Most people got their first insights into wave power when they had the childhood joy of stomping in a puddle or watching ever-expanding circles after dropping a rock or a fishing line into a pond. Something is inspiring about watching the power of a heavy surf from the safety of a beach chair. Some of us are adventurers who intentionally get out into those waves to surf, ski, or sail.

There’s no denying the power of waves.

A glassy lake is a temporary pleasure that allows you to enjoy a cup of coffee as the mist rises or take a fast ride that feels more like skating than boating. The stillness doesn’t last, because a completely still lake isn’t a healthy lake. Wave action in a lake has some important effects. Waves mix air into the water to increase 02 levels, distribute nutrients, move sediments, regulate temperatures, create habitats, and even work against excessive algae build-up.

We’ve all seen the damage that big waves can do to shorelines and even homes, but no one would consider inventing a way to stop all wave action. In the same way, the fear of being labeled as a person who is “making waves,” shouldn’t stop us from having conversations about things we all care about. And learning to have those conversations in constructive ways that help to build community is vital to living in a healthy place.

A community without meaningful discussions and shared goals can become like a lake without the vitality that comes from wave action. It quickly becomes stagnant.

Talking about what our community could become and how to overcome the challenges that work against the quality of life is an important part of creating a healthy community. The absence of those conversations either leaves the place devoid of life and stagnant or builds up into eruptions that aren’t productive.

Anyone can make a wave, but only a community working together can give that wave enough energy to create change. That’s a wave with a purpose. Waves that are directional are called wakes because they follow a course set by people. They are intentional courses of action that push water aside for a reason.

Communities can make wakes, too. But these are waves that aren’t just for the pleasure of reaching a great fishing spot or surfing the wake. These are the waves created by listening to others and adding your voice to make the region a better place to live, raise children, start a business, retire, or get away from it all.

Join Wavemakers 2024 to make your voice (and your heart) known. This gathering will be a constructive discussion in which we pair up community challenges with practical opportunities to make the Lake Anna community more of what it can be and what we all want it to become. It will be a safe place to have an opinion but also to lend your energy to working together with others who care.

The first step in participation is to complete the community survey. We’ll be gathering areas of interest and opportunities. Your insights and wave power are needed! The next step is to attend the Wave Makers 2024 workshop in October.

Sign Up for Wave Makers

Wavemakers is an event for people who care about Lake Anna. That includes people who live here and do business here. It also includes those who have unique skills and talents that they might be using on the job, in their home, or as an entrepreneur. Community organizations that care, like churches, the Chamber, and nonprofits, should plan to engage in this important moment in the future of Lake Anna.