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July 30, 2025
Dear Friends of the Higgins Lake Land Conservancy:
The time has come, once again, to celebrate the beauty of Higgins Lake with the Higgins Lake Land Conservancy (HLLC) Annual BBQ. We ask you to be our guest and join us for roast pig and chicken, potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, refreshments and live music at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 22nd, 2025 at Birch Lodge (8122 W Higgins Lake Dr.). Please return the RSVP card enclosed with this mailing to help plan the event. There is no charge for this fine evening and dinner on the shore of Higgins Lake. This event is the largest fundraiser that is sponsored by HLLC, and we hope you will join us. All donations are tax deductible.
Following are several updates and articles concerning the challenges and opportunities we all have to help protect and conserve the lake and surrounding area. Especially alarming is the rise of short-term rentals that threatens to upset the very fabric of residential lake living on our beautiful lake.
Higgins Lake Land Conservancy Short Term Rentals Position Statement
By Jack Cornell
The proliferation of short-term-rentals (“STRs) nationally, within the state of Michigan, and most importantly to us, on Higgins Lake, has been alarming. The commercialization of quiet, residential Higgins Lake neighborhoods, by allowing short-term rentals, has the potential to forever change the character of this beautiful lake; a lake that has been enjoyed by generations of families. Neither investors, who purchase properties for the sole purpose of creating rental income, nor their renters, appreciate the fragile ecosystem they occupy. Indeed, the controversy generated by VRBO style operations has spawned litigation throughout the State of Michigan. State regulation of STRs seems unlikely as many attempts to do so have failed. It is not unreasonable to conclude that STRs are currently the single most litigated real estate issue in Michigan.
The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy (HLLC) appreciates that both Lyon and Gerrish Townships are sensitive to the topic and are willing to fill the regulatory void with local ordinances. That said, HLLC urges both townships to proceed cautiously and with an eye toward strongly protecting the rights of land owners living adjacent to STR operations as well as the ecosystem of the Higgins Lake Watershed. With that objective in mind, HLLC has the following recommendations regarding the permitting and regulation of STRs.
First and foremost, the HLLC proposes that Gerrish and Lyon Townships limit the number of STRs. Moreover, the townships need to take an accurate census of the number of STRs already in existence and should carefully consider the capacity each township has for a total number of permitted STRs. There are already a large number of properties operating as STRs. Those properties will likely claim they may continue to operate as a legal nonconforming use. In other words, given the number of STRs that are likely legal nonconforming, it may well be that there are already too many STRs at Higgins Lake.
Secondly, the HLLC proposes that lakefront STR’s should be restricted to two weeks of rental per season. We understand the financial need for some property owners to generate rental income so as to allow the payment of property taxes and maintenance. However, unlimited, season long renting leads to the commercialization of residential properties and the degradation of both the quality of the lake and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Thirdly, the townships should require that only residents of the Roscommon County be allowed to own and operate an STR. This condition would ensure that the owner is reasonably present to correct the bad behavior of his/her tenants. Heirs of STR properties could be exempt from this condition.
The HLLC recommends that the townships regulate the allowed STRs in a manner consistent with the health, safety and welfare of its citizenry as well as the overall health of the ecosystem. There should be occupancy limits, quiet hour limitations and limits on the number of vehicles and watercraft located on the premises of the STR at any one time. The regulatory ordinances should also make it clear that where private land use restrictions prohibit commercial activities or rental of premises, that the ordinance is subordinate to the private deed restriction. Of particular concern is restricting occupancy numbers to conform to the capacity of the on-site septic systems. Perhaps a periodic inspection program should be considered.
The HLLC also proposes that the townships require an annual license to operate a short-term rental property. A reasonable permit application fee should be assessed. The funds generated by the application fees should be used by the townships to enforce the various elements of the ordinances and to conduct annual inspections of the rental properties, including inspection of on-site wastewater systems. The dollar amount of the application fee should be established with the goal of fully funding the inspection program.
As has been acknowledged in Michigan state-wide, short-term rentals create multiple unintended problems that often disturb neighborhoods zoned single family residential (R-1). While these issues may in the future be addressed by the state legislature, the HLLC believes that these problems must be currently addressed and regulated at the township level.
