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CLAM LAKE -Those heading south for winter can now sit on the beach sipping frozen drinks or playing golf while looking on a laptop at the ice beginning to freeze or snowmobiles flying over the snowy ice on Clam Lake.

A low-resolution web camera is mounted on a dock on Clam Lake and shows live what's happening up north.

On a slow day that might not be much, but if you're planning on heading north for the weekend and want to see what the conditions of the lake are, you can see for yourself rather than just checking out the weather reports.

"You can listen to the TV and radio and get on the web and check the various weather channels, but to see it live is just an added dimension,"said Friends of Clam Lake Vice-President Paul Sak as he looked over the lake he's owned property on for the last 20 years.

The Friends of Clam Lake has had a website since its inception earlier this year and thought this technology would be useful and fun.

"The thought was during winter when things are not as exciting and a lot of people are away and coming up for the weekend, this might be a good way to provide a service to members and provide them with information of what's going on,"Sak said. "We knew of no one else who had really done this on a consistent basis."

Besides the practical things, like if it's snowing or raining on Clam Lake or what the wind is like, Sak said interested people can also watch some of the fun changes as the seasons pass through.

Though it mostly just shows the water, perhaps viewers scattered across the country could catch the leaves transforming to yellow or red before leaving the trees for winter.

In a few months, people can check out how the ice is forming. "People will be able to tell if there are ice fishermen out there or if the ice is thick enough to support snowmobiles,"Sak said.

Later, those checking the website will see if the weather is warming up as the ice melts and breaks.

"When the ice starts breaking up, it's sort of a rite of spring,"Sak added. The live view of Clam Lake is now up for anybody to see, though the organization is considering changing it to be viewed for members only. Sak said they still are not sure, though.

"Once we feel from a technical standpoint that it's solid, that the camera is good and waterproofed and we're ready to go long term, we'll make that decision,"he said.

The Friends of Clam Lake is a relatively new organization that formed earlier this year in response to a plan by Dewitt Marina to put in 58 docking slips into Clam Lake. The DEQ decided to allow a reduced number of docks pulled back toward the shore, but Friends of Clam Lake decided not to disband there.

"At that point, we realized there still needs to be an organization that is active to keep an eye on Clam Lake Ð from overcrowding to other forms of pollution to providing services like this web cam,"Sak said.

Sak also noted the organization is open to anybody who enjoys Clam Lake.

To check out the live web camera, go to www.friendsofclamlake.com.

Hadley Robinson can be reached at hrobinson@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-533-8523.