Nutrient Management Field Day

Vice President Frank C. Murray called the October meeting to order at 4:00pm.

In attendance were: Rick Bachelor, Don Davis, Donna Grube, Tom Knapke, Milt Miller, Frank C. Murray, Greg Schumm, Doug Temple, Terry Wissman, Laura Walker, Brian Miller, Ryan Garrison & Kip Wright. Both Owen Hall and Matt Schwieterman phoned that they would be unable to attend.

Hearing no objections or need for any amendments, the minutes from the September meeting were approved as e-mailed to the members.

Treasurer Milt Miller reported that the current treasury balance stands at 8118.20. The first group of donations was received totaling $1300, bringing the total to $9418.20.

Grand Lake St. Marys Assistant Park Manager, Brian Miller presented the lake report:

Lake level Approx. 8″ below normal pool.

Dredge

• Floating suction dredges. St. Marys is at the Camp Lagoon and Schell’s channel. Pump-A-Little is finishing up at Barnes Creek.
• Next dredge jobs are storm clean up and Prairie Creek Dike.
• A beaver dam was removed from Prairie Creek that was almost half way across the creek.
• Dozers have worked on the Uppenkamp DMRA on Behm’s Rd. to continue tear down.
• Construction is progressing for the Anderson DMRA. The concrete and stone is across the channel. Will continue placing concrete all winter and next season. Will create a 23.5 acre in lake DMRA which will also protect that shoreline.
• Next year dredge plans include dredging Beaver Creek from Montezuma Bay all the way to the bridge. Construction of an in-lake DMRA in front of Kozy Kampground. Harbor Point Channel and West Beach boaters’ access.
• We have not been able to secure a DMRA location for Coldwater Creek. For now, that project is on the back burner.

Lake Issues

• Capital shoreline protection project. The job has been advertised and the bid opening was on Oct. 1. The low bid went to Shoreline Construction & Excavating Ltd. out of Huntsville, Ohio which is the same contractor under a different name that recently performed the Indian Lake Capitol Rip Rap project.

• The West Bank Boat House is progressing. The seawall is installed and the next step is the building foundation and then the building structure itself.

Park

• Storm damage from the high winds on Sept. 14. Lots of limbs down and several trees on the west bank. We are continuing to clean up in the channels as we can.
• St. Marys Boat Club made a donation to the park to help the Naturalist to develop a display for watershed related programs. THANKS to SMBC!

• Dog Park. Working on installing the water fountain and hookup. The concrete to mount the fountain will be purchased when Shinn orders the concrete for the boathouse and we can share the delivery fee. The grass is coming in nicely. The gates are locked and we want them to stay shut until spring when we plan the opening. We need the grass well established in order to hold up to the dog activity. Please stay out till spring. Web site is http://www.grandlakedogpark.com/ The volunteer group headed up by Deb Borns is seeking members to help maintain the park.
• Halloween Campout was October 3,4,5. The reservable sites were all taken. All sites taken except for 6 non-electric. Very popular event. The weekend event went very well thanks to all the volunteers and their hard work.

