Practicing Environmental CPR:
Conservation, Preservation, Restoration
Conservation easement on a western Steuben County lake lot owned by Ryan Matthews. The slice of nature is a wetlands paradise.
Conservation easements protect land in perpetuity while allowing the land owner to retain rights to use the natural area within the parameters of the easement filed with the county assessor’s office. The easement is attached to the land and must be honored by any future buyer...
more about conservation easements view 101 lakes trust properties ACCORDING TO THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, ROUGHLY 85%
OF INDIANA’S WETLANDS HAVE BEEN LOST SINCE COLONIZATION 200 YEARS AGO.
The 101 Lakes Trust’s Reflections on a Lake returned to Hamilton Lake Aug. 18 after a six-year hiatus in celebration of Hamilton Lake Association’s 50th anniversary.
The location lent itself to a special feature – A Taste of Hamilton. Ten Hamilton eateries donated delicacies for the meal at the Hamilton Life Center, and no one left hungry!
The weather offered a unique twist as well, with boaters withstanding wind and rain to then be treated to the warm sun and blue sky again – and a stunning, low-lying rainbow.
Reflections on a Lake includes boat rides led by local docents with tickets to the dinner. The tours, which shared a look back through time as well as current developments, started in the Mill Pond then journeyed across the 843-acre lake. Hamilton Lake is the second largest lake in Steuben County. The Crystal Bay and Crystal Cove additions, crafted from a former gravel pit, added 41 acres of water surface.
The 101 Lakes Trust Board is already working on securing a site for next year’s Reflections on a Lake. It started in 2007 at Hamilton Lake and has been held at 10 Steuben County lakes over the years. Every lake is unique, making every Reflections on a Lake different as well.
Boat Tour
"...My smile only grows as I watch my family run to the ridiculous boat that I never dreamed possible. 50 years ago I was 22. 50 years ago the lake was so brown you couldn’t see the bottom. 50 years ago the houses were so built up they went back three layers and still had little space for yards. Now, my grandkids can see the bottom. My grandkids have a yard to play in as well as the lake. 50 years later humanity proved it could be better and could care for our resources so the next generation could enjoy it too..."
An excerpt from "50 Years From Now"
by Sydney Craig, First Place winner of 2024 Essay Contest
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JOIN OUR MISSION: To protect and enhance Steuben County’s natural and built environment of lakes, rolling hills, streams, and neighborhoods, to stimulate and support a sense of community through conservation and research.
about 101 lakes trust