News - Johns Lake Association

March 26, 2023March 26, 2023

Outfall Canal Update (March 2023)

March 26, 2023

Rick Stuebing

Outfall Canal Update (March 2023)

The town of Oakland commits to the first steps toward reconstruction of the Johns Lake Outfall Canal.

Below is a summary of an article published by the WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER (March 22, 2023).

At the Oakland Town Commission meeting on March 14, Assistant Town Manager Jack Butler recommended the commission accept a bid from Solitude Lake Management for a contract price of $103,500 to reconstruct the Johns Lake outflow canal.

The town is committing up to $85,000 to reconstruct the canal and dredge a portion of the south side of Lake Apopka. The balance is expected to be contributed by other entities, including Landeavor, the developer of Oakland Park, and the Southern Oaks Homeowners Association.

Is this the only work needed? “We’re not done when this (initial project) gets done,” Commissioner Mike Satterfield said at the meeting. “We promise you we’re not going to walk away.” Town Manager Steve Koontz added that Orange County has agreed to update its most recent study.

The full article written by Amy Quesinberry can be found here.

This has been an important issue for many years. The former president of the JLA, John Schmidt, has published several informative articles over the past few years, including the JOHNS LAKE OUTFALL STUDY (Oct. 2019), the JOHNS LAKE DRAINAGE STUDY UPDATE (Feb. 2020), and the JOHNS LAKE OUTFALL STUDY UPDATE (Oct. 2020).

February 5, 2023February 5, 2023

JLA Advocates for Johns Lake at Oakland Town Meeting Discussing Major Issues with the Outfall Canal (Feb. 2023)

February 5, 2023

JLA Advocates for Johns Lake at Oakland Town Meeting Discussing Major Issues with the Outfall Canal (Feb. 2023)

Rich Eicher

Progress has been made toward resolving significant concerns with the Johns Lake Outfall Canal.

According to an article published by the WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER (Feb 1, 2023), “The town of Oakland has agreed to lead the mission to determine what course of action needs to take place to remedy the serious property issues that have arisen because of changing flow patterns in the Johns Lake Outfall Canal — and exactly who will be responsible for the costs. Commissioner Mike Satterfield stepped up to lead the discussions during the Tuesday, Jan. 24, Oakland Town Commission meeting.”

In the article, Town Manager Steve Koontz is reported to have said “there are two major aspects to the outfall canal issues: the rerouting of the flow, slowing down the velocity of the water and the removal of sediment at the terminus of the canal; and the long-term funding, stabilization and maintenance of the entire length of the canal.”

Johns Lake Association (JLA) president, Rick Steubing, and board member Scott Boyd attended and advocated for Johns Lake at the meeting. Critical will be plans and funding for ongoing upkeep, maintenance, and repairs of the canal, not only for the benefit of Lake Apopka homeowners but also for Johns Lake homeowners as well.

The full article written by Amy Quesinberry can be found here.

* Image published by the WEST ORANGE TIMES & OBSERVER (Feb. 1, 2023)

November 20, 2022December 10, 2022

22nd Annual Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade (2022)

November 20, 2022

22nd Annual Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade (2022)

Karen Quill

UPDATE

Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade December 11, 2022

Parade Participant Instructions

The event will be held on Sunday, December 11th at 6:15pm. Come out and decorate your boat with lights/holiday décor and join in the fun!

All boats participating should gather by 6:10pm in the NW corner of Johns Lake; otherwise known as Clear Lake (see route map for exact location). THIS IS SAME MEETING LOCATION FROM LAST YEAR. Please do your best to “line-up” and be prepared for departure promptly at 6:15pm.

There will be a boat manned by JLA who will motor alongside the parade to help maintain distance and speed. This boat is equipped with a bull-horn and if we see “gaps” in the parade, this vessel will ask you to speed up (or slow down), so we can maintain a proper distance so the viewing is the best it can be from the shoreline.

As always, there will be a lead boat who will start the parade by blasting an air-horn several times. I’d like to give a big SHOUT-OUT and THANK YOU to the Megler family, who have led this parade for many years. We appreciate you!!

All boats should follow in-line and slowly head east. The parade route will follow the northern, eastern, and southern shores of Johns Lake (from Johns Lake Landing in Lake County to Twinwaters in Orange County, where parade ends). The parade will take about 2 hours to complete. Please see the Parade Route Map.

