Ginger Cove FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Living At Ginger Cove
by Kurt Wullschleger and Dave Coover

Where does the water for Ginger Cove Lake come from?
The water in our lake comes mostly from springs in the gravel layers of the ancient river-bottom surrounding our lake. The level of our lake is determined primarily by the actual seasonal level of the Platte River just to the west of here. In the spring, when the river is running high and the frost leaves the soil in fields surrounding our lake, there is strong inflow from the springs in our lake. The regulated lake level is about 2 feet below the natural groundwater level at the north end of the lake. This is why it is sometimes difficult to maintain the level below our docks. It is also an indication of how closely tied the cleanliness of our supply is to the purity of our lake.

Is the lake at Ginger Cove unique?
Yes, Ginger Cove is unique for this area of Nebraska. First, our lake is a sand bottom lake as opposed to most lakes in Nebraska which are mud bottom. Second, our lake has no primary point of inflowing water as it is spring-fed. And, third, our lake has an outflow that allows any excess water to leave thereby maintaining a fairly constant lake level. It is estimated that if the amount of water that leaves the lake each year could be added to the top of our lake, it would add 20 feet to the height of the lake.

How clean is our lake?
Quite clean. Since the only inflow is from water that travels through the gravel layers the water is naturally filtered. But there are high levels of nutrients from fertilizers and other organic solids that enter the lake each year such as leaves, waterfowl droppings or naturally growing weeds.

How deep is our lake?
In April 2024, our HOA Board conducted a bathymetric survey to determine the depth of our lake.  The deepest portion of our 89 acre lake is 41.3 feet.  The contour map and colored depth chart are available here for resident downloads.

 Colored Depth Chart  Contour Map

How can we keep our lake clean?
Use less lawn fertilizer (remember that the ground surrounding the lake is mostly sand and when rain falls or water is sprinkled on your lawn it quickly carries the fertilizer and pesticides you applied on your lawn into our lake).  Use only fertilizers that DON'T contain phosphates.  Also, discourage large populations of waterfowl from using our lake as a public restroom.

What is a “common area”?
At Ginger Cove we have three types of commons areas: Lake, Dunes and Green space. When the development was designed the green space and dunes were intended to provide a noise and visual buffer from surrounding areas, enhance the beauty of our homes and offer space for outdoor recreation.  While the city of Valley is responsible for utilities, roads and and other infrastructure in our development, the Ginger Cove Common Area Company board is responsible for maintaining the lake, dunes and green space.  Your annual HOA dues are used to maintain our common areas and keep Ginger Cove looking beautiful.

What is the Ginger Cove Common Area Company?
The formation of the GCCAC a few years ago formalized the ownership and maintenance of all common areas with a board of directors, bylaws and oversight to protect the interests of all lot owners at Ginger Cove. Now all homeowners at Ginger Cove are part owners of all the commons areas.

How much does it cost me for my share of the common area?
Talk about a deal!  When you share the common areas with 160 owners you more than quadruple the living space that you get when you lease your housing lot.  The property tax on the common ground changes each year based upon its valuation by the county.  The total amount of tax for all common areas is added together and divided by the number of lot owners in Ginger Cove.  This amount is billed to each homeowner every year as a part of your lease payment.  Your HOA dues are billed separately and are used to maintain our common areas.

Why do we need to aerate our lake?
Oxygen is vital to most forms of aquatic life. But, there is one type of life in our lake that considers oxygen a poison... anaerobic bacteria. These little guys can cause a stink, literally, and aeration helps to destroy them or at least slow them down. Plus, aeration helps promote the growth of organisms that feed on those stinky and objectionable anaerobic microbes and the black smelly goo at the bottom of the lake.

How does our aeration system work?
At 11 locations across Ginger Cove Road, there are green boxes housing either a piston pump for deep-water aeration or a vane pump for shallower installations. These pumps run 24 hours a day, March through October, and pump air through a heavy rubber hose down to the 53 diffusers anchored at the bottom of the lake.  This results in a stream of bubbles which creates a column of rising water producing a current that exchanges oxygen rich water at the surface with oxygen depleted water from the lake bottom.

