SPECIAL NOTICE:  THE BEAR LAKE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION (a 501c3 organization) is in need of a new president for the group.  CLICK HERE for more information.

EGLE (State of Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) are hosting a FREE Webinar:  Advancing inland lake stewardship through Best Management Practices on Wednesday Jan. 25, 2022 from 1pm to 2:30 pm.  Click Here for a link to the website to sign up.

The State of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE, formerly known as DEQ) posted an informative article to the MI Environment website about a new video series that informs inland lake property owners about best management practices to help keep their lake healthy. 

CLICK HERE to read the article and find links to additional resources, including a link to a Shoreland Stewards Survey where you can see how you are doing on your property with regard to best management practices.  You could even be recognized as a  Gold, Silver, Bronze or Starter level Shorelands Steward. 

CLICK HERE  to go to MI Shorelands Stewards website

CLICK HERE to go to the MI Shorelands Stewards video series on youtube.com

As we are able, we will be gathering information on projects that have or will take place on, in or around Bear Lake.

2018 - THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED - Fenner's Ditch Oil Seep Project:  Details on this project can be read by clicking this link.             

Click here for a blog article, written by the company that helped the MDEQ with the Fenner's Ditch Oil Seep Project. 

2018 - THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED - Wetland Construction Project (near Ribe Drain):  Bear Creek Watershed Nutrient Reduction Wetland Construction - The US EPA, National Park Service Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (NPS GLRI) grant and the Delta Institute are providing $310,398 to construct a wetland in the upper reaches of Bear Creek to act as a natural filter for nutrients to improve water quality from the Twin Lake area through Bear Lake.

2015 - 2017 - THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED - Phragmites Grant Project:   This  invasive species grant was a two year grant which we extended an additional year. It ran from 2015 -2017. The grant came through EPA / GLRI funding. The grant was for $153,313.00. A total of 129.34 acres were treated of which 35 acres were on Bear Lake. Of the 129.34 acres, 82.3 acres were treated at least twice. Also - 6 landowner training sessions were held and provided native plants for N. Muskegon students to plant on the school shoreline property. The final plan report is located on the WMSRDC webpage at this web address:

 http://wmsrdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Biodiversity-Phragmites-Mgt-Plan.pdf

Muskegon Lake - Revitalization Story - Since 1985 when Muskegon Lake was designated an Area of Concern (AOC) a number of revitalization/restoration projects have been done and some are still in progress.  Click this link for more information on these projects, this document includes contact information if you have any questions or concerns.

The Bear Lake Lake Board consists of members as required by law (Act 451 of 1994, Part 309).  The County Drain Commissioner, a County Commissioner, a representative of each municipality and a resident of the community that resides within the special assessment district.  The members are as follows:

Brenda Moore, Muskegon County Drain Commissioner (Secretary)

Doug Brown, Muskegon County Commissioner

Paul Pek, Laketon Township Representative

Craig Howell, City of North Muskegon Representative (Treasurer)

Darrell VanFossan, Resident within the Special Assessment District (Chairperson)

ORIGINAL BUDGET ADOPTED 10/26/2017

Year End 2018

Quarterly Report March 2019

Quarterly Report June 2019

Quarterly Report September 2019

Quarterly Report December 2019 (Year End 2019)

AMENDED BUDGET - YEARS 2020, 2021 & 2022 - APPROVED 2/5/2020

AMENDED BUDGET - YEARS 2020, 2021 & 2022 - APPROVED 5/14/2020

Quarterly Report 1st QTR 2020 (ending 3/31/2020)

Quarterly Report 2nd QTR 2020 (ending 6/30/2020)

Year End Report 2020 (also includes 3rd QTR information)

Quarterly Report 1st QTR 2021 (ending 03/31/2021)

BLLB FINANCIAL REPORT 2021 - RLS COSTS

Quarterly Report 2nd QTR 2021 (ending 06/30/2021)

Quarterly Report 3rd QTR 2021 (ending 09/30/2021)

Quarterly Report 4th QTR 2021 (ending 12/31/2021)

Final Final RLS-BLLB Contract-2022

PLM Invoice 

2017 Meeting Schedule

2018 Meeting Schedule

2019 Meeting Schedule

2020 Meeting Schedule

2021 Meeting Schedule - Meetings will be virtual (via Zoom) as required/necessary due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Zoom instructions will be on the meeting posting at the top of the page, and on the physical postings on the door of Laketon Township and North Muskegon City Hall.

2021 REVISED Meeting Schedule - post COVID requirements

2022 Meeting Schedule 

Click the links below to see the meeting agendas

Agendas not appearing in this list (2016 - 2019) have been moved to an archive page - click here to go to the archive page.

