The Lake Development Corporation of Grand Lake St. Marys

February 1, 2010

 

President Jim Dabbelt called the February meeting of the Lake Development Corporation to order at 4:02 pm. In attendance were Don Davis, Owen Hall, Kent Hinton, Dave Meyer, Milt Miller, Frank C. Murray, Greg Schumm. Matt Schwieterman, Mike Sudman, Doug Temple, Terry Wissman, Julie Miller, Craig Morton, Laura Walker, Donna Grube, and Nancy Allen of the Daily Standard.

 

The minutes were approved as e-mailed to the members. (Temple/Morton)

 

Milt Miller provided the treasurer’s report showing the current account balance stands at $6926.97.

 

M. Miller & Schumm spoke to the board about the Grand Lake St. Marys Restoration Imitative. Funds are being raised to purchase aerators and streamside silt collectors to use in a pilot project to see if they will help improve the water quality of the lake. It is hoped that matching grants will be obtained and if the study shows an improvement, then other funding sources (Federal and State EPA) could be brought in to expand the project. Wright State University Lake Campus will provide technical assistance with monitoring the tests. It was reported that this technology has worked in many states and now we must prove it will work here. Terry Wissman said one good thing about the research project is that this will be with production units, not some small scale testing unit in a lab. The number of units and the scope of the test will depend on the amount of money raised. Both the Mercer County Foundation and St. Marys Foundation are on board to accept donations so they are tax deductable.

 

The board unanimously voted to donate $5,000 from the treasury to the Mercer County Civic Foundation for the Restoration Imitative of Grand Lake St. Marys. (Wissman/Hinton)

 

The Board unanimously voted to approve a resolution of support for the Restoration Imitative of Grand Lake St. Marys. (Wissman/Hinton) The resolution follows at the conclusion of these minutes.

 

Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Manager Craig Morton presented the following lake report:

Lake level Approx. 3” below normal pool.

Dredge

• The dredge crew is working on building the DMRA for dredging Riley Bay East. The location is on the north side of Route 703 near the Northwood area.

• Cleaned out the sediment traps at Big Chickasaw and Beaver Creek.

• Working on plans for Riley Bay West but still have not been able to secure a DMRA site.

• The crew will be working on renovating the Park Grand DMRA this winter to prepare for finishing the Beaver Creek project. The first half of the project filled the Mercer County DMRA to near capacity.

• The PO for the new barge has been cut. We hope to see it at the park before summer.

• Dredge amounts for 2009 are 61,013 cubic yards from Beaver Creek and approx. 10,000 cubic yards from the sediment traps. Also approx. 30,000 cubic yards were cleaned out of the service area DMRA.

Lake Issues

• Meeting at Wright State.

• New Crappie regulations. 9” min. and 30 fish bag limit.

• Boat house has the roof and siding on all but the west side. Doors and electric to start soon. Should be ready for use in early spring.

Park

• No budget packet yet but expecting the number to hold at what we had for the past season.

• Working on the plan for capital budget replacement of the 7 camp buildings.

Canal

• Lockkeeper’s house, New Bremen, is nearing completion. Is at the crossroads of routes 66 & 274.

 

Kent Hinton reported that the last leg of the sewer along the north side of the lake was getting ready for installation. He added you can see some of the supplies that have been delivered at Kozy Marina.

 

Dave Meyer reported that the LIA Fishing Derby will take place in September instead of the usual May date. He said they are hoping to get better weather for the event. Meyer also invited everyone to attend the next LIA meeting, taking place this Saturday Morning at 10am at the Moose Lodge. He added that when the pilot project segments are installed there should be signage letting the public know that these installations are working to improve water quality. He said people need to see the efforts being made to improve the lake. It was said that public education and signage are part of the package price quoted by the company.

 

Doug temple presented a slate of officers and the list of directors which were approved. (Temple/Schwieterman)

Officers: Jim Dabbelt—President, Frank C. Murray-Vice President, Milt Miller-Treasurer and Donna Grube—Secretary.

Directors are:

Celina/Mercer County Chamber of Commerce Appointees

Rick Bachelor, Doug Temple

St. Marys Chamber of Commerce Appointees:

Frank C. Murray, Greg Schumm

Directors:

Jim Dabbelt, Don Davis, Todd Fleagle, Owen Hall, Kent Hinton, Tom Knapke, Dave Meyer, Milt Miller, Matt Schwieterman, Mike Sudman & Terry Wissman

 

With no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned. (J. Miller/Hall)

 

Laura Walker’s Watershed and Grand Lake Action Team reports follow below.

 

The next LDC Meeting will be March 1, 4pm at the CVB Meeting room.

 

 

A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GRAND LAKE ST. MARY’S RESTORATION INITIATIVE WHO’S GOAL IS, “THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATER QUALITY OF GRAND LAKE ST. MARY’S”, AND TO COLLABORATE WITH ALL INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO FOSTER THE SAME IDEALS FOR THE QUALITY OF WATER IN GRAND LAKE ST. MARY’S AND TO ENHANCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THIS REGION OF THE STATE OF OHIO.

