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!