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Written by Chip McDaniel
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June 2010 |
By the time you read this, the new bathrooms at the beach should be nearing completion (if not finished), and the pavilion should also be well underway. If you were at the annual meeting in January you will remember that the membership approved the construction of a bathroom facility with separate men's and women's restrooms to improve our beach facilities. The membership also approved the construction of a 17' x 22' open-air pavilion on the condition that the BLHA board raised the funds for the pavilion outside the normal operating budget. I'm pleased to report that the fundraising efforts were overwhelmingly successful, and that over $12,000 dollars was raised to fund not only the pavilion, but also some nice landscaping to accompany it. Please join me in thanking David Lee, our VP & Director of Grounds Maintenance, for his tireless work on these projects. The permitting process and the sheer number of permits from various agencies that he was required to obtain bordered on the ridiculous. At times it seemed as though he was trying to get approval for a nuclear power plant! David and his wife Ellen also took the lead with the pavilion fund raising efforts. Please thank and congratulate them on their successful effort.
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Written by Randy Kirkus
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June 2010 |
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How long does Lake Berkeley have to survive in the suburban jungle? Outside the city limits of Berkeley Lake, it is hard to find anyone who cares how long it survives. Inside the city limits, passions run across a broad spectrum. One thing is for sure; the survival of the lake largely depends on those whose passion runs to minimizing the silt that enters the lake and to removing the silt that does — on a routine basis.
Stormwater management is a major factor in minimizing silt that enters the lake. My opinion is that the city government of Berkeley Lake has total responsibility for managing stormwater within the city limits and monitoring activity outside the city limits that may impact watershed inside the city limits. This breaks down into the following: the design, construction, operation and maintenance of stormwater facilities on city property; the establishment and enforcement of stormwater ordinances related to private property; and monitoring outside activity. While I believe the City has this responsibility, we all are responsible for taking care of our property and being aware of the activity going on around us.
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Written by Phil Johnson
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March 2010 |
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Some of you may have decided that with the lake at the current lower level it's just not worth joining BLHA. Just because the lake is down doesn't mean we won't have all of our usual fun this summer. First of all the plan for this summer is for the lake to be maintained at the current level. With that in mind, we are doing several things to ensure that we can enjoy our "slightly smaller" lake this summer.
- We are hoping to extend the boat launch ramp so that there is launch access
- The beach will be open with new men and women's bathrooms. These are not Porta Potties, they are real bathrooms
- We are bringing in additional beach sand to create a larger beach including a new swimming area
- The organic gardens, bocce ball and volley ball courts will be ready for summer fun
- We will have all of our parties and events that make our lake a special place to live
- We hope to have a new permanent pavilion at the beach
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Written by Chip McDaniel
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March 2010 |
2010 looks to be a challenging year for BLHA. We anticipate the lake will be held at the current ten-foot-below-full-pool level for most of the year while the city prepares their plans to repair the dam. That's right, the city doesn't expect any repairs to begin until the latter part of the year (but please continue to refer to the city for information regarding the "dam plans" – their website is a great place to start: www.berkeley-lake.com).
When repairs to the dam do begin, the lake will probably be drawn down even farther – perhaps emptied. In fact, we've been informed by several environmental and ecology experts that it might be best for the ecology of the lake if we drain the lake completely, remove all the fish, and then restart the lake ecology with a known mix of the proper types and sizes of fish varieties.
Full recovery would take several years, but with proper management, we can return the lake to a real trophy fishing lake as we have had in the past. The current overstock situation with too many small bass – and little else – has been problematic, and has resisted several efforts to restore the proper balance. Of course, all of this depends on the final resolution of the plans to repair the dam, so your BLHA board will continue to investigate and study this situation, and as always your thoughts and opinions are welcomed.
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Written by David Lee
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March 2010 |
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For those of you who attended the 2010 Annual BLHA Meeting in January, you know the membership approved building bathrooms at the beach and, given funding, approved building a new pavilion. I'm writing to update you on the status of these projects, and to provide you with additional information regarding the full plan for the beach.
All work on topography, soil sample and engineering for the septic design has been completed, and the septic application was submitted to the county the week of March 8. We expect to obtain the permit within a few weeks. Once this permit has been secured, we will request a building permit from the city. Once we have the building permit, we can begin construction. We expect the bathroom project to take approximately ten (10) weeks to complete.
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