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Dam Funding Update

Greetings Sylvan Lakers,

I hope this message finds you well. We are pleased to inform you that the major portions of the dam project are now complete. As we move forward, we wanted to share an important update regarding the expected Special Assessment that will commence next year.

Fremont Township will find out in February whether an IEMA loan can be obtained through Lake County for our portion of the project. If successful, this loan will offer a lower interest rate and more favorable terms. Should the IEMA loan not be available, the township will secure a loan on our behalf. Regardless of the outcome, we will finalize our agreement with the township by the end of February once this information is confirmed.

Additionally, Fremont Township is in the process of obtaining the SLIA subtotal from Lake County Stormwater Management. Current indications suggest we are very close to the anticipated amount of $500,000.

We plan to send out the first special assessment invoice around March 2025, once all necessary information is available. Moving forward, these invoices will be issued in January each year, alongside our annual assessment.  We will continue to utilize a portion of our reserves over the ten year term to keep the special assessment as low as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the SLIA Board.

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Project update

During the sheet pile driving last week, we encountered a concrete foundation 4 feet under the lake bed that we were not expecting and caused the work to come to a stop. This morning we did more exploring and discovered a foundation wall as depicted in image below. This was likely installed prior to the dam, possibly as a temporary embankment of the wetland.

We will be removing the angled sections so we can install the steel pile wall as designed. This week, V3 will be prepping the entire stretch so the sheet pile driving can resume next week, hopefully unencumbered.

In order to remove the concrete, we need to lower the lake an additional 2′ for several days. We will keep this lowered level as short as possible.

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Lake Lowering Has Begun

The lowering of the lake has begun!  For your safety, please keep a safe distance from the yellow floats near the intake hoses pumping water out of the lake.  Do not swim near them and please keep your boat a safe distance away.

The lake is expected to be lowered 5-6 feet by the end of the week, so now is the time to remove your boats from the lake and begin your shoreline projects.

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Tentative Construction Schedule

A bit of good news—the lowering of the lake is scheduled to start after July 4th. Hopefully that will allow you some time to enjoy the lake during upcoming hot spell.

The next phase of construction reroutes the water main. It currently runs under Highland Drive and through the dam. It will be rerouted down the ravine and back up via directional boring.

The contractor will also be working on putting the infrastructure in place to dewater the lake and erosion control measures to mitigate downstream effects.

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Sediment Testing – Week of 6/17

McCloud Aquatics will be out on the lake next week, likely on Monday. They will take soil samples from our two bays to measure how much sediment we have in the bottom of the bays. They will be in a motorized boat and will just be collecting soil samples, not spraying or putting anything into the lake. It is fine to be in the water while they are out.

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March SLIA Board Meeting

The SLIA Board will have members from Fremont Township and Lake County Stormwater Management available at our March board meeting to answer questions about the dam project, costs, and funding. We encourage everyone to attend this meeting on March 20th at 7:30pm at Countryside Fire Station (801 S. Midlothian).

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Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Sylvan Lake Improvement Association will be held on Sunday, September 10 at 1:00pm, with a rain date of Saturday, September 16 at 1:00pm.  The meeting will be held outside at Schwerman Park on the basketball court.  Please bring your own lawn chairs.  If the weather is not cooperating, further scheduling changes will be communicated on our slia.net website and email.

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Cardboard Regatta

Sunday, Sept 10 @ 4pm

Beach check-in at 3:45pm

It’s back!!!! The BOAT REGATTA 2023 will be on September 10th at 4pm with a new teenage division and great prizes!

Ages 1-12ish: Use cardboard and tape to make the fastest boat on the lake. Decorate it to make it look awesome!

Ages 13ish-19: RECYCLED BOAT CHALLENGE Use cardboard, plastic bottles, twine, tape, and other recyclables to make the fastest boat!

GIFTCARDS for the winners!!!

Don’t forget your life preserver!