References: PCLA historic files, and ACOE final deposition report of 1990, Inland Route Project, Michigan.

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1 GLIMPSE OF THE PAST In October of 1963, Articles of Incorporation were filed for the Pickerel and Crooked Lakes Improvement Association, but the heritage of this group reaches back decades prior to that time...*)this defining document marks our official organization birth date. The start of the PCLIA was made necessary by the need to construct a lock between Crooked Lake and the Crooked River to control water levels on our Lakes which had dropped 18 inches on our lakes due to the dredging of the River. The original document was signed by: Cyril (Cy) P. Jordan, John Howard Johnson, Ralph L. Engle and Albert T. Washburne. The Notary was Albert Schaller. The original document included assets of $17, from contributions and dues from members. * Other documents in our records briefly note that the Inland Water Route Improvement Association, Inc. was founded sometime around July, This organization was formed to bring improvement to the navigability of the Water route and to promulgate a general conservation program on said waters and lands bordering the following waterways: Pickerel Lake, Pickerel Channel, Crooked Lake, Crooked river, Burt lake, Indian River, Mullet Lake, Cheboygan River (including locks), and that portion of Lake Huron between the mouth of the Cheboygan River and the Harbor of Mackinaw Island. The original signers were: Robert C. Graham, Conway; Ralph Engle, Oden; Herman W. Kayes, Petoskey; Charles T. Lathers, Brutus; J.J. Harrington, Indian River; and Steve J. Majestic, Cheboygan. Other documents indicated that Charles Chick Lathers was the first President, and A. J. Washburne, an attorney and probably responsible for the legal work. The Chamber of Commerce in Petoskey was listed as the address of record and the First State Bank of Petoskey was the depository. Other original members from the area were: Wendell Loveless, Herman Meyer, Andrew Kan, Clare C. Cook, Glenn S. Bain, George Batasakis, Fred Gilman, Edward Dean, John H. Perry, Louis Fochtman, Clarence Leismer, Fred Gilman, Charles Bailey, Robert Card. Evan Price from the Petoskey Chamber of Commerce was Secretary. ** * Audrey McMullen, writer, summer 2012 ** Files from A. J. Washurne and provided by Lorraine Washburne, Spring 2011

2 GLIMPSE OF THE PAST The Crooked River Lock, Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Association History The Crooked River Lock was opened in 1968 and serves to control the water levels in our local watershed and the river below the locks. While mother nature and mechanical failures continue to throw ever changing challenges to this Army Corp Of Engineers lock, dam and weir the structure has served us very faithfully for the last 46 years. The Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Improvement Association was formed in 1963 to convince the government that the dredging of the Crooked River by the Army Corps Of Engineers had drained our lakes, altering our shorelines, making our docks useless and reducing navigability. The PCLIA's efforts were successful legislatively, and the design and funding for the locks was initiated with the ACOE. The PCLIA raised $17, for local matching funds and arranged to purchase the property, on both sides of the river, from Ray and Charlotte Bechtel for the sum of $1.00. Eventually this $1.00 purchase price transferred the property to the United State of America. The project cost was estimated to be $323,000.00, and the PCLIA was asked for an additional $9, for matching funds. In 1969 the lock was opened and in the first season 9,151vessels passed through the locks. The lock construction reduced the previous channel width from 30 feet to 17 1/2 feet. The Lock is constructed of concrete and steel sheet piling with stone back filling and is a single chamber that is 66 feet long. The water level is controlled by the synchronized opening and closing of the two metal clam shell tainter gates. The gates are mechanically operated with electric controls, and will lower craft from the current level of Crooked lake (approximately above sea level) to the level of the river (approximately one to two feet), and allows for vessel navigation up or down the river. The weir is 85 feet long and connects the lock structure to a stone dike on the East side of the river. A 15 foot section of the weir normally controls the river flow with an elevation at feet and allows fish to migrate up/down the river. The water level in the lock is 7 feet and is capable of locking multiple boats in a single operation. The environmental specifications allows for impacts on fish and wildlife, benthos(lake bottom organisms), water quality, water supply, wetlands, hydrology, noise or aesthetics. The lock is operated seasonally and the ACOE sets the specifications for water levels. The operations and funding of the locks was originally the responsibility of the ACOE, however the annual funding has had a storied history with various government entities sharing the costs (i.e. ACOE, Village of Alanson, the DNR and Emmet County). Today, Emmet County is responsible for the operations, and the ACOE remains the owner for capital repairs; and environmental and navigation policy (due to the Inland waterways connection to the Great Lakes). The PCLA is a member of the Crooked River Consortium, which includes the ACOE, the DNR, Emmet County, the Little Traverse Band of Odawa, the Village of Alanson and the governments of the four townships that have shoreline on the two lakes. The Consortium will continue in an advisory role to the current entity charged with operating the Crooked River Lock. References: PCLA historic files, and ACOE final deposition report of 1990, Inland Route Project, Michigan. January, 2013