Higgins Lake Control Structure Update
By Robert Frye
Recorded in the November 5 and November 19, 2014 minutes of the Roscommon County Commissioners meetings are references to a DNR fish biologist who recommended removing rocks from the Higgins Lake Dam spillway for more fish passage. Following the recommendation, the
Commissioners passed a motion to remove the rocks. Subsequently the rocks were removed by the Roscommon County Sheriff's dive team. There was never any formal permit request made to the State to alter the dam by removing the rocks. The rock removal has caused the dam's spillway to erode and a trough has deepened to the point that the current flow rate at the legal level is now 75% greater than in 2013.
Over the last several years, the Higgins Lake Land Conservancy has donated $6500 to the Roscommon County Board of Commissioners and $5,800 to the engineering company Prein and Newhof to help fund a permit application to restore the rocks that were wrongfully removed. Unfortunately, both the original application for the permit and the follow-up application were denied by EGLE.
Since January 2025 there has been a lot of back and forth between the Commissioners and EGLE regarding the hoops to go through for the application approval, including a CAD drawing, models and changing the type of permit requested. Roscommon County Commissioner Chair Darlene Sensor is hopeful that by the middle of August the 3rd application for the permit to put the rocks back in the spillway will be approved.
New Board Member Stu Cole
The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy welcomes Stu Colie to the board of directors. Stu was born and raised on Barnegat Bay, New Jersey and has been an avid sailor his entire life. Stu's parents and grandparents (Stu's Grandfather was inducted into the USA Sailing Hall of Fame and Stu is a past National Champion Dingy sailor) being sailors themselves, instilled in him a respect and sense of stewardship for the waters they recreated upon — much like another home. Like Barnegat Bay, Stu, a resident of Higgins Lake for the past 9 years, has a sense of “home” when upon the waters of Higgins Lake, and the respect and sense of stewardship that follows. Welcome aboard Stu!
Let’s Get Wild At The Lake – For Cleaner Water
By Stu Colie
‘Getting wild’ sounds like a lot of effort, but it’s quite the opposite. I’m talking about allowing the shoreline vegetation to flourish. Its simple: roots of vegetation, especially trees, filter water before it makes its way into the lake. Trees and their roots can filter as much as 60% of nitrogen, 40% of phosphorus and nearly half of sediment in runoff from yards and roads. A single mature oak tree can absorb over 40,000 gallons of water (and its contaminants) per year! Not only do trees make a difference, but any wild vegetation near the shoreline that is left to flourish (without mowing) will grow deeper roots, reducing erosion and adding to the water-filtering effect. And let us not forget that trees begin as sprouts and seedlings before growing into saplings. If the shoreline is continually mowed, saplings will not exist to grow into the big beautiful mature trees that make Higgins Lake so majestic. As if anyone needed any further reward than cleaner water for having a “no-mow zone” (or “filter strip”) to exist at the shoreline, I promise you that you will be delivered some happy surprises from your no-mow zone; maybe mint, or wildflowers, or wintergreen berries, or milkweed (and with it monarch butterflies).
“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” -Anonymous Greek proverb
Monitoring Nutrient levels in Higgins Lake and Houghton Lake
By Don Mick
The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy is in its fourth year of monitoring nutrient levels in Higgins Lake and Houghton Lake. Water samples are taken in the lake at the mouth of the Cut River on Higgins and at the mouth of the Muskegon River for Houghton Lake.
Quarterly samples are taken that test for E. Coli bacteria, nitrates and phosphates. The most recent samples showed E. Coli levels at 8.4 cfu/100ml, Phosphates at .001 mg/l and nitrates at a ‘non-detect’ level. These results are consistent with results from previous testing done over the past four years.
The HLLC intends to continue this monitoring and potentially to support additional testing to help avoid eutrophication of Higgins Lake.
Swimmer's Itch Update
By Greg Semak
The Higgins Lake Swimmer's Itch Organization has made great progress in reducing Swimmer's Itch over the past decade. Unfortunately, the US Fish and Wildlife has suspended our Merganser Relocation program for 2025, which is a key piece of our efforts to reduce SI. We are also aware there are at least a couple Merganser broods on the lake. We are talking to the DNR, US Fish & Wildlife (USFW), as well as our state legislators in hopes of better news. However, the DNR/US Fish and Wildlife have been largely unresponsive and our efforts with government representatives will take time. Please know, we are still doing everything possible to be able to control SI on Higgins Lake this season!
