Update from Dec 7, 2019 White Lake Management District Meeting

I attended the White Lake Management District Board of Commissioners meeting on December 7, 2019.  It was a bit of a redo of the September meeting because they had to re-pass the No Wake Ordinance with proper notice, but a few other things came up as well.

Here is an update of what I took away from the meeting:

• Mike Johnson resigned as a Lake Management District Commissioner in Sept but they didn’t accept it until today.  Bob Wunderlich ran the meeting and thanked Mike for all his service to the Board and the lake.
• Karen Luecke was appointed to the open spot on the Board of Commissioners.  My understanding is that an election will be held at the WLMD annual meeting in August.
• The No Wake ordinance was passed.  It is the exact same text as was reviewed and passed in Sept.  The gist of it is that when the lake goes above ordinary high water mark of 95.8', the No Wake rule goes into effect.  When it drops below 95.8', the No Wake hours go back to what they've always been.

2019 No Wake Above Ordinary High Water Mark Ordinance

2006 Latest Boating Ordinance

We also discussed potential solutions to the high water situation the board and others on the lake have been looking into.

• East end pumping project to the golf course is no longer feasible.  Karen and Bob met with Greg Sondale to discuss any parameters around the pumping project.  According to them, the golf course wants to control the pumping schedules and only take our water when the reservoirs need them.  This is understandable, but we would want to pump until we get the lake down to the ordinary high water mark.
• Mike Johnson says he’ll continue working on the long term outflow project on the West End of the lake.
• The board is also exploring about a shorter-term, temporary pumping project from the west end with an agriculture pump and a temp pipe/hose all the way to the Fox.

I tried to stick to the facts above, but I am going to inject some opinion below from me (Eric Elfner) for what it's worth.  First, it was a beautiful day on Saturday at White Lake.  The shoreline was packed with piers and boatlifts with not enough shoreline to store them on, but it is still pretty.

More opinion from me.  The temporary pumping project sounds like a great idea for the board to pursue.  They are hoping they can do it by Memorial Day, but I gather there is more work to be done including DNR permits, road crossings and whatnot.  I will not be surprised if it takes longer than that.  But if it works, it can move 3,000 gallons an hour.  That would be significant.  It might have an immediate effect, and it would prove the concept that we could move lake water that direction for the long term plan.

But it may not work, and I am resigned that we may be stuck with high water levels for some years.  Lake Michigan is at record highs as well.  Ken Pientka took me to task for suggesting Lake Michigan affects White Lake (Our elevation is 200'+ higher), but there is a strong correlation going back to the 80s.  Both are affected by the same rain, snowmelt and general groundwater conditions of Eastern Wisconsin.

I hope everyone has a safe, healthy, enjoyable winter.  I'll see you around the lake next year even if we have to wave at each other from slow moving boats!

Early 1900s - Main Street in Princeton

I found this photo in a facebook group for people from Princeton, WI.  If you spend any time in town, this street scene is pretty familiar.  Except for the horse-drawn wagons and muddy streets, most of those buildings are still there and look pretty much the same.

The poster, Roger Bartel, notes that if you look closely you will see an automobile on the left.

History Mystery

Found on e-bay from a seller in Germany, a postcard labelled "The Beach at White Lake Beach, Montello, WI".  The picture on e-bay was low-res, but can you tell where it is?  I think I have it.

It was only $2, so I picked it up.  It won't be here for a month or so, but I will get a better scan then and we'll confirm.

Back to the 80s - High Water in Spring 1988

Many thanks to Mike Forest for sending me some pictures from the Forest photo albums to remind us that this isn't the first time we've seen high water on White Lake.  See this link for how it looked in the Spring of 1988.  If you don't see my comments on the right side, click the little 'i' in the upper right corner.  This is about the same water level that we are seeing today.

High Water in Spring 1988

This problem was discussed extensively at the White Lake Property Owners Association meeting on July 6th.  Mike Johnson of the White Lake Management District summarized the progress on trying to restore the natural outflow that used to exist.  Some pumping options have been considered as well.  If you'd like to learn more about it, plan to attend the August 3rd White Lake Management District Meeting in Montello.  They will send a notice to all Lake Property Owners, but I believe it will be at the bank in Montello across from the Holiday convenience store.  They typically start at 8:30 or so.  I'll update this page when I have the details.

