Celebrating Clear Lake Lutheran Wetlands
January 26, 2022
It’s a story of double stewardship. For many decades, the Clear Lake Lutheran Church (CLLC) has owned and stewarded .6 acres of wetlands on the south shore of Clear Lake between the church buildings on Outer Drive and South Clear Lake Drive. CLLC recently concluded that the wetlands best fit the mission of Clear Lake Land Conservancy and completed the donation of the wetlands to the Conservancy in October, ensuring that the wetlands will remain in good hands now and for the future.
The Conservancy was honored to accept ownership of the wetlands and memorialized the property’s history by naming the preserve “Clear Lake Lutheran Wetlands”. Conservancy President, Karen Horrell commented: “We appreciate the trust of the CLLC congregation in donating these wetlands to us for preservation. We especially recognize and express appreciation to CLLC Board Chair Tim Knoblauch, longtime CLLC land steward Bob Burris and to CLLC Secretary Penny Retcher for their assistance in documenting historical records to enable the transaction closing.”
Clear Lake Lutheran Wetlands is the 17th property protected by the Conservancy, FOREVER, and brought the total acreage preserved to exactly 100 acres! This generous donation continues a strong community partnership between CLLC and the Conservancy to benefit future generations in the Clear Lake Township. While not publicly accessible, the wetlands serve the valuable role of filtering sediment and nutrients from surface and ground water before it enters Clear Lake.