Lilly Lake
Protection
& Rehabilitation District
Rev. 11-May-2013
May 11, 2013 meeting
summary
The spring meeting took place on May 11, 2013, in the Town Hall.
Board
members present: Bill Glembocki, Andy Lois, Kelly Wilson, and Sheila
Siegler. Kathy Aron of Aron Associates and over 20 residents also
attended. Water Patrol Officer Mike Bennett was unable to attend. Below
are brief notes on the main topics that came up during the meeting.
New Constable
Bob Santelli, our new Constable, is on the job and writing tickets.
E.g., he caught a speeder going 24 mph over the limit.
Water Patrol Officer
Michael Bennett had the approval of the residents in attendance. He
issued around 19 tickets last season. He's going to a refresher course
on lake rules next week. He has no set hours at the lake. That's to
keep people guessing.
Weeds
Kathy Aron reported that this year is much different from last year.
Last year we were 6 to 8 weeks ahead of schedule. This year we're
behind.
We have the permit to treat milfoil and curly leaf, and water temps are
acceptable (50F or higher), but growth is slow. You have to treat the
weeds when they're growing so that they take up the chemicals, there's
less leaf to kill when they just get going, and you need less chemical.
Eurasian milfoil and hybrid milfoil both have to be treated because
they exhibit non-native tendencies.
Although the permit is for 24 acres, we don't treat that much. We need
the flexibility to treat any unexpected areas of growth. There's a
balance between the cost of the permit vs how much flexibility you
need. We don't want to give the DNR dollars unnecessarily.
There are fewer complaints about weeds than there were previously. The
marine biologists are doing a good job. They now know the lake pretty
well, and they raise rates only to cover the cost of the chemicals.
Ice bike racing
Racing stopped when snow made it difficult. Residents closest to it
felt the noise was about the same.
- DNR recommendation: Try to work out an agreement. An ordinance
for one thing tends to call for another and then another. Safety is
never 100%. At least reach agreement on hours of operation.
- Our problem is that we're trying to blend residential and
recreational uses. There are lots of vehicles. All except ice bikes
require mufflers. Most places set the maximum decibel level at 85.
- In winter, the air is less dense and there are no leaves. Sound
magnifies. There are state regulations on sound. Ice bikes should
follow the same regulations as snow mobiles. Maximum mph and clearance
are also part of the statutes. Decibel readings registered 120 on shore
and 100 in one resident's house during one of the races..
- Icebikes are unlicensed, unlike other vehicles. All other
vehicles have regulations. Just extend existing regulations for snow
mobiles to ice bikes. Even vintage models can be fitted with mufflers,
although some racing snow mobiles do not have muffler options.
- Bikers have the right to ride, but they show no respect for
residents. They rode over one resident's property, around his house,
did cartwheels, and even jumped a fence after gaining enough downhill
momentum. Per Glembocki, if this ever happens to you, call 911, call
him, call the Constable.
- In Lake Geneva, they no longer have problems with ice bikers. How
did they do it? The Sheriff wouldn't answer.
- Bikers come only 5 to 7 times per year for a few hours in the
afternoon. They're done by 4 PM. They should police themselves.
- Track placement is close to the east side. It should be moved to
the center of the lake so that everyone gets an equal share of the
noise. The bikers set up a kiddie track that was just 10 yards from one
resident's shore. The center would be much safer since once a race
starts, the bikers are totally intent on winning.
- Bikers also tend to relieve themselves on local properties. If
caught, they can be charged as sex offenders. No one wants a small
grandchild exposed to that behavior.
- If we have to relinquish the lake, we should not have to pay
taxes for the day ... NOT going to happen.
- The bar is the problem. Most bikers access the lake from that
point. Jill Rzeplinski can enforce some regulations: "If you want to
use my property, you have to ...." Very few come onto the ice from the
boat launch. The Resort has only sponsored one race three or four years
ago. At a minimum, the Resort can hand out a rule sheet from the Town.
- Lake Geneva sets speed limits for boats. We have no speed
restrictions. Our lake is too small and there are too many little kids
for high speeds. The cigar boat and some others go very fast. Yes, but
they drive when no one else is on the lake and they're very good
drivers. The Sheriff has been out 4 times and did not find the cigar
boat in violation. He will not come out for any more calls about the
boat.
- Why did we suddenly get the bikers? Did some other lake kick them
out? Camp and Hooker Lakes have them. The bikers bounce around from
place to place.
Water level and quality testing
Mike Adam now does clarity readings and takes water samples for the
State. This information adds to our database about lake conditions.
