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Chain of Lakes Association (COLA) P.O. Box 245 Harrison, MI 48625-0245
Townline Lake
Townline Lake, Boathouse Lake, Lake #5, Icehouse Lake, Lake #4,
Lost Lake, Canada Lake, Sand Lake, Haven Lake and their channels.
Welcome to our Chain of Lakes Association.
If you are a property owner around our chain of lakes, or just want to join our Chain of Lakes Association for News and Articles, we invite you to join our Chain Of
Lakes Association.
Most forms are PDF files, which require Adobe Acrobat to open. You can download a free copy at http://get.adobe.com/reader
Registration form:
Print membership form
Our goals are to make our lakes safer places for boating and swimming, and to improve the fishing habitat in a
responsible manner, so that all can enjoy our little chain of lakes.
Please click on the registration tab at the top of this page to sign
up, or email COLA President, Al Loucks
alloucks@bestbuyer.com
(COLA)
P.O. Box 245
Harrison, MI 48625-0245
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Contact Your Lake Director
We now have directors for each lake and channel in our chain of lakes.
These folks have generously volunteered to help with concerns that you might have on your lake or channel.
Please contact them with concerns or ideas regarding your specific lake or channel, and they'll do their best to try and help you.
Your COLA lake directors are:
*Lost Lake: Kent Hodges
*Lake #4: Norbert Schollett
*Haven Lake: Robert Height
*Haven Lake channel: Saundra Kozak
*Sand Lake: Andy Dennis
*Sand Lake channel: Bryan Doyle
*Townline Lake: Dan & Melissa Burnham
*Cedar Shores Representatives: Cathy & Jerry Timmons
*Canada Lake: Lois Barrett
*Boathouse Lake: James Robinson
You can find the email addresses for these kind folks by clicking on the Club Officers tab at the top of this page.
Still needed: Lake director Lake #5.
Please consider helping out COLA by submitting your name to Al Loucks, COLA President cola@bestbuyer.com
Thanks!
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Volunteers Needed for Committees!
COLA is looking for folks to volunteer for the following committees:
*Fish Cribs/Fish Restocking Committee
*Fundraising Committee
*Activities Committee
*Welcome Committee
Please consider giving a little of your time to help our association.
President Al Loucks to sign up for a committee. Thank you.
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Fish Restocking Has Begun!
COLA's efforts to restock our chain of lakes has begun!
On October 17, 2009, a small amount of fish were purchased from the DNR certified fish farm in Imlay City, and were released in the following lakes in our chain: Haven Lake, Lost Lake, Sand Lake and Townline Lake.
The fish species released were: Perch, Walleye, and Red-earred Sunfish Shellcrackers.
COLA is asking that you please use catch and release fishing with these young fish...let's help them get established in our waters.
If you (or any guests that you may have visiting) catch any undersized fish, please release it to live another day and get bigger! Thanks!
And, thanks to all who have donated to COLA's fish fund, and who continue to support our efforts in improving fishing in our waters...we appreciate it!
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New Boating Signs in Our Lakes!
COLA would like to thank Rob Mulkey and Gordon Sorensen of the Dodge Complex Improvement Board, and Hamilton Township Supervisor Dave Cooper, for providing the funding for our new boating navigational signs in our chain of lakes.
We would also like to thank X'treme Graphics Sign Company of Harrison, and our volunteer sign installers: Bryan Doyle,(and his wonderful son-in-law!), John Duplessie, Brian & Kelly Miller and Dan Burnham.
Thanks to all for a job well done!
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No Wake Hours On Our Chain Of Lakes
Please remember the boating/no wake times for our chain of lakes. These hours are the state law: 7:30PM-11:00AM.
Let's be courteous to those who like to canoe, kayak, paddle boat, sail and/or fish, and observe the no wake law between the hours of 7:30 P.M. 11:00 A.M.
And, be sure to tell any guests using your boats about our No Wake boating hours, and to respect the No Wake times.
A reminder for all boaters: please remember to navigate the lakes in a counter clockwise fashion. Stay to the right when traveling our lakes and channels.
And, we need everyone to remember to slow down in all of the channels connecting our chain of lakes. They are all no wake zones. Thank you!
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Lake Levels for our Chain of Lakes
The Clare County Drain Commissioner says that the legal water levels for our lakes are as follows:
Sand lake 1016.7
Townline 1016.7
Boathouse 1016.7
Haven 1016.7
Lost Lake 1016.7
Dodge Lake 1013.8
Dodge Lake is actually 3' below the other lakes
Beside the spillway on Sand Lake is a gauge which tells the lake
level. It is on a metal angle and pipe which has a gauge on it.
Beside the culvert in Dodge Lake (and about 3’ east of the
culvert) is the gauge for Dodge Lake.
Lake surface area's More/Less =m/l
Lake #4 14.76 acres m/l
Lost Lake 11.11 acres m/l
Lake #5 8.21 acres m/l
Boathouse Lake 17.64 acres m/l
Sand Lake 23.82 acres m/l
Canada Lake 3.54 acres m/l
Townline Lake 28 acres m/l
Dodge Lake 24 acres m/l
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Saving Animals from Euthanasia
http://bestbuyer.com/safe will be online soon to help Save Animals from Euthanasia. |
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IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
Welcome to our Chain of Lakes Association
COLA is having a picnic at the pravilion in the Dodge City Park. Aug 7, 2010.
For info on PICNIC press this link:
The Aug 07, 2010 picnic
Everyone is invited. Bring your neighbors. Notify your neighbors if they do not have email or internet.
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Chain of Lakes Association General Meeting minutes July 11, 2010
It was one of the best meetings we have had. The meeting was attended by Dave Cooper our Township Supervisor, Rick Miller our Clare County Undersheriff, Carl Parks our County Drain Commissioner, Bruce Lang Fire Prevention Coordinator.
