ABOUT SALA

History of Suomi Area Lakes Association

The Suomi Area Lakes Association began in 1993 as a non-stock, not-for-profit organization with membership available to any property owner on and within one thousand feet of the shoreline of the following lakes: Dead Horse, Little Dead Horse, Boy, Grave, Pike, Maki, Little Bowstring and McDonald. Full membership entitled each property owner to one vote. Other persons who were interested in and subscribed to the purposes of the Association were eligible as non-voting Associate members with full rights of discussion and suggestion.

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On April 24, 1994 President Tom Ryan extended an invitation to lake shore owners of the Suomi area to join the 46 current members as new members of the Suomi Area Lakes Association. The stated purpose of the Association was to maintain and improve the quality of the environment, water, watershed, soil, flora and fauna of the area. Some projects were in the planning stage. Predominant among them was a search for infestation of Eurasian mil-foil and the opening of the flowage to and from the lakes.

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Those purposes are so stated in Article II of the By-Laws of Suomi Area Lakes Association. Seven points are listed consistent with the dedication to that purpose.

1. Members believe all parts of the environment are related and affected by other parts.

2. Members believe that they have a special privilege and responsibility to maintain and improve the quality of this environment with its unspoiled beauty, accessibility and freedom from pollution.

3. Members realize that human occupation and use of the area lakes -environment can positively or negatively affect its future.

4. Education is an important priority to learn about how human activity influences change on the area lakes. Through education we can find out how to effect positive change.

5. Specifically, through using governmental agencies, civic environmental groups with similar purposes and communication with each other we can protect the quality of the total environment.

6. We seek to organize ourselves so that members can contribute their particular talents and expertise toward bettering the environment.

7. We are dedicated to effective positive environmental change not only through education and communication, but also through political and legal channels where desirable and necessary.

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At the 1998 Annual Meeting the Association members voted to change the by-laws for membership. Approved was the change to permit "any property owner with the Suomi Area Lakes Association Watershed Area to be eligible for full membership in the Association". In 2004 there were 85 paid memberships. The Suomi Area Lakes Association was formed by landowners in the areas around eight lakes: Boy, Grave, Little Bowstring, Pike, Maki, and McDonald. All eight lakes are in northwestern Itasca County. McDonald Lake is outside of the Little Bowstring watershed, but does join the Bowstring River to the west of Little Bowstring. All eight lakes flow into the Bigfork River and are within the Rainy River Drainage Basin. The eastern and southern hills of the Suomi area are the divide between the Rainy River and Mississippi Drainage Basins. Boy Creek flows from Boy Lake to Grave Lake. Grave Creek flows from Grave Lake to Little Bowstring. Spring Creek flows from Pike Lake to Little Bowstring. Maki Creek flows from Maki Lake to Little Bowstring. The Bowstring River is the outlet of Little Bowstring; which flows to Bowstring Lake to the west.