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

  1. Master Plan

Related Posts

New Spillway is Operational

by | May 13, 2022 | , ,

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

by | May 4, 2022 | , ,

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....

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