3 The Reid Berney Walleye Raising Pond ** Today the Reid Pond is a 17 acre parcel of land located in a small valley just off of Rotter Road in Tuscarora Township in Cheboygan County, and is owned by the State Of Michigan and operated by The Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division. The Reid Pond is used by the MDNR to receive Walleye Fry, which are less than 1/2 inch in size and have recently been hatched from eggs at a MDNR hatchery. The new fry are then placed in the conditioned waters of the Pond and kept there for six to eight weeks, or until they reach 1-2 inches long. They are then collected and then released into Lakes of Northern Michigan according to a plan established by the Fisheries Division. The Reid Berney Pond, named in 1993, after a long time Fisheries Division employee who was very active with the Northern Michigan Walleye Association, The Pond was previously known as the Pickerel-Crooked Lake Walleye Pond. During the early 70's the Association Board and many of its active fishing members felt that our Lakes would benefit from stocking of walleye and rainbow trout. Their discussions led to the fisheries division, who encouraged them to develop a pond and become part of their stocking program. Leonard and Sarah Barney learned of the Association's interest and offered their existing Pond. In August of 1974 the PCLIA (Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Improvement Association) leased 5 acres of their property to construct a 300 foot earthen dam with a 1-3 acre pond that would fill naturally with the winter runoff. The lease was for 10 years at $10.00 per year. The PCLIA, at the same time agreed to a cooperative walleye rearing program with the MDNR, who provided funding to pay for the excavation and building of the pond. The PCLIA bid out the work, and a contract was awarded to Ginop Construction for $11, The Groundbreaking ceremony was October 5, Documents were signed by Wm.S. Conway, President and Charles E. Fay, Director. The walleye pond was managed by a committee of the PCLIA with Charles Fry, the Barney's and many volunteers helping. During these years, many frustrations occurred and some successes, as the Association worked to find the correct formulas for preparing the pond, filling the pond, reducing predators and keeping conditions optimum for the fry in their vulnerable early life. Eventually the committee decided not to pursue rearing of rainbow trout and focus only on walleye as the fish of choice for our lakes. In the summer of 1980, the Barney's decided to sell the property and the PCLIA offered to purchase the pond. They had a 17 acre portion appraised, and in April of 1981 entered into a land contract with the Barney's for $10,000 with $3, down, and payment of $1, every six months for four years. The contract was signed by PCLA president, Margie Graham and Director, Jamie Martin. Past President, Robert Meyer was instrumental in the arrangements. In the summer of 1991, the Association began discussions with the MDNR to gift the property to the State, and to enter into a more extensive cooperative agreement between the PCLIA and the MDNR. Eventually, after much difficult discussions pertaining to the language regarding stocking levels, lake prescriptions and reverter clauses, the PCLA (name changed from PCLIA) and the State of Michigan signed the quit claim deed on September 16, Page 1 of 5

4 The document was signed by PCLA President, David K. Williams and Jamie M. Martin, Secretary-Treasurer. The details of the Quit Claim Conditions are as follows: As part consideration for this deed, the tract is to be used for fish rearing to stock nearby lakes, including but not limited to, Crooked and Pickerel Lakes, Emmet County, Michigan. The stocking shall be conducted in accordance with the numbers and priorities set forth in the currently approved stocking plan, as may be amended. The tract shall revert to the Pickerel- Crooked Lakes Association if it is no longer used by the Department of Natural Resources for fish rearing purposes as herein described, for three consecutive years. At the time of the sale, fish prescriptions for Pickerel-Crooked lakes called for Crooked Lake to receive 50,000 fry and Pickerel Lake to receive 25,000 fry every two years. In 1992, no fry survived, and the MDNR decided to install electricity and a well on the pond property; and the size of the pond was expanded to 3 1/2 acres for better productivity. From this time on until 2007 when the MDNR stopped Statewide stocking of walleye, due the VHS virus that was attacking walleyes and the threat of transmission thru brood stock eggs, the MDNR Fisheries Division have consistently provided Walleye fingerlings to Northern Michigan. Records show that our Lakes received 150,000 fry in 2005 and 91,000 fry in The PCLA Board in 2007 granted the MDNR an annual exception to the 3 year reverter clause until the VHS virus threat was contained and stocking could be started again. In a fail proof test was developed for detecting VHS in brood stock eggs, and in 2011 stocking programs were re-started in the State. In 2011 the Reid Pond was unproductive due to frog populations eating the fry, and adjustments were made to the off season preparations of the pond bottom. In 2012 a substantial number of fry were successfully harvested and distributed. The MDNR has chosen to stock these fry in Lakes of Northern Michigan, other than Pickerel and Crooked Lakes, as these lakes have less/or no walleye and have a higher likelihood of fingerlings survival. Their assessment of our Lakes is that our two lakes have a large population of naturally breeding walleye, and that available food and the presence of predator fish will not allow for successful stocking. In 2010 a Northern Lakes Citizens Advisory Committee was formed and composed of The Northern Walleye Association, the MDNR, The Little Traverse Band of Odawa, Michigan State University, PCLA, Burt Lake and Mullet Lake Associations and others to monitor and provide data for a complete study of walleye populations, migration and habits on the Inland Waterway. This study will take 3-4 years to complete, and at that time, this data will assist the MDNR in providing new Prescriptions for walleye populations in Northern Michigan in (current lake fish prescriptions expire in 2014). Early results of the population assessments appear to show that we average two adult walleye per acre on each of our lakes and that these walleye are from natural occurring stock. The walleye are smaller in size than Walleye on Burt Lake, and it is believed that this may be due to the lack of food supplies and the warming of our waters. The PCLA Board will continue to monitor the survey activities closely, and hold the MDNR accountable to the results and the conditions of our Quit Claim Deed for the Reid Berney Pond. ** All information taken from PCLA files and documents, and available for verification and copy Contact Dudley Marvin, PCLA Page 2 of 5

5 Please take a look at the pictures that follow. Page 3 of 5

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