Grand Lake St. Marys Restoration Commission Manager Milt Miller revealed that SolarBees could be coming to Grand Lake St. Marys at the March 2, 2013 Lake Improvement Association Member Meeting.
Miller reported that Medora Corporation, maker of SolarBees, has submitted a proposal for a pilot project to determine how effective SolarBees could be in helping restore Grand Lake St. Marys.
Science has shown that aeration is the key to improving water quality, and SolarBees work to aerate the water via solar-powered circulation. Because SolarBees are solar-powered, they do not incur ongoing electricity fees or costs associated with bringing electricity on-site. AiryGators, by comparison, cost approximately $250 per month to operate.
The initial SolarBee pilot project would be deployed in early Spring, and third-party validators would measure results to determine how well the SolarBees work. Goals of the pilot project include:
- deployment of two SolarBees at Second Beach in the hopes of potentially opening a beach on Grand Lake St. Marys
- deployment of four to five SolarBees near the Celina intake, which would help lessen toxicity before drinking water treatment
- third-party validation to determine efficacy of the pilot project
Proposed SolarBee locations at Second Beach
Proposed SolarBee locations near Celina intake
Learn more about SolarBees here