How much does aeration cost?
It is not cheap. In addition to the initial design, purchase and installation cost of $100,000, it costs us about $6,000 per year for maintenance and $5,000 per year for electricity to run the pumps. There are also numerous volunteers who service the pumps, lines and aeration devices at the bottom of the lake.

How can we tell if aeration is working?
If you see bubbles rising to the surface at the spots around our lake, the pumps are pumping. If the lake water is getting clearer and the bottom sediment is dissipating then the system is working. We also monitor the amount of oxygen at various levels and locations around the lake to verify that we are getting a return on our investment. Over time we should see less algae, more fish and a cleaner, healthier lake. Before we started using the current system there was oxygen only in the top few feet of our lake, now tests show that there is ample oxygen, even in the deepest areas of our lake.

What can I do to help?
Keep an eye out for aerators that have stopped bubbling and report this to a GCCAC Board member. Or, if you are mechanically inclined, volunteer to assist in servicing pumps and repositioning aerators when needed.  If you accidentally snag an aerator line, please let any one of the board members know so we can get it fixed right away.  We realize these things happen, so just let us know.

What efforts are being taken this year to reduce lake weeds?
We contract  with a licensed aquatic weed control operator to fight weeds in the coves on a “performance guarantee” basis. Chemicals will be applied early and re-treatments will be conducted if there are treated areas where weeds continue to grow.  As a homeowner, you can help by pulling weeds in your swimming area or using a mechanical weed rake a couple times each year.  These are available online for purchase.  Here's an example:  Aquatic Weed Rake

Are there benefits to having weeds in the lake?
Lake weeds are not entirely bad, as they do provide habitat for fish and actually help to remove un-needed nutrients from the lake. Robust weed growth is a sign the lake water is clear enough that sunlight is reaching the lake bottom. The problem is that the vegetation needs to be removed before it dies or the nutrients end up at the bottom, once again, to repeat the cycle next year. And, in a swimming and boating lake, heavy weed growth is not desirable. There is something creepy about seaweed wrapping itself around your legs!

Ducks and geese are a good thing for our lake, right?
We all like to see nature sharing our lake. A few ducks and geese, muskrats, healthy game fish, deer, eagles and an occasional fox really make for great scenery. If we’re not careful though, any of these wild animals can love our lake too much. Seeing wild animals is sign of a healthy ecosystem. But there are limits to the natural carrying capacity for almost all the species mentioned. We need to be careful to maintain a balance.

But, there are only a few birds, how can they pollute this big lake?
Geese and ducks can rapidly over-populate our lake and create as much waste in a few weeks as our lake is naturally capable of breaking down in an entire season. There are already more than a hundred ducks which call Ginger Cove home throughout the summer. During the day you may see only a few individual ducks, but go out in the evening and there are hundreds gathering in the safety of darkness and calm water. 

How can I discourage them from living in my yard?
The best way is to discourage them from stopping there in the first place. Don’t feed them, try to scare them off or get a dog. Be especially vigilant around bushes where females like to nest and discourage this activity when possible. 

What legal rights do they have?
Technically these are wild ducks and geese that are protected by hunting seasons and other game laws so you do need to be careful of that. And, Ginger Cove rules prohibit the use of guns except with the specific permission of the board (that’s why a board member fires the starter pistol to launch harmless bird bombs when the geese become a nuisance in winter).

What types of off-road vehicles are legal in Ginger Cove?
None. The rules approved by the membership prohibit the use of any off-road vehicles in Ginger Cove. If you moved here to ride 4-wheelers and off-road bikes you came to the wrong place.

What’s wrong with off-road vehicles on common areas?
We spend thousands of dollars every year through our maintenance fees to keep our green spaces green and we do not want them torn-up by 4-wheelers, snowmobiles and motorcycles. We would even prefer that you keep your bikes as well as cars and trucks on the paved streets where they belong.  We all understand that we need overflow parking for parties and gatherings from time to time, but parking on the circle and common ground on a regular basis is not allowed.  And, when it comes to the dunes, the limited vegetation that does grow there doesn’t need to be disturbed in its effort to take hold. And besides, our liability insurance rates don’t need to go any higher now do they?

