PLDA Policy Regarding the Removal of Downed Trees in the Lake

Reposted from Member Communication on August 2, 2024

Dear Neighbors,

As most of you know, PLDA stepped up to do extraordinary things in the formation of the plan that resulted in our lake being restored.  As the water impoundment date approached, PLDA spent significant proportions of their reserves to remove trees and other debris from the common areas of the lake, uninhabited islands, and more.

The goal at that time was clear.  PLDA wanted the lake to be safer than it had ever been. Without the work they funded, the lake would be much less safe today.

Now, with the lake restored, it is time for PLDA to return to its decades-long mission of preserving and protecting this waterway that is so much a part of all our lives.

Historically, PLDA would work with GBRA and other agencies to remove hazards in the main channel of the lake. These included trees, recreational vehicles, and other hazards that washed down the river until they became lodged in our lake, especially after floods.  

PLDA’s commitment to finding ways to address hazards such as these continues today, and will into the future.

What PLDA has never done as part of its mission, however, was the removal of trees that had fallen into the lake from a resident’s own property.  

Sadly, we know that some property owners have lost trees, sometimes due to the water being gone for nearly five years, and some of those trees now are blocking their own access to the lake.

When PLDA originally took on the task of keeping the waterways and main channels free of floating or stuck trees, the rule of thumb was that if the tree fell from a property into the lake, it was the property owner’s responsibility to remove that tree. 

That continues to be the policy of the Preserve Lake Dunlap Association.

John Ivy, President

Preserve Lake Dunlap Association