The view from Steve Mockenhaupt’s kitchen table looks like it just came out of a magazine. 

His Ann Lake home sits atop a slope, and when you look out his patio doors, you can see the entire lake. It is a view Mockenhaupt has taken in for much of his life. His grandparents bought the property in the 1950’s, and like many Minnesota cabins, it has been passed down through generations. So, when Mockenhaupt looks out his windows at the lake, he does not just look out remembering the past; he also looks out to the future. 

Responsibility

Mockenhaupt is the current president of the Ann Lake Improvement Club. The lake association was formed in 1975 to protect the lake and its waters. He feels they have been successful.  Ann Lake’s water clarity typically ranges from 12 to 14 feet. 

One source of pride for residents is that the lake serves as a breeding ground for loons, though recent increases in boat traffic have prevented the next generation from reaching adulthood. According to Mockenhaupt, boats do not see the chicks when the adults dive for food. It is not unusual to see loonlets washed up on the shore. Efforts to entice the loons to the south side of the lake to nest have proven to be unsuccessful.

He and the other members of the improvement club feel a great responsibility to maintain the lake by aerating the water and removing invasive species. It is a responsibility the club has undertaken for the past 50 years, which has cost it both time and money. The money has come from membership dues, not from township tax dollars.    

Township Board

Mockenhaupt has the time, but lately rising costs have been difficult to keep up with. That’s why the lake association turned to the Orrock Township Board for help.  

“We went to the township as it’s their property,” said Mockenhaupt. “We’re in trouble and needed help.”

The lake improvement club was seeking financial help so they could continue to maintain the area around the boat landing for township residents. That request grew more complicated when the township discovered it owned the land. An outhouse on the property was failing and needed to be removed. Costs began to increase.

Mockenhaupt and other members of the lake association have attended several meetings and do not like the direction things are moving in. A recent discussion during the last Township Board Meeting to give the land to the DNR was met with skepticism. 

“The DNR maintaining the existing campground and beach area has dropped off a lot recently,” he said. 

He feels recent budget cuts are to blame and wonders how taking on more will improve the situation. 

“It’s not going to work for most people around here.”

Despite the setbacks, he remains optimistic that something can be worked out with the Township Board’s help. He explained that they have always supported the lake and feels they will continue to do so in the future.