Cannon Wells Lake Association
2022 Association Board Summary Report
CWLA Board
Tony Langerud, Chair Keith Valentyn, Vice Chair Mel Canfield, Treasurer Tim Mathre, Secretary Brian Schultz, board member James Scholljegerdes, board member, Jay Voegele, board member Tim Clark, board member Pete DeGrood, member
Membership Update
Currently have 105 members, down from 117 in 2021. Membership is open to ANYONE who has an interest in helping our lake community be the best it can.
2022 Membership Dues were $50 per household. This will continue to be evaluated based on the project needs moving forward.
Financial Update/ REVENUES EXPENSES
Weed Harvesting $18,400 Weed Harvesting $22,708
Dues $6,425 Cormorant Harvesting $5,300
Fundraisers $5,893 Lake Study $3,500
Website and Postage $395
Total Revenues $30,718 Total Expenses $31,745
Cash on Hand $12,441
Project Update
Cormorant Shoot: The board coordinated this effort by working with landowner Skip Schwartz, federal officials from the USDA and membership. A shoot was completed on May 2021 resulting in 1071 fewer birds and then again in May of 2022 resulting in another 1297 fewer birds. The overall cost of this project was approximately $5000 in ’21 and $5300 in ‘22. After the shoot this year, the USDA estimated 800 or so birds remained and they highly recommend a shoot is repeated in 2023. A special thanks to Mel Canfield for coordinating this important project.
Weed Harvest and Control: Lakes Aquatic Weed Removal was the contracted harvester again this year. 26properties (compared to 45 last year) had weeds harvested in front of their shorelines. 8 acres of pathways were harvested creating cleared waterways and access to Cook’s Point. Thank you to Tim Mathre for coordinating!!
Buoy System: This complements our Weed Harvest efforts indicating where the pathways were cleared, creating better access throughout the lake. The goal of our Buoy System is to minimize weeds being cut down by boat motors and thus floating and spreading throughout the lake. The idea is to guide boat traffic through ‘cleared and harvested’ pathways in the areas of the lake where weeds are more prevalent. We will continue to expand this project and work on better ‘mapping’ so all boaters have a better understanding of the Buoy System and how to utilize it. Special thanks to Brian Schultz and Tim Mathre!!
CWLA Digital: We have a great website at www.cwlakes.com that will continue to be developed and updated. This is our main communication hub for all things CWLA. You can also pay your membership dues using Venmo now by going to the website. Please join the Cannon Lake Neighborhood Facebook page as this is another great digital way to stay connected and share information. The association email is cwlakeassoc@gmail.com. If you aren’t getting emails periodically, be sure to check your spam/junk Folder and adjust your settings accordingly. Many updates and announcements are communicated via this email. You can also share ideas, concerns and/or questions by emailing the association address as it is monitored by the CWLA Board. Thank you to James Scholljegerdes for coordinating.
CWLA Summer Fundraiser: Another great community event was held on Saturday, July 16 at the Channel Inn. It was a great day full of fun, food, fellowship and fundraising. Food was donated by The Channel Inn & Doc’s Dock; Tony Langerud State Farm donated the supplies. We had a small but mighty group of volunteers and a nice crowd. As a result, CWLA was fortunate to generate about $6000. A huge THANK YOU to Michelle and Jay Voegele, Lori and Brian Schultz, the mighty team of volunteers and all donors. We will continue to evaluate this event and consider other fundraising options as well.
Blue Water Science: We contracted with Steve McComas and Blue Water Science to do a full survey of Cannon and Wells lakes. We are still awaiting the final report but the initial findings provide us a good road map for projects to focus on in the near future as well as a basis for seeking grants to financially assist with future projects.
A look ahead....
Continue to expand our membership base.
Recruit more volunteers to help with projects, fundraising, board participation.
Fully utilized the findings from the Blue Water Science survey to provide direction on future projects and funding options for those projects.
Continued work on re-establishing our 501c3 non-profit status.
Cormorant Shoot 2023.
Weed harvest 2023.
Further development and expansion of our Buoy System, along with mapping and signage.
Review and evaluate additional fundraising ideas and funding sources.
Develop and communicate an ‘educational approach’ to assist members, property owners and lake users on what they can do to help with water quality, cleanliness, weed control, soil erosion, etc.