The Mason County Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance creating Lake Management District No. 1 for Island Lake after property owners returned ballots showing broad support for forming the district. The ordinance passed by voice vote during the board's regular meeting on Sept. 16, 2025.

The district was formed after a mailed balloting process in which 118 eligible ballots were distributed and 71 were returned; 64 of those ballots supported creating the district while seven opposed it. The district will last 15 years and be funded by annual rates collected via property taxes to support weed control, fish habitat protection and water-quality monitoring. A citizen advisory committee will advise the district on its annual work plans.

County staff read a news release summarizing the background and ballot results and clarified the matter during the meeting before the commissioners took the final vote. Randy Lewis, chair of the Island Lake Lake Management District advisory committee, told the commissioners the effort involved months of community outreach and coordination with county staff. He said the committee has already joined the Washington Lake Protection Association and plans to consult other local LMDs and attend training and networking events.

David Smith, Public Works, explained the district will provide a structure for funding lake projects such as weed control and monitoring; he and county staff will support the new advisory committee as it moves from formation into planning and implementation. Commissioners praised the neighborhood participation and encouraged other neighborhoods considering lake management districts to follow Island Lake’s example.

Residents and the new advisory committee cited specific concerns that motivated the petition: water quality, invasive snails and unclean boats introducing contaminants. The board and staff said next steps include standing up the citizen advisory committee and drafting the district’s first annual work plan and budget. The ordinance gives the newly formed district the legal authority to collect the approved assessments through property tax billing and to run for the 15-year term specified in the formation documents.

Randy Lewis said committee members will continue outreach and coordinate with county contacts, and he identified Chris Peterson as a county point of contact for future coordination. The commissioners encouraged the committee to pursue partnerships, technical assistance and state-level networks to support the district’s early projects and long-term monitoring.

County staff and the advisory committee emphasized that forming the district is the start of a process; the board will not be implementing projects directly but will allow the district and its advisory committee to develop work plans that may be eligible for county or state grants or other technical assistance.