Over the past few years, we conducted the Higgins Lake Water Exposure Study. We are gathering valuable insights allowing us to track Swimmer's Itch outbreaks and better manage their occurrence. So... what can you do? Participate in our survey! We need more volunteers in 2025. First, sign up for the study at (https://forms.gle/SkuHfzymrxQnNXZD6). Then, after your time in the water, we kindly ask that you please fill out a short survey at (https://forms.gle/RSRfPVptroXVJ56J9)
Please consider being a part of the HLSIO fundraising dinner on Thursday, August 14th. Tickets are for sale, reach out to Greg Semack at [email protected], or [email protected].
A Call to Protect the Land Around Higgins Lake
By Elizabeth Cornell
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors—we borrow it from our children."
Tucked in the heart of Northern Michigan, Higgins Lake is one of the state’s most beloved natural treasures. With its clear, deep waters and forested shoreline, the lake has offered generations a place of peace, recreation, and reflection. Yet today, this fragile ecosystem faces growing pressure from development, pollution, and climate change.
The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy was founded to protect the land, water, and wildlife that make this area so special. We believe the time to act is now—and we are reaching out to those who love this place as deeply as we do.
Healthy land means a healthy lake.
• Forests and wetlands filter water, keeping it clean.
• Native plants prevent erosion and protect the shoreline.
• Open space provides critical habitat for wildlife. But these natural functions are at risk. Every year, undeveloped land around Higgins Lake disappears—replaced by roads, buildings, and runoff that slowly degrade water quality and fragment habitats.
Once land is lost, it’s gone forever. How You Can Help. We are actively seeking:
• Land donations
• Conservation easements
• Partnerships with private landowners
Whether your property is large or small, wooded or open, it may qualify for permanent protection. Ways to conserve land include:
• Land Donation – Transfer ownership for full protection and potential tax benefits.
• Conservation Easement – Retain ownership while ensuring your land is never developed.
• Bequest – Leave your land to conservation in your will.
• Bargain Sale – Sell your land below market value as a partial donation.
These options often come with financial advantages, such as charitable tax deductions and reduced estate taxes.
A Legacy of Preservation
Your land tells a story of family, nature, peace. Protecting it means your legacy becomes part of a larger promise: to ensure future generations can experience the same Higgins Lake you’ve known and loved.
When you conserve your land with us, we support you every step of the way, with transparency, legal clarity, and deep gratitude.
Let’s Protect What We Love While We Still Can
If you own land, or know someone who does, near Higgins Lake and are curious about how to protect it, we invite you to contact us. Even a simple conversation could lead to something lasting and extraordinary.
Let’s work together to preserve Higgins Lake’s beauty, integrity, and wild places—forever.
Contact Us: Higgins Lake Land Conservancy c/o Elizabeth Cornell PO Box 60, Higgins Lake MI 48627
Phone: 773 636 1680
Email: [email protected]
Website: HigginsLakeLandConservancy.com
A Case For Local Regulation Of On-Site Wastewater
By William Carey
A substantial portion of the watershed of Higgins Lake is comprised of residential homes. Nearly all of these homes utilize various types of on-site wastewater disposal (OSWWD) systems. These systems are
more commonly referred to as septic tanks and drain fields. Some of the OSWWD systems are quite primitive and inefficient. Others are modern and well-maintained. Most fall somewhere in between.
A modern, well-maintained OSWWD system is fairly efficient at preventing so-called grey water from entering the soils of the Higgins Lake watershed, and ultimately, the waters of Higgins Lake. On the other hand, a primitive system, or a poorly maintained modern system, is likely a common source of pollution to the lake. To avoid allowing wastewater from entering the waters of Higgins Lake, it is imperative that all improved parcels of land play host to a well-maintained OSWWD system. Accordingly, the public has a significant interest in ensuring that all watershed landowners keep their systems up-to-date and functioning properly.
The State of Michigan currently does not have a statewide septic code. While a statewide regulatory scheme has been given consideration by the Michigan legislature, there seems to be little appetite by the legislature to make a serious effort to enact a statewide set of regulations. This circumstance then leaves responsibility for developing and implementing inspection and enforcement codes of OSWWD systems to the local units of government. For Higgins Lake, this means Gerrish Township and Lyon Township.
Many local units of government throughout Michigan have implemented local ordinances regulating septic systems. Traverse City and Elk Rapids are two regional examples of local governments recognizing their responsibility to protect natural resources from waste water contamination. Both Gerrish Township and Lyon Township have shown interest in regulating the proper maintenance and use of OSWWD systems; however, at this time, neither township has enacted an ordinance. The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy (HLLC) is advocating for the townships to prioritize promulgation of an OSWWD system inspection ordinance. The waters of Higgins Lake deserve immediate attention.