- At the last reading, water clarity was down to 18 feet, which is
fantastic.
- The lake is up 20 inches since December.
- We still don't know if the DNR has done or still plans to do the
scheduled fish study.
- Mike Adam published two newsletter since the last meeting. He has
some old photos of Lilly Lake. He'd like more for future newsletters.
Launch fee fund
The boat launch fund now has about $2400. The ramp badly needs work. It
has 6 precast pieces, and the cable holding them together broke. The
Town is investigating preset concrete slabs and grants to pay for them.
The problem is that prop wash causes a dropoff and had even washed out
material under the concrete. In places, the rebar is exposed. If you
don't go down the ramp just right, you can incur some significant
damage to your boat trailer, e.g., broken axle. After the Town arrives
at a solution, it has to inform the DNR.
August 4, 2012
annual meeting summary
The annual meeting took place on August 4, 2012 in the Wheatland Town
Hall. Board members attending were Bill Glembocki and Andy
Lois. Kathy Aron, Town Clerk Sheila Siegler, Water Patrol Officer
Michael Bennett, and about 20 Lilly Lake residents also attended.
Weed control
Two treatments were done this year: one in May covering about 7.5 acres
and another in July covering about 4 acres. The beach was treated for
all weeds. Eurasian milfoil really grew this year. The current permit
allows treatment only in the shoreline area. Next year, we need to look
for and treat milfoil in the middle of the lake.
Marine Biochemists did a terrific job of weed control. In some other
lakes, you can almost walk across the milfoil.
We need to keep the program going. There may be a year here and there
when we won't have to treat, but we'll always have to stay vigilant.
This year the treatment cost more than usual because the cost of
chemicals rose and the contractor treated a larger area.
A suggestion: Even though
we're very happy with Marine Biochemists, every couple of years we
should put the contract out to bid (in January/February) just to keep
them honest. If they come within a reasonable difference (e.g., around
$200) from competing bids, stay with them. Per Aron, the cost of
chemicals is the same for everyone. Application is the difference. If
the contractor doesn't put down the proper amount, you'll have weeds.
Cheaper is not always better.
Hard year for lakes
It's been a hard year for lakes. Water temperatures are high; fish
kills are common in shallow lakes; foul, smelly algae blooms are also
common. Northern Pike were especially hard hit by elevated temperatures
and depleted oxygen levels.
Water level
The lake went down a foot. Mike Adam handed out a graph showing level
readings from 3/11 to 7/29. You can see the spike after our 4-inch
rain. Right now, the readings are just taken from a stick put into the
lake. Glembocki and Adam have recently measured the true elevation of
the lake. In the future, readings will be in relation to the elevation.
Water clarity
Mike Adam has been taking clarity readings. In May, the water was clear
to about 15 ft. Now it's clear to about 10 ft. The little bit of past
(1998 and 2002) history available shows 10-ft clarity readings.
Still a spring-fed lake? Impact of
irrigation systems?
How dependent is the lake on springs? There's a huge new irrigation
system on a farm near JI and F. Will they be emptying the aquifer that
feeds the lake?
If you swim around the lake, you can still feel cold spots and an
upwelling of water. Also, in winter some spots don't freeze well. So
the springs that feed the lake are still active. Because of the
drought, farmers can--for now--take water from lakes and rivers.
Lake newsletter
Paper copies of some past editions of the Lilly Lake Newsletter were
available at the meeting. Contact Mike Adam if you have an idea for a
topic. Mike will try to get a newsletter out this summer and then
another one in spring.
Parking restrictions
The no-parking signs seem to be helping control the congestion near the
boat launch.
Budget for 2013
To keep funding steady, the Board of Commissioners proposes an
assessment of 10 cents per $1000 of evaluation for the 2012-2013 fiscal
year. So a home assessed at $200,000 would pay $20 to the District. We
could probably go another year without additional funding, but then
there would be a big bite. It would probably be easier on people to
have a smaller bite over a couple of years.
The Citizens for Fair Taxes committee argued for a different plan:
Since people are still hurting economically, move $3000 from the goose
control fund to weed control, and assess everyone 5 cents per $1000.
Discussion:
- Per Aron, you can't do any sort of goose control for $1000. If
you need control, the state recommends that you have a budget of $5000.
You may not need all of it, but you have to be prepared for a big
expense because the USDA brings out several people and a bunch of
equipment for the required capture. If the USDA can round up the geese
quickly, the bill may only be $2500. However, if they have trouble
getting the geese, the bill will be higher.
- We haven't had any assessment for the past 2 years. So the
proposed assessment is reasonable.