Can I use my off-road vehicle on the streets?
Probably not. Our streets are governed by the same laws as any other public roads or streets in Douglas County. If your off-road vehicle and driver is “street” legal there, then you can use it here as long as you obey the 20 MPH speed limit.

If off-road vehicles are illegal on common areas, what are commons for?
The common areas were intended to provide a buffer for our lake and homes from the hustle and bustle of everyday life outside of Ginger Cove. The green spaces were intended to beautify and add a little solitude to an otherwise fast-paced world around us. Except on those days when you use them for picnics, kite flying, flag football, Frisbee throwing, kid chasing and dog walking (the kids can run free but the dogs should be on a leash).

What should I do if I see a violation?
A good start would be to stop the violator, introduce yourself as their neighbor and explain our rules to them in a neighborly manner. I f this doesn’t go well, sometimes a visit to the violator’s home at a later time and a polite reminder will do the trick. If this also fails, either a call to 911 to bring the sheriff in or a call to a board member may be necessary.  Always let cool heads prevail.

What determines the water level in our lake?
Ginger Cove Lake was designed to maintain a nearly constant level year-round despite changes in the water table surrounding it. During the summer, as the nearby Platte dries to a trickle and local fields are parched, the lake continues to feed off the springs in the north end of the lake, which is nearly 2 feet below the average level of the local water table.

How do we regulate the water level in Ginger Cove lake?
At the south end of the lake is an outlet, which the builder described as a “stop-log” device. It is a simple water flow restrictor, which feeds excess water into a culvert that passes under the road to Ginger Woods Lake. The device is designed to hold timbers that can be removed or added to regulate the height of the water level in our lake. Ginger Cove is one of the few lakes in the area that can control the water level year-round without the expense of mechanical pumping.

Why does the water sometimes get up to my dock?
Despite the simple design of this outflow device, it isn’t perfect. In the spring, when water in the Platte is high and water stored as ice and snow in local pastures and fields melts and moves into the sandy soil raising the local water table, our lake is overwhelmed with incoming spring water. This causes the lake level to rise faster than the outlet can discharge it. Combine this with a few one-inch rains and the amount of water leaving can’t keep up with inflows. (Sometimes we just have the height adjusted wrong, too.)

Why does it sometimes get too low?
As dry season of summer arrives, the inflow of water from the springs is often insufficient to replace the water lost to evaporation. In extreme situations, the water table around the lake drops below the lake level and water seeps back into the sand and gravel underlying our lake. This is especially true at the south end where the lake is normally at the same level as the water table.

What is the story behind the covered bridge at Ginger Cove?
The covered bridge across to Nutmeg Island at Ginger Cove came out of the mind of Don Lamp, the engineer who envisioned this unique lake development. Seeing the opportunity to create an island and the possibility of boating and skiing around it, Don felt that a covered bridge might be interesting and capture some of the pioneer heritage of Nebraska.

Is the covered bridge sturdy?
It only looks old, the structure is built with thoroughly “modern” materials. The 60-foot span was constructed using two 1924 steel railroad girders and the decking and cover were added to complete the nostalgic look. The bridge was dedicated on September 2, 1972 with local dignitaries present and a live polka band for entertainment.

How many covered bridges are there in Nebraska?
The covered bridge in Ginger Cove has been a Nebraska landmark ever since it was dedicated. There are now three other covered bridges in Nebraska, but one is a small foot-bridge in Gothenburg and the other is a museum that spans I-80 at Kearney. The third, is in the small town of Cook, in Southeast Nebraska, their covered bridge does cross a river and can be driven over, but it is a shorter span than the one at Ginger Cove. Our bridge remains the longest authentic covered bridge in Nebraska!

What rules do I need to follow when I boat under this bridge?
Boat traffic under the bridge is limited at all times to one-way movement following a counter-clockwise pattern around the island. Reduce your speed and ask skiers and boarders to stay inside your wake for safety. No tubing or surfing is allowed in Skinny River nor under the bridge.  And when driving over the bridge, slow down and watch for pedestrians and oncoming vehicle traffic as it is a narrow bridge.