Most local units of government, including Traverse City, have adopted a so-called “point-of-sale” (POS) inspection requirement. This POS inspection requires that a septic tank and drain field be inspected upon transfer of the property. The POS style ordinance mandates necessary upgrades or repairs prior to a transfer of title occurring.
Rather than a POS style ordinance, HLLC is advocating for an inspection ordinance that requires inspection of a system every 3-5 years, regardless of whether a change in ownership has occurred. The reason HLLC supports periodic inspection is that there are many properties in the watershed of Higgins Lake that have not changed hands for decades. A POS ordinance is ineffective in a geographic area where long-term ownership of property is common.
A periodic inspection ordinance would assess the system’s operational status and ensure it is functioning correctly, thereby preventing, or greatly reducing, potential environmental or health problems. The ordinance should outline the inspection process, the scope of the inspection, and determine what actions are required if a system is found to be failing. The cost of the inspection, and any remedial actions, should be borne by the owner of the system. Additional triggering events could include an obvious failure of a system in-between inspection time frames.
Many jurisdictions outside of Michigan, including Minnesota and Wisconsin, have adopted periodic inspection ordinances. Gerrish Township and Lyon Township should look to these out-of-state jurisdictions for a model ordinance and regulatory process.
When properly maintained, an OSWWD system is highly effective to prevent waste water contamination of a watershed. The cost for proper maintenance and inspection is placed—as it should be—on the landowner who owns the system. Enactment and enforcement of an OSWWD system ordinance can be revenue neutral for the local unit of government if done properly.
Action is needed now. Regulation of OSWWD systems is cost effective and will greatly reduce waste water from entering Higgins Lake. The enactment of an ordinance regulating septic systems does not require the creation of a multi-million-dollar special assessment district. Each landowner pays his or her own way, with the local townships shepherding the process. Let’s go.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Higgins Lake Land Conservancy Annual BBQ. at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 22nd, 2025, at Birch Lodge.
Dear Friends of the Higgins Lake Land Conservancy:
The time has come, once again, to celebrate the beauty of Higgins Lake with the Higgins Lake Land Conservancy (HLLC) Annual BBQ. We ask you to be our guest and join us for roast pig and chicken, potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, refreshments and live music at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 22nd, 2025 at Birch Lodge (8122 W Higgins Lake Dr.). Please return the RSVP card enclosed with this mailing to help plan the event. There is no charge for this fine evening and dinner on the shore of Higgins Lake. This event is the largest fundraiser that is sponsored by HLLC, and we hope you will join us. All donations are tax deductible.
Following are several updates and articles concerning the challenges and opportunities we all have to help protect and conserve the lake and surrounding area. Especially alarming is the rise of short-term rentals that threatens to upset the very fabric of residential lake living on our beautiful lake.
Higgins Lake Land Conservancy Short Term Rentals Position Statement
By Jack Cornell
The proliferation of short-term-rentals (“STRs) nationally, within the state of Michigan, and most importantly to us, on Higgins Lake, has been alarming. The commercialization of quiet, residential Higgins Lake neighborhoods, by allowing short-term rentals, has the potential to forever change the character of this beautiful lake; a lake that has been enjoyed by generations of families. Neither investors, who purchase properties for the sole purpose of creating rental income, nor their renters, appreciate the fragile ecosystem they occupy. Indeed, the controversy generated by VRBO style operations has spawned litigation throughout the State of Michigan. State regulation of STRs seems unlikely as many attempts to do so have failed. It is not unreasonable to conclude that STRs are currently the single most litigated real estate issue in Michigan.
The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy (HLLC) appreciates that both Lyon and Gerrish Townships are sensitive to the topic and are willing to fill the regulatory void with local ordinances. That said, HLLC urges both townships to proceed cautiously and with an eye toward strongly protecting the rights of land owners living adjacent to STR operations as well as the ecosystem of the Higgins Lake Watershed. With that objective in mind, HLLC has the following recommendations regarding the permitting and regulation of STRs.
