Dear Members,
Here’s hoping all of you had a good winter wherever you are! Here on Six Mile Lake we had very little snow and the mildest winter ever in the forty years I have lived here. We actually had ducks all winter at our feeders…a first. I think we plowed snow a half a dozen times if that. The lake froze up but lasted a slim few weeks with very little ice fishing. For us old timers it was a nice break because living in the Great North, where our average snowfall is 185 inches and above, is labor intensive!
So here’s the latest news. Six Mile Lake has been open since March 1st. Our dock went and shore station went in on March 4th. The first loon showed up at the south end on March 27th. The north banded pair returned April 6th. The platforms will be going in by the end of April.
There is now legislation pending in Michigan dealing with surfing boats known as wakeboats. The DNR has determined that these specialty designed boats are destroying the substrate, shorelines and fish spawning beds on shallow lakes like Six Mile Lake by creating huge, powerful surface and underwater waves which allow a person to ‘surf’ behind the boat. We have videos of the shoreline damage and the dangerous wave action caused to other watercraft by these boats. Both our north loon platform and one of the buoys were dislodged and found floating a 100 feet away with the steel cable that anchors the platform to the heavy cement block snapped in two, a first time occurrence EVER. The same steel cable and heavy cement block holds each buoy. You can only imagine how powerful and deep that underwater wave is when it can snap a cable and drag a heavy cement block 100 feet. You can also imagine an end to the loon program on Six Mile Lake with waves crashing over the platform both shaking, rocking and eventually destroying the eggs. We have been fortunate on Six Mile Lake that almost everyone is happy about our loons and stay a respectful distance from them and the chicks. It’s been a pleasure to be involved in the loon program on the Chain of Lakes here in Antrim County.
The public hearings for the Special Assessment District will be Wednesday May 1st at 6pm for Southarm Twp and Thursday May 2nd at 7pm for Echo Twp at each hall respectively. Overall lake residents seem to be happy with PLM, the lake management company. Last year, late summer, we had an invasive pond weed cause some issues but it was too late in the year to treat it so PLM will be treating for that this year if necessary.
Meetings this year are:
-Saturday June 8th-9am breakfast brunch (bring a dish to pass) Pleasant Valley Free Methodist Church at the south end of Six Mile Lake Rd.
-Saturday August 10-4:30pm Annual SMLA Picnic-bring a dish to pass. Board nominations. Echo Twp Park. Boat parade to follow.
-Saturday October 12th-5pm Chili Supper and Dessert Competition. Pleasant Valley Free Methodist Church.
Saturday December 14-5pm Christmas Party. Blue Pelican in Central Lake
Officers and Board members are:
Linda Vanandel, President
Ross Maxwell, VP
Kathryn Bell, Secretary
Paula Stephanic, Treasurer
Ralph Corwin, board
Gregg Valerio, board
Jeff Rogers, board
Joe Overmeyer, board
Cherie Hogan, board
Hope to see you at one of our events!
Cherie Hogan