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Jul 30, 20227 min read

July 2022 Newsletter

Updated: Oct 10, 2022



BOAT PARADE WINNERS

Thank you to everyone who participated! What fun to see families building memories on the lake! We’d love to have more participants. It would be great if you started planning now for next year!

1st place - Top Gun - the Groggel Family

2nd Place - Happy Birthday - Phil & Melissa Johnson

Thank you for all the work you did to entertain us.

LAKE FRONT DECORATING

So many participated in the first annual yard decorating! Thank you to everyone who joined in. It was hard to get pictures of everyone but here are some.

The winners! Carl & Karen Elliott

Other pictures:

FIREWORKS 2022 and 2023


Thank you to all our neighbors who did wonderful fireworks displays in their own yards this year. It was a beautiful thing to sit in our own yard and watch them. You all did a fine, exciting, and loud job! Well done! And a special thanks to everyone for finishing in a timely manner by 11:00. WE all thank you for that!

Planning for fireworks 2023 is in full swing. We have 3 possible companies that are willing to work with us. Our resident pyrotechnic expert, Carl Elliott, will be working with these 3 companies to procure the best show for our dollars. The more money we have the better the fireworks and the stronger our opportunities with these companies. So if you still feel inclined to donate you can send a check made out to Crockery Lake Association memo fireworks to Greg Slater, 2500 Crockery Shores Rd, Casnovia, Mi 49318


The Gustins are selling 2 different options to raise money for the 2023 fireworks. Call 616-822-7139 to place your order. All profit from the sales will go toward the 2023 fireworks fund.

  1. Another beautifully designed T-shirt. Cost is $20.

  2. Vanity plate for your boat/pontoon $15.


Speed Limits

Although there are no speed limit signs posted on the roads where lake houses and lake access are located, Michigan does have regulated speed limits in residential areas. What is the speed limit in residential areas in Michigan?


The speed limit in a residential subdivision is 25 mph. Until January 1, 2024, the speed limit on a local street in an area zoned for residential use is 25 mph “unless another speed is fixed and posted.” (MCL 257.627(2)(a), (d) and (e))

Excessive speed on both sides of the lake is a problem. There are children who live on the lake. People are backing out of driveways sometimes with a trailer. There are people walking, jogging, and riding bikes. Speed can kill. So please, please slow down.

If you would like to make known your desire for speed limit signs you can contact Ottawa County Road Commission at https://ottawacorc.com/contact/.


WHY BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION? Each year board members try to visit each lake resident to encourage you to join the association. It is similar to paying a Home Owners Association (HOA) fee. However, our “dues” are voluntary and not required.

Dues are used to ensure the lake remains useable and healthy for the residents.

If the Crockery Lake Association cannot get the proper funding to support the lake’s health, then the fate of the lake will remain in the township’s hands. The board gives a voice to all members of the lake association.

The lake board does their best to listen and implement your ideas and concerns. As lake residents, we have a responsibility to treat the lake with respect and try to minimize the damage caused by OUR use of the lake. If we don’t take this responsibility seriously, no one will.

Why not leave the lake health in the hands of the people who live on it?

The dues are just $35 per year.

What does the Crockery Lake Association Board do for you?

1 - MAINTAIN THE LAKE’S USABILITY THROUGH WEED TREATMENTS AND ALGAE TREATMENTS

2 - ORGANIZE THE YEARLY FIREWORKS SHOW

3 - INFORM RESIDENTS ABOUT IMPORTANT ISSUES IMPACTING THE LAKE

4 - PROTECT THE LAKE THROUGH ACTIVE TOWNSHIP ORDINANCES

5 - SUPPLY INFORMATIVE NEWSLETTERS

We all have the same goal to enjoy our beautiful little lake!


CLEANING UP OUR LAKE

Your CLA board is working very hard to find out how we can clean up our lake. Crockery Lake has very high Nitrate and Phosphate levels. The clarity is awful. We are constantly fighting algae. A 4th algae treatment was just done. However, according to Dr. Jennifer Jones of Restorative Lake Services, LLC, algae can develop a resistance to the chemicals it gets treated with over and over. We have reached that point. The chemicals that are currently used are chelated copper and copper sulfate. Although in the past it has worked well both of these chemicals can be harmful to animals, people, and fish with too much exposure from multiple applications.

The CLA board is looking into bio-augmentation. Microbes are derived from the local native soil and are non-pathogenic. They are specifically formulated for a particular site; basically, the microbes (good bacteria) are trained to feed off of a certain diet (bad bacteria) that are in the water environment.

One of the companies, EnBiorganic Technologies (EBT), we are talking to uses an EBS-Di unit. It is a disruptive bio-augmentation method that combines the use of autonomous bio-dispensing via a remote-controlled generator to dispense customized soil bacteria. The introduced bacillus gobbles up cyanobacteria and microcystin which cause the algae. This will bring the lake’s bacteria back to a natural balance and unhealthy cyanotoxins will be eliminated in a relatively short period of time. This will also help decrease the weeds and improve the aquatic life.


Besides chemical treatments which are no longer having a lasting effect we have three options possible that could restore our lake.

1. EnBiorganics is offering Crockery Lake Association a 2 month free trial starting next May (2023). They will test the lake before, during and after the trial period to measure the results. This trial would cost about $25,000-$30,000 but they are so sure their method will work they are willing to do a free trial. The method they will use will be specific to our lake needs. This bio-augmentation has been used in waste water lagoons for 30 years. If we get the results they are promising then to continue this bio-augmentation will be a more costly treatment in the first few years than what we are currently doing. But as the lake returns to a healthy state the necessary treatments will decrease making it less expensive each year and doing it without chemicals. Eventually we could spend less than we are spending now for a pristine lake.

