Sherman Creek Is Flowing Again- Checked around the lake today, January 18th.  The water from the last thaw flooded the area around the spillways.  The ice surrounds the spillway boxes, about a foot below the rim.  Jones Creek has water in it, but is frozen over, not sure if water is flowing under the ice, but suspect so.  Sherman Creek, is, for the most part, open & flowing, vigorously.  There is a small open area at the mouth of the creek in the lake that probably will not freeze because of the current.

Winter 2007-2008 Ice Conditions - Check here for ice conditions.  Be aware that we will report random samplings of ice thickness around the lake.  DO NOT!! consider any report on ice conditions to be a recommendation from the association on the advisability to walk on, or in any way rely on the ice surface to support recreation.  You need to make such an assessment for yourself!

Snow Conditions - The National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC) has not updated their snow map of the area since December 19th.  The editor of the web page is wintering in warmer climates.  So, unless someone comes forward to offer regular snow reports around the lake, I'm afraid none will be available for the rest of the winter.

How Thick is the Ice?  Last Report-

Briarwood Bay - March 6th 13 inches

North of the Causeway, East Side (last report up there December 15th) - ?????

If you're a regular fisherman on the northern part of the lake, we could use a regular report on ice thickness from up there.  Please contract Russ Anton on (305)852-3546.

Winter 2007-08 Ice-Over - December 4th (This is an approximate date, as various locations on the lake iced over much earlier, & others kept opening up in high winds.  December 4th, the entire lake was iced over, kids were skating in some places.)

December 6th was our 1st report of stable ice.  Briarwood Bay had a cover of 5.75 inches, and supported ice fishing.

The day after Thanksgiving those of us in secluded bays and canals around the lake awoke to find an ice cover over the protected waters.  Those areas have remained frozen over ever since.  The only thing that has kept the main areas of the lake periodically open in places has been high winds.  Today December 1st, with forecasts of steady, below freezing weather for the area for much of the next 10 days, complete ice-over is coming soon.

Ice-out on Cedar Lake - For 2007 ice-out was March 29th

Water Temperature - Is monitored weekly, at both the northern and southern ends of the lake.  Temperature at those two locations is usually within a degree or two of each other, but not always, so, the average temperature at a depth of five feet will be reported for each location. Water temperature readings for the 2007 season stopped on September 27th.

September 27th  - 64 degrees north of the causeway

September 27th - 65 degrees in the southern most bay (by Briarwood Beach) on the lake

Seasonal Water Level Drop - Usually, sometime in late April or early May, our water level begins to drop, and continues dropping until sometime in the fall.  Water level readings are taken twice a week.  This year's water level readings began on April 27th.  The drop from April 27th based on the most recent reading will be posted below.

It seems that in late fall with the cooling of temperatures, cloudy skies, and increased rainfall, the spiral downward of our water levels, levels off, at least this year.

On October 10th the lake level had dropped a total of 22.3 inches since April 27th, and was17.5 inches below the legislatively set level.  At that point this was the lowest our water level had been in the season.  After a very rainy month of October & a rise in lake level in October of about 1/2 inch, we thought perhaps, with cool, rainy weather ahead, this might be the low water mark for the lake for the year.  Not so.....

We went into November and after a dry week or so, the lake level dropped a bit more.  On November 5th we were at 22.7 inches of water level loss, and 17.9 inches below the legislatively set limit.  That was the low water mark for 2007.

Last Water Level Reading for 2007 (lake starting to freeze over, removed the staff gauge):

November 22nd -  21.8 inches below the April 27th reading

November 22nd - 17 inches below the legislatively set limit

• On December 1st, it appears that we will have ice-over while the lake is down over 15 inches.  If it does and we have a very cold winter, the lake will freeze to the bottom along much of the shoreline and throughout the lake in low water areas.  This freeze will result in ice scour that disrupts the growth of aquatic plants.  If this happens, we could have a light 2008 "weed" season.  We'll see.
• On October 5th an aquatic plant survey was conducted on the lake.  At a water level almost 22 inches below where we started the season, and 17 inches below the legislatively set level for Cedar Lake, much of the lake was inaccessible to a small flat bottom boat that can get into areas of less then a foot of water. We could go no further north then just south of the marina. An entire bay south of the marina on the eastern shore was inaccessible.  Along the western shore just north of the causeway, we had to stay quite a distance from shore.  South of the causeway, most of the western half of the area between the causeway and St George's Point was inaccessible.  The two closest bays to the cut into Briarwood Beach Bay along the eastern shore have no access.  Entry is dry land.  The cut into Briarwood Beach Bay is nearly dried shut.
• On August 4th, after a drop in lake level slightly greater then 13 inches for the year & with it over 8 inches below the legislatively set lake level, the lake level at the north end spillway (dam) is just below the bottom of the structure.  In other words, if we did not have a spillway or damming structure, we would start the season at the level the lake was at on August 4th of 2007.  Folks, if the lake started the year at this level & we proceeded to loose anywhere from 1-2 or more feet throughout the season. as we do, vast areas of our "lake" would be mud.  Its no wonder that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service classifies our lake as a "seasonally flooded wetland". Especially if they conducted their last survey of Michigan wetlands before the late 50's when our spillway went in. 
• Both Sherman & Jones Creeks stopped flowing into the lake in the last few days in June.  This is early, these creeks often flow into early July before drying up.
• The lake level was about an inch below the top of the dam structure in late June as well.  As with the drying up of the creeks, this is early, the dam often is overflowing into early July.

Rainfall - Is an important ingredient in our water level situation.  As the swamp dries up throughout the "summer" season, rainfall becomes critical.  The Kieser hydrology studies tell us that we require a minimum of 2 inches of rainfall a month throughout the season, or we will have major water level problems.  Rainfall is monitored twice a week.  Monthly totals for rainfall will be posted here.

April 17th (the start of monitoring in 2007) to May 1st - .14 inches

May - 2.1 inches

June - 2.6 inches  (mostly from two deluges)

July - 2.15 inches

August - .1.75 inch (very dry until the last week or so of the month)

September - 1.53 inches

October - 2.71 inches

November - 1.06 inches

Rainfall measurements ended for 2007

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