First and foremost, the HLLC proposes that Gerrish and Lyon Townships limit the number of STRs. Moreover, the townships need to take an accurate census of the number of STRs already in existence and should carefully consider the capacity each township has for a total number of permitted STRs. There are already a large number of properties operating as STRs. Those properties will likely claim they may continue to operate as a legal nonconforming use. In other words, given the number of STRs that are likely legal nonconforming, it may well be that there are already too many STRs at Higgins Lake.
Secondly, the HLLC proposes that lakefront STR’s should be restricted to two weeks of rental per season. We understand the financial need for some property owners to generate rental income so as to allow the payment of property taxes and maintenance. However, unlimited, season long renting leads to the commercialization of residential properties and the degradation of both the quality of the lake and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Thirdly, the townships should require that only residents of the Roscommon County be allowed to own and operate an STR. This condition would ensure that the owner is reasonably present to correct the bad behavior of his/her tenants. Heirs of STR properties could be exempt from this condition.
The HLLC recommends that the townships regulate the allowed STRs in a manner consistent with the health, safety and welfare of its citizenry as well as the overall health of the ecosystem. There should be occupancy limits, quiet hour limitations and limits on the number of vehicles and watercraft located on the premises of the STR at any one time. The regulatory ordinances should also make it clear that where private land use restrictions prohibit commercial activities or rental of premises, that the ordinance is subordinate to the private deed restriction. Of particular concern is restricting occupancy numbers to conform to the capacity of the on-site septic systems. Perhaps a periodic inspection program should be considered.
The HLLC also proposes that the townships require an annual license to operate a short-term rental property. A reasonable permit application fee should be assessed. The funds generated by the application fees should be used by the townships to enforce the various elements of the ordinances and to conduct annual inspections of the rental properties, including inspection of on-site wastewater systems. The dollar amount of the application fee should be established with the goal of fully funding the inspection program.
As has been acknowledged in Michigan state-wide, short-term rentals create multiple unintended problems that often disturb neighborhoods zoned single family residential (R-1). While these issues may in the future be addressed by the state legislature, the HLLC believes that these problems must be currently addressed and regulated at the township level.
Higgins Lake Control Structure Update
By Robert Frye
Recorded in the November 5 and November 19, 2014 minutes of the Roscommon County Commissioners meetings are references to a DNR fish biologist who recommended removing rocks from the Higgins Lake Dam spillway for more fish passage. Following the recommendation, the
Commissioners passed a motion to remove the rocks. Subsequently the rocks were removed by the Roscommon County Sheriff's dive team. There was never any formal permit request made to the State to alter the dam by removing the rocks. The rock removal has caused the dam's spillway to erode and a trough has deepened to the point that the current flow rate at the legal level is now 75% greater than in 2013.
Over the last several years, the Higgins Lake Land Conservancy has donated $6500 to the Roscommon County Board of Commissioners and $5,800 to the engineering company Prein and Newhof to help fund a permit application to restore the rocks that were wrongfully removed. Unfortunately, both the original application for the permit and the follow-up application were denied by EGLE.
Since January 2025 there has been a lot of back and forth between the Commissioners and EGLE regarding the hoops to go through for the application approval, including a CAD drawing, models and changing the type of permit requested. Roscommon County Commissioner Chair Darlene Sensor is hopeful that by the middle of August the 3rd application for the permit to put the rocks back in the spillway will be approved.
New Board Member Stu Cole
The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy welcomes Stu Colie to the board of directors. Stu was born and raised on Barnegat Bay, New Jersey and has been an avid sailor his entire life. Stu's parents and grandparents (Stu's Grandfather was inducted into the USA Sailing Hall of Fame and Stu is a past National Champion Dingy sailor) being sailors themselves, instilled in him a respect and sense of stewardship for the waters they recreated upon — much like another home. Like Barnegat Bay, Stu, a resident of Higgins Lake for the past 9 years, has a sense of “home” when upon the waters of Higgins Lake, and the respect and sense of stewardship that follows. Welcome aboard Stu!
