For many of us living around the lake, the hectic pace of summer has been replaced by the slower rhythms  of winter. Your GLA board met this month to finalize the budget for this year’s programs and we now get a ‘rest’  from board meetings until April. Meanwhile, many board members and GLA volunteers remain hard at work monitoring the lake level despite, at times, the worst of winter conditions. Others work to bring news to you via our Newsletter and website, securing grants for our programs & attending meetings about important topics affecting the health of our watershed.

Snow has been abundant this winter, bringing plenty of opportunities for skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. Little Glen lake has frozen over and ice shanties abound. Big Glen Lake has areas around the shoreline where the ice shelf has begun to grow. Here on Tamarack Cove, the ice has made it possible for the Coyote to roam more freely and I got a good look at a very healthy one near our shore in pursuit of the local deer herd. That same day I was blessed with the sighting of a  bobcat as it darted in front of my car turning off from M22 onto Dunn’s Farm Road. My friend and I stopped the car for a better look to see it scampering along the banks of the Crystal River.  How exciting it was to share this sighting with a friend, a first for both of us.  Yesterday, a walk along the banks of Big Fisher Channel into Big Glen netted the sighting of an Eagle soaring above & landing on the ice before flying off to join another across the lake into the tree tops.

The last 2 days here has brought a mini-thaw where patches of sand are laid bare and make for easier walking along the shore than the icy road too difficult to walk. The warmer temps in the mid-30’s are a welcome break from the next heaping of snow that is sure to come.

Yes, life is still good here!

As we gather our loved ones near us and remember those far away or passed away, ’tis the season to reflect upon those things for which we are grateful.  To GLA members, we are grateful for your support.

To all volunteers past and present, we are grateful for all the selfless hours you have devoted to help keep Glen Lake healthy and beautiful. Sadly, we had to say good-bye this year to former GLA President, Fred Foust. Anyone who has served as president of a non-profit organization, knows how much work goes into meeting the ever changing challenges.  Fred loved Glen Lake and met those challenges well. We are grateful for all of his efforts and support over the years and send warm thoughts to his wife, Joyce, and the rest of his family.  He will be missed!  The family has asked that Memorials be directed to the First Presbyterian Church of Plymouth or the the Glen Lake Association.

The threat of pollutants & invasive species is real.  We must be ever vigilant in our efforts to protect this beautiful gift we hold so dear to our hearts. Her waters have embraced our bodies, nourished life below and above her, and held our weight in the pursuit of our recreational fun. She has nourished our spirits and dreams and drawn people to reflect upon her beauty.  For many ’she’ is the reason we call this place home.

Your gift of time or in the form of a donation, no matter how small or large,  is a gift to her future.  Happy Holidays!

The Glen Lake/Crystal River Watershed Managment Plan has been given the stamp of approval by the Michigan Deaprtment of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The amendment and significant expansion of the original plan approved by the MDEQ in 2003 now meets the criteria for the state Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI) Nonpoint Source Pollution Control program and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Section 319 of the federal Clean Water Act.

Click here to review the plan: GLCRWMP Final Feb 2009 10.7.09 A copy of the plan is also available for review at the Glen Lake Library and the GLA office.

This revision of the original plan was crafted by Sarah U’Ren of the Grand Traverse Waterfront Center and funded by the Glen Lake Association, the Friends of the Crystal River, and the Leelanau Conservancy.  The plan revision, enhanced to meet the EPA’s 9 required elements and the CMI criteria,  allows GLA to apply for a variety of Federal and State grants and better defines our watershed priorities and plans for protecting and preserving our unparalleled natural resource. Read more »

Bridge Now Open to Traffic

Without fanfare or an official ‘ribbon cutting’ ceremony, the Carl Oleson Jr. bridge has re-opened to car traffic over the ‘narrows’ on Glen Lake.  Emails were flying quickly and there were many Facebook posts as those of us who live, work and do business around Glen Lake sent up a collective hooray.

A trip over the bridge Saturday to take pictures found workers braving the cold wind and spits of rain to complete work around the walkway before opening it to foot traffic.

A big thanks to MDOT and Davis Construction for bringing this project to completion by their stated deadline.