Friends of Park Lake will be sponsoring a booth at the Quiet Waters Symposium on March 4th at the MSU Pavilion from 9am to 5:30PM.

Friends of Park Lake will be there to promote interest and awareness of the proposed Park Lake Preserve on the southern shores and waters of Bath Township's Park Lake.

The Quiet Waters Society, in partnership with Michigan State University, has for over 20 years, hosted a Symposium that promotes the non-motorized recreation of Michigan's Wilderness.

If you've not heard about Quiet Waters Symposium, you can read all about it here:

http://www.quietwatersociety.org/docs/2017ProgramFinalMerged.pdf

2017 Quiet Water Symposium

The Quiet Water Society is pleased to announce the dates for our 22nd Annual Quiet Water Symposium.  We are excited to once again join Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, ANR Week Celebration.  In the nearly quarter of a century of promoting non-motorized outdoor recreation, the Quiet Water Society has never had an easier or more interesting time. 

Those who have not visited this event in the last few years will be amazed at its growth and diversity.  Last year’s Symposium featured over 200 exhibits, speakers and demonstrations at the MSU Pavilion.   The March 4th event will feature presentations by noted travel writers, Jim DuFresne, Kevin Callan, Hap Wilson and the dean of outdoor writers, Cliff Jacobson.

One of the historic highpoints of the Quiet Water Symposium is celebrating the giving of the Verlen Kruger Award. This honor is given annually to a person (or persons) who has supported and promoted paddle sports along with water conservation, education, or history in Michigan. The recipient of this award receives a commemorative paddle, and a brick on which the date and the name of the recipient is engraved. A duplicate brick will be added to the walkway around the Verlen Kruger Memorial located by the Grand River in Portland, Michigan. The recipient’s name is also engraved on a plaque that is housed at the AuSable River Center in Roscommon, Michigan.

The first Saturday of March has become the official start of spring for the outdoor people of the Great Lakes.  Campers, hikers, cyclists, sailors, anglers, and of course paddle sport enthusiasts will find this year’s symposium to be the nexus for beginning their 2017 outdoor adventures.

Please make plans to bring your family, friends and/or organization to the 22nd Annual Quiet Water Symposium.

When:   Saturday, March 4, 2017
Where:  Michigan State University Pavilion, 4301 Farm Lane, East Lansing, MI
Time:  9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Cost:  Adults $10.00, Students with I/D $5.00, under 12 free.

The proposed PARK LAKE PRESERVE - Non-motorized pathway project

Back in 2011, Friends of Park Lake sponsored a booth at the Quietwater Symposium at Michigan State University to raise awareness of Park Lake, and it's diverse public natural resources, and we continue our strides forward to raise awareness and support for the Park Lake Preserve, a conceptual nature preserve, with a proposed round-the-lake non-motorized hiking trail coupled with the novel idea of incorporating innovative kayaking and canoeing waterway/trails along the southwest (wilderness) portions of Park Lake. There are several "rustic" canals and small channels that were cleared back in the 1940's that could be utilized simply by performing some judicious removal of fallen trees and deadwood.

 We feel strongly that this project would be the greatest benefit to Bath and surrounding community's students and residents of all ages, and all individuals that have a desire to learn more about Michigan's environment as it relates to wetlands, wildlife, and wilderness habitat including bogs.

Several programs at Michigan State University already utilize Park Lake's accessible shoreline to inspect and discover it's wealth of natural resources. MSU's Fisheries and Wildlife management departments regularly hold outdoor classes at the lake to better give students a "feel" for their environment on a first-hand basis.

Help us to promote this very worthwhile project for the community by voicing your support of Friends of Park Lake (FOPL).  Membership is not required to participate, but it is very economical, and does help us further our support of the surrounding environment by sponsoring significant projects in and around Bath's largest park, PARK LAKE.

A new beginning for FRIENDS OF PARK LAKE

After many dormant years, we have successfully "broken" the security code to finally enter our Blog once again!

Please take a moment to look back at the posts of as far back as 2011 to see how far we have come and where we want to go!  Also, be certain to go to the bottom of the page and become a member of our Blog so you can receive all of our new postings and comments.

The executive board of "Friends of Park Lake" will use this format to communicate with our members and post new photos and events for your review.

It's time to wake this blog UP!

Spring is here!

With spring comes the wonderful rain of life. That perfect rain, charged with nitrogen by the lightning from the thunderstorm itself. Greenery seems to spring out of the ground overnight, and grass grows inches a day. With all of this recent rain, the lake is at some of it's highest levels since 1947, when the "normal" lake level was officially established by the Michigan governmental department that is now the DNR. That level was 845 feet above sea level. As of the end of April of this year, Park Lake's level stood at 844.5 feet, and stood very nicely.

Part of our on-going efforts to sustain Park Lake's health and longevity has been to to focus on maintaining lake levels. In past years, lake levels have fallen unhealthily low, allowing unusually high weed growth caused by the increased sunlight penetration into the shallower waters.  We need help both personally and governmental to repair our water-control structure on the southwest corner of the lake. Initially built and installed in 1947 by the Park Lake Improvement League, it has now fallen into a sad state of disrepair, and our precious lake water freely flows around it and into the Looking Glass watershed at an alarming rate.

Funds are desperately needed to pay for engineering studies to determine the best and most cost-effective ways to implement the needed repairs to our water-control structure and related levees.

If we can manage the much needed repairs, and maintain water levels, Park Lake's present and future residents, as well as our natural residents will flourish.  Please help us with your membership. We also need dedicated volunteers for trustee positions, which will be determined at our June 8th election meeting.

SPRING PEEPERS!!

• The western chorus and spring peepers are "peepin' away" around the lake!  You will REALLY notice them this weekend if you go out and listen after dark.  These are those little teeny-weeny frogs that puff out their throat when peeping for a mate. If you are very careful, and have a good flashlight, you "may" catch a glimpse of one or more near the shore around the cattails after dark.

WATERFOWL !!

The lake opened up a few days ago, and already there are 100's and 100's of ducks and other waterfowl on the open water!  Just today, I saw, Bluebill (Scaup), Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ringneck, Hooded Merganser, and even a couple Canvasbacks. Of course there were also many Canadian Geese and 3 pairs of Mute Swans too.  Also have seen many Sandhill Cranes making their way to the lake as well. I'm sure it was most probably this miserable weather that brought them in in these quantities; I wouldn't want to fly in this weather either!  Should have a few pics to post tomorrow.