Grant Goes To County Lakes And StreamsWINONA LAKE - Kosciusko Lakes and Streams, a community water quality initiative centered at Grace College, has received a $150,000 grant to conduct a two-year study on toxin levels in Kosciusko County lakes.
The research will be used to determine if, where and when potentially high concentrations of blue-green algae and E. coli will appear in lakes.
The grant was awarded by the K21 Health Foundation.
The goal of this study is to proactively protect county residents and tourists from potentially hazardous health conditions in county lakes.
Exposure to and ingestion of toxin-producing blue-green algae and E. coli can lead to skin irritation, gastrointestinal ailments, liver disease, kidney disease and even death.
These agents already exist in area lakes at varying levels. KLAS will perform a more scientific investigation to create models that will predict potentially dangerous levels of toxins.
"More than 76,000 residents and thousands more vacationers rely on our local water resources for water sports, drinking water, fishing and swimming. Our local water resources are vital to our health, economy and standard of living," said Dr. Nathan Bosch, KLAS director and assistant professor of environmental biology at Grace College. "This study is not meant to scare lake users, but a more scientific understanding of toxin level trends during summer months is needed to continue to keep our lakes safe."
The KLAS project will consist of lake-sampling efforts around the county, data synthesis and analysis, public reports, and establishment of a public notification system. KLAS also will conduct data analysis on Kosciusko County Health Department lab results to examine trends in E. coli populations.
The health department has sampled E. coli levels at public beaches for the last 15 years. Blue-green algae has just started to be studied, but last summer moderate to high levels were found in five of the seven county lakes that were sampled, according to the Center for Earth and Environmental Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. However, it is not known how prevalent blue-green algae toxins are across Kosciusko County throughout the summer months.
KLAS will collaborate with the Kosciusko County Health Department and the Center for Earth and Environmental Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis during this study. In addition, support will be provided by the Tippecanoe Watershed Foundation, the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation and the Indiana Clean Lakes Program.
KLAS was established in 2007 for research and education related to water quality in Kosciusko County. KLAS works collaboratively with many organizations to create strategic initiatives to improve water research, track all local water quality information, educate and mobilize lake associations and water quality organizations, improve local K-12 science education, and empower the general public to practice stewardship of natural water resources.
The K21 Health Foundation is a private foundation that focuses on opportunities to improve health and wellness for the citizens of Kosciusko County. Its mission is to ensure health care services are provided and to advance prevention and healthy lifestyles.
