About Us

In the early 2000’s Beaver Lake landowners/residents began discussing the formation of some sort of entity to lead and coordinate programs to protect the lake. For some years, concerned residents, like Jim Liebert had volunteered to fight the spread of Eurasian milfoil and prevent large breeding populations of wild geese. When the Village of Hartland petitioned the DNR for a permit to drill a high capacity well in the Four Winds development, which potentially might reduce lake levels, property owners recognized the need for a more structured organization, with formal fundraising capabilities.

One suggestion considered was a Lake Management District. While many lake dwellers were genuinely concerned about protecting their pristine lake, they opposed the creation of a Lake Management District because of the potential that a Lake Management District, as a governmental body with taxing and police powers, might over-regulate. Beaver Lake residents clearly preferred a more voluntary, participatory organization. Citizens preferred less bureaucracy and more emphasis on citizen stewardship.

Spurred by the Beaver Lake Yacht Club (BLYC) Board, discussion among lake dwellers now focused on creating a Beaver Lake Preservation Steering Committee. Records dating from the early 2000’s reflect involvement by a number of concerned Beaver Lake dwellers—just to mention a few—Jack Bode, David Barnett, Bill Friedrichs, Tom Gabel, Bruce Hawkins, Jim Liebert, Fred Lach, Rich Luedke, David Marx, Rebecca Marx, Pat Mills, Sue Mills, Mike Mooney and Fred Storm.

​Eventually, concerned lake residents concluded that a charitable, volunteer organization should be created, and the Friends of Beaver Lake, Inc. was incorporated as a 501(c) (3) corporation in May 2004. The initial Board of Directors for the FOBL group included Jack Bode, Carrie Glapinski, Patrick Mills, and Rebecca Marx.

Early Goals of FOBL

• Monitoring the Hartland high-capacity well development and the effect, if any, on the lake
• Identifying storm water runoff point sources
• Studying the Beaver Lake watershed
• Combating invasive species and wild geese

Ongoing Challenges

• Toxic blue-green algae blooms
• Shoreline protection from high water
• Zebra mussel infestation
• Elimination of use of household products containing phosphates
• Education of residents on rainwater gardens
• Reduction of nitrogen and phosphorous
• Water quality baseline and continued monitoring
• Encouragement of natural aquatic plants and wildlife