enjoy these pictures of what happened! See the fish, wildlife and native vegetation that - get this - WAS NOT NOT THERE before 50,000 pounds of wood structure was installed along the shore but is now plentiful, flourishing, growing in population and healthy. In one picture you will see 17 fish in just that picture alone. This has made Portage Lake healthier and is an example of real, meaningful conservation progress.

We are invigorated by this progress. More projects and healthier lakes to come. You can do one of these projects on your shoreline no matter how small. See the pictures of how this fits in perfectly with docks, boats, swimming, etc. - and call us with any questions!

See more at:
https://naturalshorelines.com/
https://goldendrake.com/

09/18/2022

If you own one of these boats please learn all your can to not operate them destructively. Thank you.

08/24/2022

TWO Bald Eagles on our 2,700’ Natural Shoreline Nature Preserve on Portage Lake last night. This is a first. Bald Eagles prefer dead trees to land in and the preserve is the only place on Portage Lake they exist. Apologies for the iPhone picture.

08/23/2022

Thanks everyone. We will continue to do everything we can to live up to your expectations.

Find all of the winning local businesses at
nextdoor.com/favorites.



Craig

Lakefront and non Lakefront Real Estate.

08/12/2022

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

07/15/2022

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."