There was once again a full house at the Clearwater Twp.’s August meeting, as residents attended to express their views on Nixon Lake becoming a no-wake lake.

Supervisor Rose Thelen reviewed the information provided by the Nixon Lake Committee, which recommended the township begin the process of having the lake designated a no-wake lake, meaning boaters can only go five mph or the lowest speed at which they can steer their watercrafts.

Several residents stated their agreement with the idea. Others expressed their disagreement, and some questioned how it would work and be regulated.

One resident said she was more concerned with the safety of swimmers as the boat landing is located right next to the beach. She recommended setting up a buoy system so everyone – boaters and swimmers – will be aware of the boundaries. 

Supervisor Scott Miller said there’s no documentation of any issues with the lake and he didn’t want to make a decision based on pressure from attendees. He stated that while he agreed with much of what was brought up, he’s also concerned that putting a restriction on the lake will lead to more restrictions in the future. 

“We’ve got to see if there’s actually a problem or not,” said Miller. “I’d like to talk to the attorney to see if what I see are legitimate concerns. We should concentrate on getting the beach safe and go from there. Buoys would be a good start.”

When Thelen asked for a motion to begin the process of making Nixon a no-wake lake, Miller said he wasn’t ready to make that decision and wanted to speak with their attorney first; Supervisor John Notch agreed.

A motion carried to send a draft of the proposal to the township’s attorney for review.

Nixon Beach

Also on the agenda regarding Nixon Lake was the cleanup being undertaken to clear the beach of muck left behind when the bog was removed last summer. Miller updated the board on the work he and Blayne Leuthard had been doing with a mechanism they made, indicating they’ve had some success with it.

Other residents discussed research they’ve been doing, including the purchase of pumps and contacting a specialized company that is interested in doing a bid to clean it up.

Other Business

Ron Schabel approached the board to express his concern about last month’s meeting, in which Huber Ave. residents articulated their anger about the road being chip sealed and not being informed it was going to happen. He asked if there was anything that had prevented the board from sending out a notification.

The board again shared their reasons for the road being tarred and said it hasn’t been standard procedure for them to notify residents in the past. They stated they’re looking into creating a procedure so this doesn’t happen again in the future.

A meeting will be held with the City of Clearwater to further discuss the orderly annexation agreement on August 25.

The next Clearwater Twp. meeting will be Sept. 8 due to Labor Day.