This is a place to ask questions and share with your Duck Lake neighbors. Please keep the discussion cordial.
Duck Lake
Property Owners Association | Highland, MI
This is a place to ask questions and share with your Duck Lake neighbors. Please keep the discussion cordial.
Duck Lake 
May 18, 2019 at 12:49 pm
Water level today is 1016.83 which is 2.5″ above the normal summer level and the summer boards are now in the dam with one half inch of water running over the top board.
May 19, 2019 at 10:20 am
Great
May 16, 2019 at 5:04 pm
Do you really mean feet ?
May 16, 2019 at 9:34 pm
As to the lake being 3-4 feet below current levels? Yes. There are reports of farming taking place on some portions of the current lake bottom.
May 15, 2019 at 5:36 pm
I have been down to the damn in the morning and evening for the last 3 days and the water is pouring out. I talked to Jason Saye ( Oakland County water commissioner) he said that 3 people have complained about water to high so they came and removed a board. I don’t know who these 3 people are or the pull they have but I need everyone to go look at the damn and see how much water we are losing. Levels have gone done 2 inches in 3 days . We have the water… let’s keep the water.. call Jason saye @ 1-248-858-1474 after you see how much we are losing so rapidly.this could also effect the bubbler lines if water gets to low. Possible damages
Karl Reel. 313-268-2868
May 15, 2019 at 9:14 pm
Why is Jason Saye listening to residents on the water level rather than discussing the issue with the President of the Duck Lake Association? and then making an adjustment that is supported by our elected representatives!
May 16, 2019 at 7:38 am
To everyone, please login before you hit “post your comment”, otherwise you post as anonymous.
In the early 1960’s the lake was 3′-4′ lower than current levels due to years of drought conditions. Residents on Duck Lake petitioned what was then the Oakland County Drain Commissioner to establish a legal lake level. Extensive surveys were done measuring elevations of low properties around the lake. Surveys were sent out and compiled. As a result Judge Adams issued a court order decreeing the normal level of Duck Lake to be at elevation of 1016.63 feet above mean sea level. The order also allowed the Drain Office to hold the lake 2″ above that level, or elevation 1016.80 so as not to waste accumulated water is order to better hold the 1016.63 elevation throughout the summer. At the same time a well was installed to make up for summer evaporation in case normal precipitation was inadequate to maintain the 1016.63 level.
Today (5-16-2019) the level is 3″ above the normal summer level and 1″ above the allowed 2″ bump allowed. By law they are required to work within those levels. Also they tend to drop the lake 6″ in the winter to allow folks to work on their beach and allow for spring runoff.
Water is flooding out of the lake now in an attempt to get the lake down to the 2″ bump level. We are aware the many folks would like the lake higher. We are also aware that many folks would like the lake maintained at the normal summer level. Flooding trumps wanting a higher level. This conflict is exactly why the court set the level.
The DLPOA believes they can maintain a more consistent level if they are allowed to operate the dam and pump. If that happens, they will be required to work within the parameters set by the court. Bottom line is that everyone needs to get used to a range of lake levels 1″ to 3″ below what they are today and make whatever changes in hoist/dock levels to make your property usable for boating.
To help with perceived lake levels, the DLPOA has undertaken a $1.5 million (over five years) to aerate the lake and use bio-augmentation to reduce muck level to make the lake more usable for everyone.