- Who pays for the beach weed spraying? The Protection District.
Shouldn't the Town pay for it? The agreement made at the formation of
the District is that the District would pay for it. The Town pays for
everything else: piers, water testing, playground, water patrol, trash,
Porta Potty.
.A vote by show of hands approved the 10-cent assessment by a wide
margin.
Goose
Problems
Several homeowners have had terrible problems with geese. There is a
gaggle of around 20 geese hanging around certain parts of the lake.
If this happens, homeowners need to contact the Town Hall early in the
year. Goose roundup can only be done around mid June when the geese are
molting and cannot fly. The Town will renew our permit in January in
case we need it next June.
The rule used to be that you had to capture 7 adults for testing.
People fighting goose problems argued that you can have 4 adults and 12
goslings, which then becomes a big problem when the goslings grow up.
The USDA and DNR are becoming more open to a smaller sampling of adults.
What about using cannons to scare them away? Per Aron, the geese get
used to the cannons and learn to ignore them. The noise then just
serves to irritate the neighbors.
On one small lake in Illinois, homeowners banded together to execute a
program of oiling and addling the eggs. You have to have a permit and
do it at the right time, but it was extremely effective. How many
people would volunteer to hunt for nests and follow up? You need
dedicated volunteers. And we have a 1000-acre New Munster hunting
ground. Who's going to look through all that property? The nests are
probably close to the edge of the hunting grounds or in the marsh. Does
our permit cover addling the eggs? Yes.
Water Patrol
So far this year, 19 tickets were issued, mostly for safety violations.
Personal watercraft (like Jet Skis) are frequent violators. Riding on
the sides of a boat is also a safety violation.
The Town gets part of the ticket money, which goes into its general
fund. That fund pays for the water patrol officer.
Launch Box
The take so far this year is $1555. The box has also collected the
usual assortment of obscene notes. When the Water Patrol Officer writes
a ticket, he should note the launch box stub number to ensure that the
boater really paid the launch fee. Keep in mind, however, that not
everyone has a launch ticket. If you can launch from your property or
if you launched before May 1, you will not have a launch ticket.
Fishing Pier on Land
Because the lake is so low, part of the fishing pier is now on land.
Can it be pushed out a little?
Lily Lake Resort Noise and Reckless
Boating
If you live near the Lily Lake Resort, your experience of the lake is
entirely different than if you live further away. Last weekend's wet
t-shirt contest included songs with liberal use of the F-word. Who
wants their small children or grandchildren to be exposed to that? The
noise is terrible. Homeowners have to call repeatedly to get them to
turn off the outdoor speakers after 10 PM. Even on weekday afternoons,
the speakers are going. There is no quiet time.
They rent boats and Jet Skis to people who blatantly ignore the rules,
e.g., driving fast near the end of piers and within 10 to 15 ft of
swimmers. One regular pontoon renter sits on the lake, drinks, and
swears.
The county issues them a cabaret license that specifies what they can
and can't do. There is no way to measure decibel level. However, if a
squad car can hear them from 500 ft away, the officer can issue them a
ticket for disturbing the peace. If the Town denies them a liquor
license, the problem will just move to another place. Glembocki will
have a talk with them. The bad language loud enough for everyone to
hear has to stop.
If homeowners observe illegal activity on the water at times when the
Water Patrol Officer is not around, they should call law enforcement.
Constable Haas and Sheriff's Deputies are authorized to ticket such
activity.
2013 Annual Meeting
Next year's annual meeting will be the first or second Saturday of
August, 2013.
July 16, 2012 Board of
Commissioners Meeting
PUBLIC NOTICE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS LILLY LAKE PROTECTION &
REHABILITATION DISTRICT
Kenosha County, Wisconsin
Monday, July 16, 2012, 6:15 p.m.
Wheatland Town Hall in New Munster
=========================================================================
Pursuant to Section 19.84, Wisconsin Statutes, notice is hereby given
to the Public, Kenosha News, and Westosha Report - the BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS of the LILLY LAKE PROTECTION & REHABILITATION
DISTRICT will meet to consider and act on the following:
1. Roll call - verification of Public Notice - approval of minutes
2. Public comments and questions from residents of the district and
other persons present. Introduction of guests.
(Please be advised per State Statute Section 19.84(2), information will
be received from the public and there may be limited discussion on the
information received. However, no action will be taken under public
comments. Please limit comments to no more than 3 minutes.)
