As your new president and because many of you do not know me, I think it is appropriate to give a brief introduction. Unlike many of you, I am not a lifelong summer resident of Douglas Lake. I came to the lake for the first time in 1967 with my husband to be, Stephen Farmer. For twenty years we came occasionally for vacations. Then in 1986 we purchased property at Manitou Shores and built our home. We have spent each summer since then at the lake. I love our Douglas Lake life and I feel extremely fortunate to be able to spend time in such beautiful and wonderful surroundings. I am certain that all of you have similar feelings! In recent years I have enjoyed being a volunteer for our association. Volunteering has given me the opportunity to meet new people and to make new friends. I look forward to more of that! I am committed to the Douglas Lake Improvement Association and to its purpose of maintaining the environmental quality of the lake and the quality of life in the community.

My goal for the next two years will be to “steer the course” that has been so ably set by my predecessor, Barbara Wilkinson. Barb has agreed to continue to be our newsletter editor. We all appreciate her devoted service! Beth Reynolds is retiring as our merchandise manager after four years. Beth, we are grateful for your tireless efforts. We thank you! Next year I will assume the duties of merchandise manager with the help of a few volunteers. Some of our sales will be at Manitou Shores and others will be held at other locations around the lake. Look for locations in the spring/summer newsletter.

I look forward to working with our members and with our new executive board and I am hoping to meet many more of you over the next two years. We are always looking for volunteers and for suggestions for activities and projects for the association. If any of you have ideas, please call, write or send an email. We have already received a few!

For now, I just want to wish each of you a very happy holiday season and a good winter. I look forward to seeing you next spring at the lake.

Imagine a primeval forest comprised of great trees far too large to reach around and so tall you could hardly see the tops, a resource just ripe for the taking by the lumber barons! Now imagine the aftermath of this land by the lake, charred by fires and destroyed by the ax. At first thought not a likely place to begin a university biological station, however a great place to set up a summer civil engineering camp.

In June of 1908 the University of Michigan needed to relocate their Glen Lake summer civil engineering camp and wished to remain in northern Michigan. They approached Col. and Mrs. Bogardus of Pellston and expressed a desire to lease land on Douglas Lake. However, the discussions resulted in the University buying 1440 acres including two miles of frontage on Douglas Lake at a price that made its transfer to the university in part a gift. Camp Davis was then established in the protected west end of South Fishtail Bay where for twenty years civil engineers received training in surveying.

At the same time that Camp Davis was being formed Col. Bogardus felt that not only should the area be used as a civil engineering camp but that it should also be the base for some scientific work. Thus Dean Cooley of the Engineering Department urged the establishment of a biological station. Professor Frederick C. Newcomb, a Professor of Botany, visited the site and recommended to the U. of M. administration that they found a biological station on an experimental basis. This biological station was established at the east end, which is the unprotected and windy area of South Fishtail Bay. Originally the housing and dining accommodations were tents. Two log buildings left over from logging days were used as laboratories. During the teens tar paper cabins were constructed by the biologists while the engineers brought in prefabricated galvanized metal cabins. Many of these original buildings, which cost $175 and $125 respectively, are still in use today.

In 1929 the forests were regrowing and the engineers moved Camp Davis to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. By 1930 the biologists inherited the entire 1440 acres. This was a perfect opportunity for the U of M Biological Station, which was experiencing a period of great growth. With $75,000 appropriated for the move, the Biological Station was relocated within the engineering camp area and within the western most part of the “old” camp site. In all ninety-nine buildings were moved.

Over the years the station has grown in both size and reputation. In 1967 the Lakeside Laboratory was opened for research. The 1970s saw old structures being renovated and the building of a modern dining hall, a lecture hall and a seminar building. Not only has the physical aspect of the station experienced growth but it is now considered one of the foremost research and learning facilities in the world. It is as true today as it was in 1912 when the first director Jacob Reighard stated, “nothing is more stimulating to teachers and students than to mold natural history work with a good seasoning of modern scientific method. We never lose our interest in living nature, and for teachers and students to be with it for a season in the open is an inspiration that should be contagious.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Much of the above article was taken, with permission, from the book “The University of Michigan Biological Station 1909-1983” Copywrited in 1985 by the University of Michigan Biological Station under the direction of David Gates, Editor and Professor Emeritus.

Mark Paddock

It has been a lovely autumn at Douglas Lake with an unusual number of clear, warm days with brilliant tree colors that seemed to last a couple of weeks longer than normal. Such weather invited us to take many long walks, and this year, with low lake levels we could take advantage of the opportunity to walk for miles along the extensive exposed beaches. The water level is continuing to drop even now in November, when normally lake levels begin to climb after typical lows of early autumn. I know low lake water levels was a prime topic of conversation among lake shore residents this past summer so I decided to determine just where the water levels in year 2000 compared to the record.

