GREATER WALL LAKE ASSOCIATION
Est. 1961
The Annual Meeting which GWLA was planning to have at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute this summer has been cancelled. Given the current situation with covid pandemic and the governor's orders, an annual meeting is just a bad idea. Please stay safe and we will get together next year. The audit for 2019 found no issues with our financial records. Good job Martha.
Wilkinson Lake
Thursday November 19
The Hope Township planning commission public meeting this Thursday, November 19 at 6:30pm has been cancelled. Please check back for updates.
Also we are currently putting together a petition for anyone who can not make it to the meeting or would like to avoid what will probably be a crowded meeting, so everyone can let the planning commission known their view.
Covid-19
Currently the number of covid-19 cases are surging in Barry County and there are cases around our lake. Please be safe and use good judgement and try not to spread the virus. We all do not want to see another shutdown like we had this spring. That shutdown was both successful and not successful depending on different criteria's. It did slow down the spread and prevented our medical system to not get over whelm with people needing care, along with time to get supplies and needed changes in place. It was not successful in eliminating the virus and took a heavy toll on some sections of the economy with a good number of business that have permanently closed.
Our two best choices to prevent spreading the virus is social distancing and face masks. It is recommended a minimum of six feet for social distancing. For Face masks, they are not a stop all. Current data show them to be about 70 percent effective. Not everyone is wearing a face mask, there is an exemption for medical reason and others that simple chose not to. If you come across with someone with out a face mask, give them plenty of distance.
If you are feeling ill, stay home, call your doctor and isolate yourself.
Covid-19 self test. Take a deep, if you can hold that for 15 seconds, you probably don't have covid-19. Do daily or as often as you like.
Stay Safe Everyone
Update from Jim Dull, Drain Commissioner
Expect the channel to be cleared of leaf debris/ etc in July. Jim is
working on access to the site with adjacent land owners and
determining where the organic material can be placed. County has the equipment to perform the work, with COVID and rains, schedule has been pushed back.
Shallow Lake culvert improvements. Easements are in place.
Permitting, public review and comment periods need to be completed,
then actual work to be scheduled - that likely all translates to this Fall.
Lake Level
You don't need an expert to tell you that the water level on Wall Lake and the surrounding lakes are probably setting record high levels.
Michigan Lake and Stream Association did a webinar this spring about Michigan High Water. The presentation started with pictures of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron in 2013, a year that set an all time low water record for Lake Michigan and Lake Huron (they are treated as one body of water since they are connected). Then the presentation states that we have seen record high water levels the last few years. For 2020, we have set a new all time high level record each and every month this year that is predicted to continue into summer. There are many factors that influence the water level, but the one mostly responsible for the swing from low level to our current high levels is an increase is precipitation in the area. This increased precipitation has also caused the high water levels in nearly every inland lake and river in the state of Michigan.
The high water level greatly increases the possibility of shoreline erosion, so until the water level goes down, please be mindful of what wake you cause and where you are on the lake this summer.