How does lake ice damage my dock?
Lake ice can tear apart structures in the water two ways: freeze-thaw expansion and ice sheet movement. Expansion is commonly the most destructive. The damage begins to occur after a substantial layer of ice covers the entire lake surface. On warm days, the ice begins to crack, then on cool nights each water-filled crack refreezes and expands the size of the ice sheet. The expansion of a crack may only be a fraction of an inch, but multiply this by dozens and even hundreds of times and you have a significant movement of the ice sheet at its edges. (I’ve seen ice move ashore several feet by this action.) The ice sheet is usually anchored around dock posts sunk into the sand and while the top of the post is moved a few inches the bottom stays put, resulting in a tilted post. Ice sheet movement results when ice melts back or separates from the shore by cracking and is now free to move with the wind. Think of a multi-ton battering ram moving toward your dock. This type of damage is usually restricted to exposed areas on the open lake where strong wind is a factor. (However, I’ve seen ice sheets drift across the lake and stop on a small boat lift with no damage.)

What is the best way to protect my dock?
There are three primary strategies. Removal – where feasible remove any structures that might become frozen in the moving ice or would be exposed to a floating ice sheet.  Bubblers – operated just a few hours a day during freezing weather, bubblers can open an area long enough to prevent posts from being locked in an expanding ice sheet, yet leave stretches of the ice moored to shore to prevent wholesale ice sheet movement during spring thaws. Use movable or floating docks and do nothing – this usually works best in protected areas where getting locked in a moving ice sheet will have little consequence, except to reposition the dock.  One other important note:  if you have a small portable dock or a jet-ski lift, it's a good idea to remove it from the lake in the Fall.  The huge ice sheets that form in the winter are easily capable of carrying your property deep into the lake as the ice sheets begin to move.  The homeowner is responsible for retrieving these items.  For this reason, it's best to avoid the problem (and the cost) by removing those items before the lake freezes over.

What’s wrong with running my “bubbler” all the time?
Besides wasting electricity, running your bubbler at full speed 24-7 results in a large area of open water that attracts waterfowl, adding more pollution to our lake. Plus, as mentioned earlier, it increases the risk of creating a runaway battering ram when you remove shoreline ice sheet attachments. 

Can someone please explain the lease and how it's calculated?
In the mid 1950's,  Ray's Valley Lakes leased the area now known as Ginger Cove and Ginger Woods from Valley Feed Yards (now known as Smith & Johnson Land Company).  In the late 1960's, Ginger Cove Inc (now known as Ginger Ltd Partnership) developed the land and common areas.  The original lease was granted for 50 years.  Subsequently, a lease extension for another 20 years (from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2036) was granted with a cost increase of 50%.  Interestingly, Ginger Woods did not have this increase since their original lease is for the entire time period to 2037.  In 1985, a group of residents purchased the land from Smith & Johnson Land Company for the purpose of selling each lot back to the residents, subject to the lease.  This made it much easier to obtain a mortgage since the land was actually owned by the resident (subject to the lease).  This means each lessee now holds title to their property and the common area (including the lake) subject to the lease.  At the end of the lease, Smith & Johnson Land Company and all their associated entities will no longer have any interest in the property here at Ginger Cove.  Soooooo, how is the lease calculated?

There are three different lease structures in play.  The version that you have depends on when the lease was signed.  It is common knowledge that some lots don't have any lease payment at all.  Here are the details of one particular lease (mine), but again yours may be different:

Lease payment = Base Rent in original lease x 2017 Lease Extension Terms x (Annual Sept CPI-W/Conversion Factor/Original CPI).  In my case this means
$460 x 1.5 (269.086/.2886674/136.6) = $4708.60 + Common Area Split Property Tax