2. Seepage from septic systems and runoff at the inlets from the fields around us will not stop. We live in an agricultural environment and we all have septic systems. There are ways to manage this. For instance, keeping your septic tank pumped and your drain field healthy are essential ALL the time. This protects your well water as well. There are ways to circumvent the runoff from the fields into designated holding ponds that will filter the water before entering the lake. This is a one time event at our inlets but very costly and not a guarantee that there will never be unfiltered runoff getting in the lake.

3. Phoslock is another option. Phoslock is the commercial name for a bentonite clay in which the sodium and/or calcium ions are exchanged for lanthanum. The addition of this element allows it to bind with phosphates to form rhabdophane. Once the phosphates are captured by the Phoslock it sinks to the bottom of the lake and is rendered inactive.

All three of the above options for cleaning up Crockery Lake are costly. EnBiorganic is offering a free 2 month trial that will cost us about $600 in electricity. After the trial the board, along with input from you our lake residents, will have to decide if the cost is worth it because it would increase each homeowners weed assessment the first year by about $700-$900 a year. After that it will substantially decrease in cost for maintaining a healthy lake.

Phoslock will be more than that the first year and will have to be repeated every few years.

Just for a reference point on cost, to maintain a pool with chemicals for a 3 month period in Michigan can cost $300-$500 a year. We enjoy our lake year round so a proposed increase is worth it for our lake.


A new committee of board members and lake residents is being formed to research the viable options to clean up the lake without adding more chemicals to the water. Our goal is to do this in a totally non-toxic way. It is possible but it will be costly. Even if we would have a sewer system for all the houses on the lake there is still considerable runoff from the agricultural land around us which contributes to our phosphorus and nitrate build up which causes the algae. This will not change either. It can be managed but changes to our inlets would also be costly.

There is more information available on our website at https://www.crockerylake.org/. Please read the information there and be informed. Send any questions to

crockerylakeassociation@gmail.com.


DISCOUNTED SEPTIC PUMPING SERVICES

Your family’s health and the lake’s water quality depends on this. By pumping regularly, you will avoid costly repairs to your system. This is a very important way in which all residents can help preserve the health of Crockery Lake. Kerkstra’s Septic | 616-209-4472 continues to offer a $15 discount to Crockery Lake residents.

COONTAIL HAS ARRIVED

Feel free to rake it out as it does not spread if you break off the roots.


CROCKERY LAKE ASSOCIATION

July 2022 NEWSLETTER

CROCKERY LAKE WEBSITE: www.crockerylake.org

CROCKERY LAKE FACEBOOK: www.facebook/crockerylake

EMAIL: crockerylakeassociation@gmail.com


NEXT Board Meeting Date:

August 18 - 7:00pm at Betsy Ludwick’s

2470 Crockery Shores Road, Casnovia, MI 49318


BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President / Betsy Ludwick Position Expires: 4/30/24

616.723.5704 / betsylud@gmail.com

Newsletter Editor, Website & Facebook Administrator

Vice President / Pat Wolters Position Expires: 4/30/23

616.887.8707 / patwolters@aol.com

Represents: 2833 - 2871 Crockery Shores, Kaycee Lane, Crockery Woods

Treasurer / Greg Slater Position Expires: 4/30/25

Representing: 2221 Van Dyke St - 2391 Van Dyke St

Secretary / Susan Mcclure Position Expires: 4/30/23

Represents: 2519 - 2681 Van Dyke

Immediate Past President / Bob Blauwkamp Position Expires: 4/30/23

616.957.9007 / rblauwkamp@gmail.com

Representing: 2332 - 2550 Crockery Shores Road, 24th Ave, Hoover


TRUSTEES

Mollie GaggIn Position expires: 4/30/2023

Representing: 2081 Van Dyke - 2211 Van Dyke

Paula Humphrey Position Expires: 4/30/25

616.498.0363 / paulah2700@gmail.com

Representing: 2392 Van Dyke - 2516 Van Dyke

Carl Elliott Position Expires: 4/30/2024

616.822.9250 mobile

616.887.4203 home / versilecbe@yahoo.com

Representing: 2705 Van Dyke St - 2835 Van Dyke

John deGeneres Position expires: 4/30/24

Representing: 2563 Crockery Shores Road - 2798 Crockery Shores Road

FACEBOOK/WEBSITE ADMINISTRATORS

Katie Spangler and Betsy Ludwick

Advertisers Corner


Advertisers Corner

Advertising in this newsletter is FREE to Crockery Lake Members.

Advertising for business is $25/year.

Inclusion of any advertisement in the CLA Newsletter does not equate to an endorsement by the Crockery Lake Association.

CROCKERY LAKE ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP FORM


NAME _________________________________________________________


ADDRESS _______________________________________________________


MAILING ADDRESS_________________________________________________


PHONE ________________________

CELL PHONE _________________________

E-MAIL________________________________________________________


YEARLY DUES: $35 paid by ______________________Date ___________________


FIREWORKS DONATION: $______________ CANDLES _______ at $1.25 each


Crockery Lake Association is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Dues are not tax deductible. However, firework donations are tax deductible.

Please make your check to: CROCKERY LAKE ASSOCIATION

Send to: Greg Slater, 2500 Crockery Shores Road, Casnovia, MI 49318


__________________RETAIN A COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS__________________


DUES PAID $_______________ DATE __________________

CANDLES _______X $1.25 = _________________


FIREWORKS DONATION $_________________________


CHECK NUMBER _______________________





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