 

 

WHEREAS: The need for enhanced water quality in Grand Lake St. Mary’s is of extreme importance and of the highest concern for this region and the state of Ohio, and

 

WHEREAS: The quality of the water in Grand Lake St. Mary’s is of critical economic and environmental importance as hundreds of jobs are directly and indirectly affected to the existence of Grand Lake St. Mary’s, and

 

WHEREAS: The Grand Lake St. Mary’s region is in great need of funding for water quality improvements to retain and create jobs and enhance the environmental quality of the water in Grand Lake St, Mary’s, and;

 

WHEREAS: The Grand Lake St. Mary’s region needs to collaborate with all local and regional organizations, both public and private with common views, to coordinate efforts to identify technologies and funding for critically needed water quality projects, now;

 

 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the organizations and groups listed here;

 

 

SECTION ONE: That we support the need for enhanced water quality in Grand Lake St. Mary’s, and

 

SECTION TWO: That the need for enhanced water quality is critical to retain and create jobs and enhance the economic and environmental vitality of the Grand Lake St. Mary’s Region, and

 

SECTION THREE: That we support the development of The Grand Lake St. Mary’s Restoration Initiative to research and develop technologies and funding opportunities to enhance the quality of water in Grand Lake St. Mary’s and agree to collaborate with all the agencies listed here for the common good of the Grand Lake St. Mary’s region both environmentally and economically.

 

_________________________ ___________________________

Mercer County Commissioners Auglaize County Commissioners

 

_________________________ _________________________________

City of Celina Grand Lake Wabash Watershed Alliance

 

_________________________ __________________________

Lake Improvement Association Lake Development Corporation

 

__________________________________

Grand Lake St. Mary’s State Parks – ODNR City of St. Marys

 

 

_________________________________

Auglaize & Mercer Counties Convention & Visitors Bureau

 

 

 

~ Grand Lake Team ~

~ Engineer Terry Mescher ~ Grand Lake St. Marys Conservationist Frances Springer ~ ~ Resource Management Specialists Jocelyn Henderson & Rob Hamilton ~ ~ Watershed Coordinator Laura Walker ~ ~ Educator Jim Hoorman ~

January 22, 2010

The Grand Lake Team is a group compiled after the Memorial Day 2009 reports of toxin in Grand Lake St. Marys. Since then this team has met every other week. The team works in the watershed, guided by the Watershed Action Plan endorsed May 2008, by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The team pulls in many partners to accomplish their goals. This team is dedicated to assisting stakeholders in the Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed.

Since Memorial Day 2009 the team has:

??Started engaging local agriculture businesses

??Discussed options to make brokering manure profitable

??Organized 2 Nutrient Management Workbook Trainings

??Obtained $3,500 from the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) to determine the distance swine manure can be trucked economically. (This project is funded by Assistance Agreement number MX964472 between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Conservation Technology Information Center.)

??Worked with Mercer SWCD to form an official response to winter manure applications

??Promoted Natural Resources Conservation Services programs to producers, specifically those in current Agriculture Incentive Programs and who applied manure to frozen ground

??Drafted ideas for Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) grant applications, including Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative (CCPI) and Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG)

??Hosted a cover crop walk, 25 producers attended

??Investigated the number of acres under current Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP) on file with the Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD).

 

 

 

WATERSHED COORDINATOR REPORT ~ January 22, 2010

??Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Group/Nutrient Management Commission

??Area includes Grand Lake St. Marys and Wabash River Watersheds through Indiana

??Funds secured for a swine manure data collection project (This project is funded by Assistance Agreement number MX964472 between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Conservation Technology Information Center.)

??Group has decided to focus on the watershed east of the state line

??Group has drafted ideas for Mississippi River Basin Initiative Grant Application

 

??Lake Shoreline Stabilization Geotextile Tube Project

??End of year report needs to be completed

??Located near Turtle Point, on the way to Windy Point

??Site can be seen from the shore, pictures and explanations posted on shore

??NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant; partnership with Grand Lake St. Marys State Park

 

??319 Grant Grand Lake St. Marys

??Applications need to be made and submitted for review to OEPA

??Newsletter and press releases need to be created and sent

??Grant includes cost share for 18 septic system replacements, 2 septic system repairs, 5 milk house wastewater treatment systems and 10 tile control structures

 

??Implementation Grant Meetings

??Starting second year of project

??Thirteen municipalities visited, at least 12 more to visit

??Every government body in the watersheds will eventually be visited for a brief overview of Watershed Project and Implementation Grant.

 

??Mercer County Health Department

??Partner in SWEETER project

??Working with them on 319 grant

??Continuously working to tie-in homes to central sewer

 

??Balanced Growth Grant Application

??Denied, possibility for another application

??Provided information to Ron Puthoff

??Assisted with securing resolutions of support

 

??Watershed Action Plan & Qualified Data Collector Guide

??Reviewed at Public Advisory Board Meeting

??Updates/revisions submitted to ODNR before the end of the year

??Updates posted to ODNR website

 

??Residential Soil Sampling Program

??$5 for lawn and/or garden soil samples

??Pick up sample bags and info at Mercer SWCD

??Education event will be planned for 2010

??Cost share with Helena Agronomic Center, Coldwater, and Lake Improvement Association

 

 

??Education

??Plan to submit watershed education mini-grant for a bucket program

??Checking feasibility of a bus trip to view best management practices

??As requested watershed presentations and/or Enviroscape/Water Treatment Enviroscape/Ground Water Model/Growing Up WILD/Passport to Fishing/Project WET/Project WILD/Project Aquatic WILD/Project Learning Tree

 

??Coordinator’s Upcoming Meetings/Trainings

??Joint Board Meeting, 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 27, 2010, Central Services Building, Celina

??Nutrient Management Commission Teleconference, 10 a.m. February 4, 2010, dial-in

??Lake Improvement Association Meeting, 10 a.m. Saturday, February 6, 2010, Moose Lodge, Celina

??Technician Development Training, February 9 and 10, 2010, Horace Collins, Columbus