Douglas Lake water level records are obtained at the University of Michigan Biological Station and recorded in feet above seal level on their monthly weather records. These measurements have been taken since 1922 for the summer months and year around since 1946.

Here is how the year 2000 compares to the average during the ice-free months of April through November 2000:

APRIL 713.4 713.71* 3.7 INCHES LOWER

MAY 713.26 713.62 4.3 INCHES LOWER

JUNE 712.98 713.14 1.9 INCHES LOWER

JULY 712.52 712.68 1.9 INCHES LOWER

AUGUST 712.22 712.21 0.1 INCHES LOWER

SEPTEMBER 711.9 712.05 1.8 INCHES LOWER

OCTOBER 711.6 712.05** 5.4 INCHES LOWER

NOVEMBER 711.5 712.27 9.2 INCHES LOWER

*The highest lake level on record was 714.94 in April 1985

**The lowest lake level on record was 710.79 in October 1955

The lake was generally lower than average in summer 2000 but not unusually low. June, July and September were less than 2 inches lower than normal, and August was actually a bit higher! I think we’ve become accustomed to higher water levels over the last ten years or so and forget what it was like over the long haul.

However, what has happened this autumn is a concern. September, October and thus far November have been very dry, continuing a generally dry year. Therefore the lake continues to drop at a time when autumn rains and cool weather normally cause it to rise. The Biological Station on Douglas Lake has recorded about 17.5 inches of precipitation so far in 2000. It is very likely that this year will be the driest since records began locally in 1942. We will have to receive almost 7 inches of precipitation in the last 8 weeks of the year to exceed the record dry year of 24.34 inches in 1989.

Ground water levels are exceedingly low in the Douglas Lake watershed and ground water in-flow is the major factor in Douglas Lake’ water levels. We will need a wet late autumn, deep snow pack, and a wet spring to recharge the ground water. If not, we may be facing truly low lake levels in 2001.

It is my feeling, and I believe, the feeling of the DLIA Executive Board, that the purpose of this newsletter is to inform (and sometimes entertain) association members with interesting articles and important notices. It is important that all readers of the newsletter realize that just because an announcement is printed does not mean that the association sponsors it. We do print information of events and undertakings that are open to all our members and other Douglas Lakers that have nothing to do with our organization as a whole. A good example of this would be sail boat races organized by a few of our members, open to all, but not sponsored by the organization. We are more than happy to inform members of happenings and events around the lake so please be sure to keep us informed and use the newsletter as a means of communication.

The History Corner has returned and in the future I hope to cover areas and events of interest. The only criteria is that it must be historical in the general Douglas Lake Area and have a thread of continuity to the present day. I sincerely invite anyone with historical information to contact me. I can use ideas!

The newsletter will be published on an as needed basis but usually once in the late winter or spring, once or sometimes twice in the summer (June- August) and once in the fall or early winter. Sometimes it will take the traditional newsletter format and at other times the bulletin or flyer format. Please be sure to send us your address changes. E-mail or snail mail but please no changes over the phone. Address changes may be sent to Linda Farmer or included with your dues to Liz Verhoeven. Please see contact list for addresses or consult your directory. You may e-mail any newsletter announcements, comments or address changes to:

Or mail to:

Barbara Wilkinson

P.O. Box 1067

Jackson, MI 49204-1067

Happy Thanksgiving!

The DLIA is going to publish a cookbook. Our lake has so many good cooks that we would like to gather all the wonderful recipes and publish them. We need everyone on the lake to send in his or her favorite recipes (even if you are tired of making it). I would also like to print a little bit about some of the recipes so if you have a lake or family story regarding a particular recipe please enclose it. We all have memories of dishes prepared by some lake relative or friend that we have lost. If you are in possession of some of these special recipes please forward them on to me. Be sure to tell me whose you are sending and if you can a bit about the recipe (i.e.: it was her great grandmothers; he served it every 4^th of July). You may mail them to me: Barbara Wilkinson P.O. Box 1067, Jackson, MI 49204 or e-mail me at:

cdataserv@earthlink.net or info@douglaslake.org.

The DLB is closed thru Thanksgiving but will re-open on Friday

November 24^th.

November 24^th thru December 23^rd. Open Thursday thru Sunday

(Christmas Eve & Christmas Day) Closed

December 26^th thru New Year’s Eve Open every day

(New Year’s Day) (2001) Closed

January 4^th thru February 24^th Open Thursday thru Sunday

February 25^th thru April 20^th Closed

April 21^st Open for the Summer Season

The above schedule is subject to change so please call ahead

231-539-8588