Happy Holidays! —The Christmas by the Lake event with holiday parade and tree lighting with Santa and Mrs. Claus on Dec. 2 was a success! The new tree downtown was a beautiful addition to the village and set us up for a wonderful holiday party.
1. The rescheduled annual Dam and Sediment Drying Facility (SDF) inspection was held on Tuesday, October 17th. The MPOA engineers who inspected the Wonder Lake dam spillway and dam embankment were satisfied with the overall on-going upkeep and maintenance of the structure but did make note of the existing problem with the west sluicegate shaft. That shaft allows the sluicegate to be opened and closed and has bent to the point of the sluicegate being inoperable. The MPOA is continuing to look into ways to address this situation.
Great things happening in Wonder Lake — The Halloween Fall Festival at the Village of Wonder Lake was a huge success. Hundreds showed up in lots of great costumes. Neighbors came together to enjoy food, treats, games, and a magnificent bonfire at the end of the evening.
1. The annual dam inspection scheduled for this coming Friday has been postponed, due to the rainy forecast. Discussions are underway on rescheduling.
2. Soil samples from the Wonder Lake Sediment Drying facility were obtained and submitted to soil testing laboratories last week as part of determining the quality of the dredged sediment present. It is hoped that having this testing done will make the sediment more attractive to potential soil vendors.
3. The MPOA website is in the process of being updated. The new format should be up and running by the end of the year.
NORTHERLY ISLAND— On the last three September Saturdays, a dedicated team of volunteers from the Nippersink Watershed Association and the Sportsman Club worked together to clear overgrown buckthorn and other invasive species on Northerly Island.
1. The deteriorating concrete cap at the top of the east side spillway wingwall has been successfully replaced by the MPOA contractor.
WL SPORTSMAN CLUB — Hold onto your fishing rods, folks, because August 12-13 marked the return of the annual Catfish Derby! The enthusiastic community of anglers gathered in full force under beautiful skies.
1. Preliminary discussions continue with soil scientists on how best to establish and implement a soil analysis testing program of the dried sediment from the lake dredging project in order to generate specific data regarding its composition (% silt, peat, clay, sand, gravel, etc.) and nutrient values. It is anticipated that having this data readily available for potential soils vendors or other sediment marketing approaches will be beneficial.
1. Preliminary discussions continue with soil scientists regarding how to best market the dried sediment from the lake dredging project.
2. A request for proposal to conduct our annual state required inspections of the dam and Sediment Drying Facility this fall has been sent out.
Read about recent events, Merchant Creek bridge, Meadows of West Bay boat launch and upcoming events: Catfish Derby August 12/13th, and WLCC Golf Outing on 9/22nd.