A family may lose their cottage on Silver Lake, as an 80 foot high dune continues to creep closer.
But this isn’t the cottage owner’s first time dealing with this dune.
At the end of April they lost their guest cottage, it was crushed by the dune.
High winds brought loads of sand on top of it, destroying it.
It’s a problem those with cottages along Silver Lake have been struggling with for years, but never this bad.
9&10’s Taylor Jones was in Oceana County talking with the family and has more details on how they plan to fight the sand.
The Dressler family has made endless memories here at this cottage. But without immediate action, they could lose another cottage to this 80 foot dune.
“The dune which has always been here, is just growing taller and pushing more and more of the sand,” says Sue Dressler, owner of cottage.
Just this April, the dune swallowed the Dressler’s guest cottage right next door.
The dune movement could be due to the mild winters.
“It seems like when we get a milder winter we get less snow cover that covers up the sand. The dunes in freeze less so the wind can affect the sand movement much more,” says Jody Johnston, Silver Lake Park Manager.
After losing one cottage, the Dressler family and community are taking action.
“The Golden Sands Golf Course offered us a location to take sand, we have never had that before. It’s all because of everyone else’s efforts that we have been able to make this happen,” says Dressler.
Trucking companies also offered to help move sand off the property.
“With the dump truck and the availability to offload all of the sand, we were like why not,” says Dressler.
These cottages have been around for years and have a special place in many hearts.
“Keeping out cottages in place, safe from the dune is our goal. It’s all about family, it’s all about sharing the memories, it’s not about the structure, and it’s about them memories,” says Dressler.
The cottage community has a plan to remove and push back the sand you can a link to the Gofundme page .
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