Hudson Lake Conservation Association – March 2025 Update

Spring is here! We hope you had a chance to see the pelicans on Hudson Lake last week. It was awesome to see their squadron flight – all in a line taking off as one unit from the south channel to the north channel.  We are indeed blessed.

There are quite a few significant updates to share. Please take the time to read all of them! Please check the HLCA website for other updates. 

Here are the topics covered:

• Membership drive

• Grants

• Sediment removal (including private dredging)

• Lake Levels and Drain Management

• LaPorte Regional Sewer District meetings

• Merchandise Available on Website

• Volunteer! 

Membership Drive

Our 2025 membership drive is underway. The suggested contribution is $50 per family, but any amount is appreciated. In 2024 HLCA had a significant uptick in financial obligations due to the following projects/achievements:

• Invasive species treatment, Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan (AVMP), and the start of dredging the public ramp and south channel. Use the QR Code below to pay your dues or donate! 

A huge thank you to those who have sent in dues and donations! 

We invite the rest of you to join in and help us keep Hudson Lake healthy and thriving.

As HLCA continues to treat invasive species, extend its dredging efforts and manage the Hudson Lake drain valve, more funds are needed. Any amount you can give towards these important endeavors is appreciated. All donations/dues are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please know that to ease this burden on the community, HLCA has started to reach out to local businesses to supplement our financial gaps.

Grants

HLCA applied for invasive species planning and treatment grants. The LARE program awarded a $11,500 grant for which HLCA is responsible for matching this with 20% ($2,300). Since treatment of SSW is capped, our outlay could easily exceed $5,000. The application to perform another sediment removal study was not approved. We will reapply in January 2026.

Sediment removal (including private dredging)

The sediment removal project got off to a slow start in the fall of 2024. Ice on the lake prevented completion in 2024 as well as dredging during a small window in February. The dredging will resume in July 2025. The effort can take 4-6 weeks. During this time, the DNR may choose to close the public ramp. The channels being dredged will have barrels denoting the path of pipes for dredging. When the southern channel is dredged, a couple of the barrels will be removed to allow boats to traverse across that stretch of barrels/pipeline to get to the eastern section of Hudson Lake. The southern channel may be closed during that time as well. 

Since the dredging has been delayed, there is an opportunity for residents to do private dredging. To accomplish that you need to reach out to our dredger, James Schaedig with Aquatic Hydraulic Dredging LLC, at 989-335-5043 or email thatdredgeguy@gmail.com for an estimate. You will also need to apply for a permit with the DNR. Permits take a while, so urgency in moving forward is highly recommended. Please know, in 2026 HLCA is going to apply for another sediment removal plan which will look at other areas for dredging as the north channel. The dredging grants pay for navigation channels – not private residences. However, a channel may be identified that traverses resident properties. These may or may not alleviate private dredging costs. 

Lake Levels and Drain Management

The drain is closed. Hudson Lake was hovering today around 8.5 inches above the weir. The latest rain gave us another inch or so since Thursday, March 27th, when we did another calibration of the ToltHawk. The manual lake measurements above the weir were 8.04 inches at the weir and 7.75 inches at the ToltHawk. ToltHawk itself recorded 7.2 inches. The 3 measurements were within an inch, which is considered an acceptable deviation. The lake levels are available on the HLCA website via a link to the ToltHawk. 

The Drain Management Agreement between the DNR and HLCA has been signed and is in effect as of tomorrow, April 1, 2025. The HLCA drain team will be managing the opening and closing of the drain gate point forward. This will provide more attentive treatment in opening and closing the drain. Shortly we will be publishing phone numbers to report any lake level issues. These numbers will be manned by HLCA. In the interim. Please report any issue via the HLCA website’s event/status reporting page.

LaPorte Regional Sewer District meetings

The HLCA posted the 2025 sewer district meetings February 18, 2025, on the HLCA website news page. There is a special meeting on Monday, April 7th   to share the proposed changes to rates – they are going up. This will impact Hudson Lake residents when the sewers come. Recent sewer meetings had input from concerned Sauganey residents. Meeting minutes are posted on the sewer district’s website for your review. 

Public Hearing – Monday, April 7, 2025

PROPOSED FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDED AND RESTATED SEWER RATE ORDINANCE

LAPORTE COUNTY REGIONAL SEWER AND WATER DISTRICT

Public hearing at 9:00 a.m. (CDT) on the 7th day of April 2025 at the LaPorte County Complex Annex, Meeting Room #3 located at 809 State Street, LaPorte, Indiana 46350, on the matter of considering the proposed First Amendment to the Amended and Restated Sewer Rate Ordinance (“First Amendment”). At the hearing, users of the district’s sewage work system, owners of property served or to be served by the district’s sewage works system, and other interested persons, may be heard concerning the proposed Ordinance.

Merchandise Available on Website

We have some fun Hudson Lake merchandise for you! Travel mugs, coffee mugs, hoodies, hats, and t-shirts. Check it out!

Volunteer! 

As you can see, HLCA has a lot of efforts underway and welcomes the community to get involved. We are seeking board members. We work to be efficient by keeping the number of board meetings manageable. Project updates are shared via email. On the whole board members can choose the depth of their involvement with projects. We need individuals who can help lead/guide projects. Most projects and teams have a solid foundation, others could use more detailed planning, oversight and execution.

It takes a village to keep a lake safe, healthy, and enjoyable. Please sign up on our website or send us an email: info@hlcaindiana.com. We’d be happy to discuss the board positions and our projects in more detail as well as answer any of your questions.

Hudson Lake Conservation Association Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (Federal Tax Number 26-2891748). All charitable gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. 

Learn more about us at: www.hlcaindiana.com

How about those Pelicans!