Many residents living around Waumegah Lake have been ‘pooh-poohed? over the years by a lake board whose members essentially said ‘we don’t want to hear what you have to say.?
That was the message of Lori Callahan, who’along with other residents’showed up to speak during the public comment section of Springfield Township’s regular Board meeting March 12.
Meetings are chaired by township supervisor Mike Trout, who lives on Waumegah Lake and was appointed in February 2005 to the Waumegah Lake Improvement Board (WLIB). He currently serves as the group’s secretary, treasurer and township representative.
Around the lake, an increasing number of residents blame the WLIB’s alleged mismanagement of the lake’too many herbicides, little or no mechanical harvesting and disregard for a 2002 lake study’for the fish kill.
Others, however, point to harsh winter conditions and claim the fish kill was a natural event.
Lori Callahan said she’s never seen anything like it.
‘I’ve lived there basically my whole life,? she said. ‘When the dam initially failed, some of us asked people to please, please, please be conservative and pay attention to what’s going on.?
But, she said, no one listened.
‘Since those of us in opposition to (lake board practices) are not getting any time to be heard,? Callahan said, ‘we ask the township to’please, please step in and help us save the lake.?
Judging by photos and reports, some experts have said all the fish in the lake may have perished.
Jerry Kinsey, the riparian representative to the lake board, also spoke during the meeting.
‘Do some research, look around,? he said. ‘Don’t just jump to hysterics. There are many different reasons for fish kills. If what we did, and what we’re involved in, caused this than obviously we have to learn and make sure this doesn’t happen again.?
Mechanical harvesting, he said, could result in increased special assessments.
‘To try to harvest that lake’or only harvest it’is very expensive ordeal,? Kinsey said.
Ice fisherman Larry Armstrong told the board he drilled ‘about 100 holes? in the lake over the winter.
‘There’s absolutely no vegetation down there,? he said. ‘In the winter you look down in every other lake and you see vegetation. There was nothing down there.?
Paul Haduck told the board he’s been living on the lake 15 years and said he was ‘pretty devastated? with the fish kill.
‘It was a trophy fishing lake,? he said. ‘It was a long hard winter, but we’ve had treatment with sonar in the past that killed 90 percent of the weeds and we still didn’t have a fish kill.?
John Bistoff, one of the Lake’s most outspoken advocates, also spoke during the meeting, concluding with concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
‘The Waumegah Lake board has employed aquatic plant control consultant who is also under contract with Cygnet Enterprises,? Bistoff said. ‘All the chemicals being put into Waumegah Lake are Cygnet Enterprises products; these are expensive chemicals, $400-$600 per gallon. I see that as a conflict of interest. I have reported it to the lake board and nothing has occurred.?
Later, Springfield Township Clerk Laura Moreau said she was concerned about the issue, and noted she was reviewing township board minutes related to lake board management, as well as looking into the responsibilities and expectations of township lake board representatives.
‘Unfortunately, the township board has little oversight with lake boards, and it’s not entirely clear how we can help,? Moreau said. ‘But in order to address some of the concerns raised Thursday night, the township might want to consider making some changes to our lake board representative guidelines adopted in March 2005.?
Trustee Roger Lamont said it was too early to draw conclusions, but noted input from residents was helpful to the board.
‘A lot of good information was put out and it appears there are various schools of thought as to what manmade actions may have contributed to the problem,? he said. ? At this point, I think more research is necessary, and my initial thought is that may be where the township can help.?
Lamont said he anticipates continued discussion.
‘Public forum comments are for the board to digest and hopefully take future action on,? he said. ‘It would be my intent to get it on an agenda and talk about it, if we have the legal ability to do so.?
Trustee Judy Hensler is also a member of the Dixie Lake Lake Board, and said although Dixie and Waumegah Lake are similar in size and nature, no dead fish have appeared on Dixie Lake.
‘There’s no signs of it, like seagulls and birds of prey that would be pecking away at dead fish,? she said. ‘So I’m going to say there are none. I’ve only had a cursory look, but no, there are no dead fish.?
Hensler said she thought residents who spoke at Thursday’s meeting presented a ‘good case? but noted she wasn’t ready to draw any conclusions.
‘I hesitate to jump to any judgments without double-checking the facts,? she said. ‘As a Dixie Lake board member, I’m very interested in what went on in Waumegah and hope they find the cause. If there’s a way to prevent it I certainly want to know what it is.?
But Trustee Denny Vallad said his first thoughts were on the issue at hand.
‘My biggest concern at this point is what do we do with all the fish,? Vallad said. ‘That may be one way the township can help, because it’s an issue of health and safety for the community. They’ve got enough problems; all those rotting fish aren’t going to help anything.?