The Mail-Journal, Volume 19, Number 25, Milford, Kosciusko County, 7 July 1982 — Page 13

Summer

Dewart Lake —a Golden Pond!

Searching for your own “On Golden Pond?" Norman and Ethel Thayer of the academy-a ward nominated film found their’s in New England. In the Lakeland area of Indiana, folks don’t have to look any farther than seven miles east of Milford where there’s a lake called Dewart. Dewart Lake seems to be far, far, away from the bustling

-- — .x%AA *«•—*- - - • —- ; *- " “ , ■ W: niiffli .jnhrffiir- r' gl " "" ?' .’ J \\ DEWART DAYS — A mid-week afternoon view of deserted piers and boats at Dewart Lake. When the week end arrives, the shoreline is certain to be full of life again as both the full-time and summer residents take advantage of the lake's opportunities.

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vacationing village of Wawasee and Tippecanoe with its condominiums, mannas and sum-mer-time traffic. Actually, the approximately 600-acre lake is located right in the heart of the Lakeland Community with the bigger Wawasee to the northeast and Tippecanoe to the south. Bang different from the rest is what Dewart Lake is all about, says Richard McDaniel,

president of the Dewart Lake Protective Association. With about 350 houses, cottages and mobile homes — with approximately 25 to 30 per cent of these dwellings year-round residents — the lake has remained relatively the same for the last several years. The exact number of dwellings along the lake is not known. McDaniel said the protective association, a organization of property owners,'

is planning on putting together a directory of the lake residents in a year or so. "The land that can be built upon is probably 80 to 90 per cent inhabited," said McDaniel. The property surrounding the lake has been purchased in chunks and . sub-divided rather than bought in individual lots, he added. The uninhabitable areas are mostly wetlands. These wetland areas — which are crucial for any lake — are jealously protected by the association from development Unlike their lake neighbors to the north and the south, Dewart Lake is not experiencing any great pressure to develop these areas. "In the last several years, there is only one instance where someone filled-in an area." McDaniel said. That area was used for one single-family home. The only organized development is one piece of property bought by four local residents. “Basically, they took an old trailer park, cleaned it up, bought the land, and are developing it as single family home settings," he said. This “required no change in topography," he added. Without the pressure of land development, the Dewart Lake Protective Association has had no real severe issues to solve. “We don’t have enough crisis to warrant having as many meetings as some other lake associations might have," said McDaniel. He said the organization was formed by a group of newer residents to the lake as a means of a community action group “to be available to

support any and all of our membership should there be a problem that they are experiencing.” The goal of the group is to solve difficulties as soon as possible before they become a threat to the lake. The association was first formed in 1964 during the drought when Dewart Lake shrunk. The water level dropped eight to 10 feet that year, according to McDaniel. With this crisis at hand, the property owners formed the association. Shortly after the lake returned to normal, the need for the organization declined and interest whithered.. "For all practical purposes, three years ago the organization was dying a natural death," said McDaniel. With the goal of pumping new life into the once inactive group, the property owners have been active in two functions, maintaining the safety of the lake and insuring the lake’s water purity. McDaniel said the organization has coordinated regular safety patrols during the summer months from the county's reserve sheriff officers These volunteer deputies patrol the lake in a county patrol boat which is docked at McDaniel’s home. They have full authority to write out tickets to violators and arrest them if the need arises. McDaniel said this extra measure of safety has been well received by the membership. The other major function is the group’s regular, water testing. With help from the county health' department, every three years the lake is sample-tested for bacteria and other impurities. A test was done last year which had "phenomenal results,” said McDaniel. The property owners are active in maintaining the purity of the water by limiting as much as possible the use of chemicals for weed control and other industrial and domestic uses. Wawasee High School science department did some testing of various lakes recently and “unofficially informed us that the water purity was so great that what they really needed for their students was a lake that had problems, not one that is so clean,'’ said McDaniel. Another major conservation measure the group has been involved in is weed control. The group acts as an intermediary to contact outside firms for cutting the weeds. “Cutting the weeds is an alternative to chemicals and the potential to pollute the water,” he said. Fishing and boating opportunities are plentiful for residents along the lake but there are no public access ramps. The only access to the water for outsiders is located at the Dewart Lake Marina which charges a nominal fee for boat launching. This lack of public access is both a blessing and a curse for the lake. The blessings of low-traffic on the lake means much more quieter summer days but the curse lies in the lack of Department of Natural Resources support. After the drought of ’64, the dam on Dewart Lake had to be repaired. The property owners were forced to put together $5,000 for repairs on the dam because the DNR refused to give support because of the lack of public access. The fishing at Dewart Lake offers largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, perch, bluegill, catfish, gar and carp. “It’s not a bad fishing lake,” said McDaniel. "It has declined somewhat compared to 20 years ago," .he added. The purity of the water, enhanced by the wetlands, makes for excellent breeding grounds for fish. The natural attributes of the lake have kept the fish in a good enviroment So good, in fact, that Dewart Lake has never been stocked. McDaniel said some fishermen have expressed that they would like walleyes to be stocked in the lake. If stocking is needed, chances are that the DNR will not pay for the stocking because of the lack of a public access ramp. McDaniel has lived at Dewart Lake for five years now and said be fell in love with the place as soon as he saw it. A native of Brooklyn, N. Y., McDaniel came to Dewart Lake from a suburb of Chicago. He, like many of the other residents, came to Dewart Lake to escape the life of the suburbs for their families. Dewart Lake can be classified as one of the most underdeveloped lakes in the Lakeland Community. The Dewart Lake Marina, a small bait-gasoline store in Musquabuck park, a restaurant and two summer camps are the only commercial businesses in the area. "It is really a residential and recreational community.” said McDaniel. A regular "Golden Pond,” indeed.

