1. The shoreline stabilization project, being largely funded by an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency grant, is underway. Rip-rap shoreline protection will be installed at the Wonder Center – North park, as well as around Strom and Yacht Club Islands. It is expected that the project should be completed in the next few weeks.

2. Another reminder that the MPOA will be conducting a drawdown of the lake in the Fall of 2019 to facilitate needed maintenance of the Wonder Lake Dam spillway. The drawdown will also provide an opportunity for lakefront landowners to conduct clean-up activities along their frontage, or possibly implement shoreline stabilization practices. A number of lakefront landowners have already begun the process of checking with the regulatory agencies to determine if their proposed activity will require any permits.

3. It’s important to remember that ANY new shoreline stabilization project, or repair of an existing shoreline practice, will likely require regulatory permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and McHenry County or Village of Wonder Lake, as discussed here: https://wlmpoa.org/shoreline-streambank-stabilization-permits Acquiring permits can take a number of months, so now is the time to begin planning any shoreline stabilization activities planned to coincide with the Fall 2019 drawdown. It should be noted that the MPOA is now requiring that any permit for a new or replacement seawall must have a survey prepared by a Professional Land Surveyor, to determine whether encroachment onto the MPOA-owned lakebed is proposed.

4. The Nippersink Watershed Association is considering applying for a new Section 319 grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in July 2019. If this grant application were approved in early 2020, the earliest funds would be available would be mid-to-late 2020, and up to 60% of the total project cost (including design, permitting and construction) can be obtained from the 319 grant. This could be an opportunity for subdivisions to apply for cost-share funding to implement shoreline protection at their lakefront parks. Subdivision parks are being targeted as they generally have long shoreline frontages as well as adequate space for rip-rap to be delivered and placed from shore, without causing damage to septic systems, landscaping or fences. If a subdivision is interested, please contact me at lakemanager@gmail.com

5. The regularly scheduled “3rd Saturday” Nippersink Watershed Association Merchant Creek workday will be held on Saturday, May 18th, 2019 to clear invasive brush and weeds from a portion of the Merchant Creek stream corridor. This volunteer work is being done in advance of an upcoming IEPA Section 319 funded stream stabilization project to help minimize the significant amounts of sediment that this parcel has delivered to Wonder Lake over the past decades, due to a lack of proper management by the previous landowner. Please note the meeting location being used for this workday. Volunteer’s will meet at 8 am at the north end (dead end) of Park Drive, just north of Wooded Shores Drive. Park Drive is the second side street off Wooded Shores Drive coming west from East Wonder Lake Road. As always, volunteers are welcome, as volunteer time counts towards a ICECF grant also obtained by the NWA.