The annual CPI-W can be found online.  While it changes every year according to the state of the economy, the September rate is what is used in each year's formula. The "Conversion Factor" is derived from a change the Dept of Labor made in 1988.  That year, the US Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics discontinued the 1957-59=100 based indexes which are in the Ginger Lease Agreements. Therefore, a conversion factor was established for a situation like ours to account for that. The conversion factor was established to change to the new index that is still used today (1982-84 US City Average, All Items, CPI for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, data back to the 1957-59=100).  The conversion factor is .2886674 and will not change for the lifetime of our Ginger Cove lease.  Finally, the Original CPI was 136.6 when the lease was written and that will never change either.  If you'd like to know your specific formula, please feel free to contact Greg Elliott at gregelliott30@gmail.com.  Although the lease payment can be frustrating and maddening, it was a brilliant move at the time to allow residents to actually hold title to their piece of ground so they could obtain a mortgage.  And speaking for myself, I readily signed on the dotted line....

Why is Ginger Cove's water so much clearer than other nearby lakes?
The volunteers on the Water Quality Committee have a solid plan that consists of 9 different strategies to keep our lake water clear.  All of these together are what produce water clarity with no one single strategy more important than the next.  To accomplish this feat requires many, many hours of volunteer work behind the scenes!

Aeration:  The aeration system currently in place has been in use since the early 2000s.  This system improves dissolved oxygen in the water and is beneficial for aerobic and lab cultivated bacterial enzymes that work to digest unwanted nutrients in lake bed (muck) that cause odors and clarity issues.  This system is good for both the fish and lake ecosystems. There are several pump houses situated around the lake that pump compressed air to baskets situated on the lake bottom.

Bacterial Enzymes:  These enzymes have been in use at Ginger Cove since 2015.  The enzymes are packaged in small packets that dissolve when thrown into the water.  These lab cultivated bacterial enzymes help to reduce internal nutrient loading since these "friendly bacteria" devour the smelly muck at the bottom of the lake which greatly assists in the process of improving water clarity, reducing odors, and reducing the frequency and duration of algae blooms.  These enzymes have been thoroughly tested and are deemed safe for people, pets, and fish.  Application is done weekly in June, twice in July, and twice in August.

Product: NT-Max, Made by New Tech Bio 

• 1-800-509-0927 

• Contact names: Corey or Rob 

Ultrasonic algae Control Devices: These devices were implemented at Ginger Cove in 2020.  The ultrasonic sound waves emitted through the water are destructive to the algae, causing them to lose buoyancy and inhibit their ability to achieve photosynthesis. The vacuole in the algae cells (which regulates buoyancy) is popped by the sound waves which causes the cells to sink back to the bottom of the lake where they die.  These ultrasonic algae control devices cycle through roughly 100 different frequencies per cycle to avoid algae cell adaptation to a single frequency.  Their operation in lake water deters algae bloom recurrence by eradicating algae cells and spores.  This system is completely safe for people, pets, and fish since there are no chemicals involved whatsoever. The sound emitting devices are less powerful than fish finder sonar. These units have been placed strategically around the lake to maximize effectiveness.  They are powered by residents who have agreed to let GCCAC tap into their dock power.  No Fishing signs have been mounted wherever these devices are located. Minimal Maintenance is required, consisting of seasonal installation, once a month cleaning of device, and fall de-installation and storage.  Beginning in 2024, the control boxes were retrofitted with logic boards that are able to connect with local cell towers to alert GCCAC committee members when a unit has dropped offline.  There is an annual cell tower charge for this monitoring service.

Company: Water IQ 

• 413-887-4544 

• Contact Name: Devon Assael, VP of Sales 

Aqua Sweeps:  An aqua sweep program was implemented in 2015.  Aqua sweeps are basically underwater fans/propellers that keep water in motion to prevent stagnation.  These units are most effective when used in coves to increase water circulation and surface destratification.  They are most helpful when consistently run on timers which requires the attention of nearby residents to watch and maintain the units while operating.  The GCCAC purchased units for our coves and placed them around the lake.  Some residents did a good job of helping with their operation, but most fell into disrepair after 2-3 years.  The Board has subsequently decided not to replace these units as they fail since their operation required more maintenance time than was feasible from our volunteer Board. However, residents are encouraged to install and maintain these units in their cove to improve water quality.

