By Gail Peckler-Dziki – Correspondent
After a meeting that lasted nearly two and a half hours, members of the Rock Lake Highland Association and the Rock Lake Restoration Association agreed on two things.
All were happy that five people stood in the water at the fire lane to stop a weed harvester two weeks ago, because the harvester was covered with weeds and zebra mussels from the last lake it was in.
Members from both groups all agreed they want what’s best for Rock Lake.
From there, the groups diverge. Members of the Rock Lake Highland Association are willing to consider weed harvesting once a Southeastern Wisconsin Planning Commission lake study is done.
Members of the Rock Lake Restoration Association say they need the weeds cut to give them access to clear water and they want those weeds cut now. The Town of Salem is on board to have weeds cut from the public pier.
David Hoke, president of the Rock Lake Restoration Association, formed just a few months ago, said he called Salem Administrator, Pat Casey concerning the situation.
“I told him that the public pier was useless. You can’t fish because of all the weeds. You can’t get a boat next to the pier because of all the weeds,” Hoke explained.
Hoke said he worked out a reasonable cost for each lakefront owner who signed onto the permit. “You can’t charge everyone the same amount,” he said. “Some people had 30 feet to cut and some had 100 feet to cut.”
Casey signed the town up for $200. According to Town Chairman Diann Tesar, the board had given Casey authority for such action. “It didn’t need to come before the board.”
Hoke claimed at the beginning of the meeting that Rock Lake Highlands Association, which rents Lubeno Park from the town, is only a homeowners association.
“The rules are you have to have 25 members and the fee can be only $25,” Hoke explained. “Their’s is $45. And you have to have membership open to people within a mile of the lake.”
According to the UW Extension web site, that Rock Lake Highlands is a lake association that was founded in 1949. Membership is over 100 and according to the UW website, fees can range from between $5 to $50.
The point was made that lakefront owners have a right to have a 30-foot swath of weeds cut to their piers so they can reach open water. It was noted the permit was legal and in effect until the end of 2012. “People have paid for the harvester and it will be back,” one member of Rock Lake Restoration Association said.
Karen Ihlen, secretary of the Rock Lake Highlands Association, spoke about more natural means of removing weeds and talked about taking advice from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to restore natural buffers at the beach and fire lane area.
“We took that advice and educated our members about natural buffers,” she said. “We have done our best to take care of the lake naturally.”
Kyle Gilley, DNR enforcement officer and one of four DNR representatives at the meeting, said he was baffled. “You take the DNR advice on the buffers. Why don’t you trust Craig Helker’s judgment about the permit?”
Rob McClellan, a DNR representative, pointed out that the permit limited the area that could be harvested. “It will not have a long-term affect on the lake,” he assured those present.
“It’s only about two acres, about 15 percent of the area with aquatic plants,” he said. “The rest would be left as natural habitat.”
Some Rock Lake Highland members expressed trust issues. Karen Ihlen, who stood in the water to stop the harvester a week ago, claimed that when Hoke was told about the weeds and zebra mussels, he replied that he didn’t see anything.
DNR representatives assured all present that there would be a close inspection of the harvester when it came back. “We learned a lot that day,” commented DNR representative Jennifer Neimeier.
While most weed harvesters stay on one lake, there are a few that are hired by different lakes and move from lake to lake.
“We have a big statewide campaign to make sure that people clean their boats before entering a different lake. We will make sure the weed harvesters are watched more closely,” she said. “According to state law, boats must be clean before they are put into the waterways.”
Salem Town Supervisor Mike Culat mediated the session. When this meeting was set up at last Monday’s Town Board meeting, Culat suggested that each side pick a spokesperson. After the meeting, Rock Lake Highland Association president Eric Backe said that is what he was prepared for.
“This was a tough meeting,” he explained. “I was prepared to be the spokesman for my group then when we got here, it became an open forum. But I think a lot of information was shared.”
Culat suggested that three members of each group get together and form a committee to hammer out differences and find areas of agreement.
Peter Ihlen suggested that Rock Lake Restoration, as an act of good faith, not use the weed-harvesting permit until the scheduled SEWRPAC (Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission) lake study is complete and both groups have had an opportunity to look at it. Mike Marciniak agreed.
“Until we take care of this,” Peter Ihlen said, gesturing around the room, “we won’t be able to take care of Rock Lake. We all agree that we want that.”
“It halfway through the season,” he continued. “What’s one more year? Let’s do what’s best as a group.”
Hoke said that it takes six runs to cut a 30-foot swath and the plan was to cut in June and then perhaps at the end of July. There was no positive response to the request to not cut the weeds this year.
Shortly after the meeting, Hoke and Backe had heads together and were working on scheduling a meeting between the two groups.