Hudson Lake Conservation Association – May 2025 Update
Memorial Day will be here shortly. We give thanks and honor to all those who have sacrificed to keep America free. May we keep them and their families in our hearts and prayers.
Much progress has been made since our last update. Please read all about it below as well as on the HLCA website.
Here are the topics covered:
Amazon Grant!
Membership drive – your support is more important than ever
LARE Grants
Sediment removal (including private dredging)
Lake Levels and Drain Management
Merchandise Available on Website
Volunteer!
Amazon Grant
Woohoo! Our project was awarded funding from the Amazon Open Grant Indiana Fund, supported by Amazon! We have secured our first grant money for our Hudson Lake conservation efforts. We can’t wait to get started and look forward to a great partnership with Amazon! Thanks to ChangeX too! #AWSInCommunities
Membership Drive
Our 2025 membership drive is underway. The suggested contribution is $50 per family, but any amount is appreciated. Besides treating invasive species and dredging, HLCA is looking to lease a USGS lake level measuring device like one that used to be on Hudson Lake years ago. It also provides precipitation, weather and other information that is recognized by legal entities. With the help of membership dues and business support as Amazon has provided, we can take advantage of this state-of-the-art equipment.
Use this link to pay your dues or donate!
A huge thank you to those who have sent in dues and donations!
We invite the rest of you to join in and help us keep Hudson Lake healthy and thriving.
As HLCA continues to extend its dredging efforts and manage the Hudson Lake drain valve, more funds are needed. Any amount you can give towards these important endeavors is appreciated. All donations/dues are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please know that to ease this burden on the community, HLCA will continue to reach out to local businesses to supplement our financial gaps.
LARE Grants
The LARE program awarded a $11,500 grant for which HLCA is responsible for matching this with 20% ($2,300). Since treatment of SSW is capped, our outlay could easily exceed $5,000. A visual survey will be completed in early June and treatment options will be decided and performed shortly thereafter.
Sediment removal (including private dredging)
The sediment removal will resume in early July 2025. The effort can take 4-6 weeks. During this time, the DNR may choose to close the public ramp. The channels being dredged will have barrels denoting the path of pipes for dredging. When the southern channel is dredged, a couple of the barrels will be removed to allow boats to traverse across that stretch of barrels/pipeline to get to the eastern section of Hudson Lake. The southern channel may be closed during that time as well.
There is an opportunity for residents to do private dredging. To accomplish that you need to reach out to our dredger, James Schaedig with Aquatic Hydraulic Dredging LLC, at 989-335-5043 or email thatdredgeguy@gmail.com for an estimate. You will also need to apply for a permit with the DNR. Permits take a while, so urgency in moving forward is highly recommended. Please know, in 2026 HLCA is going to apply for another sediment removal plan which will look at other areas for dredging as the north channel. The dredging grants pay for navigation channels – not private residences. However, a channel may be identified that traverses resident properties. These may or may not alleviate private dredging costs.
Lake Levels and Drain Management
The drain remains closed. Hudson Lake was hovering today around 7 inches above the weir. This is well below the 17+ inch-high we had last May. We need rain! The lake levels are available on the HLCA website via the ToltHawk link.
The Drain Management Agreement between the DNR and HLCA was signed and is in effect. The HLCA drain team will be managing the opening and closing of the drain gate point forward. Besides our website, we now have a phone number for reporting any lake level issues. Please report any lake level issues by calling 219-206-1259 OR report any issue via the HLCA website’s event/status reporting page.
Both will be monitored and responded to as soon as possible.
Merchandise Available on Website
We have some fun Hudson Lake merchandise for you! Travel mugs, coffee mugs, hoodies, hats, and t-shirts. Check it out!
Volunteer!
As you can see, HLCA has a lot of efforts underway and welcomes the community to get involved. We are seeking board members. We work to be efficient by keeping the number of board meetings manageable. Project updates are shared via email. On the whole board members can choose the depth of their involvement with projects. We need individuals who can help lead/guide projects. Most projects and teams have a solid foundation, others could use more detailed planning, oversight and execution.
It takes a village to keep a lake safe, healthy, and enjoyable. Please sign up on our website or send us an email: info@hlcaindiana.com. We’d be happy to discuss the board positions and our projects in more detail as well as answer any of your questions.
Hudson Lake Conservation Association Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (Federal Tax Number 26-2891748). All charitable gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
GOD BLESS AMERICA! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US!
