Higgins Lake Swimmer's Itch Organization

Higgins Lake Swimmer’s Itch Organization Supporters, Thank you for your continued support of our organization (HLSIO) and your ongoing commitment to helping keep Swimmer’s Itch (SI) under control. We also want to acknowledge that this update is later than usual. We had hoped to provide clearer guidance earlier in the season regarding what actions would be permitted this summer to control SI. Despite being told by a senior FWS representative on May 29 that decisions would be made “soon,” and again on June 23 that we would hear by the end of that week, we have yet to receive definitive…

Dear HLSIO supporter, As 2025 draws to an end, we want to share with you the latest update of your Swimmer’s Itch (SI) program. To control SI on Higgins Lake, it is critical to remove Mergansers from the lake. Unfortunately, there was a cancellation of relocation permits for all ducks across the country earlier this year by the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) due to concerns about Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI, aka Avian Flu). Therefore, no ducks were removed and a few broods took up residence on the Lake. The increase in SI was relatively minimal based on…

This is a short update and request for help from the Higgins Lake Swimmer’s Itch Organization (HLSIO). As we strive to maintain our success in managing Swimmer’s Itch (SI), we need your support. You can make a significant difference in our efforts to understand and mitigate Swimmer’s Itch in our beloved lake.As you know, HLSIO has made great progress in reducing Swimmer’s Itch over the past decade. Unfortunately, the US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) has suspended our Merganser Relocation program for 2025, which is a key piece of our efforts to reduce SI. We are also aware there are at…

Dear HLSIO Supporter,The summer season has given way to the Holiday Season and we wanted to give you a wrap up of HLSIO 2024 activities. Let’s start with saying that in 2022 and 2023, the common merganser brood relocation program that we use to control Swimmers Itch on Higgins Lake was suspended by MI-DNR because of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Fortunately, no common merganser broods appeared on Higgins Lake in 2022. In 2023, common merganser broods returned, with two broods observed. Since these broods were not relocated, it was predicted that SI metrics at Higgins Lake would increase in…

A quick update about Swimmer’s Itch (SI) on Higgins Lake. Si remains relatively low although the reported cases have increased slightly from last year. we expected a slight uptick this summer as there were two Merganser broods on the lake last year the we were unable to relocate due to DNR restrictions. HLSIO conducted a snail infection rate study earlier this season in order to evaluate the prevalence of the parasite that causes Swimmer’s Itch. We found virtually no infected snails. Our Water Exposure study of people using the lake indicated only a minor increase in cases, but much lower…

The Higgins Lake Swimmer’s Itch Organization (HLSIO) is already on its way to a Happy NewYear. Early in January we received word that the suspension of our highly successful commonmerganser duck relocation program has ended. In the summer of 2024, we will once again beable to remove any broods of merganser ducks and relocate them to areas wherethe Stagnicola snails are not present.The system of removing broods of merganser ducks was implemented in 2015 and has greatlyreduced the incident of Swimmer’s Itch on Higgins Lake. The program had been suspended bythe Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the last two…