The drought is draining the White Mountain Lakes.
But at least the recreation area, administered by the Navajo County Board of Supervisors, will save some money as the lake on the outskirts of Show Low, valued by residents and visitors, dwindles.
It’s safe to say that the shallow lake shrinking due to an agreement with the Silver Creek Irrigation District is unlikely to do much to appease local residents who complained about the new Lake Director’s services over the past year.
The board of directors hired recreation advisor Mark Hornberger for an annual salary of $ 40,000 a year to run the lake in hopes of reducing complaints from some residents about the recent manager.
The small man-made lake provides a valued amenity for homeowners whose properties come with fees to operate the lake, which is usually large enough for swimming, fishing, and small boat use. The lake gets its water from the irrigation area.
The lake is based on an agreement with the irrigation district. This agreement requires homeowners to pay $ 5,000 per month for the water, but it includes a clause that provides for a reduction in payment if the lake level drops below 24 feet.
Last year the lake was 34 meters deep at this time. But demand from other irrigation customers in the midst of one of the worst droughts in 1,000 years has caused the lake level to drop to 25 feet, Hornberger told the board of directors on Tuesday.
Hornberger met with the irrigation district and negotiated a 24% reduction in payment for each foot below the contracted 24 feet. This will likely begin saving the district money this month or next, unless monsoon rains replenish the irrigation district’s overused supplies.
The superiors quickly approved the agreement. “Thank you for your work in this area – and the partnership that is there,” said Supervisor Jason Whiting, whose district also includes the unincorporated community. “I know the irrigation area needs the water, but they try to be considerate of the water withdrawal to keep the water level as high as possible.”
CEO Daryl Seymore said, “I’m impressed with the things that are going on over there.”
At an earlier meeting, the board of directors extended Hornberger’s contract for another year. The board of directors at Tuesday’s meeting did not mention the confusion among some residents about the renewal.
Hornberg got the management contract a year ago and said he and his wife would share the duties of lake management – although he said he probably wouldn’t be on site on Saturdays, the busiest day of the week for the lake – full to the brim with boats , Swimmers and anglers in summer. The district is hiring temporary patrol personnel in the summer.
The board of directors oversees the recreation area that was created along with the subdivision surrounding it. The previous part-time manager received a significantly lower salary and some residents complained that they could not obtain sufficient information from the district or the previous manager about projects and problems on the lake. The board hoped that the new manager, with half a full-time salary and years of experience in leisure management, could reassure the resident to give superiors peace of mind from the complaints.
Hornberger listed changes in maritime management in his year-end summary, many of which related to newsletters, the creation of a Facebook page, holding virtual meetings during the pandemic, website improvement, a community bulletin board, more signage, updated office software, creation a district logo and container for donated life jackets to be used by guests, in-house payroll instead of relying on the county, and the development of new parcel maps.
Hornberger said he is also working on developing a work plan for the district, improving accounting and credit card payment systems, repairing boat docks and adding new boat docks to existing docks. The district is also considering expanding boat ramps, which become unusable when the water level is low and the mooring is wet, so that boat owners who cannot slip at the dock can swim or paddle to their offshore anchored boats. Other projects on the to-do list are kayak rentals, concession contracts, more gravel for parking spaces and other improvements – hoped for but not yet implemented.
However, a handful of residents wrote very critical letters and asked the board of directors not to renew the contract.
Jessica DeLaney, the event coordinator for the White Mountain Community Association, said she has received “tons of complaints” that Hornberger is rarely at the lake – especially on busy summer weekends. She said the bins were overflowing and the beaches were littered. The beach is also full of thorny cockles, she said. She claimed that Hornburg was difficult to reach and that his contact with residents was sporadic.
Steve Fishman also complained that Hornberg was not at the lake often enough to ensure proper supervision. He also complained that buoys with rusted chains had loosened and drifted across the lake – as had a dock. An abandoned pedal boat drifted around on the lake for weeks, claimed Fishman – also because Hornberg no longer makes regular sea patrols. He said that when Hornberg got the contract, he had promised his wife to provide cover when he was not at the lake – but now his wife rarely shows up at the lake. Fishman also complained that Hornberger did not set up promised advisory committees with local residents.
“The bins have overflowed, the landscaping is neglected dead trees and bushes, the docks need attention, the beach has rocks all over the place that are a safety hazard and I don’t know if you arranged a shipment of beach sand to replenish the beach erosion” Fishman wrote in a letter to the Independent.
Several other letters to regulators and the Independent made similar complaints.
Peter Aleshire covers county government and other issues for the Independent. He is the former editor of the Payson Roundup. Reach out to him at [email protected]
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