Cook County Community of Lake Associations

CCCoLA was developed in 1994 by representatives from the local lake associations at that time. CCCoLA was created to provide an effective, focused means of advocating for lakeshore property owners. The intent is to ensure that CCCoLA member opinions are considered in local and state agencies. This collective voice represents over 1000 lakeshore owners. There are over 500 lake associations in the state of Minnesota.

CCCoLA meets on the first Friday of each month at 10 a.m., June through September. Visit our website for the location of these meetings, at cookcountycola.mnlakesandrivers.org. You can also reach us at CookCountyCola@gmail.com. At our August meeting, we heard from Jeff Forester of Minnesota Lakes and Rivers. MLR’s mission is to protect Minnesota’s lake and river heritage for current and future generations by forging powerful links among lakes, lake advocates, and policymakers. Mr. Forester’s message to us is the need to increase our level of engagement, and increase our membership to add more voices in speaking up for the protection of our precious resources. Work around the state is focusing on cleaning up lakes and rivers, which will take a lot of time and money. We have lost advocates within our legislature to speak for these resources. Interest in our county’s beautiful lakes does not rest alone with lake property owners. Boating, fishing, and swimming are enjoyed by many. Protecting and preserving the quality of our lakes and land lies with all of us.

In June of this year, Cook County Community of Lake Associations hosted a Lake & Land Workshop for the community. Our speakers were from Soil and Water, Land Services, Sheriff ’s Department, DNR, and Visit Cook County. The workshop focused on meeting with our local, state, and federal agencies whose jobs are to assist our community in managing and regulating our lands and water. A recording of this workshop is on the CCCoLA website for your viewing.