IMPORTANT: Please see the updated parade route map and notice the areas highlighted in yellow. In these two canals, some of the docks are very close to being underwater so we must GO SLOW WITH NO WAKE in these areas in order to be respectful of those homeowners. In all other areas of the lake, there is not a “no-wake” requirement and we ask all boaters to keep a safe distance between boats but not allow for big “gaps” to occur.

If this is your first time decorating your boat for a parade, here are a few tips:
Christmas lights run on 120v AC and are designed to operate from your home electrical current. To operate lights on your boat, you will need to purchase a DC to AC power inverter. Power inverters are available at most auto parts stores, Wal-Mart, and Harbor Freight. Power inverters convert your boat’s 12v DC power to 120v AC. Inverters do have a limit as to how much power they can generate from your boat’s DC battery. Inverters are rated by watts; the more watts the inverter can handle, the more lights you can put on your boat. Most power inverters above 150 watts will need to be connected directly to your boat’s battery terminals to provide full power as 12v outlet plugs (cigarette lighters) are power limited by a fuse.

Use of LED lights provide the ability to power many more lights than incandescent lights. A 300 watt power inverter connected directly to your battery could power over 600 LED lights as opposed to 60 incandescent lights! Be careful though, as some units will overheat if too much load is placed on them. Test your lights for a period of time before the parade starts. Make sure you use UL approved outdoor lights as the lights on your boat may get wet and you do not want to cause a fire or shock someone on your boat!

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Original post:

Johns Lake Association is happy to announce that the 22nd annual JOHNS LAKE HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE will be held on Sunday, December 11th, beginning at 6:15pm at the NW Corner of the lake.

Over the last year, we’ve had a lot of activity around the lake and have seen many new homeowners join our community, so for those who have not yet experienced the annual parade, GET READY, you’re in for a fantastic holiday experience!

We typically have approximately 40 boats participate, each decorated with colorful lights and teaming with holiday spirit. So please mark your calendars for Sunday, December 11th and join us for all the fun!

JOHNS LAKE BOAT PARADE 2022 – PARADE ROUTE

As you’ll see on the parade map below, we have done everything possible to ensure we are motoring past all the densely populated areas on the lake. It’s difficult to include ALL the shoreline each year, as this current route takes nearly two-hours to complete and for the boaters, that is the maximum amount of time we can expect them to stay in the parade without needing a break!

If you don’t see the parade coming by your house this year, please know the Association looks at our changing community and makes adjustments to the route every few years, to try and accommodate everyone.

We just won’t be able to please everyone, every year! Two hours is all we can ask from the boaters, particularly since many include their children/families on the ride.

Enjoy the parade this year and they’ll be more posts to follow leading up to the parade!

JOHNS LAKE BOAT PARADE – THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!!!

Johns Lake Association is a non-profit organization, and the parade would not be possible without the support of our sponsors. I’d like to give a big THANK YOU to all of our sponsors!

Tommy’s (Clermont) – Tommy’s has been a sponsor for many years, helping us produce the road signs, the graphics and also providing the grand prize “A FULL BOAT DETAIL”. More detail to come on how to win this amazing prize!

Yellow Dog Eats! This fabulous restaurant has been a friend and sponsor of the parade for many years, and without their funding, it would be difficult to put on this event. We thank Yellow Dog Eats for their continued support!!

Carr’s Flooring America – This incredible company has sponsored the prizes for the parade over the years, which would not have been possible without their help. Thank you to Carr’s Flooring American for being an enthusiastic supporter of this event! We appreciate you!

October 1, 2022October 2, 2022

Hurricane Ian: Lake Level Warning

October 1, 2022

Hurricane Ian: Lake Level Warning

Rick Stuebing

Warning!!!

October 1, 2022

Johns Lake is currently several inches above the normal high water mark which has not happened for many years and it will continue to go up! Black Lake and Lake Tilden drain into our lake and those lakes are currently about a foot and a half higher than our lake. We don’t know how much it will go up but it could go up another foot or more.

There is currently a no wake zone order for the entire lake to protect our docks, boats, and waterfront properties. Please respect this county order!