First Dave our Supervisor notified us that the township bought the building on Rogers just North of Townline. It used to be Jim’s discount food and grandma’s kitchen. It’s the long building with 2 large entrance doors on the North end. It also came with 10 acres. The Township is looking into possibly moving the Township hall down to this location. Dave then went into talking about broadband wireless coming into this area possibly within a year or two.
Rick Miller Undersheriff Clare County gave us a talk about the Neighborhood Watch program. Clare County has one of the best programs in the area. We went from a high crime rate to a much lower crime rate because of participation by residents in Hamilton Township. Questions were brought up by some residents about speed on the lakes by Jet Ski’s and boats on our lakes. They are afraid that someone is going to get killed by some of these speeding boats. The Undersheriff assured them that he will have some marine patrol people here to monitor the problem, even if he has to put them in regular clothing not regular uniforms to patrol the lakes. He also mentioned to take your video camera out a take some pictures to show the marine patrol officer. He also mentioned just taking pictures or making believe you are taking pictures will slow them down.
Our County Drain Commissioner Carl Parks then gave a talk about our lakes and the levels he is trying to maintain. He also talked about updating the tax rolls which have not been updated in years.
Next was Al Loucks (President COLA) who informed everyone he had purchased the Family Community Center from Dodge City Developer (Rumsey Swallow). Mr. Swallow gave us a deal we could not turn down. The only stipulation was it had to go to a non-profit group that would help the residents of Dodge City. Al Loucks purchased the property and it was donated to the Chain of Lakes Association.
Next was Bruce Lang who gave a presentation on Fire Safety. It was quite a presentation of how to prevent fires from forest fires reaching our homes and how to keep a setback of shrubs and flowers away from our homes and still look good. It was a very good fire prevention program.
We had two by-law changes which included notifying members by email and/or newspapers. With the cost of mailing going up and emailing becoming the new way of talking to large groups of people, it was passed. The next change was, people who help the association by setting up functions, notifying people, fund raisers, cleaning beaches, cutting grass etc. Be given a 1 year honorary membership. This also was passed.
Next was Dan Burnham who gave a talk on restocking of fish in our Chain of Lakes. It was brought to our attention that we should buy some bait fish along with our restocking fish. The purpose is to use the bait fish as food for the predator fish and to help keep our restocking fish a little safer. He also would like to see some member’s volunteers to help put some fish cribs in Townline Lake. We have 6 cribs in the lake now but would like more. It was brought up also after Christmas to save your trees and put under you docks and secure them so they will not float away. These make excellent places for the small fish to hide from predator fish.
Next were Mike Lavin and Andy Dennis who talked about spraying and weed control. It was determined by Mike, Andy and the weed spraying operator. We are over spraying our lakes, what we kill is sinking to the bottom of our lakes, killing our lakes. This is what is giving us the black sludge on the bottom of our lakes. Budd Lake is in the process of trying some new pellets on the market that will eat up this sludge and clean up our lakes. We are interested in finding out the findings of this test.
Also at our Dodge Improvement board meeting we are having the weed control person, spray before each holiday or after the holidays. So when our visitors come up for their vacations they do not have to stay out of the water because it was just sprayed. Also it was passed that the Environmental Health Department will test the water for e-coli before the Holidays. They will notify the Drain Commissioner if the e-coli are too high for swimming, they will notify the members of the Improvement board and post signs if necessary. At this time all of our COLA lakes are in great condition.
Kelly Miller our Activity Director has notified us that COLA is going to have a picnic in the Dodge City Park August 7, 2010. Everyone is invited. Bring your neighbors and friends.
Al Loucks (President Chain Of Lakes Association)
If you are interested in running for office or assisting please email
Al Loucks or COLA at
cola@bestbuyer.com
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Singing trio Kelly Miller and her
group The Whatabouts sang at the Family Community Center June 19, 2010.
For info on The Whatabouts press this link:
The Whatabouts
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Kelly also set up the 4th of July boat Parade.
walkerkelica@wowway.com or cola@bestbuyer.com
Kelly and her husband again did a fantastic job setting up the boat parade. I think we had 13 boats in the parade. Everyone had a ball.
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A new fish restocking donation can in Harrison:
We now have a COLA fish restocking donation can at Ken's Landing Sporting
Goods/Bait & Tackle shop in Harrison, MI. Be sure to look for it when you visit
Ken's Landing. Thanks!
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Kern's Store in Dodge City again is selling certain magazines you have to ask and all procedes are going to the fish restocking program.
Kern's
Thank you again
Chain of Lakes Association
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A $300.00 REWARD has been offered for the arrest and conviction of the vandal/vandals who destroyed the SAND LAKE BEACH SIGN and destroyed the property around the beach area recently.
Contact the Clare County Sheriff's Department if you have any information regarding this vandalism that might be helpful.
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Neighborhood Watch forms (for you to secure your home or cottage and forms to send to the Sheriff's Dept to watch your home or cottage) are now available under the links section on the left of this page.
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COLA Membership Applications are now under Articles and Links.
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Most forms are PDF files, which require Adobe Acrobat to open. You can download a free copy at http://get.adobe.com/reader
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Neighborhood Watch
Summer 2009:
It has come to our attention that in
recent days some lake front cottages on our chain of lakes have been vandalized. We know too, that some
cottages and homes on our chain have been broken into,
and some docked boats have been untied
from their docks and allowed to drift free.
We're asking all property owners around
our chain of lakes to please be vigilant, and keep an eye out for not
only your own property, but your neighbor's as well, and report any
suspicious activity to the Clare County Sheriff's Department at
989-539-7166. You do not have to leave your name.
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