My family calls this part of the lake, 'Buck's Point', because until 1966, there was a resort called Al Buck's Cottages in the Pines that operated here.  It's directly across from the main point where the Duck Blind was.  Want to read more about this history of White Lake? I wrote a story about it here.

Al Buck's Cottages in the Pines

2019 White Lake POA Annual Meeting and Picnic (and Peacock Triathlon)

The 44th Annual White Lake Property Owners Association Meeting was held on July 6, 2019.  This is an annual event for White Lake Property Owners and their guests where we connect with our lake neighbors, discuss what is going on at White Lake (mainly high water this year) and adjourn to a delicious brat picnic lunch prepared by Mike Coursey's grilling crew, Jane Terry's picnic crew and Leo Souder - the man who has everything - who cleans up the WLMD lot and brings all the coolers, garbage cans, tents and beer.

Meeting minutes are forthcoming.

As he has been doing for the past 10 years or so, Ken Pientka and his wife Marilyn host the Peacock Triathlon.  22 participants either did the entire thing or swam, biked or ran as part of a team on a beautiful Sunday morning.  Here are some pictures.

2019 Peacock Triathlon

Make plans for next year.  The 2020 meeting will be held on the 4th of July (It's always the Saturday closest to the 4th), so we will have the meeting and picnic (morning), annual boat parade (evening) and the Peacock Triathlon on Sunday morning.  See you then!

June 2019 Fish Survey at White Lake

by Eric Elfner

Updated July 9, 2019 to include additional surveys received at the annual meeting.

In 2002, the White Lake Property Owners Association sponsored a fish study where Aquatic Biologists visited the lake.  They went to different areas of the lake, shocked the fish with electricity and counted and measured what they found.

June 2019 - Nice Large Mouth Bass caught
and released on White Lake

For the past few years, we have talked about whether the WLPOA or the White Lake Management District should sponsor another shock survey to see how things had changed.  The fish thought it was a terrible idea, and when we spoke to Aquatic Biologists again, they told us that because the sample was so limited, we would probably get as good an idea if we surveyed fisherpeople and other observers of the lake to see what they are seeing.

In early June 2019, we sent out a survey to all property owners asking everyone to tell us what they are seeing when they fish or spend time on White Lake.  As of July 9, we have received 43 responses.  Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond!

Here is a summary of what we found.  Our first question was how important fishing was to the property owners.  27.9% said fishing was 'Very Important' to them and another 51% said it was somewhat important.  We also asked how the respondents were observing the lake and over 58% were observing by 'Fishing' or 'Fishing and Something Else'.

When we asked what months people were fishing and how often, the most common responses were 'Most Weekends' and 'May-October', but we have some serious people who fish every day and all year round.

Then we started asking what people were trying to catch.  Bass, Bluegill and Perch topped the list, but people were trying for everything else too, except Catfish.  The one we had not asked about, but one person reported was 'Rock Bass'.

Next we asked what people were actually catching.  Bass and Bluegill were the clear leaders at 84.38% of people reporting they had caught Bass and 75% reporting Bluegill.  The interesting thing is that all the other species, even the non-targeted catfish, were represented so there is some good diversity in the lake.  Rock Bass and Pumpkinseed were the two we had not asked about that were reported.

The survey left a spot for additional comments and we asked people to report size ranges there.  Here are some of those responses.

• Large mouth bass are typically 10" - 15" 
• Observe frrom pier and boat caught Bass 12"-20" Have observed 36" Muskies, Rock Bass
• Bass in the 1lb range. Hand sized bluegill and small perch
• Bass -1-4 lb, perch small, 41" inch musky, 1-3 lb northern
• Rock Bass 12", Pumpkin Seed 8", Bluegill 11', Bass 15"
• Caught some very large bluegill, but 80% of them looked like they have a parasite.

The last comment probably deserves further investigation.  If you have noticed that as well, please let us know.

Here are the results from the 2002 study.  It seems to support the results of our new survey and indicates that things have not changed that much.  The main conclusion of that study was that bass were the apex predator of the lake and suggested we remove any limits on bass.  The idea being if that predator were not so prolific, perhaps other species, like Perch, would increase in number.  Someone on the current survey made the very same suggestion.

