Watermarks—Whether it’s a drizzle or a downpour, count on Norbert to get the data

Having a daily routine is common. 

For most people, it’s enjoying that first cup of coffee in the morning, making the bed, reading your email or checking in with friends and family.

For Norbert Wlekinski, his routines just may be the same as mentioned, but there is one he does on Barron Lake every single day of the year.  And if he’s not available, he has a neighbor who makes sure the routine is completed.

Norbert has always had a fascination with weather—especially precipitation and keeping track of the rainfall, as well as snowfall. He took it a step further about a decade ago when he started keeping that data about and for Barron Lake.

“I was doing it unofficially, probably most of my adult life,” said Norbert, who first purchased his home on Barron Lake in 2000. “But one Saturday, Jean was reading the South Bend paper, and she saw this ad for the National Weather Service, that they were looking for volunteer spotters. And she says, ‘Hey, this is something that you would just love to do.’ And I said, “You know, you’re right.’  And so, I went ahead and ordered the equipment and got it installed just before Christmas of 2013.”

Norbert started going to the Barron Lake Association meetings and believed there would be a need for this kind of data. “What got me started (keeping lake data) was because back then there were a few hot topics every meeting,” he said, noting that the lake level was one of them.  “You know, they were doing all lake studies through Michigan State, and Dr Lee was taking his data from the south end of the airport. And that was a big complaint. So, at the time, I just said I could do this from right here on Barron Lake. I approached Bruno (Eidietis), who was president at the time, and after that, I think he realized, this is probably a good thing to have the data taken right from here.”

And that’s when his daily routine moved forward.

The level of the lake water is cyclical, and many believe that when the water starts going down at the end of the summer, a pump is switched on and the lake level will rise automatically, when in fact the pump is designed to offset evaporation. “It’s important for people to see the amount of rainfall at the lake,” Norbert said. “I really believe that the lake level is affected primarily over the course of the year by the groundwater level, and the groundwater is affected by how much rain we get. Right now, we’re pretty low, as anybody will tell you. But if we get five inches of rain in one week’s time, people probably will be calling Gary (K & G Marine) to say they can leave the boat in for another week.”

He pointed out there was a week a few months ago when Barron Lake did get five inches of rain over eight days. However, that is not the norm. “I remember at meetings we would talk about Barron Lake being the Great Divide. The storms would come up and then just spread apart. That’s summer rain for you,” he said.

Keeping track of the precipitation data is something Norbert enjoys doing, for himself and as a service to the lake. “When I was younger, I used to put in a nice little garden, and I had a rain gauge out there. I’ve always had an interest,” he said.

To keep the data accurate, the task must be completed every day of the year. There are times, though, when Norbert is out of town, so he relies on neighbor Jeff McKean, who lives just a few doors from the Wleklinski’s house. “Jeff was an engineer and enjoys doing this, and it’s a huge help,” Norbert said.

The data collected is stored digitally and sent to Colorado State University before being forwarded to the National Weather Service. It’s helping the country keep data on the area, but the data is also a benefit for the lake.

“The data I’m collecting is sent to the (Barron Lake) board and to the hydrologist and the drain commissioner. In fact, one of the former drain commissioner’s assistants told me it helped them with their study and understanding of the lake. Plus, I was doing the studies for the new augmentation well,” Norbert said.

Collecting data is something Norbert also did for his career. “I worked in the steel industry, 40 years at the old Inland Steel plant in Chicago, keeping data for them. I always enjoyed doing that, and then when we moved out here, I was a start-up guy for INTK and the plant they built in New Carlisle. Early on, I helped collect a lot of data because we were commissioning the mill, and we had to figure out how it worked and how best to operate it. Even later, once we got things stabilized, we still had to keep track of that data,” he said.

Collecting data is only part of Norbert’s routine on the lake. Now that he’s retired and so is his wife, Jean, they’ve both developed routines, and they’re not all work and no play. They enjoy spending time with their son and his family, and their daughter and her family. “Spending time with the grandchildren is just the best,” he said.