A positive 2018 report has paved the way for 2019 for the Eagle River Chain of Lakes Association.
2018 was the Association's first full year as a consolidated entity, says ERCLA President Dave Tidmarsh...
"..Previously we had 9 lake associations and then ERCLA. We liquidated the nine individual lake associations and combined them all into ERCLA. One of the key strategic components behind doing that was clarification of our message, because with all the lake associations it was getting muddled as who is really who, and who do I pay?...."
The chain has 10 lakes and connecting waterways, now working under one leadership group. He says the number of lake shore members also increased...
"..We increased our membership quite significantly from 2017 to 2018. 2017 was an excellent year. Huge number of repeat members which we haven't had in the past, and along with new members. As well we had an increase in cash donations which was really a very significant increase over last year...."
Tidmarsh says they changed their communications focus. For 2019 he says a challenge will be to continue funding to attack aquatic invasive species. He says at the initial stages of fighting the problem, grants were easier to get. But with the success of their program, getting more grant money for maintenance will be more difficult.
He says the number of acres on the chain with Eurasian Water Milfoil is down significantly, but by 2020 they will likely have to use their own funds to fight the aquatic invasive.
More information is ercla.org