If you would like to see the entire 2002 Fish Study, you can find it here:  2002 White Lake Fish Study

The White Lake Management District asked us to ask the property owners whether they supported the WLMD using Lake District dollars for fish stocking.  The question was worded like this:  "For the past seven years, the White Lake Management District has allocated dollars to fish stocking of White Lake.  It works out to cost about $34/year per property.  Do you feel that this is something the WLMD should continue investing in?

34 people (82.93%) who responded said 'Yes', the other 6 (17.07%) said 'No'.  We will share this and other comments from the survey with the WLMD Board of Directors.  If you want to discuss this and other important WLMD business will be discussed at their annual meeting on August 3, 2019.  We also be discussed preliminary results of this survey at the WLPOA meeting and picnic on July 6th.

Letter from the White Lake Management District

June 26, 2019

To All White Lake Areas Property Owners and Guests

First of all, I continue to personally thank all of you that have operated your boat on the lake this year.

Operating in a slow-no-wake fashion as you all have not only is respectful of all riparian property owners but also exemplifies the great stewards you all are in protecting our shorelines and preserving the structures that exist there to help protect it. Needless to say that if waves were to be created by our watercraft now, those shorelines and structures would be severely damaged causing more organic nutrients to be introduced which we all have done such a great job in trying to limit over the past many years.

Thank-you again to the White Lake Beach Resort for their proactive stance working to regulate and monitor the watercraft being launched at their boat ramp. In addition, they have monitored the use of that watercraft quite well to abide by a slow-no –wake operation during this year of high water. Kudos again to PJ, Sarah and staff.

As a reminder, the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) was established by the Department of Natural Resources at 95.8 feet in September of 1997. This will also be the level at which the pending slow-no-wake ordinance will be placed in effect later this summer. The public interest level set at the same time was 94.5 feet. There is no reason to set the slow-no-wake rule at that lower level however it may be possible to set that level for the initiation of water diversion.

The level of White Lake as read and reported by Ken Pientka on June 21st was 96.85. That means that we are still over a foot above (12.1 inches) the OHWM with intermittent rain still occurring. We appreciate you still operating at slow-no-wake speed until we again get to that OHWM level. As we get future readings, we will update everyone to the status.

On another note, our annual meeting will be held on Saturday August 3^rd at 8:30 AM at Fortify Bank. Bob Wunderlich is up for re-election for another term. If anyone is interested in having their name on the ballot along with his, please advise as soon as you can or of course being a write-in candidate is always an option.

Thank-you

Mike Johnson

WLMD Management District - Commissioner

June 2019 Newsletter and Info on Annual Meeting

Please follow this link to our June 2019 Newsletter with information about the annual meeting on July 6th.


June 2019 WLPOA Newsletter

Critically High Water Levels at Whte Lake - May 2019

If you have been to the lake lately, you already know that the lake is approaching high water levels that we have not seen since the 1980s.  This causes all manner of problems for the lake, threatening homes and other beach structure and pulling organic material from the shore into the lake where it decomposes, increasing phosporous levels and algea blooms.

It rose dramatically in the big rainstorms on Aug 27 and 28, 2018, continued to rise last fall and with the snow melt this spring.  The last reading in mid-may was 96.68, which is well above the DNR's ordinary high water mark of 95.7.

The White Lake Management District has taken on several initiatives to try to mitigate this difficult problem. They are investigating how quickly we could re-instate the pumping station on the southeast corner of the lake that was dismantled when the water receded in the 90s.  They are also investigating a longer-term plan to restore a natural outlet that used to exist on the southwest corner.

In the meantime, the WLMD is asking all White Lake stakeholders to respect their neighbors property and the health of the lake by observing slow-no-wake speeds until the lake recedes below the ordinary high water mark.  

We realize this stinks for everyone who loves skiing, tubing, jetskiing, etc, but the White Lake Property Owners Association Board supports this decision.  As you can see from the pictures, there are neighbors whose homes are severely threatened.  Making a wake is like throwing a bucket of water into their living room.





The chart below charts the water levels from 1976 through last fall (Thanks Stan Young and Tom Kielich), but does not account for the additional foot it has risen since the snow melt this spring.