Eagle Lake residents continue to complain that parking on the DNR property slated as a boat launch parking area is creating problems so the DNR has responded with a plan for the holiday weekend.

The announcement, made by Parks and Recreation District Manager Rollie Johnson, states the following:

The Parks and Recreation Division (PRD) anticipates that the Eagle Lake property will require additional attention over this coming holiday weekend in order to maintain reasonable use by the public.

To that end PRD will provide staffing of the site for ten hours each day on Friday July 3 Saturday July 4, and Sunday July 5. Staff will allow orderly temporary parking on the property to reasonably accommodate boaters and guests. Staff will document the use of the site for future planning purposes (taking photographs and talking with visitors).

The process to achieve a public Boating Access Site (BAS) on Eagle Lake has been an arduous one. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is very committed to providing a safe and pleasing public BAS at Eagle Lake, and as the DNR works through the process the public will be provided with reasonable access to the public land. The staffing of the property during peak use times over the upcoming holiday is a reasonable step to bridge the gap while the site is awaiting construction.

Members of the Eagle Lake Improvement Association, its legal team and township officials claim that the parking area is creating traffic hazards and being misused.

Posting a DNR “guard” at the parking area could be a good thing despite the needless expense. Perhaps the staffer will report back to supervisors that the problems described by lakers have been overblown and that many of the on-water issues are created by those who live on the lake.

The truth is, some lake residents will continue to find any and every cockamamie reason to complain with hopes of thwarting further development of the site. Frankly, completion of the development will improve safety and traffic flow on and around the lake and resolve the issues they are raising.

The site plans calls for a limited number of parking areas and easier access to a new boat launch that would be built across the road from it. As it stands now, boaters must use the old access to the south of the parking area which could create traffic issues far greater than the proposed development.

While the DNR insists the site will be developed, weíre made uneasy by the way the agency continues to drag its feet and placate those opponents of the site. Lake residents continue to spend thousands of dollars in attorney fees to fight the access and the DNR is spinning its wheels with frivolous complaints rather than moving forward with the development that insures a safer, more practical site.

Despite this frustration, we recommend anglers be respectful when visiting the lake, not block traffic any more than needed to launch their rigs and avoid parking their tow vehicle/trailers haphazardly on the state land.

Tournament officials should take additional steps to coordinate orderly launching and loading of boats and that empty trailers are parked in an orderly manner on the DNR site.