Ecozone Proposed For Tippecanoe Lake
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The proposed ecozone addresses the lake's weed and algae problems by encouraging vegetation to be replenish.
The proposed ecozone would create a 48-acre area prohibiting motorized boating activity west of the Ball Wetlands (The Flats), according to association president Mark Ennes.
Approximately 200 Tippecanoe Lake residents attended a public informational meeting Saturday morning at the North Webster Community Center.
The meeting was the third public meeting held by the association to build ecological understanding and explain Indiana's ecozone rule-making process. Other meetings were held in July and September.
The lake is 707 acres and would include a 200-foot wide area from the edge of the plant area along the eastern shore of the Ball Wetlands of James Lake (Little Tippy).
The only access would be by row boats, canoes, paddle boats and boats using only electric trolling motors. There would be no anchoring - such as for fishing - allowed in the areas.
Ennes spoke during the meeting and said the purpose of the association is to prevent unsanitary conditions in lakes.
"Waterways such as rivers, estuaries and lakes are valuable natural resources because they support municipal, navigational, industrial and recreational uses and increased levels of proper management of waterways is vital," Ennes said.
For the past several months, the association's Aquatic Plant Management and Water Quality committees and Chairperson Holly LaSalle have investigated steps that could be taken to address undesirable weed and algae problems.
Beth Neilson, project manager for Williams Creek Consulting Inc., provided results from a feasibility study on the proposed ecozone.
Tippecanoe property owners used a grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to study whether ecozones effectively would address water quality.
"The study found a definite decline in aquatic habitat in plants and animals and an overall decline in the water quality demonstrated by an increase in the blue-green algae blooms," Neilson said.
Neilson said the goal is to establish 50 percent coverage of emergent plants along the west side of the wetland.
Ennes said the property owners association and the Department of Natural Resources will review comments from those who attended the meeting, and another public meeting will be scheduled at a later date.
For more information about the proposed ecozone, visit www.ltpo.org, and about the feasibility study, visit www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/lare/lare_reports.html[[In-content Ad]]
The proposed ecozone addresses the lake's weed and algae problems by encouraging vegetation to be replenish.
The proposed ecozone would create a 48-acre area prohibiting motorized boating activity west of the Ball Wetlands (The Flats), according to association president Mark Ennes.
Approximately 200 Tippecanoe Lake residents attended a public informational meeting Saturday morning at the North Webster Community Center.
The meeting was the third public meeting held by the association to build ecological understanding and explain Indiana's ecozone rule-making process. Other meetings were held in July and September.
The lake is 707 acres and would include a 200-foot wide area from the edge of the plant area along the eastern shore of the Ball Wetlands of James Lake (Little Tippy).
The only access would be by row boats, canoes, paddle boats and boats using only electric trolling motors. There would be no anchoring - such as for fishing - allowed in the areas.
Ennes spoke during the meeting and said the purpose of the association is to prevent unsanitary conditions in lakes.
"Waterways such as rivers, estuaries and lakes are valuable natural resources because they support municipal, navigational, industrial and recreational uses and increased levels of proper management of waterways is vital," Ennes said.
For the past several months, the association's Aquatic Plant Management and Water Quality committees and Chairperson Holly LaSalle have investigated steps that could be taken to address undesirable weed and algae problems.
Beth Neilson, project manager for Williams Creek Consulting Inc., provided results from a feasibility study on the proposed ecozone.
Tippecanoe property owners used a grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to study whether ecozones effectively would address water quality.
"The study found a definite decline in aquatic habitat in plants and animals and an overall decline in the water quality demonstrated by an increase in the blue-green algae blooms," Neilson said.
Neilson said the goal is to establish 50 percent coverage of emergent plants along the west side of the wetland.
Ennes said the property owners association and the Department of Natural Resources will review comments from those who attended the meeting, and another public meeting will be scheduled at a later date.
For more information about the proposed ecozone, visit www.ltpo.org, and about the feasibility study, visit www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/lare/lare_reports.html[[In-content Ad]]
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