Lake Marie 'Blob' meets defeat

The days are numbered for “The Blob of Lake Marie.”

The 100-foot by 100-foot floating bog that has terrorized lakefront homeowners along the Lake Marie's southeastern cove was pushed to Grass Lake, Fox Waterway Agency Executive Director Ingrid Danler said Wednesday.

It will take crews another day to finish moving, dismantling and destroying the giant floating land mass, nicknamed “The Blob” by Lake Marie homeowners because of its ability to destroy piers and other obstructions in its path.

“It is being removed from the waterway,” said Ron Barker, deputy director of the Fox Waterway Agency. “I would like to keep it and tie it off somewhere, but he won't stay put. He doesn't want to behave.”

Danler said crews were sent out in the cold rain early Wednesday morning to collect the floating bog composed of twisted cattails, waterlogged weeds and muck.

The mass, which weighs about 20 tons, was on the move as Fox Waterway boats arrived — almost as if it knew people were coming for it, she said.

“It set sail and tried to escape across the lake,” Danler said. “But, the guys caught up to it, snagged it, then dragged it into Grass Lake.”

For eight hours Wednesday, the bog was pulled and pushed to Grass Lake, where it was tied up for the night, she said. It will be pushed to Halings Resort in Antioch on Thursday, where a backhoe will scoop it out of the water, piece by piece.

According to homeowners, at least two piers were damaged by the bog late last summer. The cost of piers varies depending on size and type, but dealers estimate a pier for one boat goes for $500 to $1,500.

That damage prompted many pier owners to delay installing their temporary piers this spring.

“I do appreciate that it has been removed,” said homeowner Donna Pavelski, whose pier was also damaged by The Blob. “I'm happy that it's out of the way and I won't find it yet again, at least this same one.”

Danler said the agency intended to remove the bog earlier, but a combination of poor weather and low water levels kept them waiting for the right day.

“We had to wait for the weather to cooperate, as well as for the water to come up,” Danler said. “If we try and move it when the water is low, then it bottoms out and is unable to be pushed.”

She said strong head winds made moving the land mass nearly impossible earlier this spring.

Danler said the agency will return to Lake Marie this week to see if there are any other floating land masses. She said, homeowners have reported a second — but much smaller — bog has been moving from shoreline to shoreline.

“We'll get all stragglers before we're done,” she said.