The public boat ramp will also be closed immediately. Make sure you assess your boathouse and make sure there is room for your boat if the lake goes up a foot or more. If not, please beach, anchor, or put your boat on a trailer. We have already had a hand full of boats float into the ceiling of their boat houses causing boats to sink, swamp, and go upside down. Please do not let this happen to your boat.

This is a very serious situation so please forward this message to your neighbors and let me know if you have any questions. In addition, see Johns Lake Improvement Association on Facebook for more information and to keep up-to-date. Be safe!

Respectfully,

Rick Stuebing, VP Johns Lake Association

Update:

LAKE COUNTY TEMPORARILY CLOSES BOAT RAMPS DUE TO FLOODING

March 13, 2022March 13, 2022

Lake County Dock Information Updates 2022

March 13, 2022

Lake County Dock Information Updates 2022

John Schmidt

This is the latest information we received from Lake County today regarding docks. They say they may be changing these but for now this is what there is. There could also be Clermont Ordinances as there are in Oakland and Winter Garden.

The length of a dock can be too long on some cases where the “channel” to navigate is narrow. We can have that on our lake now in one area over by the channel headed to the small lake to the northwest and on the south side of Deer Island if/when its developed. On the Orange County side we had three that were so long that the county changed their ordinance because of it. The Florida DEP documents are very vague and for inland lakes they don’t provide enough detail. Sometimes the town, city can have more stringent controls of course.

On Johns Lake, we have people building over and through wetlands. We have people destroying habitat and being cited by FWC as they are supposed to replant with native vegetation. We have new docks being constructed with the final deck (walkway) height at or below NHWE. We have two story docks going in, large terminal platforms that exceed the guidelines and we don’t know if variances were granted. There are riparian line and set back issues.

Please see the following dock permitting PDFs for further information. As well you can read our full article on dock building here.

15.02.00___Clermont_Joint_Planning_Area__JPA__boat-docks.pdf

6.01.00___Protection_of_Wetlands_and_Waterbodies.pdf

SF_Docks.Final_.05.2020.pdf

Name
15.02.00___Clermont_Joint_Planning_Area__JPA__boat-docks.pdf
6.01.00___Protection_of_Wetlands_and_Waterbodies.pdf
SF_Docks.Final_.05.2020.pdf

November 1, 2021April 20, 2022

21st Annual Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade Sunday

November 1, 2021

21st Annual Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade Sunday

Karen Quill

Please join us for the 21st Annual Johns Lake Boat Parade! Updates and information are available on Facebook @ Johns Lake Improvement Association.

This year, we have some great prizes to encourage everyone to decorate their boats and make this parade truly spectacular for our 21st year on the water!

1st Prize – Full boat detail from Tommy’s of Clermont
2nd Prize – $100 cash
3rd Prize – $50 cash

All boats wishing to participate for prizes MUST register their boat IN ADVANCE of the parade to qualify. Final judging will take place at the last quarter mile of the parade route.

Here is the registration link.

All boats participating should gather no later than 6:10pm in the NW corner of Johns Lake; otherwise known as Clear Lake (see map for exact location). THIS IS THE SAME MEETING LOCATION AS LAST YEAR. The lead boat will start the parade at 6:15pm by blasting an air-horn several times. All boats should follow in-line and slowly head east. The parade route will follow the northern, eastern, and southern shores of Johns Lake (from Johns Lake Landing in Lake County to Twinwaters in Orange County, where parade ends).

The parade will take about 2 hours to complete. Please see the Parade Route Map at the end of this article.

If this is your first time decorating your boat for a parade, here are a few tips:
Christmas lights run on 120v AC and are designed to operate from your home electrical current. To operate lights on your boat, you will need to purchase a DC to AC power inverter. Power inverters are available at most auto parts stores, Wal-Mart, and Harbor Freight. Power inverters convert your boat’s 12v DC power to 120v AC. Inverters do have a limit as to how much power they can generate from your boat’s DC battery. Inverters are rated by watts; the more watts the inverter can handle, the more lights you can put on your boat.

Most power inverters above 150 watts will need to be connected directly to your boat’s battery terminals to provide full power as 12v outlet plugs (cigarette lighters) are power limited by a fuse.

