Webster Lake Conservation Association
Membership
Double Rainbow
over Webster Lake
Membership and involvement of residents is essential to the future well-being of Webster Lake and its tributaries. WLCA relies on the financial and personal commitment of all lake area residents, property owners, and businesses to improve and maintain the environment we all enjoy. The future of our lake depends on each one of us! To that end, residents, property owners, and businesses in the vicinity of Webster Lake are contacted annually and encouraged to become participating members of WLCA. If you are a summer or year-round lake resident and not currently a member of WLCA, please join us in protecting our lake. Join today!
Membership dues are $125 annually and are used for supporting aquatic weed control, lake safety efforts, communication expenses, and the operational expenses of the WLCA. WLCA has no paid employees, but annually contracts with a herbicide applicator and a fireworks provider for those operations. Officers and directors of WLCA are non-paid volunteers.
Why be a member of the WLCA?
End of Kneeboard Run
Your investment in Webster Lake through your membership and extra contributions to the weed control and fireworks funds is essential if WLCA is to continue to provide these services and events. WLCA uses both dues money and weed fund money to pay for weed treatments. Contributions to the fireworks fund are only used for fireworks.
Herbicide weed treatments help keep Webster Lake and its channels open to boat traffic and enjoyable for boaters, skiers, swimmers, and fishermen alike. Proper weed control and better property values go hand-in-hand. Weed treatment costs must be paid by the residents. No branch of government automatically pays for weed control, although LARE Grants may be applied for through the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. However, these grants require matching funds from the entity applying for the grant and are limited to the treatment of invasive weeds. The cost of any approved treatments to nuisance weeds must be paid in full by residents. It is most efficient to handle weed treatment and payment through one body, the WLCA. Also, lake-wide weed treatments must be applied by a licensed herbicide applicator. WLCA secures bids on this work annually.
The extent and location of any weed treatments are strictly governed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (INDR). Annually, the IDNR determines what type of weeds can be treated and if the chemical applied will be a systemic or non-systemic (contact) herbicide. Weeds treated with a contact herbicide will grow back later in the season or the next year. Once permission to treat is given, WLCA must collect the funds with which to pay the bill. These funds come from our membership dues and special designated contributions from our members to our weed fund. The annual treatment permit will usually allow WLCA to re-treat as needed during the season. However, available finances dictate WLCA's ability to apply a second treatment.
WLCA's ability to afford initial and repeat weed treatments is directly dependent on the number of lake residents and businesses that invest in Webster Lake through their WLCA membership and extra contributions to the weed fund.
WLCA also arranges for the annual 4th of July fireworks program which is funded strictly by specially designated contributions from members and local businesses. No dues money is used to pay for fireworks. WLCA directors, officers, and volunteers work to secure Homeland Security authorization to conduct the fireworks show, obtain the required permit, and coordinate the efforts of the fireworks vendor. WLCA volunteers clean up the display area after the show.
If the above isn't enough to convince non-members to join WLCA, then consider the following WLCA lake improvement projects that have been completed or are pending:
- Secured two island shoreline restoration grants for projects, now complete, which have minimized the amount of soil and nutrients entering and harming the lake. Another grant is pending for 2025. Previously participated with The Watershed Foundation on another island restoration project.
- Secured and completed two sediment studies, one to determine which channels and shoreline areas qualify for dredging and grant assistance, and one to determine the sources and amount of phosphate contained in Webster Lake with an eye toward conducting a whole lake restoration project.
- Annually secures a Nuisance Animal Removal Permit to project the dam by removing burrowing animals from the area.
- Secured a Webster/Backwater Lakes Diagnostic Study and a separate Engineering Feasibility Study for the improvement of Town Storm Water Drains which have been adversely affecting the lake and presented this information to the Town Council. Improvements are being investigated and are expected to be in place soon.
- Has taken the lead in the establishment of a tax-funded conservancy district for the future maintenance of Webster Lake Dam.
All of the above is being done to improve the quality of our lake for boaters and fishermen alike and to help maintain and, hopefully, increase lake property values. As an extension of our efforts, we hope to be a benefit to the local community as a whole as well as to the business community of North Webster.
WLCA financial information available upon request.