October 15th – November 5th – Stop logs will be removed sometime between those dates. Lake level could possibly lower, affecting boat removal.
September 25 ’23 – Sylvan Cellars Upper Elkhart Rivers Watershed Meeting. Event details here.
July 1 ’23 – The Boat Parade has been postponed till July 8th.
May 16 ’23 – The bridge over Dry Run Creek on Steinbarger Lake Rd. is now open.
April 5 ’23 – The bridge over Dry Run Creek on Steinbarger Lake Rd. is closed do to a large hole. It may be closed for a while.
March 1 ’23 – more rain is expected this weekend putting our chain in to a moderate flood stage. Water is well over seawalls now, and close to many homes and outdoor equipment. Here is a message from West Lakes Association Vice President, Jean Thomas: “I have been in contact with Mr. Gabe Creech, from Noble County Emergency Management Agency. He and his team have been keeping a very close eye on our lakes. They have toured the area twice a day this week. Friday’s weather prediction currently is for 1” to 2.25” of rain. If our lakes area does receive this much rain more flooding will occur. In some areas water is already inside sheds/garages. On Holiday Point there is a fair amount of water on the road. Please take this time to prepare for higher water. If your home is prone to flooding, this is the time to start moving items up to higher areas to keep from getting wet. Also, while driving around the lakes I noticed on many lots, debris and stored equipment/items either in the water or close to being in the water. Please take this time to move these items so that they do not wind up in the lake water and possibly cause more damage. If your shed is very close to being in the water, PLEASE – make sure the shed is secure so that we do not have sheds floating in the lake. The Noble County Emergency Management Agency has about 200 filled sandbags that can be brought over. Please contact me at: Jean Thomas – West Lakes VP – 260-740-4375 if you feel that you will need sandbags. I will arrange for them to be brought over. Please do not wait until Friday. After these 200 sand bags are gone, then you may go and fill your own bags. If you have any questions, please contact me, Jean Thomas. I will be updating on Facebook as more information is available. Please check on neighbors and share this information.”
Also the bridge over Dry Run Creek on Steinbarger Lake Rd. is closed do to a large hole. It may be closed for a while until the water goes down.
Sept 14 – The stop logs from the dam will be removed sometime between October 15th & November 5th. The lake level could lower. Boat removal could possibly be a difficult.
July 2 – Decorate your boat or pontoon and join in our West Lakes Association Boat Parade! Fun and prizes for all! Meet at 6:00 pm July 2nd on Steinbarger near the channel to Waldron in Silver Bay for judging and start of parade around. Steinbarger, Waldron and Tamarack Lakes!! Even if you don’t have a boat in the parade, please be on shore to cheer for our all entries! Thank you to all our sponsors for their donations!
June 14 – PHOTO CONTEST!!! We are looking for that special photo to put onto the front cover of the 2022 West Lakes Association’s Lake Directory. This photo will be on the front cover for 2 years! Please send your photos to WestLakesVP@gmail.com! We will need the photos to be high resolution. Please only send photos that are the orginal. Please DO NOT send photos from Facebook, posted photos are with a lower resolution.
June 11 – 2022 Spring West Lakes Association Meeting at 10am at West Lakes Boat Mart, 0085 E Holiday Point, Rome City. Registration and dues will begin at 9:00 a.m., meeting will start promptly at 10:00 a.m. Bring your own chairs.
November 5– We are once again hosting our Annual Craft Show & FUNDRAISER!! OUR FUNDRAISING ITEM THIS YEAR WILL BE HOMEMADE PEANUT BRITTLE, selling at $8 for 1-1/2 pounds. The ingredients were all purchased through the Community Support Action Team Program from Thrivent. The making of the peanut brittle will be coordinated by Janis Myers Sproat, who is volunteering all her time – BUT we need helpers!! Can you donate a couple hours next week to help make the Peanut Brittle? Please contact Janis directly at 260-645-0550 to find out what days she needs helpers!! Also we are looking for a few folks to help sell at the Craft Show on 11-20 for 2 hour shifts. If you can help, please let Dianna G Jones Scott know what time you could cover (9-11, 11-1 or 1-3). You can call her at 260-273-9441. The event will be at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Rome City – 705 Kelly Street. You can also preorder Peanut Brittle by calling Diann Scott, 260-273-9441.