Use of LED lights provide the ability to power many more lights than incandescent lights. A 300 watt power inverter connected directly to your battery could power over 600 LED lights as opposed to 60 incandescent lights! Be careful though, as some units will overheat if too much load is placed
on them. Test your lights for a period of time before the parade starts. Make sure you use UL approved outdoor lights as the lights on your boat may get wet and you do not want to cause a fire or shock someone on your boat!

If you do not live on the lake and are looking for a public place to view the parade, here are a few options:

The Public Boat Ramp on Johns Lake located at 13620 Lake Blvd., Winter Garden, FL 34787 (north shore of Johns Lake, off of Hwy. 50 at the Lake/Orange County line. Although the parade will not go directly by the boat ramp this year, it could still be viewed here from a distance.
For Public Road Viewing you can view the parade in Johns Lake Landing Subdivision at the
intersection of Willow Hills Ln and Good Hearth Blvd, located on the Clermont side of Johns Lake. There are also a number of Empty Lots along Secret Hollow Loop and Hickory Wind Drive, further in that subdivision.

If there are any other public viewing areas of the lake you are aware of, please post those on the
Facebook Page @JohnsLakeImprovementAssociation. We’d love to hear about more viewing
areas that may be available so please put up those posts!!

IMPORTANT: Please don’t forget to register for the parade. Even if you’re not entering the parade for prizes, it is extremely helpful to the event organizers to know how many boats will be participating.

November 1, 2021December 18, 2022

Hydrilla and Carp Control Update 11/21

November 1, 2021

Hydrilla and Carp Control Update 11/21

Rick Stuebing

Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) is planning to add four hundred (400) carp to Johns Lake in the near future. They typically put carp in the lake every few years. The primary purpose of the carp is to assist with controlling Hydrilla. There is a delicate balance to maintain with the number of carp in the lake. If the population grows too large, they will eat not only the Hydrilla but the important native plants as well, which could negatively impact the eco-system of the lake. FWC monitors the growth of the hydrilla to determine how many carp to add and what frequency to put them in Johns Lake.

There is no way to accurately say exactly how many of the carp stocked in the past are alive because we don’t have accurate numbers for stocking mortality (predation by largemouth bass when they are young, etc.). We are working to get better numbers on the natural grass carp mortality curve. From what some have observed, you start to lose 10-20% per year after age 6 or so. Most do not live past the age 10-12 years old. The maximum length of a grass carp is 4.6 ft (1.4 m), and the maximum weight is 97 pounds (44 kg). Adults look identical to juveniles, and they are not able to reproduce.

Plants Preferred by the Grass Carp

Hydrilla
Coontail
Muskgrass
Naiad
Slender and jointed spikerush

Plants Preferred by the Grass Carp

Water hyacinth
Water lettuce
Water lilies
Torpedo grass
Hygrophila
Cattail

November 1, 2021February 19, 2022

Invasive Plants 2021

November 1, 2021

Invasive Plants 2021

John Schmidt

The lake was treated with herbicide early in November 2021. Some hydrilla helps the water clarity. The County uses a mix of herbicides and grass carp to keep the hydrilla in check.

From a FWC perspective the lake looks great. We have good coverage of submersed vegetation. Water clarity is good. We are seeing an upward trend in our largemouth bass population and noticing more ducks as well. In addition, FWC has treated the Cuban bulrush and other invasive species along the shoreline.

Florida’s Most Invasive Aquatic Plants

Hydrilla
Aquatic soda apple
Crested floating heart
Cuban club-rush
Feathered mosquitofern
Giant salvinia
Hygrophila
Lyngbya
Water Primrose
Torpedograss
Water Hyacinth

As many lakefront homeowners already know, adding, removing or modifying the vegetation along the shoreline of Johns Lake is regulated by the state of Florida. These activities are monitored through a permitting process as part of the” Florida Aquatic Plant Management Act” and the “Florida Aquatic Weed Control Act”, both are administered by the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC).

Removal of harmful/invasive plant life is encouraged but it must be done properly and, in most cases, replanting of eco-friendly vegetation in place of the plants removed is required. This is necessary to strike a balance between allowing lakefront residents to enjoy the benefits of a nice, aquatic environment along their shoreline while maintaining healthy standards for appropriate foliage around Johns Lake in general. Part of the conditions of issuing a permit may be the requirement to replant specific vegetation to support a healthy lakefront.

