Avoiding and minimizing a weed crisis in our lake (and any lake)

At our June 2021 annual Cordley Lake Association meeting, it was recommended that we make immediate changes on our shoreline to help slow the weed growth in our lake. The more we are willing to make some changes, the more we can safeguard our lake enjoyment and slow down the life cycle of the lake. We want to avoid severe problems like the “NO Swim Advisory” that was issued earlier this year on the Portage Chain of Lakes due to toxic algae bloom . Go to the tab Shoreline Options to read more about how you can easily help by just not mowing as much grass, especially by the shoreline.

About Cordley Lake

Located in Hamburg Township of Pinckney, Michigan south of M36 and east of Whitewood, Cordley Lake is designated as a "no-wake" lake. This means that when you are on the lake, you must go "the slowest speed at which it is still possible to maintain steering and which does not create a wake".*  By using only electric motors and avoiding fertilizer, even non-phosphorous fertilizers as recommended by the State of Michigan, we are able to keep a very high level of water quality.  Cordley Lake is not connected to the chain of lakes which helps to keep it clean and lovely for swimming and fishing.   

There is no public access on Cordley Lake which means that there are never very many people on the lake. Only members of the Cordley Lake Association and their guests have lake access. There are 2 active neighborhood associations (White Lodge, and Cedar Beach Associations), a third neighborhood called Cordley Lake Bluffs, Varsity Day Camp, and a few individual homes in the Cordley Lake Association. Click here for a detailed map. If you are new to Cordley Lake, click here to learn about Next Door and how we communicate within our neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods.

Because there are over 180 invasive species in the Great Lakes, we are very careful about what we put into the water.  For example, it only takes a teaspoon or less of water to transport a zebra mussel. We don't have zebra mussels and we definitely don't want them! Therefore, we follow Michigan's Clean, Drain, Dry policy for any visiting watercraft (floaties, boats, kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddle boards...)  Click here for a video which goes into more about that.

For History about White Lodge which includes a lot about Cordley Lake, click here.

If you have questions, email info @ CordleyLake.org - remove all the spaces between info, the @, and CordleyLake.org to email. Spaces were not used to discourage spam.

* Per page 37 of the Handbook of Michigan Boating Laws and Responsibilities