Current News/Updates –

SLIB Septic Maintenance Workshop – The Silver Lake Improvement Board is sponsoring a free workshop to learn how to reduce the destructive nutrients that contribute to the poor water quality of Silver Lake. The workshop will take place Saturday August 19th at the Golden Township Park at the Silver Lake Sand Dunes from 9AM-1PM.

Golden Township Parks Survey 2023 – Golden Township is in the process of updating their 5-year Parks and Recreation Plan, and the Township’s Park Committee has created this survey to allow community members to express their thoughts about the future needs of the Township’s parks and recreation facilities. Please take a few moments and contribute your ideas by completing the survey now.

EGLE Septic Smart Resources – As part of FoSL’s ongoing efforts to educate Silver Lake property owners on the importance of proper septic management to improve our lake’s water quality, take a look at the resources provided by EGLE’s (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) SepticSmart program here. And please note the upcoming ‘Knowing your Septic System Webinar’ on Monday September 19th…register today, it’s free!

2023 Fourth of July Boat Parade – took place Tuesday July 4th we had 23 boats participate this year and we hope you’ll join us next year!

2023 Annual Meeting – the Friends of Silver Lake Annual Meeting took place Saturday June 24th, the agenda included presentations from the SLIB as well as the introduction to this year’s theme for the What’s Your Silver Lake Legacy? which is Septic System Responsibility.

The SLIB presentation included discussion of the BioChar Initiative and the current status of the SLIB’s Carp Cull efforts. Breifly reviewed here –

1. The individual BioChar filters were distributed, 600 in total, on June 10th for installation on docks and lifts on Silver Lake (Sample photos of preferred installation configuration are here – 1, 2 and 3). These BioChar filters will remain in place throughout the season, and then removed along with the docks/lifts at season’s end. They will be reused each year moving forward, with roughly one third of them being collected each Fall for testing, and then replaced with new filters for the next season.

2. It was reported that the Carp Cull this year did not net the expected results despite three night’s efforts through electro-shock fishing. The program will likely be repeated next year and then revaluated for additional implementations. Also, there was discussion relating to fun ways the community could get involved with culling the invasive carp in the lake, like maybe a carp tournament with prizes for largest fish removed and greatest weight removed when the carp are active close to shore on Silver Lake.

Who We Are –

The Friends of Silver Lake is a non-profit association of property owners and other parties interested in the betterment of the Silver Lake community located in Golden Township, Oceana County, Michigan.

To promote the improvement and regulation with regard to the use of waters, roads, walks, beaches, and other area environments, to monitor the lake water quality, to maintain the proper lake levels, to advocate for various improvements, and to assist in the raising of necessary funds to said purposes.

The purpose is to receive, encourage, discuss, promote and act upon ideas, suggestions, complaints, and reports which are of general interest to all interested parties, and which affect a substantial number thereof, and which tend to guarantee to keep the greater Silver Lake community and watershed more beautiful, enjoyable, secure, and valuable.