• January 9, 2020 - Meeting Cancelled - no business to conduct
• February 5, 2020 - Regular Meeting on rescheduled date
• March & April 2020 - Regular meetings cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic
• May 14, 2020 - Regular Meeting (conducted via ZOOM)
• June 11, 2020 - Regular Meeting (to be conducted via ZOOM)
• July 9, 2020 - Regular Meeting (conducted via ZOOM)
• August 13, 2020 - Regular meeting cancelled - no business to conduct
• September 10, 2020 - Regular meeting (to be conducted via ZOOM)
• October 8, 2020 - Regular meeting cancelled - no business to conduct
• November 12, 2020 - Regular meeting cancelled - no business to conduct
• December 10, 2020 - Regular meeting cancelled - no business to conduct
• January 14, 2021 - Regular meeting (to be conducted via ZOOM)
• February 11, 2021 - Regular meeting cancelled - no business to conduct
• March 11, 2021 - Regular meeting (to be conducted via ZOOM - see notice with link above)
• April 8, 2021 - Regular meeting cancelled - no business to conduct
• May 13, 2021 - Regular meeting (to be conducted via ZOOM - see notice with link above)
• June 10, 2021 - Regular meeting (to be conducted via ZOOM - see notice with link above)
• July 8, 2021 - Regular meeting cancelled - no business to conduct
• August 4, 2021 - Regular monthly meeting (on rescheduled date and location)  click here for posted notices of the changes
• September 9, 2021 Regular Monthly Meeting Agenda
• October 14, 2021 Regular Monthly Meeting Agenda
• November 10, 2021 Regular Monthly Meeting Agenda (note DATE & LOCATION change)
• December 9, 2021 Regular Monthly Meeting Agenda
• January 13, 2022 Regular Monthly Meeting Agenda (meeting packet with supporting docs) (RLS Powerpoint presentation)

Official meeting minutes will be posted below.  (Draft minutes from one meeting are submitted at the next meeting for approval - any Draft minutes posted here are not official minutes and are subject to additions/edits/corrections until approved by the BLLB) 

Click on the link below to see the minutes document. 

Minutes not appearing in this list (2016 - 2018) have been moved to an archive page - click here to go to the archive page.

• February 5, 2020 Regular Meeting Minutes
• May 14, 2020 Regular Meeting Minutes
• June 11, 2020 Regular Meeting Minutes
• July 9, 2020 Regular Meeting Minutes
• September 10, 2020 Regular Meeting Minutes
• January 14, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• March 11, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• May 13, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• June 10, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• August 4, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• September 9, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• October 14, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• November 10, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• December 9, 2021 Regular Meeting Minutes
• January 13, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes - DRAFT
•  

• RLS Presentation Power Point for meeting 1/13/2022
• Quote for Proposed Bear Lake Social Survey Budget
• Quote for Legal Review Services for Proposed BLLB By-Laws
• 2021 RLS Annual Report - Bear Lake Aquatic Vegetation, Water Quality & 2022 Mgmt Recommendations
• BLLB - Bear Lake Treatment Protocol (as of 2022)
• State of Michigan - Denial of Aeration Permit Application Documents:  Document 1 -  WLSU Comments Document   Document 2 -  Application Comments
• Bear Lake May 5 2021 Eurasion Water Milfoil survey results
• Bear Lake May 5 2021 Curly Leaf Pondweed and Phragmites survey results
• RLS 2020 Annual Report
• RLS - 10/10/2019 Presentation on Aeration & BioAugmentation Results - 3 Case Studies
• EVERBLUE - 10/10/2019 Presentation on Proposed Aeration & BioAugmentation for Bear Lake
• RLS - LFA Baseline Data Report/2019 Year End Data
• RLS - 2018 Annual Report and 2019 Recommendations  
• Bear Lake Algae Update from RLS 9/13/2018
• Bear Lake Summer 2018 Core Sample Locations Map
• Bear Lake Summer 2018 Core Sample Results Table
• Bear Lake Summer 2018 Problematic Core Sample Map
• June 7, 2018 Treatment map #1- Curly Leaf Pondweed 3.7 acres treated
• June 7, 2018 Treatment map #2 - Eurasion Water Milfoil 30.5 acres treated
• FINAL - APPROVED - SPECIAL ASSESSMENT BUDGET & ASSESSMENT
• FINAL - APPROVED - SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT PROPERTY LIST
• FINAL - APPROVED - SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DISTRICT MAP
• Revised Proposed Special Assessment District Map
• Revised Proposed Special Assessment 5yr Budget/Proposed Assessment
• Proposed Special Assessment District Map (original)
• Proposed Special Assessment 5yr Budget/Proposed Assessment(original)
• Bear Lake Feasibility Study - approved by the BLLB 8/3/2017
• Feasibility Study - Engineer Certification
• Bear Lake Study Update by RLS as of 06/22/2017