Newspaper, people thanked for start of Moose Lake drive March 23, 2010 To the Antigo Journal:
I want to thank the Antigo Daily Journal and all the people who attended the March 6 meeting for their support of the effort to help Moose Lake.
The problem at the lake is that weed growth and sediment in the lake and in the springs that feed the lake are choking off the water flow. Beaver dams on Thompson's Creek are also reducing the flow into the lake.
The March 6 meeting, our first step in organizing to solve this problem, was a complete success. Bob Korth from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point Extension (Lakes) was our speaker. He gave us background information and explained what it takes to organize a lake association or a lake district.
The response from the lake property owners has been 100 percent positive. The 40 or so people that attended the meeting voted unanimously to form what will be known as the Friends of Moose Lake. It will be a qualified lake association which means it will eventually be eligible for grants from the DNR and the state to study the lake and develop a lake management plan.
A group of property owners has volunteered to take leadership positions in the newly formed association and I'd like to acknowledge who they are and the town they are from:
Karen Trembath, treasurer, Antigo
Eric Schaumberg, secretary, Menomonee Falls
David Baraniak, Membership Committee chair, Antigo
Bill Upton, Lake Management Planning Committee co-chair, Madison
Dick Upton, Lake Management Planning Committee co-chair, Platteville
Connie Schaumberg, Fund Raising Committee Chair, Theresa
Kevin Apel, Applications/Forms Committee chair, Menomonee Falls
Paul Beckett, Incorporation Committee Chair, Madison
Kathie Beckett, Bylaws Committee Chair, Madison
Developing a lake management plan will be a priority for the newly formed association. The lake management plan will require a lot of data collection, which will cost money and likely take at least a year before any conclusions can be drawn about how to best help the lake.
The Friends of Moose Lake will be meeting May 15 to tour the problem areas on the lake and to hold a business meeting. We invite anyone who has fished, boated, or just enjoyed the county park on the lake to come to the tour and/or the meeting. Meeting details will be in the Journal about a week beforehand.
This group has the support from Trout Unlimited, the Mattoon Sportsmen's Club, and other organizations throughout the county that are interested in the lake's health. If anyone else would like to be involved, make a contribution, have questions, or would like to help in any way, please contact me at my email address jwbaker55@gmail.com, 309-825-0076 or 213 Doud Dr., Normal, Ill. 61761.
I grew up in Antigo and graduated from Antigo High School. While I haven't lived in the Antigo area for many years, I come there to fish and enjoy the peace and quiet that a lakeside cabin brings.
Thanks again, Friends of Moose Lake members, and all those who care about this beautiful body of water.
John Baker
President, Pro Tem
Friends of Moose Lake
Normal, Ill.
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