I understand that changes to things that we care passionately about often lead to passionate responses. I have more that a fair amount of passion about the Whitefish Chain. My family has owned the same property for over forty years. This past winter we completed a major remodel of our cabin to make room for more grandsons and a place to retire. My love for this area is deep. After studying the proposal, my response to the Corps; Remember the law of unintended consequences, the solution may be worse than the problem. Or, put more simply: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

As shown below, what the Corps want to start lowering the lake two months earlier than the current (for the last several decades) plan calls for.
Their reasoning is:

“The primary purpose of lowering the lake beginning in mid-July is to benefit the aquatic plants and animals on the Whitefish Chain”.
We do realize that this plan has a "cost," in that a decline in water levels does reduce accessibility for boaters. However, it is our assessment that this cost is outweighed by the long-term environmental benefits that will enhance all uses of the lake into the future”
We do not believe that the unquantified benefit us justified when measured against the real, predictable and know problems that it will cause.

The study does nothing to show how they evaluated or quantified the long-term environmental benefit. More importantly we believe the report shows that they have under estimated the potential negative impact of the proposal.

If water levels fall within the optimal band the proposed plan only makes navigation “difficult”. However, during those years when we experience low precipitation the plan calls for, and allows, levels significantly lower than can support navigation. This very summer provides an excellent example.

If the lake were being managed to the proposed level, and we experienced a summer lacking in significant rain it is reasonable to assume that the lake could be 6 inches or more lower that what we are now experiencing.

Several consecutive years of drought could lead to even more dire situations, due the mandated increase in minimum outflow.

An analysis of such a situation, not of the ideal case, is needed to determine the true negative costs of implementing the plan as proposed. We have attempted to do so below.
Effect Proposed Plan Expected in dry year Extreme case in drought years
pool elevation Current level minus 3" -6" Current level minus 6"-12" Current level minus 12"-18"
effects on navigation detrimental to boating significant difficulty for boating cessation of navigation between many lakes
effect on transportation between lakes Expected every year. Transit difficulties will be encountered in many channels during the months of August, September and October. The most effected areas include channels between Lower Hay and Upper Whitefish, Arrowhead and Upper Whitefish, Big Trout and Lower Whitefish, Loon and Island, Island and Lower Whitefish, Fox Hunter Bay to Pig Lake, Dagget to Little Pine. Tranist problems between lakes. Some boat launches will be compromised or unusable (not long enough to reach deep water) Lakes isolated from Whitefish Chain. Businesses on some lakes cut off from customers. Boaters access to marinas and boat launches compromised or unavailable.
buoy system (impact directly to the Yacht Club program) current system works in this range More buoys will need to be deployed to delineate shallow water approaches the channels, shallow water hazards and isolated mid-lake hazards. The Yacht Club, or County will need to buy many more buoys to mark the mid-lake hazardous areas. We will incur significant cost to install and remove these extra buoys, particularly since the need for them will occur only after regular number has been installed.
safety Minor risk to property (typically prop damage) and possible of low speed collision in shallow areas, especially channels during busy periods in August. Risk of damage to property (lower unit wear and damage), likely collisions in channels as navigation space decreases, problems of boat speed mismatch as frustrated boaters enter and exit crowded areas. Significant risk to property (lower units and hulls striking hazards), probable risk to health, foreseeable risk to life from high speed collision with hazards in historically safe areas. Mid-lake hazards become likely high speed collision points.
Property Values Property values decrease as the Whitefish Chain looses standing as the premier lake recreational area in the state. Significant loss of premium value that is paid for properties on The Chain due to decreased utility of the lakes. Catastrophic effect to property value on lakes no longer on The Chain
Lakefront effects Within current expected conditions Longer docks will be installed to reach navigable water. This is in direct conflict with recent DNR regulations calling for less intrusive docks. Docks and boatlifts relocated to open access areas, causing undesirable congestion.
effects on the lake environment Risk of accelerated infill of channels Risk of significant channel infill due to exposure on unsecured sandy shoreline. Increased need to dredge channels to maintain access. It is not known if the Corps has considered this, and will freely issue channel maintenance dredging permissions. Lakes cut off from one another, requiring significant (and expensive) dredging to maintain interlake connection.
Other impacts frequently mentioned are the loss in property value likely to accompany the implementation of any plan that negatively impacts the ability of residents and guests to safely navigate the lakes.

The Corp’s study conclusion that" No serious long-term negative economic impacts are expected as a result of the implementation of the proposed plan." does not take into account the possibility for serious overall short term negative impact, not the possibility for disastrous short and possibly long term impact on certain interests (both personal and commercial).

An extremely dry summer which lingers in to October, could find many boat owners unable to get their boats off lifts or through the channels needed to get to boat launches or the marinas where their equipment is stored for the winter. The cost of such an event, where hundreds of boats might be forced to winter unprotected would be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Long term the situation is even worse. Several consecutive years of drought years could lead to lowering of levels such that navigation between certain areas of the chain would become impossible. Cutting any of our lakes would be detrimental to the overall attractiveness (and hence real estate value) of the entire Chain, but it would be an economic disaster for the property owners who found themselves in small lakes instead of the premier lake in the state.

Other impacts such as the economic impact on local businesses have been explored by other parties. The impact on local governments and their tax base are less clear.