Update
Road Construction en route and other last minute details

LOCAL AND COUNTY CONSTRUCTION
As of June 17, 2008 there is no current or scheduled major detours near either site.

STATE ROAD CONSTRUCTION  The Wisconsin Department of Transportation maintains a web site detailing state road construction.  This web site includes only roads owned by the state, not other county and locally owned roads and streets.  You can find the DOT web site here

STATE ROAD CLOSURES DUE TO FLOODING OR OTHER INCIDENTS The state also maintains a web site which lists road closures due to flooding or other incidents that dictate road closures and detours.  You can find this information here

UPDATE ON FLOODING AROUND GREEN LAKE COUNTY
 

June 24, 2008
The health department and the sheriff have both cleared the lake for swimming and boating, though there are still some restrictions on motorized boats.  After 10 days our waterfront is finally open and our full program back into its normal routine.  nonetheless, we think of so many others whose lives and plans have been disrupted more significantly with a new appreciation for what they are going through.

June 23, 2008
The sheriff still has a no-wake order for our lake due to concerns about all of the debris (trees, docks, boats, etc) that washed in the lake during the torrential downpours almost 10 days ago.  However, the health department called today to say they are lifting their no swimming order tomorrow.   The lake was tested today (as it is every Monday) and we should have results back by Thursday.

E coli tests last week indicated elevated levels of this bacteria, though they were below the advisory level.  The lake water is safe for swimming, though we will make sure campers get showers after they get out of the lake, at least until we get this weeks test results.

At dinner I announced that the waterfront would be open tomorrow morning for polar bear swim, and I have never seen or heard such an enthusiastic response about getting up early from a group of kids in my life!

I am satisfied with the test results, we've checked our swimming area for debris, and the currents in the lake (at least in our swimming area) have calmed down.  The water is still about 20" higher than normal -- and we'll be even more vigilant about watching our swimmers.  For the time being we won't let campers jump in the lake until we're absolutely sure no debris is hidden underwater in our swimming area.

Life is almost back to normal, though our prayers go out to the many whose lives were -- and continue to be -- disrupted by this and so many other natural and human-made disasters.

June 22, 2008
The sheriff's ban on motorized craft was lifted on Big Green Lake over the weekend, though all craft are required to travel slowly enough as to not create a wake.  The health department has issued another updated advisory against swimming in the lake for the time being.

June 19. 2008
As of today the Green Lake Sanitary District and the Green Lake Health Department are advising against any swimming in Green Lake due to continued concerns about possible contaminants in the water.  The Green Lake Sheriff's patrol was on the lake earlier today to determine how much debris was in the lake and to assess what danger this debris may pose to boaters and swimmers.  The Sheriff has not lifted the boating ban and they, too, advise no swimming.

June 18, 2008
Several campers and parents have contacted us inquiring about the storms that went through the Green Lake area on Saturday June 7th and the bigger storm on Thursday June 12th.  The calls centered around two themes -- is camp okay or do you need help, and will my camp event still take place.
 
First, thank you to each person who kept us in your thoughts and prayers, to all who called to offer help.  Yes, we had incredible amounts of rain on Thursday June 12th -- like nothing I have ever seen before in the 23 years I have lived at camp!  The little creek on the edge of our property is normally a great place for nature exploration and fun for a stream walk on a hot summer day. After the storm the stream was about 10 feet higher than usual!  There is a water monitoring station on White Creek -- on a normal day we would have 10 cubic feet of water per second flowing from this creek into Green Lake.  By dinner after the storm the monitoring station measured 1,270 cubic feet per second flow into the lake from our creek!  The stream overflowed its banks and covered the bridge in more than 3 feet of water!
 
We had some trails wash out, but we have no serious damage.  The bridge over White Creek (on Spring Grove Road) was damaged as were several other county roads, but everything has been repaired and is open.
 
More important than the property damage, none of our guests were injured.  During the two storms we were hosting the Muscular Dystrophy Association summer camp event.  We had about 60 campers here -- many of them in wheel chairs.  We also had another 75 volunteers here (most of these campers require one-on-one assistance).  Everyone survived the storm well.
 
So, for those who wonder if scheduled events over the next few weeks will be taking place, the answer is yes.  We were fortunate in the fact that we experienced very little damage to the camp property.  The only concern which remains from the storm is that of the quality and safety of the lake water.  Millions upon millions of gallons of water flowed off local fields into the lake.  The chemical and bacterial load (pesticides, fertilizers, and other bacteria) in the lake is very high right now --and it is not safe to swim in Green Lake.  We're monitoring the water daily with the following criterion:

1. The chemical safety of the lake.  Our swim area is tested weekly throughout the summer (and it has been for years), so we're watching the test numbers to determine when the water quality is acceptable for swimming and other water-based activities.  The test data from Monday June 16th shows levels which may take quite some time to dissipate, so swimming and boating will be questionable for some time.  I am in regular conversation with the county health department and the Green Lake Sanitary District to gather more data and professional opinions to determine when the water will be safe again.
2. Then there is the issue of all of the trees, stumps, dock parts, boat parts, and other obstructions which washed into the lake during the height of the storm.  Once the chemical safety of the lake has been assessed and cleared, we will remove any obstructions from our swim area.  The Green Lake Sheriff has issued an order that restricts boating on all Green Lake County waterways (streams, rivers, lakes) until further notice.  We'll be in conversation with the sheriff to assess the safety of boating activities before any of our campers or staff are boating.
3. The last issue will be that of any remaining strong currents and the depth of the water in our swim area.  It appears that the currents have moderated significantly, but this factor will be part of the decision making process before we open our waterfront.

As I watch the news I am reminded how minor our damage really is -- and I think of so many others who were impacted by disasters far worse than the once-in-a-lifetime storm we've seen this summer.  In particular I think of those in Iowa who are still under water, and those effected by Katrina who still struggle to recover from the awesome power of moving (and sitting) water.  Thank you for remembering us in your prayers -- and I ask that you remember all whose lives have been disrupted by the many storms across the country.

As for us, we're fine.  Our camps will go on as planned.  We've already gotten creative about activities to replace the swimming, boating, and sailing.  As the days get warmer this will be a greater challenge -- not because we can't do it, but because we'll all be looking at this beautiful lake wishing we could jump into the cool, inviting waters!
 
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks -- hopefully with a weather forecast that provides warm, sunny days which we'll fill with some great memories!

Jeff Puhlmann-Becker
Managing Director
jeff@ucci.org
920-PILGRIM (920-745-4746)

01/17/2008 17:37
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