Florida law requires all persons to obtain a permit from FWC prior to controlling, removing or altering aquatic plants in waters of the state

With a permit you can remove invasive plants which will allow room for native plants to grow and expand. This ensures that you have a plan for managing your waterfront that will not harm the water body and help protect the investment you have made in it. The work can be done through physical or mechanical means. Removal by herbicides also requires a permit.

Proper management of the shoreline will also:

Enhance aesthetics
Improve food and habitat for fish and wildlife
Provide erosion control and soil stabilization
Ensure plants are present for nutrient uptake which will result in cleaner water

Any lakefront aquatic plant activity that falls outside the above list requires an FWC permit. This
includes creating a sandy beachfront, backfilling soil at the shoreline, etc. Construction of docks
and lakefront structures fall under other permitting requirements.
The homeowner or a contractor working on the homeowner’s behalf is responsible for obtaining the
permit. Once the permit is issued the contractor or homeowner can begin the work. FWC and/or
the EPD should inspect the final result to ensure it meets the requirements specified in the permit.

November 1, 2021February 19, 2022

2021 Year in Review

November 1, 2021

2021 Year in Review

John Schmidt

While the year isn’t over and there are many fun days on the lake ahead, this will be the last
newsletter of the year. What a year for the lake, with the impact of Covid, people were drawn to
outdoor activities, and we noticed a significant increase in boat traffic and use of the public boat
ramp. We had some issues with jet ski rental companies, so we worked with the Lake County
Commissioners to stop them. We have not heard of any major injuries on the lake this year.

We reaffirmed our elected officer’s commitment for the Johns Lake Association Board. We
completed scheduled Board meetings, published three electronic newsletters, and provided a
number of updates on our Facebook page. We decided to improve our Web Page at
Johnslakefloida.com and have just started to make changes to improve your experience. The plan
is to make it easier to navigate, have sections for past newsletters, historical articles, a place for
pictures, change the contact links, and change the way we send out our newsletters.

The committees we set up had many meetings that included, Invasive Species, Boat Parade,
Outfall, Mission Statement and Marketing/Membership delivered mix results. We worked with the
state on the control of invasive vegetation species, including hydrilla, and provided feedback on the
areas that were being proposed for treatments or left out. The state has not added any grass carp
this year due to shortages from the fish hatcheries, but they are still planning to add carp when
available. The Boat Parade team is planning the event to be bigger and better this year. The
Outfall Study was completed with several recommendations that Orange County, The Town of
Oakland, and Lake County worked out a maintenance funding plan and easement rights which has
yet to be finalized. Oakland has already secured easement rights for the properties in the town that
are being developed. The Marketing and Mission statement work continues.

We reported the Orange County Lake levels and kept the data in between reports. Orange County
started a yearlong water quality survey and contracted with a third-party company to take monthly
samples and will provide the report when available. We worked with Orange County to nominate a
few larger parcels of land to be placed into the Green Space Purchase Program on the east end of
the lake. This would help connect Tucker Farms and help with our outfall concerns. We will provide
updates when available.

Overall, the lake is in good shape. The water levels are down some from the past five years
heading into dry season but holding okay. FWC just treated the hydrilla, bass fishing has been
good and crappie fishing has started with water temperatures around 70f. Enjoy the holidays and
be safe on the lake!

August 15, 2021February 19, 2022

Save the date for the 2021 Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade

August 15, 2021

Save the date for the 2021 Johns Lake Holiday Boat Parade

John Schmidt

December 12, 2021

Don’t miss the fun this year as we celebrate our 21^st annual holiday boat parade!

Last year we had a record forty-four (44) boats participate in the parade and many, many enthusiastic parade watchers along the shores of Johns Lake. It was a great night for all and with your help, we’re ready to make it even bigger and better this year! A big thank you to Tommy’s Florida who was our sponsor for prizes last year! This year we are looking for additional sponsors. Please contact Karen Quill at kquill@cfl.rr.com if you wish to become a sponsor.

We will publish more details on our website (see below) and Facebook Page (see below). We will include both the parade route as well as how you can register your boat to win prizes. Please keep an eye out for more information coming soon!

Facebook: @johnslakeimprovementassociation

See you on the water!!!