Franklin Township Newsletter
July 6th 2007Greetings from the ever growing lake improvement association. We are close to the 700 family and business membership number. This is a testimony to the interest in protecting the Grand Lake St. Marys State Park and the surrounding community. As a reminder, our membership drive raffle includes a beautiful wildlife print for new members and those signing up new members. A membership makes a great gift for those folks that are hard to buy for or just as a gesture of friendship. "It is a mark of distinction to be a member of the Lake Improvement Association." We are in our 60th year of organization!
The LIA wants to extend our appreciation to Rep. Keith Faber and the Mercer County Commissioners for their leadership in conducting a Grand Lake St. Marys water quality summit. The summit was conducted at Wright State University with nearly 200 citizens in attendance. Mr. Chris Gibbs of the Farm Services Agency was the moderator. Please visit a www.mercercountyohio.org/commissioners for some very interesting responses from citizens' questions. Click on the q and a link.
Deep water sediment traps have been installed on 3 streams entering the lake and the fourth (Beaver Creek) is under construction. Kudos to State Park Management and employees for their diligence in getting these installed before the spring. In addition the engineering is nearly complete on the $450,000 shoreline protection projects that could begin next year. In addition, there is a proposed $350,000 funding in the works for future erosion control projects. Our thanks to Sen. Jordan and Rep. Faber for their efforts in obtaining funding for these projects, we also want to wish good luck to these men as they continue to represent our community at all levels of government.
The Lake Restoration Committee has announced their agendas for the coming year. Please watch the local newspapers for these. The LRC meets every third Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Moose Lodge in Celina. This public forum has been faithfully meeting for over three years and is organized for the purpose of educating citizens on issues regarding the Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed. This is a great opportunity for anyone to come and debate, discuss or enjoy the many interesting topics that are offered.
here are over 3,000 acres of lawns in the watershed. Over application of phosphorus (ph) on lawns has been pointed out as a contributing factor to the blue-green algae that has infested the lake. As you plan for your lawn care needs, we ask that you take soil samples of your lawn and then apply fertilizers according to the analysis. In most cases your lawn does not require any phosphorus. Contact your local elevator operator for details and custom development of fertilizers for you. Beware of purchasing off- the- shelf fertilizers and the urge to over apply. We also recommend you contact a professional lawn care service since they are licensed and can provide valuable assistance in lawn care maintenance. A healthy lawn is the first line of defense in watershed protection.
Our thanks go out to the many agencies that are actively involved with protecting the state park and environs. Next time you see employees of these agencies give them a thumbs up for their efforts. They include ODNR, SWCD, OEPA, ODA, Mercer/Auglaize Health, NRCS and law enforcement. They are on the front line. A special thanks to our Franklin Township Trustees. They have really been working hard at developing green space for the community while protecting our agricultural and recreational environment. They deserve your support.
Mercer SWCD has developed a protocol and forms for concerned citizens to use to inform them of possible watershed problems. This protocol and form is available on their web site and on the LIA web site: www.mercercountyohio.org/swcd. This protocol is expected to aid in investigating incidences in a formal and controlled manner. On behalf of the LIA membership we want to wish you a happy and prosperous new year.