October 19 – Since this year’s meeting had to be cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns, we have not yet had our annual elections. The West Lakes Association members (current, paid members) will be nominating and voting this year by Survey Monkey. First, we need to hold nominations. The following Positions are open for nominations:Vice President: Ken Thomas is stepping down. Jean Thomas would like the position. The Floor is still open to other nominations.Waldron Lake Director Tom Goyings is stepping down and Becky Heidenreich would like to fill this position. Waldron Lake has two Lake Directors. This position is still open for nominations.Steinberger Lake Director has a new position open. A 2nd Lake director to share the position with Anne Bougher. This position is open for nominationsWe would like to say a sincere THANK YOU!!! To our outgoing members. We would love to have more volunteers and could use anyone who would be interested in joining a Welcome Committee. Also, volunteers to keep up each of the lakes bulletin boards. If interested, please contact us through email ( Ken.r.thomas@gmail.com ) or a Facebook Messenger message.Remember you can nominate yourself.The nomination period will be open from October 22nd thru the 24th, After the nominations are confirmed, you will receive a link to take a Survey. This is how voting will occur this year. The voting will be open for only 2 short days. Those two dates are. October 26th and 27th.
September 28- SEDIMENT REMOVAL. A DNR LARE Grant to tackle two sediment removal sites was awarded to Alcona Dredge, LLC out of Lincoln, MI. Last week, they installed all the piping to pump the sediment to the disposal site on CR 1050. Today, they delivered the barge and other dredging equipment and will actively begin dredging later this week. They will begin on Jones Lake at the Gonser Ditch entrance into the lake (north side) and remove approximately 2800 cubic yards of sediment. When that is completed. they will then move to Steinbarger Lake at the Boughey Ditch entrance into the west side of the lake (commonly known as the “sand bar”) and remove approximately 1000 cubic yards of sediment. The DNR LARE grant will cover 80% of this cost and we would normally be responsible for the remaining 20%, but Noble County Commissioners have agreed to split this cost with us 50/50 as both of these inlets are county drains.
August 26 – The 2021 Fall West Lakes Association Meeting scheduled for August 28th is CANCELLED due to large gatherings COVID concerns.
August 2 – Noble REMC is conducting speedtests for possible internet funding. This would greatly help us on Steinbarger, south shore Tamarack, Waldron Lake Drive Lakeview And Frantz drives. Please go to nobleremc.com/broadband-updates and enter address and do speed test.
July 19 – 2021 July 4 Boat Parade was a great success! Thanks to all our participants and our prize donors Donations were supplied by: Adams Lake Pub Bell’s Gardens Coody Brown’sCook’s Bison Ranch Edward’s Floor Coverings Fancy Flowers and Greenhouse Kelly’s salvage & Pro Hardware Lake, Town and Country Miller’s Super Valu – Rome City MNM Trucking Nancy’s Cuttings Raber’s Discount Groceries INC. Rome City MarathonRome City SunocoShooky’s PackageSundaes on SylvanSylvan Lake Veterinary Twin Six Restaurant West Lakes Boat MartT hank you supporters for the love and sharing you give back to the community. God bless youParade Winners:1st “Love, Love, Love” – Silver family2nd “God Bless the USA” – Knefely family3rd “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue” – Ninness familyParade Participants in no order:Stars and Stripes – GrasS.S. Minnow – GickAll American Apple Pie – LoweOctopus Garden – SkidmoreSalute to the Armed Forces – PhillisenSwimming to the Olympics – GrahamPaw Patrol – WilcoxGod Bless America – WhiteThe King Family – KingThanks to our organizer Jane Silver and special thanks to our 3 judges for their time and trouble.
