Cedar Lake's islands to be named

Eight of the 15 islands that dot Cedar Lake in southern Meeker County will have official names by this time next year.

Gene Jeseritz, assistant fisheries supervisor in the Department of Natural Resources’ Hutchinson office, told the Meeker County Board Tuesday that the islands recently were turned over to the DNR by the Bureau of Land Management. The federal government has owned the islands until recently, when eight were placed under the administration of the DNR.

Four islands are still privately owned after individual property owners filed claims on them and won approval from the Bureau of Land Management.

Two additional islands, which had private claims against them, will be turned over to the DNR soon. The Bureau of Land Management disproved the private claims.

The islands owned by the state now are open to the public for recreational uses, Jeseritz said.

Recently, a volunteer group called the Avid Anglers started the process of naming each of the islands now under DNR control.

For the full story, see the Tuesday, Dec. 9 print edition of the Hutchinson Leader.

(This story was written by Stan Roeser of the Litchfield Independent Review, the Leader's sister newspaper.)