May 16, 2019 at 4:11 pm
I am requesting the DLPOA petition the Oakland County Drain Commissioner to re-evaluate the lake level guidelines based upon muck and water level : but must of all the will of the property owners. I am calling for a vote. Howard Zimmerman
May 16, 2019 at 10:07 pm
We can inquire as to the procedure to look at the validity of the current lake level. The legal lake level is managed under Section 324.30708 of Act 451 of 1994. That act requires a petition of 2/3 of the lake front owners to establish a legal level. I suspect that would also be required to re-open the issue. Highly doubtful that any action by the DLPOA alone would carry much weight. Several on the DLPOA board of trustees would like to see us act as a contractor to the WRC on managing the dam and pump in the same manner we oversee the weed control and aeration project on the lake. The advantage is that we would be more responsive to lake level adjustment and pump operation. And that all complaints would be referred to the DLPOA hotline, and any calls to the WRC would likely be simply referred to the DLPOA unless it were shown they were acting outside of the court order. Reopening the issue could potentially end up with a lower level, so careful what you ask for. The judge would have to evaluate all new information and evidence to make a determination. It would not be up for a vote.
So at this point I ask, what is the hard evidence that the 1016.63 level is causing harm, and not just inconvenience?
And what has changed? For sure muck levels are different than they were in 1962 when the judge made his determination, and that is causing inconvenience no doubt. On the other hand higher levels can cause harm to low lying properties regarding seawalls and septic fields. And the DLPOA does get complaints when levels are above the normal summer level. Not everyone wants higher levels. We have a plan in place to deal with the muck. Yes it will take some time to see improvement. IMO we need to wait for that project to come to fruition, and then see if many of the problems go away along with the muck.
Ole Anderson, Representative District 8. Ramada Canal.
May 17, 2019 at 7:41 pm
I spoke with Jason Say at the WRC office today. He confirmed that it would take a petition signed by 2/3 of the lake front owners to revisit the lake level issue, and then it would require a full blown expensive study in order to make a recommendation to the Judge. I also asked that they put boards in the dam as we are quickly approaching the 2″ over legal level. He said he would try to schedule a visit by the techs before the end of the weekend.
May 17, 2019 at 7:44 pm
Jason also said he would check with his supervisor regarding if the DLPOA could become a contractor and manage the dam and pump for the WRC.
May 16, 2019 at 6:47 pm
Day 4..water still rushing over damn. By Monday we should see a big drop in water level. I agree with Howard Zimmerman. ,lets do a new review of legal lake levels. We cannot keep going with 1960 levels . Things have changed in 50 plus years.
May 10, 2019 at 12:55 pm
Can someone tell me were to find the current layout of the bubblers
Thks, Bruce
May 6, 2019 at 10:01 am
Hi All,
I am sorry for the bubbles on Middle Duck this weekend. As this is still a pretty new system we are still ironing out some wrinkles. One of those is a safety switch located in the compressors that automatically shut the compressor down if it gets too hot inside the cabinet. As the temperatures increased this weekend, it caused the heat to rise above the limit that it was set to during the cooler days. Everblue Water (Lake Savors) is aware of this and is replacing the switch with a higher limit one to help insure this is remedied moving forward.
Thank you to everyone for keeping us updated on the system so that we can address issues as they arise. This is the best way to insure we can fix/correct the system in the fastest and most efficient way.
I hope you all had a great weekend,
May 6, 2019 at 9:19 am
Bubblers now working at Ludean
May 7, 2019 at 10:44 am
Bubblers not working since yesterday around dinner time
May 5, 2019 at 1:11 pm
Hello Ryan, no bubbles on mid part of lake on the sand bar. Did the temp sensor turn them off again? Thanx , Ray
May 6, 2019 at 10:02 am
Yep, and they are being fixed/replaced.
May 5, 2019 at 10:25 am
May 5 10:30am….So, the east end canal bubbler started working. Are all the bubbles on different timers?
May 6, 2019 at 10:04 am
Hi Bruce,
No they work on an on or off basis. We are just working out some wrinkles. As this is the biggest compressor it is generating heat which causes the safety switch to shut it down. They have a plan in place to remedy this, and we shouldn’t have this issue moving forward.
May 5, 2019 at 9:16 am
May 5 9am the bubbler at the east end of the narrows is not working again.
May 5, 2019 at 7:18 am
I noticed that the water is not bubbling in front of my house. It was bubbling by the buoy in front of 1581 Ludean Dr