January 17 –We have been approached by Rep. David Abbott to help support proposed legislation he has drafted to regulate the operation of wakeboating in the State of Indiana. It is important that this bill be introduced and heard in committee, so that it can go to the full house to be voted on. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS LEGISLATION HEARD, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE COMMITTEE CHAIR OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, REP. SEAN EBERHART. You can call to leave a message, email or send a letter. His contact information is:Representative Sean Eberhart200 West Washington St.Indianapolis In. 462041-317-232-99811-800-382-9841Email. H57@iga.in.gov Rep. Abbott states, “The sport of wakeboating has exploded in the last few years and is expected to increase in the years to come. My bill addresses responsible operation of these boats and the large waves that they generate. Not only do the waves from these boats do damage to seawalls, docks, and shorelines, but the tremendous thrust from the propellers of these powerful boats that are directed towards the bottom of the lake are extremely destructive to fisheries and aquatic vegetation. In addition sediments, and in particular phosphorus is re-suspended into the water column to produce algae, that has the potential to not only deplete oxygen from the water but also to possibly become toxic. Unsafe and inconsiderate operation of these boats and the large waves that they generate near other boats, fisherman, swimmers, etc. pose a valid safety concern also. My bill is drafted to try to strike a balance between wakeboating enthusiasts and other water sports, property owners and our environment.THERE ARE (3) MAIN COMPONENTS TO THE BILL:1. No wakeboating at night between sunset and sunrise.2. No wakeboating on small lakes (defined per statute as a lake between 70 and 300 acres) unless a special ruling has been granted from the NRC (Natural Resources Commission). In addition, if a small lake has speed restrictions already in place (for example skiing only between the hours of 1:00 and 4:00) than a wakeboater can only operate during the same hours as the speed boat.3. There will also be a petition process put into place that will allow individual lakes to petition to the NRC for certain additional restrictions or rules that may be particular or unique to their lake alone.”Here is a link to the actual bill:http://184.175.130.101/…/3/6/9/0369b56e/HB1098.01.INTR.pdfThank-you!Rep David AbbottIndiana State RepresentativeDistrict 82Rome City, In. 46784dabbott1095@yahoo.com260-336-5052 C
October 12 – Please fill out the Noble REMC Survey. Many people around West Lakes are unable to receive internet service except through satellite or mobile hot spot phone plans. noblebroadband.twncomm.com
August 1 – River clean-up. Planning on taking a kayak trip and bring chainsaw, tools, etc. and clearing logs as we go. Please contact Paul Veldman 260-515-1054 if you are able to join us or if you have any questions. We will meet at the Marina on 1050 N, north side of Waldron Lake at 9 AM.
July 20- We have been approached by the Sylvan Lake Bingo Hall (run by the Sylvan Lake Improvement Association) for an opportunity to do some fundraising. They will be opening their Bingo Hall this week and will be operating every Tuesday and Thursday. They have asked if West Lakes would like to provide teams of 4-5 people to work 4:30-9:30 on any date we choose to supply teams. Our volunteer teams would be selling pull tabs during their bingo sessions. In return for our team covering an evening’s pull tab sales, they will contribute to the West Lakes Association. The first available date is July 28th, but we can provide teams as often as we want.
If you have any questions or are interested in being put on the volunteer list, please respond. You can provide specific dates you are available or we can do a quarterly calendar if we get enough volunteers, so that maybe you would only have to contribute time once. If you and several friends want to work together – tell Diann Scott who’s on your team and what date you would like to work.
This is a great fundraising opportunity for West Lakes Association to support many of our efforts that are currently underway.
June 20- River Clean-up. We need three types of volunteers: 1) work in the river (bring gloves and eye protection), 2) food and beverage donations and 3) servers to help set up serving area and deliver tables, etc. For more information call 260-273-9441. Otherwise just mark as attending and in comments identify what you are able to do!! We will meet at the Marina on 1050 N, north side of Waldron Lake at 9 AM.
June 6- Spring Association Meeting has been postponed.
June 3– Idle Speed Restriction has been lifted.
May 30- River clean-up Postponed to June 20.
May 20 – Idle speed restriction in place for West Lakes chain.
May 12- 2020 PERSONAL WEED SPRAYING …. once again, we have partnered with Aquatic Weed Control (AWC) to do weed spraying on your individual shorelines. The 2020 cost remains the same as 2019 at $175. Last year, due to boating restrictions and high water AWC was unable to get all spraying completed, so many people who paid to be sprayed last year and didn’t receive the service, elected to have that payment go towards 2020 spraying. If you paid last year, you should have been contacted by AWC. If not please call them at 574-533-2597 or email them at:
jim@aquaticweedcontrol.com.
If you are interested in 2020 weed spraying, please contact AWC directly BEFORE June 1st, so they can get the appropriate permits.
February 3– 2020-2021 Membership Form is on FORMS page or this link.