Vote Passed
Scheffel Boyle accounting has reported on the recent question to DLPOA members of whether to raise assessments to $675 this year and then an additional $175 per year over the next 3 years to an annual amount of $1,200. An assessment increase requires a simple majority of 51% to pass.
With 558 votes cast:
YES – 366 (66%)
NO – 192 (34%)
The proposal passed.
The DLPOA board and committees will be meeting regularly to begin work on the first phase of improvements to the Dam and Spillway.
Zoom Q&A from Monday April 12
The lake needs your support
At the Feb. 18 Annual Meeting, the Dunlap Lake Property Owner’s Association presented a proposal asking residents to fund maintenance for the 80 year-old dam and capital improvement projects to protect the lake.
What projects are being considered?
A variety of projects are outlined in the Master Plan, but the current major capital projects are:
Dam and Spillway
Estimated Cost: $473,000
The IDNR has mandated the spillway be tripled in size, and the damn has additional overdue maintenance. Here is the project spotlight.
Water Quality Capital Projects
Dewatering Pond
Estimated Cost: $1,746,000
Excavating 50,000 cubic yards at the property at 840 East Lake, and adding pipes to the lake from there. Here is the project spotlight.
Sediment Basin
Estimated Cost: $883,000
Removing silt from the area near the intake at East Lake and Gerber, using a dredging barge, to the dewatering pond, and preparing the area to trap incoming silt. Here is the project spotlight.
Recurring Silt Removal Operations
Estimated Cost: $200,000 – $500,000, recurring every 3-5 years as funds accumulate.
After silt in dewatering pond has dried, it will be excavated and refilled by another dredging barge operation. Cost will depend on if our dried silt is fit for sale.
Why do we need to do this?
A natural part of any lake that is a dammed watershed is silt fill in. This must be accounted for in the lake maintenance plan. Our lake is very far behind in this maintenance. The lake becomes noticeably more shallow every year. Notable problems from this decreased water volume and increased silt include:
The spillway improvements have been strongly advised by Illinois Department of Natural Resources. If we don’t comply they will probably force us to.
- Water clarity is decreased.
- Boat cruising routes become shorter and increasing areas of the lake, including existing docks, become unusable.
- Dangerous algae blooms make it unsafe to swim or even boat.
- Fishing is less effective and less safe to eat.
- Property values are affected.
FAQ
What other water quality options were considered?
While there are many methods to improve general water quality, research quickly determines that no solution produces a small fraction of the results as simply removing silt. There is just no substitute for that, so removing the silt must be done first.
Mechanical excavation was determined to be less cost effective than dredging.
Eco Bags and trucking wet silt out of the area were considered and determined to be less cost effective than building a dewatering pond.
Owning and operating our own barge was explored and found to be expensive and a dangerous liability.
How can we be confident the new funds will go towards these capital projects?
- These projects have been developed over many years and many boards. We have also had a significant amount of preliminary engineering completed for the needed projects. The current board is unanimous about the necessity and urgency of these projects.
- Board financials are transparent and posted regularly.
- Staggered, rotating board terms provide board continuity from year to year.
Don't we already have a silt retention basin?
Yes, it was built in 2009 and is nearly 100% full. This project uses the existing basin by removing the accumulated silt, as designed, then expands the basin significantly.
Will fees go back down after 2024?
They will remain at $1200 per year until the membership votes to change them again. Between inflation and recurring silt removal operations, we don’t expect the fiscal need to diminish.
More Resources
Related Posts
Additional dirt to be removed
The final work on the Cove A depth restoration project will include more shoreline than originally planned. As shown in the photo below, there will be dirt coming out along the shoreline on West Lake Commons Area 1 and East Lake Commons Area 8 (E8). The contractor...
Meet the Cove A Project Manager
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY71CYIzuA0&ab_channel=DunlapLakeEdwardsville The first week of work included staging on West Lake Common Area 1 (W1), and East Lake Common Area 8 (E8). Crane mats were laid and rip rap for E8 was delivered. With the nice weather,...
First dirt removed
Stutz Excavation has begun removing dirt from West Lake Commons Area 1. Today the workers started clearing a path between some of the docks out into the lake. The Dunlap Lake 2023 silt basin improvements started April 4.
Cove A Project Starting March 24th
The DLPOA Board is pleased to announce that as of 3/21/23 all permits are in hand, the IEPA and the Association executed the grant reimbursement document, the Board President Andrew Reznack signed the contract with Stutz Excavating to proceed as soon as possible....
Illinois EPA awards nearly $862,000
Illinois EPA awards nearly $862,000 to HeartLands Conservancy for water quality protection within the Indian Creek – Cahokia Creek Watershed in Madison County HeartLands Conservancy applied for the Section 319(h) grant in partnership with Madison County. The total...
New Spillway is Operational
The Dunlap Lake spillway project has been a result of many years of collaboration with IDNR to bring the dam up to modern standards. It triples overflow capacity, so the lake will rise less during rain events and will return to normal levels much faster after rain...
Illinois EPA Grant 319
Good News! The IL EPA has award a matching grant for up to $400K for a retention basin at the south end of Dunlap Lake at Gerber Road and East Lake Drive. Section 319 of the U.S. Clean Water Act makes these funds available for pollution control in American waterway....
Capital Improvement – Spillway Construction 4/19/2021
Water cannot be allowed over the spillway while the spillway chute is being constructed. This will be completed in mid May if there are no setbacks. Our only control of water level is opening/closing the silo drain and recent storms have filled the lake...
Capital Improvement – Spillway Construction – 4/6/2022
Construction on the new dam spillway is moving along nicely. Please be aware that from now until Mid-May the gate on the silo will be opened and closed periodically to keep water from spilling over to into the construction area during heavy rains. The lake will remain...
Lake lowering to begin Wednesday, Oct 13.
Lake begins lowering on Wednesday the 13th. It will drop 6 to 8 inches per day.
Questions or Comments
Give us your questions and we will answer them in person and/or post them on this page. You can even ask anonymously, none of these fields are required.