The LIA held a “Meet the Candidates” event. Kip Wright, one of the candidates, reported that they were introduced and given a short amount of time to give their position on improving Grand Lake St. Marys. He said he felt it well attended by both candidates and LIA members. Auglaize & Mercer Counties Convention and Visitors Bureau Director, Donna Grube, reported that they are working on the bureau’s 2009 budget. She added that so far, 2008 has been a very good year. Grube was asked about a newspaper report that stated the Ohio Historical Society may close the Armstrong Museum. Grube noted that no decisions have yet been approved by the OHS Board, but it is possible that they may be seeking a local group to take over the operation. She added that the Armstrong is one of the few sites in Ohio that actually pays its own way through admissions. She added that the director is working behind the scenes in case the OHS does decide to divest itself of its historical sites. They are currently turning over several dozen sites to community groups throughout the state, including Ft. Amanda Park to the Johnny Appleseed Park District. Greg Schumm reported that the university building project is going well. He noted that he will be one of a small contingent of local citizens who will be meeting with the directors of OEPA, ODNR & ODA. Schumm noted that the local folks heading down to Columbus need to meet to prepare for the session. He said it is important to stress that we want to assist the agencies with whatever plan they may be working on, not to reiterate the issues. Greg said they are well aware of the problems, now we want to know how we can move the solutions forward. Rick bachelor reported that the city will soon begin the construction of a structure over the water intake area along the Westbank. He added that they are also planning to start work on a breakwater using concrete from the demolished Mersman’s building. The breakwater needs to be constructed before more of the Westbank Rotary Walkway can be constructed in order to protect it from ice damage. Tom Knapke reported that local leaders of the Democrat & Republican parties got together to discuss the need to work together to get improvement moving for the lake. Tom reported that Owen Hall has been speaking with Columbus contacts about this issue. Ryan Garrison warned that with deer season coming up and with harvest season taking place deer are on the run. Be watchful when driving. He also spoke about the youth waterfowl hunt, hunter education courses and noted that waterfowl season opens on October 18th. Laura Walker provided her Watershed Coordinator’s Report:

Advisory Board Canoe Paddle and Meeting

• Event sponsored by Mercer County Solid Waste District, Grand Lake St Marys Park, Ohio Division of Watercraft
• 21 paddlers, all reported they would like to attend another paddle

Nutrient Management Field Day

• About 70 attended, about 50% or more were producers
• Grant report finalized and mailed

$100,000 for Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed

• $35,000 spent in first ranking
• Approximately $25,000 spent in second ranking
• Started waiting list on October 9, 2008

Wabash 319 Grant Application

• Revisions submitted to OEPA before September 15 deadline
• Selected Wabash River Headwaters to below Bear Creek
• OEPA will notify in late November if this grant application will be recommended to national level

Wabash Capitol Funds

• Plan to utilize as match for 319 grant
• Innovative stream bank stabilization

Lake Geotextile Tube Project

• Working with the State Park
• Tubes bid, working on polymer bid
• NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant

Geotextile Tube Manure Dewatering Grant

• Copies of final report are available
• Shows need for a full scale trial

Tillage Transect

• Fall tillage transect showed Grand Lake watershed with less tillage and more cover crops
• Completed spring route for both watersheds, results need to be compiled
• Plan to do Fall route again

GLWWA Watershed Action Plan

• Combined plan endorsed May 14, 2008
• Revisions after December Public Advisory Board meeting

Volunteer Monitoring Program

• An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
• Kits are ready for monitors to take out
• Working on quality assurance plan, study plan and volunteers

Soil Sample Cost Share $5

• Deadline November 27, 2008
• 33 sold so far in 2008, need to release results
• Working with Helena Agronomic Center

Wabash River, Indiana

• Attended meeting with Nature Conservancy
• They did a paper study and are planning

Coordinator’s Upcoming Meetings/Trainings

• Joint Board Meeting, 5 p.m. October 23, 2008, Central Service Building

Laura Walker also noted that she has not gotten much response in her request for updates on the assignments handed out at the LDC Day on the Lake. After discussion, it was decided that the LDC President should be sending out the request for an update and that it should be noted the progress, or lack of, would be in the local papers. Milt Miller moved that the LDC mail and e-mail progress requests to everyone who received an assignment, Terry Wissman provided a second, motion carried. It was noted that the list of assignments will be included in case anyone has forgotten what they were asked to accomplish. Since the president was absent, Frank C. Murray said he would compose the letter. Laura would provide the assignment sheet and the addresses to secretary Grube. The CVB office would get those mailed & e-mailed. With no further business to come before the group, Terry Wissman moved that the meeting adjourn, that was seconded by Kent Hinton, motion carried at 4:58pm.

The next regularly scheduled meeting is set for November 3, 2008, 4 pm in the Convention and Visitors Bureau meeting room.