Let’s Get Wild At The Lake – For Cleaner Water
By Stu Colie
‘Getting wild’ sounds like a lot of effort, but it’s quite the opposite. I’m talking about allowing the shoreline vegetation to flourish. Its simple: roots of vegetation, especially trees, filter water before it makes its way into the lake. Trees and their roots can filter as much as 60% of nitrogen, 40% of phosphorus and nearly half of sediment in runoff from yards and roads. A single mature oak tree can absorb over 40,000 gallons of water (and its contaminants) per year! Not only do trees make a difference, but any wild vegetation near the shoreline that is left to flourish (without mowing) will grow deeper roots, reducing erosion and adding to the water-filtering effect. And let us not forget that trees begin as sprouts and seedlings before growing into saplings. If the shoreline is continually mowed, saplings will not exist to grow into the big beautiful mature trees that make Higgins Lake so majestic. As if anyone needed any further reward than cleaner water for having a “no-mow zone” (or “filter strip”) to exist at the shoreline, I promise you that you will be delivered some happy surprises from your no-mow zone; maybe mint, or wildflowers, or wintergreen berries, or milkweed (and with it monarch butterflies).
“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” -Anonymous Greek proverb
Monitoring Nutrient levels in Higgins Lake and Houghton Lake
By Don Mick
The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy is in its fourth year of monitoring nutrient levels in Higgins Lake and Houghton Lake. Water samples are taken in the lake at the mouth of the Cut River on Higgins and at the mouth of the Muskegon River for Houghton Lake.
Quarterly samples are taken that test for E. Coli bacteria, nitrates and phosphates. The most recent samples showed E. Coli levels at 8.4 cfu/100ml, Phosphates at .001 mg/l and nitrates at a ‘non-detect’ level. These results are consistent with results from previous testing done over the past four years.
The HLLC intends to continue this monitoring and potentially to support additional testing to help avoid eutrophication of Higgins Lake.
Swimmer's Itch Update
By Greg Semak
The Higgins Lake Swimmer's Itch Organization has made great progress in reducing Swimmer's Itch over the past decade. Unfortunately, the US Fish and Wildlife has suspended our Merganser Relocation program for 2025, which is a key piece of our efforts to reduce SI. We are also aware there are at least a couple Merganser broods on the lake. We are talking to the DNR, US Fish & Wildlife (USFW), as well as our state legislators in hopes of better news. However, the DNR/US Fish and Wildlife have been largely unresponsive and our efforts with government representatives will take time. Please know, we are still doing everything possible to be able to control SI on Higgins Lake this season!
Over the past few years, we conducted the Higgins Lake Water Exposure Study. We are gathering valuable insights allowing us to track Swimmer's Itch outbreaks and better manage their occurrence. So... what can you do? Participate in our survey! We need more volunteers in 2025. First, sign up for the study at (https://forms.gle/SkuHfzymrxQnNXZD6). Then, after your time in the water, we kindly ask that you please fill out a short survey at (https://forms.gle/RSRfPVptroXVJ56J9)
Please consider being a part of the HLSIO fundraising dinner on Thursday, August 14th. Tickets are for sale, reach out to Greg Semack at [email protected], or [email protected].
A Call to Protect the Land Around Higgins Lake
By Elizabeth Cornell
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors—we borrow it from our children."
Tucked in the heart of Northern Michigan, Higgins Lake is one of the state’s most beloved natural treasures. With its clear, deep waters and forested shoreline, the lake has offered generations a place of peace, recreation, and reflection. Yet today, this fragile ecosystem faces growing pressure from development, pollution, and climate change.
The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy was founded to protect the land, water, and wildlife that make this area so special. We believe the time to act is now—and we are reaching out to those who love this place as deeply as we do.
Healthy land means a healthy lake.
• Forests and wetlands filter water, keeping it clean.
• Native plants prevent erosion and protect the shoreline.
• Open space provides critical habitat for wildlife. But these natural functions are at risk. Every year, undeveloped land around Higgins Lake disappears—replaced by roads, buildings, and runoff that slowly degrade water quality and fragment habitats.
Once land is lost, it’s gone forever. How You Can Help. We are actively seeking:
• Land donations
• Conservation easements
• Partnerships with private landowners
Whether your property is large or small, wooded or open, it may qualify for permanent protection. Ways to conserve land include:
• Land Donation – Transfer ownership for full protection and potential tax benefits.
• Conservation Easement – Retain ownership while ensuring your land is never developed.
• Bequest – Leave your land to conservation in your will.
• Bargain Sale – Sell your land below market value as a partial donation.
These options often come with financial advantages, such as charitable tax deductions and reduced estate taxes.
A Legacy of Preservation
Your land tells a story of family, nature, peace. Protecting it means your legacy becomes part of a larger promise: to ensure future generations can experience the same Higgins Lake you’ve known and loved.
When you conserve your land with us, we support you every step of the way, with transparency, legal clarity, and deep gratitude.
