July 2000 Vol. 7 Issue 4

Our annual picnic will be Saturday, July 15th at 2pm (IN time) on the combined properties of Troy’s and Yoder’s at the south end of Sunset. Deep fried turkey, corn on the cob, and soft drinks will be provided. Feel free to bring along other drinks. We’re sure there are many wonderful cooks in the association and we would like you to bring a dish to pass.

We have lots of games planned for the children, with nice prizes. There will be fun planned for the adults as well. We will provide tables and chairs, but it is a good idea to bring along a lawn chair if possible. Looking forward to seeing you there!

We have all heard news releases as of late, about the low water levels in area lakes, rivers, and streams. In particular, how much lower the Great Lakes are in comparison to normal water levels. With the recent precipitation, Baldwin Lake appears to be near normal. In southern Michigan, normal annual precipitation is approximately 30". Some areas in our region are still reporting deficits. It is important to not only look at what has happened in the past 12 months, but also the past 2 or 3 years, since groundwater aquifer levels directly affect lake water levels. (More water is absorbed and held, in reduced precipitation periods.) The last 3 winters have been the warmest on record. In fact, in the past 20 years, 65-70% of the winters were warmer than the historical average. In the last 3 years our lake has had very short periods of ice coverage. The ice is like putting a lid on a jar...it minimizes evaporation. When a lake is allowed to evaporate days longer than normal, a huge amount of moisture is released. Combine this with less than normal precipitation...I think you get the picture.

Another interesting fact is that 70% of all precipitation evaporates. What is left is absorbed by vegetation. Excess goes into the ground to replenish our water table. Only 30% goes into our watersheds. Being 10-20% under normal precipitation levels affects our water table levels. I would guess that throughout this area, our water tables have dropped. Are they at dangerous levels?...I don’t know. One "normal" year will certainly help, however, it will take 2-3 consecutive years to replenish the ground water supplies diminished in the last 2-3 years. Let’s hope for an extended period of normal precipitation so everything can return to, well,...normal.

2. Building a seawall at or above the high water mark.

3. Construction a seasonal dock on your bottom land.

4. Using water from a lake for domestic purposes.

5. Construction of a minor drainage structure or ditch that does not change the drainage pattern which previously existed.

2. Building a seawall below the high-water mark.

3. Making an earth change within 500 feet of a lake or stream.

4. Filling or dredging a wetland.

5. Construction of a dock longer than 300 feet.

6. Digging a channel into the upland or

connecting a pond to a lake.

7. Constructing a permanent dock along the shoreline of a lake.

8. Construction of a building below the high-water mark.

President: Jeff Schaar

Jeff, his wife, Sabine, and son Alec have lived on the lake for 7 years. He is the advisor for the Treasure Isle and Hartshorn areas. Jeff is concerned about the irresponsible use of PWC’s, speeding on Sunset, and the water quality of the lake. He has been one of our BLA Vice Presidents for the past 2 years.

Vice President: Scot Billings

Scot just celebrated 45 years of marriage to his wife, Peg. He is originally from the Chicago area where he lived and worked for the first half of his life. The next 22 years he worked in Goshen, IN. The Billings moved to Baldwin Lake (Sunset Ave) in 1998 and quickly became active in the association. He maintains our Baldwin Lake Association website! He is also a member of the Porter Township Community Policing Committee.

Scot raises and breeds Great Danes. Have you noticed the golden Great Dane on the post of his deck?

Treasurer: Marv Dolph

Marv and his wife, Val, have lived on the lake for the past 23 years! Marv and Val co-chair the boating safety committee, and had a part in posting the boating laws at all access points and organizing boating inspection days. If elected, this will be Marv’s 3rd term as treasurer.

Great food and even better camaraderie was the menu for the night! We divided up into 2 groups of 4 couples. Some of the delicious foods we tasted were Beef Bourguignon, Chicken Marengo, Jonquil St. Jacques, salads, and cheeses. Of course, we can’t forget the homemade deserts like éclairs, pineapple cake, rhubarb cake, and German chocolate cake. There was a wonderful selection of wines and after dinner drinks, too.

We will do this again next winter and would love for you to share this great evening with us. Carol Morris

It’s not too late to get in on the fun! Join us July 4th at 3pm (IN time) There are 4 categories that your craft will be judged in:

1. Best Family Design

2. Best Theme Interpretation

3. Most Patriotic

4. Most Elaborate Design

We’ll again line up, facing North, on the West side of the Slalom Course. After judging, we will circle the lake, starting in the Northwest "Bay", and proceed counter clockwise, as close to the shore as possible. We want everyone to be able to enjoy the Flotilla. We will end up in Little Baldwin, though we realize that not everyone can get through the channel.

As of this printing, there are 14 entries. Some of the themes we saw last year were "Gilligan’s Island", "The One that got Away", "Hawaii", "Aircraft Carrier", and "Pirates". What will they come up with this year?

Baldwin Lake residents have reported a rash of petty crimes. Gas cans are being reported missing from boats, jet skis are being removed from lifts-some having their drain plugs removed-causing water damage to engines. Please be on the alert and report all incidences to the sheriff.