Do
You Have A Question about the Lake, or need information about
the Region? The M.P.O.A. office is located at 7602 Hancock Drive.
Personnel are availble to answer your questions.
HOURS:
Winter Hours: Open Tuesday
thru Friday 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. Closed on Saturday,
Sunday, & Monday. Effective Nov. 1st.
Summer Hours: Mon. - Fri., 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM
to 1 PM.
E-mail: wlmarge@wlmpoa.org phone:(815)
653-4136
HISTORY
The
Master Property Owners Association became a chartered not for profit
property owners association on September 15, 1965. At that time the
Wonder Lake Syndicate (the original group of developers), relinquished
title to the lake bottom of Wonder Lake and officially turned ownership
of the lake over to the property owners. During the past 32 years, the
organization has continuously controlled the majority of the lake bottom
area and maintained the recreational facility known as Wonder Lake.
There
are twenty three subdivisions surrounding Wonder Lake. Seventeen of
these subdivisions are currently members of the MPOA.
THE
LAKE
After
some 60 years of continual and diverse use of the lake, the MPOA felt
it was important to assess how water quality is being effected. The
primary lake uses include boating, fishing, water-fowl hunting and aesthetics.
However, as a result of years of sedimentation originating from the
large agricultural and urbal watershed, the lake has become degraded
in terms of water quality, navigational access, and excessive bottom
feeding rough fish (carp) populations. This degraded condition was characterized
as hyper-eutrophic, i.e. large quantities of suspended sediments, algal
growth, and turbid water, by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
(IEPA) and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) in 1990
through its Lake Water Quality Assessment Program.
Recognizing their responsibility to all property owners with lake rights,
the MPOA delegates in 1994, approved by-law changes that mandated the
MPOA directors to meet monthly and to become a pro-active force in the
management of the lake. In an effort to focus their efforts to manage
the lake, the Directors established the following goals:
-
Promte Subdivison Cooperation
-
Improve
lake Water Quality, (to include the development of a lake renewal/restoration
plan)
-
Promote
Cooperation with County, State, & Federal Agencies
-
Develop
Water Safety Programs
-
Reduce
Pesticide Use
As
a result of the effort to focus on their responsibilities, the MPOA
Directors and Delegates, through the Lake Renewal Committee, began to
evaluate the condition of the lake and to assess it's potential for
improvement. Originally it was determined to sample, test, and generally
study the lake and its watershed to find out:
-
If
we have real problems, not just perceived.
-
If
there are problems, what is causing them, and further.
-
What
can be done to fix any problems.
Significant work has been done on the following:
• Fishery
Assessment
Comprehensive fish surveys of Wonder Lake
were completed by the IL Dept of Natural Resources
in 1987, 1995 & 2004. The 2004 survey reflected an improvement
in the overall population of largemouth and
smallmouth bass. Survey results are available in MPOA office.
• Water
Quality Assessment
Since
1994 waters samples from various locations have been submitted
to certified laboratories for analysis. The results have
been clear that while the Lake has high turbidity,
the cause is from high levels of accumulated phosphorus and other
nutrients and the resulting high population of algae.
• Sediment
Analysis & Dredging
Plans
Four years were spent sampling, testing,
coring the lake, streams, the watershed, and
the sediments. During that time, several principals and criteria
were established to guide
us:
1) The lake has problems. No one is to blame, but we
are all responsible and we have to work together to solve the problems. It
is imperative that we work to improve lake water quality and access,
enhance the recreational uses, protect property values and maintain
lake privacy.
2) Any work to correct agricultural runoff should not interfere
or lessen a farmer’s ability to operate efficiently or profitably.
3) No amount
of sewage entering the lake is acceptable.
The MPOA has targeted the Spring of 2008
to begin a dredging program. A proposed sediment storage area
has been identified. The engineering firm of Cochran & Wilken,
Inc has been requested to identify and list the milestones that must
be achieved to meet this target as well as the cost to accomplish
this goal.
• Watershed
Efforts
In 1994 the MPOA initiated efforts to establish
a grass-roots watershed planning effort to protect and enhance the
natural resources present throughout the Nippersink Creek watershed. This
has resulted in the establishment of the first McHenry County watershed
plan that is currently undergoing a review and update, funded through
a Federal Clean Water Act, Section 319 grant.
Action by the MPOA to protect the Nippersink
creek upstream watershed, and Wonder Lake, has resulted in the development
of an upstream “start of the art” spray irrigation wastewater
system which has corrected a Nursing Home failed septic system which
was having a direct negative impact on wonder Lake.
• Dam
Maintenance
The mechanism used to operate the sluice
gate located on the west side of the spillway was damaged. While
the initial damage did not negatively impact on the structural integrity
of the dam, it is anticipated that the repairs will be accomplished
in the near future, once the costs and funding are finalized.
• Wastewater
Treatment
An
application to the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC)
for a facility planning area (FPA) to address wastewater treatment
needs to service existing and future development areas has been
approved and the national discharge elimination system permit is
in its final stage of approval by the IEPA.
• Potable
Drinking Water
The VWL has purchased three private water
companies servicing a total of 8 subdivisions on the east and west
sides of our Lake. They are now in the process of evaluating
and updating the systems to meet the modern-day needs of current
and future users.
Details on all of the above can be found in The Wonder Lake Community
Stewardship Book available in the MPOA office.