3. Payment of bills as presented
4. Review financial report
5. Close and certify the July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012 year financial
records
6. Set up 2012/2013 budget
7. Approve Agenda for August 4, 2012, 10 a.m. Annual Meeting
8. Reports, announcements and correspondence
9. Adjournment
Dated: July 13, 2012
Agenda: William Glembocki, Andrew Lois, Robert Herda, Kenosha News,
Westosha Report
Notices posted: Town Hall, New Munster Post Office, Uhen's Garage,
Larry's Barber Shop, Transfer Station, Wheatland Convenience Center
Lake dredging history
What was the problem?
By 1970, the process of vegetation decay had filled the lake with muck
to the point where the maximum water depth was 6 ft. Weeds were
rampant.
Underlying organic sediment was 30 to 35 ft deep. Some spots were so
shallow
that you could not run a motor boat. Activities like fishing and water
skiing were very limited, and the experience was low quality. Winter
fish
kills caused dead, smelly fish to wash up on the shore in spring. No
one
was putting any money into the area. There was a real risk that
property
values would decline significantly due to the worsening condition of
the
lake.
Back to Lake dredging
What was the proposed
solution?
Studies resulted in a proposal to dredge about 890,000 cubic yards (550
acre-feet, that is, 550 acres to a depth of 1 ft) of sediment out of
the
lake to increase the depth to about 22 ft. Some of the muck was spread
on nearby farm land, but most of it was piped to a modified gravel pit
about 2 miles away (off Hwy W, south of F and FR, near the Schwarz
Nursery).
Back to Lake dredging
Who was involved in the
project?
Don Puchalski led the effort, starting in 1971. He worked with the Town
Board, engineering firms, the State, and the federal government.
Although
the project started out as a local one, new programs initiated at the
State
and federal levels offered some help with the financing. Changing
environmental
laws and financing programs delayed project start several times. At one
point, the 5-year permit ran out. The government did extensive testing
to ensure that the sludge would not harm the environment.
Engineer Associates of Elkhorn tested feasibility, prepared initial
plans, and got a permit from the Wisconsin DNR. In 1974, Jensen and
Johnson
of Elkhorn took over planning and preparation of environmental impact
statements.
Johnson and Averill of Waukesha completed the design and development of
the whole project. Robers Dredge of LaCrosse did the dredging. Mann
Brothers
of Elkhorn constructed the disposal site.
Back to Lake dredging
When and how was it
done?
Dredging occurred over 2 years: July, 1978 through September, 1979. The
first year, work started at 6 am and finished at 10 pm every day. The
second
year, it was decided to run 24 hours/day for 4 days of every week to
avoid
the jarring noise of diesel engine startup at 6 am and to allow use of
the lake on weekends..
A 12-inch cutterhead sucked out muck and weeds. Two miles of welded,
12-inch polyethylene pipe carried sludge to the gravel pits. A booster
station around the Riley and Topczewski property helped pump muck up
hill.
Property owners were paid $0.15/ft per year for a pipeline easement.
Some
of the muck was also applied to 160 acres of farmers' fields. Farmers
got
$40/acre/year for the loss of use of their land. After project
completion,
they got the benefit of decayed organic matter on their fields. People
report seeing fish coming out of the pipe at the gravel pit. The entire
shoreline was cleaned and graded at completion of the project.
During the dredging, use of the lake was minimal. The shoreline
stretched
out 200 ft in places. You could do a little boating and swimming in the
middle of the lake. One pocket (about 100 ft by 300 ft) on the north
shore
had to be left because the water level was too low to work it. It was
only
in 1980 that the lake filled back out to its present size.
Back to Lake dredging
What did it cost?
Federal: $350,000
Local: $225,000
State: $155,000
Total: $730,000
Back to Lake dredging
What are the benefits?
- Lilly Lake is consistently the cleanest lake in Kenosha County.
- All sorts of water recreation are now possible, including ice
fishing
and
water skiing (which were virtually impossible before the dredging).
- Property values have increased substantially.
- Local businesses (like the current Lily Lake Resort) can
capitalize on
the recreation the lake offers.
New muck is accumulating at the rate of about 1/4 inch per year. At
that rate, it will be about 200 years before Lilly Lake has to consider
another dredging project.
Dredging pictures
Many thanks to Kathie Cashman for these pictures of the dredging
operation.
Dredging rig
|
Lake view 1
|
Lake view 2
|
Dredging site in winter
|
or
Back to Lake dredging
Former resident KC provided the following pictures of the dredging
operation taken in 1979 from the properties at 7717 and 7723 334th Ave.:
or
Back to Lake dredging
Copyright © 2013 Lily Lake Summerhaven
Association
Lilly Lake (Wisconsin)
