Improving water quality on your lake takes a range of approaches, from in-lake best management practices to partnering with farmers in the watershed. One connection that’s especially worth understanding is the link between healthy soils and clean water.

If you can set aside about an hour, please check out this webinar. Gus is a fascinating and passionate speaker, and the more we all understand these connections, the better we can work together for healthy lakes. Register here.

Allen Melcer and Gloria Charland Join Lake County Lake Lovers Board of Directors for Three-Year Terms

Allen is a geologist and retired after 35 years from the US EPA. He replaces Paul Spiewak as the Board’s Secretary.

Gloria is an educator and National Chair of Sierra Club Toxics Team and Harmful Algal Blooms Subteam.

Lake County Lake Lovers is thrilled to have such talented leaders join the Board!

Join us Wednesday, October 21st at Noon CT on Zoom for an online workshop exploring the AI-powered app builder Lovable with Jon Eynon of Ecologik-Web Development.

In this 60-minute online workshop, you'll learn to use Lovable — an AI-powered app builder that turns plain-language descriptions into working web applications, no coding required — to create embeddable widgets for your organization's website.

If you register for this event, be sure to create a Lovable account at least 5 days before the workshop! You can also create a free Claude account as well. Jon will be using both in the workshop.  

 Contact ILMA with any questions at ilma@ilma-lakes.org

Microplastics are turning up in Illinois rivers, lakes, and streams — and a new statewide survey found them at 100% of sites tested, from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi. Join Emily Kowalski, co-author of Environment Illinois's groundbreaking report Microplastic in Illinois, for an eye-opening 45-minute talk on what's really flowing through our waterways, how it gets there, and what we can do about it. Come learn how something smaller than a grain of rice is reshaping Illinois's environment — and what it means for our water, wildlife, and all of us.

Please register at BALibrary.org

The Village of Wauconda’s Public Works Department has recently listed its 2003 Aquarius Systems – HM-420 Aquatic Weed Harvester on an online auction via Obenauf Auctions.  You may be interested.  A trailer and shore conveyor are included in the auction.  Please use the link below to view the auction and additional details.

#946.26 - Village of Wauconda Public Works - Aquatic Weed Harvester

August 17, 2026 by Becky Sawle

Lake County, Illinois earned its name by having more lakes than any other county in the state. Yet beneath that natural abundance lies a troubling reality: more than 70% of Lake County’s 173 lakes are impaired by nutrient pollution, far above the national average of 50%. Lakes often feel like “orphans”—beautiful, longstanding features of the landscape that seem self‑sustaining. But the data tells a different story. Excess phosphorus and nitrogen fuel algae blooms, degrade ecosystems, and threaten recreation, wildlife, and public health. And unlike roads or bridges, lake restoration rarely receives dedicated funding. No “magic lake fairy” is coming to fix them. They need us.

World Lake Day is an international observance established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 12, 2024, and first celebrated on August 27, 2025. It is held annually on August 27 to highlight the ecological, social, and economic value of lakes, promote sustainable management, and encourage global action to protect freshwater ecosystems‍. ‍

We need to act now.

This 2nd World Lake Day, let's be aware of the problem lakes are facing.

Let's protect them today for a sustaining life tomorrow.

Harvard-bound Libertyville High School graduate partners with Lake County Lake Lovers to build first-of-its-kind internal phosphorus calculator

Serendipity has a way of showing up at just the right moment. For Shubh Varshney, a 2026 Libertyville High School graduate preparing to enter Harvard College this fall, a chance meeting with leaders from Lake County Lake Lovers sparked a summer project that will benefit lake communities across Lake County for years to come.

Hach, a global water company, offered Lake County Lake Lovers a deeply discounted opportunity to purchase a Photometer and Thermoreactor to conduct Total Phosphorus tests, achieving a long-awaited goal for our Water Quality Monitoring Program!

ILMA Point of Discussions (PODs) are informal get togethers, usually in the evenings to discuss specific topics in lake management. This POD will focus on lake aeration and showcase a shoreline restoration project.

The POD will be on Tuesday, July 14th from 6:00 pm to 8:00pm at Pebble Beach Park in Wildwood on Gages Lake.

Questions? Contact ILMA at ilma@ilma-lakes.org

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Volunteer-driven lake stewardship org achieves remarkable growth

What began as a conversation among neighbors seeking solutions to harmful algae blooms has grown into one of Lake County's most active volunteer lake stewardship organizations.

On 30 June 2026, Global Water Works announced the successful evolution of Lake County Lake Lovers into an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, allowing both organizations to focus more effectively on their distinct missions while continuing to collaborate in advancing water stewardship and education.