Those of us who have the pleasure of living on or near Spooners Creek are indeed fortunate to live in a wonderful location. We have beautiful views with a naturally sheltered harbor that serves as home to many pleasure boats. The water in Spooners Creek enhances our property values and provides our community with extraordinary shelter and access to the sound and the Intracoastal Waterway.

In 2010, Spooners Creek was facing a challenge which affected us all. The entrance channel was slowly but surely shoaling in from west to east. The west side of the channel was less than one foot deep at mean low tide in some areas. Although the depths change with weather and boat traffic, the pattern was clear and at some point in the coming months the channel would have become unable to be safely navigated by most boats. This problem was beginning to effect larger craft but unattended would have eventually impact all but the smallest boats.

From it’s creation in the 1950's, the Spooners Creek channel has been regularly maintained by dredging at variable but frequent intervals. This was always supported by an ongoing commercial marina operation within the harbor. Everyone on Spooners Creek benefited but incurred no financial responsibility for channel maintenance.

With the completion of the Shores at Spooners Creek development and the purchase of these properties by individuals, there was no longer a commercial source of funds to continue channel maintenance. We could expect no governmental assistance or commercial subsidy. It was clear that this task must be addressed by the community at large. To this end, a group of concerned individuals began discussions about addressing the problem through a new nonprofit corporation to raise funds and maintain the channel on an ongoing basis. This approach would need to integrate a diverse cross section of community ideas, input and suggestions

As a result of an extensive collaboration of individuals representing a broad spectrum of the community, the “Friends of Spooners Creek Association” was established as a nonprofit 501(c(3)) corporation to address the several requirements.

• Provide an ongoing mechanism to raise the necessary funds for channel maintenance on an annual basis so that dredging could be done regularly before any significant problems arise.

• Employ a participation model that would provide that those who receive the greatest benefits (i.e., boaters) have the larger share of financial support.

• Keep participation dues low enough so that every property owner and every boat owner could cooperate without a significant financial burden.

• Offer tangible benefits to those who participate that are fair to all.

In order to help promote this initiative and demonstrate leadership as owners and neighbors the Spooners Creek Marina Owners’ Association agreed to escrow a contribution to Friends of Spooners Creek for each gallon of fuel sold in the marina. In addition, the marina offered all contributing members of "Friends" significant fuel discounts and free pump outs. Finally, since the Spooners marina has a greater number of larger boats, the structure of the plan ensured the individuals who own or use these docks will shoulder a larger proportion of the financial support needed to make this effort successful.

The initial solicitation of support for the newly incorporate “Friends of Spooners Creek” was in October, 2011 The enclosed material provides background information on the problem, organizational objectives, management structure, participation schedules and benefits, as well as membership subscription materials.

Thank you for your consideration. We hope that you will participate in the “Friends of Spooners Creek Association” in order to preserve our community's access to the sound. It is clear that if we do not band together to support dredging of the channel we will have to watch it shoal in.