OUR PLACE
The displaced boat slip renters in the lagoon will not get their piers back,
Which is good news for Geneva Lake, the White River, and the people around the lake. The Piers, Harbor, and Lakefront Committee met last Wednesday, and a decision was finally made on the lagoon piers. This decision was not made lightly after two boating seasons and many discussions and meetings, the committee determined that slips in the lagoon were not good for Geneva Lake.
Larry Larkin from the Geneva Lake Level Corporation spoke once again at the meeting, reiterating what he has said over and over about the lagoon and its importance to the lake as a whole and how slips of any kind in the lagoon are bad for the lake and the lagoon’s function. The GLLC is concerned that everyone involved with these slips does not understand the seriousness of the situation. The lagoon isn’t a lagoon, even though that is what it is referred to as; it’s the start of the White River and is the only outlet to Lake Geneva. Larkin believes the real discussion needed isn’t about slips but about the level of the lake.
What happens in the lagoon affects the entire lake. When Christopher came here in 1835, the lake level was seven feet lower than it is now. Payne built a dam to block the White Rover and raised the lake level seven feet. The gates and the concrete are what hold back those seven feet of water. If there were a major catastrophe and the dam and concrete were not failed completely, the lake would drop those seven feet before it stabilizes. If a partial function of the equipment occurred and the lake dropped only a few feet, it would still affect the entire lake and lake communities. This is important information because it could affect an entire lake season.
Boat navigation would be a problem; people wouldn’t be able to get to boats or get them off lifts, and every pier in the lake would have an issue. Most of the gauges that are used to operate the apparatus and the concrete structure that is relied on to hold back that seven feet of water are in the lagoon. Why would anyone even consider installing new piers? Hammering in posts, building slips, and incorporating a walkway would all affect the integrity of the dam, sea wall, and gate, and hinder inspections that are detrimental to keeping everything working properly. The stable functioning of these water controls is a top priority and important to all who enjoy the lake.
The GLLC has said its piece many times, and the city has finally heard. The next question asked was what about the dilapidated Tower piers on the north side of the lagoon not being removed, also. Towers, not the Lake Geneva Piers, Harbor, and Lakefront Committee, has also determined that a plan needs to be put in place for potential emergencies in the lagoon. The committee will also get started on a comprehensive plan for the lake. This is good news for the lake and those who enjoy it.
