Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Water in Lake Wawasee may soon be a bit clearer thanks to a grant aimed at soil conservation.
Farmers, lake landowners and area conservationists have cooperated in gaining the $380,000 five-year grant to fund efforts to clean up water in the Lake Wawasee watershed.
In its first year the project will co-sponsor $90,000 in conservation projects aimed at cleaner water and less erosion.
The conservation projects to be used range from grass filter strips along small tributaries leading to Lake Wawasee to no-till farming practices. "The money is a cost-share incentive where the farmer will receive partial payment for projects that prevent soil runoff," said Myron Metzger, project coordinator with the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District.
A filterstrip can range anywhere from 33 to 99 feet along a river or creek, said Doug Nusbaum, coordinator of the Noble County side of the project. The wide strip of grass holds soil and nutrients in place, preventing erosion.
Though the filter strips reduce available farm acreage, many farmers are becoming more willing to make that sacrifice for conservation's sake.
Recently the Noble County SWCD worked with a farmer who gave up 4.9 acres of farmland for a filter strip, Nusbaum said. The farmer said he had prided himself in the hard work of clearing the ditches of brush and using the soil along the creek. But now he realizes the need for conservation, despite the cost.
The grant was awarded through the Lake and River Enhancement project established by the state SWCD. It is part of the "T by 2,000" conservation program, Metzger said.
T by 2,000 has been in the state almost 10 years, Metzger said, and river enhancement and similar programs have been sponsored at Ridinger and Pike lakes.
Money for the projects comes from a fund established through the $5 boat registration fee. That small fee should now contribute to keeping area lakes clean.
The project will be administered jointly through the Noble and Kosciusko County SWCDs since the watershed includes bodies of water in both counties, Metzger said. Several parties cooperated to apply for the grant, some of which rarely work together. Nusbaum said the project is only the second in his memory that has been administered jointly.
"It's a matter of local groups getting together and assessing the needs," Metzger said. Those local groups include lake associations, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Natural Reserves Conservation Service, Noble County SWCD, Enchanted Hills Community and Wawasee Area Conservancy.
The main goals of the project are education, increased productivity and improved water quality. Organizers hope area residents will be educated on how they contribute to the overall health of the watershed through demonstrations and one-on-one contacts.
Improved water quality and increased productivity are the anticipated results of keeping soil and nutrients in the fields, according to the SWCD.