I I 1 TREE-LINED SHORES — A speedboat can be seen racing across the water from this view along the grassy shores of Dewart Lake. Nature is still present at Dewart, where most of the natural ; shoreline is intact. (Photo by Gary Lewis) Ju ARTISTS IN ACTION — These Girl Senate take part in an arts and crafts session at Camp Logan. Shown drawing a poster are. from left, Niki Johnston, Monroe; Jenny Schenkel, Fort Wayne; Kerry LeMaster. Fort Wayne; at right. Karen Fazekas. Fort Wayne; and Teresa Brady. Fori Wayne. Arts and crafts are only one of a number of group sessions offered at Camp Logan. At this camp, sessions in dramatics and newspapers were also offered to the campers. (Photo by Gary Lewis) Comp Ella J. Logon is summer haven for Scouts

“You hardly know they are back there,” said Richard McDaniel. president of the Dewart Lake Protective Association. With its own cove and island at Dewart Lake, the Ella J. Logan Girl Scout Camp is a summer haven for scouts of the Fort Wayne Limberlost Scout Council. Up to 80 girls attend the different sessions offered at the camp. Separated from the surrounding cottages with a large land grant, the camp has its end of the lake virtually to itself. The waterfront facilities include a large swimming area, canoes, rowboats and sailboats. The island was once used for older girls as a place to camp, but it is no longer used because of the marshy areas on the island. Camp director Audrey Anderson. a former high school teacher at Munster High School, stays at the camp all summer long. The numbers have been down so much in recent years that the camp has been forced to eliminate two tent units. A Girl Scout herself at one time, she said the Girl Scouts of America have been trying to make changes in their program to attract girls again. “They are definitely trying to change. It's kind of sad that in the country where Girl Scouts started it is having so much trouble. In other countries being a Giri Scout is looked up to, here it is looked down upon to be a Girl Scout past fourth grade," she said. She said the Giri Scouts are

Wed., July 7,1982 —THE MAIL-JOURNAL

trying to get away from the straight-laced, rigid look while attempting to hang on to the traditional values. When the girls, which range in age from six to 14. leave home for the camp they leave much more than just mom and dad. All the conveniences of home are missing from the five platform tent units. An administrative area offers an infirmary, shower house, dining hall and office. The girls are left with cot-like bunks and fire circles. The primitive surroundings never bother the girls, said Anderson, but they sometimes bother parents who wonder what’s going to happen to their daughter when they drop her off at the camp.

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“We never had problems with the girls. Parents wonder if they are going to be starved, but the • girls never complain. Six girls are able to live in each platform tent unit and eaqh one is responsible for her own section of the unit. “The tent is their own, no matter how messy it gets, no one is going to come in and bother it,” said Anderson. The camp's full-time residents are Mr. and Mrs. Charles Baldwin. Mrs. Baldwin serves as the camp registrar and Charles Baldwin is the camp Ranger. “Dewart Lake is a really good lake to have the camp,” said Anderson. “There aren’t very many cottages around us and we our off by ourselves,” she said.

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