Company: Scott Aeration, Product: AquaSweep 

• 616-392-8882 

Aquatic Weed Control:  Lakes are sprayed for weeds and algae to control the growth of nuisance and invasive aquatic plants that can disrupt the ecosystem by degrading water quality, choking out native species, and hindering recreational activities like swimming and boating. When properly applied by professionals, these herbicides are designed to target only the unwanted algae and/or weeds without significantly harming other aquatic life or the environment. At Ginger Cove, we hire a lake management professional sprayer to systematically apply herbicide at just the right time to knock down algae blooms and aquatic weeds before they become problematic. Your water quality team maintains an inventory of test kits to test algae blooms when they occur to make sure that they are not releasing toxins that would be harmful to people and pets.

Zebra Mussel Protocols:  Zebra mussels are an invasive, fingernail-sized mollusk that is native to fresh waters in Eurasia. Their name comes from the dark, zig-zagged stripes on each shell.  Zebra mussels probably arrived in the US in the 1980s via ballast water that was discharged by large ships from Europe. They have spread rapidly throughout the United States, including several local Omaha area lakes and the Missouri River. These mussels will attach themselves to boat lifts, boat motors, pontoons and the shoreline.  Their shells are razor sharp and will cut human skin easily.  In order to prevent ZM at Ginger Cove, we have implemented very specific protocols that restrict boats from use in other lakes.  In addition, our gate remains locked to prevent unwanted vessels from entering our water.  When splashing newly purchased boats, personal watercraft and boat lifts they must be registered as a vessel on our lake so its access and use can be easily tracked.  A complete set of current ZM protocols is maintained on our Ginger Cove website.

Lakewater Sampling:  Deep water and surface level water samples are collected each year in April and August using a submersible sampling vessel.  Samples must be treated with corresponding preservative and kept on ice until delivered to Midwest Labs in Omaha within 12-16 hours.  Results take 5-7 days and the report is emailed.  These reports are critical in identifying levels of e coli bacteria as well Phosphorus, Dissolved Oxygen levels and nitrogen.  The data from these reports is entered into an online spreadsheet which tracks our levels yearly to indicate potential issues within our lake ecosystem.

Water Level Monitoring and Control:  Ginger Cove Lake was designed to maintain a nearly constant level year-round despite changes in the water table surrounding it. This is done by simply adding 2x4 boards to the weir to hold water or pull the boards as the water level rises to release water.  The north end of the lake is nearly 2 feet below the average level of the local water table which means we're almost always releasing water. Despite the simple design of this outflow device, it isn’t perfect. In the spring, when water in the Platte is high and water stored as ice and snow begins to melt, it raises the local water table dramatically. This causes the lake level to rise faster than the outlet can discharge it. Combine this with a few one-inch rains and the amount of water leaving just can’t keep up with inflows. We do our best to anticipate heavy rain events and remove timbers preemptively to allow more water out. But often, the only remedy is to wait a couple of days for the water level to settle. The lockable weir cover was built in 2018 by Chuck Oddo.  Our efforts to control our water levels affect Ginger Woods, so if we have to let lots of water out of the Weir, it is good to let Ginger Woods know the water is coming. The gauge that we use to monitor our level is attached to the side of the gas pump dock.

Winter Waterfowl Mitigation Program:  We all like to see nature sharing our lake, however if we’re not careful these flocks of geese can love our lake too much. There are limits to the natural carrying capacity for large birds on our lake so we need to be careful to maintain a balance. They gobble hundreds of pounds of fish and turn that into stinky fertilizer that settles on the lake bottom which later feeds our summer algae with nutrients.  To mitigate large gatherings of birds on the ice and water in the winter time, we have equipped several volunteer residents with bird popper noise makers.  They are similar to an aerial firework with a report and are pretty effective at getting them to take flight and move on down the road.  These volunteers  are positioned strategically around the lake so that when they see large numbers of waterfowl on our water, they know to launch into action.  Their efforts during the winter greatly reduce the amount of money the Board must spend to clear up the water during the warm months.