Let’s Protect What We Love While We Still Can
If you own land, or know someone who does, near Higgins Lake and are curious about how to protect it, we invite you to contact us. Even a simple conversation could lead to something lasting and extraordinary.
Let’s work together to preserve Higgins Lake’s beauty, integrity, and wild places—forever.
Contact Us: Higgins Lake Land Conservancy c/o Elizabeth Cornell PO Box 60, Higgins Lake MI 48627
Phone: 773 636 1680
Email: [email protected]
Website: HigginsLakeLandConservancy.com
A Case For Local Regulation Of On-Site Wastewater
By William Carey
A substantial portion of the watershed of Higgins Lake is comprised of residential homes. Nearly all of these homes utilize various types of on-site wastewater disposal (OSWWD) systems. These systems are
more commonly referred to as septic tanks and drain fields. Some of the OSWWD systems are quite primitive and inefficient. Others are modern and well-maintained. Most fall somewhere in between.
A modern, well-maintained OSWWD system is fairly efficient at preventing so-called grey water from entering the soils of the Higgins Lake watershed, and ultimately, the waters of Higgins Lake. On the other hand, a primitive system, or a poorly maintained modern system, is likely a common source of pollution to the lake. To avoid allowing wastewater from entering the waters of Higgins Lake, it is imperative that all improved parcels of land play host to a well-maintained OSWWD system. Accordingly, the public has a significant interest in ensuring that all watershed landowners keep their systems up-to-date and functioning properly.
The State of Michigan currently does not have a statewide septic code. While a statewide regulatory scheme has been given consideration by the Michigan legislature, there seems to be little appetite by the legislature to make a serious effort to enact a statewide set of regulations. This circumstance then leaves responsibility for developing and implementing inspection and enforcement codes of OSWWD systems to the local units of government. For Higgins Lake, this means Gerrish Township and Lyon Township.
Many local units of government throughout Michigan have implemented local ordinances regulating septic systems. Traverse City and Elk Rapids are two regional examples of local governments recognizing their responsibility to protect natural resources from waste water contamination. Both Gerrish Township and Lyon Township have shown interest in regulating the proper maintenance and use of OSWWD systems; however, at this time, neither township has enacted an ordinance. The Higgins Lake Land Conservancy (HLLC) is advocating for the townships to prioritize promulgation of an OSWWD system inspection ordinance. The waters of Higgins Lake deserve immediate attention.
Most local units of government, including Traverse City, have adopted a so-called “point-of-sale” (POS) inspection requirement. This POS inspection requires that a septic tank and drain field be inspected upon transfer of the property. The POS style ordinance mandates necessary upgrades or repairs prior to a transfer of title occurring.
Rather than a POS style ordinance, HLLC is advocating for an inspection ordinance that requires inspection of a system every 3-5 years, regardless of whether a change in ownership has occurred. The reason HLLC supports periodic inspection is that there are many properties in the watershed of Higgins Lake that have not changed hands for decades. A POS ordinance is ineffective in a geographic area where long-term ownership of property is common.
A periodic inspection ordinance would assess the system’s operational status and ensure it is functioning correctly, thereby preventing, or greatly reducing, potential environmental or health problems. The ordinance should outline the inspection process, the scope of the inspection, and determine what actions are required if a system is found to be failing. The cost of the inspection, and any remedial actions, should be borne by the owner of the system. Additional triggering events could include an obvious failure of a system in-between inspection time frames.
Many jurisdictions outside of Michigan, including Minnesota and Wisconsin, have adopted periodic inspection ordinances. Gerrish Township and Lyon Township should look to these out-of-state jurisdictions for a model ordinance and regulatory process.
When properly maintained, an OSWWD system is highly effective to prevent waste water contamination of a watershed. The cost for proper maintenance and inspection is placed—as it should be—on the landowner who owns the system. Enactment and enforcement of an OSWWD system ordinance can be revenue neutral for the local unit of government if done properly.
Action is needed now. Regulation of OSWWD systems is cost effective and will greatly reduce waste water from entering Higgins Lake. The enactment of an ordinance regulating septic systems does not require the creation of a multi-million-dollar special assessment district. Each landowner pays his or her own way, with the local townships shepherding the process. Let’s go.
Looking forward to seeing you at the Higgins Lake Land Conservancy Annual BBQ. at 5 p.m. on Friday, August 22nd, 2025, at Birch Lodge.