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Welcome to the Hamlin Lake Preservation Society

The Hamlin Lake Preservation Society is a non-profit, educational organization that represents riparian owners and interested friends of Hamlin Lake. Our organization does this in a variety of ways from monitoring water quality and weed distribution, producing a newsletter, to sponsoring activities on the lake such as fireworks, and sailboat races.  Please talk a moment to look around our website to learn more about our various activities and how you can become a supporter of the Hamlin Lake Preservation Society.

Invasive hemlock woolly adelgid has been found in Mason County

Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) is an invasive insect native to eastern Asia that sucks sap from eastern hemlock tree branches and can kill a tree in 4 to 10 years if not treated.  HWA can be identified by its white, cottony ovisacs on the undersides of hemlock branches, near the base of the needles. The ovisacs may appear alone or in clusters. Late fall through early spring is the best time to check hemlock trees for the presence of HWA.

Please see the following resources for help with identification, information, and reporting options:

 

How to report trees infested with HWA:

Note the location of the tree and, if possible, take photos of the infested branch.  To avoid spreading HWA, do not collect sample branches or twigs. Report the find using one of these methods:

HLPS would like to share with you materials supporting identification of HWA, as you hike about so stay tuned for a winter mailing!!  We’d also like to keep you personally appraised of the HWA status as well as opportunities to help.  In order to better facilitate this activity we ask for your email address if you’d like these personalized updates.  We currently have 40 emails and 400+ subscribers soooo we have a long way to go!

If interested please forward your email to Peggyhaverberg@gmail.com and we’ll add you to our confidential listing.  Thanks and stay healthy!

The Quality Of Our Water Is Vital For Everyone

Latest Posts

Fireworks 2024 Funding

Fireworks 2024 Funding

4th of July fireworks on Hamlin Lake Fourth of July fireworks on upper Hamlin Lake have long been a family tradition for decades.  They are part of the Hamlin Lake culture that we all love and frankly have come to expect.  Whether viewing from home, boat, Victory...

2022 Boating Season Reminders

With the boating season well under way I would like to remind everyone to pull out their Michigan Boating Laws Handbook and/or the Federal Boating Laws and review them. Laws do periodically change, and our memory may not always be as sharp as we may think when it...

Current / Future Projects:

Shoreline Restoration

In 2021 with the Pandemic behind us HLPS intends to again work with LSP team on shoreline restoration.  Two sites have been identified and locations and plans will be shared in spring of 2021.

You can learn more by visiting the Natural Shoreline Restoration Project page.

Watershed Plan

Citizen water monitoring program extended with five-year contract.

https://micorps.net

This is great news!! In 2020 HLPS continued the volunteer water monitoring program and supported its own lab analysis so as not to lose continuity of data.  We are happy to see that the program will continue to be funded for the next 5 years.

Big Sable Activities

An EnviroDIY Mayfly Sensor Station was installed in the Big Sable River October 7, a cooperative project between Hamlin Lake Preservation Society and Michigan Trout Unlimited.

The solar-powered station will record and report real-time data on depth to determine water flow, temperature, and conductivity to a web site that will be available through https://monitormywatershed.org/sites/Big Sable River Hwy 31/ every 15 minutes. Data also includes the temperature within the monitor box.

Jacob Lemon, MTU Eastern Angler Science Coordinator, installed the sensor on county property east of the Us 31 Bridge, with permission from the county, and assistance from HLPS president Wayne Andersen.

HLPS paid for the station, one of 19 now in Michigan.

Lemon instructed Wayne on how to maintain the station and conduct quality control checks. Having good data will assist in monitoring water quality on the stream which flows into Hamlin Lake and ultimately Lake Michigan.

Water temperature and stream flow data can be of interest to anglers and recreational users of rivers as well helping develop a baseline of environmental data on the river.

Conductivity measures the water’s ability to conduct electricity. Changes in conductivity can indicate something entering the stream such storm runoff sediment or even road salt.

Water depth is a surrogate for flow. The deeper the water, the higher the discharge. The intention is to over time develop a ‘rating curve’ to translate depth to discharge in CFS (cubic feet per second) to be able to report flow in CFS on the site.

By watching the data and comparing it to visible stream conditions, over time one will get a good sense of what the numbers represent, Lemon said.

AND, for anyone who has been watching, in about the last two weeks the river has

  • Risen 7.2″
  • Temperature has dropped 9.4 degrees
Sediment

The Road Commission at the urging of HLPS will try to work on the Dennis Road Bridge to help reduce the North Dennis Road erosion problem.

Re-Forestation Programs

We anticipate the Trees for Trout and the Wild Roots programs both to be available next year.  We will post information when it is available.

 
HLPS Scholarship

The HLPS scholarship program is coordinated through the Community Foundation for Mason County.  In 2020, 106 students from Mason County schools made application for a variety of scholarships offered through the Foundation.  The successful applicant for the HLPS Scholarship was Lauren Larr.  Lauren is a Ludington High graduate and is attending Grand Valley State University majoring in Environmental Engineering. 

In Lauren’s words, “Thank you for your generous scholarship.  You are helping me now so that I can help generations to come in the future.  Growing up so close to Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan meant I got to enjoy their beauty and develop a deep respect for the land.  As a hopeful environmentalist, I am concerned about maintaining coastlines, preventing further damage to the environment, and managing resources so they are not overused or abused.  I wish to make Michigan a sustainable and healthy environment for years to come”.

Those interested in applying for future scholarships please visit the Community Foundation’s application link https://mason-foundation.org/scholarships/.  

CISMA

NCCISMA is a group of organizations and individuals united to address invasive species within Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, and Osceola county. The organization’s website (northcountryinvasives.org) has recently been updated and is full of resources for people who want to manage invasive species. The website is designed to help visitors learn to identify, report, and treat invasive species. Whether you are a property owner looking to get rid of invasive plants, an educator looking for classroom resources, or a concerned citizen wanting to learn more about invasive species, NCCISMA’s website can provide you with important information and useful links.

Hamlin Lake Preservation Society
PO Box 178
Ludington, MI 49431