The general health of Kosciusko County Lakes isn’t a static thing. In fact, the issue of lakes and their effect on public health, use and economics remains as fluid as the water that fills them. In 2007, Grace College commissioned a study of the water quality of 30 lakes in Kosciusko County. That sort of testing takes place just once every five years so the results, which were generally favorable, are a good historical template but may not accurately describe the lakes in their current condition. Nate Bosch, Phd., director of Kosciusko Lakes and Streams and assistant professor at Grace College said that a “work in progress” would be a fair way to describe lakes in general in Kosciusko County. That being said, the biggest concern for lakes, according to Bosch is the infiltration of excess phosphorus into the water. Phosphorus occurs naturally in lakes but too much can increase plant production in the lakes. When those plants reproduce, they give off different gases like methane which can create noxious odors. Those sort of smells can also come from water fowl that leave waste in and around the lakes. A swan can produce 10 pounds of waste per day with geese and ducks producing less respectively. Inasmuch as things like phosphorus and water fowl are important to the lakes, a human element can act as a steroid to things that naturally occur. Bob Weaver, director of the Kosciusko County Health Department, said that people need to look at it in the respect that everything they put in their lawn or on the ground will end up in a body of water. That includes fertilizers for lawns or pet waste that isn’t picked up. It includes grass clippings and leaves that aren’t disposed of. And that’s not just for those who own lakefront or near-lakefront property. Anyone who lives in a watershed connected to a lake directly contributes to what ends up in a lake. And when people complain about the look or smell of the lake, what they and their neighbors are putting into the lake may exacerbate those irritants. “When you put all those nutrients into the lake, it greens it up as well,” said Bosch. “The whole lake gets supercharged.” To extrapolate man’s effects on the lake, one need look no further than fish kills that pop up, often in early spring. The Times-Union reported on a fish kill two weeks ago involving white bass in Winona Lake where about 50 fish washed up on shore. According to Indiana Department of Natural Resources biologist Jed Pearson, that particular fish kill was due to a pathogen that attacked the fish. White bass have weaker immune systems than other fish. But fish kills can also be caused when excess plants die. Excess plants can spring up from too many nutrients being dumped into the lake. When those plants begin to decompose, that bacteria uses up oxygen. If the oxygen level goes down faster then it can be replenished, the dissolved oxygen levels will keep going down, killing fish. Currently, according to Weaver, the lakes and beaches his department have tested have resulted in no issues. Every year around Memorial Day, the health department begins testing public beaches in Kosciusko County through Labor Day. They also operate on complaints they receive throughout the year. One body of water is picked each year to do an extensive study. The health department has yet to pick one for 2011. Weaver said his department takes a special interest in the streams and ditches that feed the lakes. Healthy lakes not only are important in terms of health and environment, but they also have an impact on the economy. Kosciusko County collects property taxes on lakefront property that is on average higher than non-lakefront property. Businesses spike during the summer when “lakers” come to Kosciusko County increasing the population by the thousands. Kosciusko County supports cottage industries devoted solely to the sale of boats, watersports equipment and piers. But conversely, lakes associations are spending thousands of dollars a year on herbicides. Lakes are applying for grants to help study soil erosion. The Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission has looked at ordinances to help stem soil erosion which in turn effects ground and lake water. Continued work by the health department and organizations like Kosciusko Lakes and Streams and the Tippecanoe Watershed Foundation are paramount to ensuring a “status quo” mentality doesn’t set in when it comes to the quality of the lakes. But that work doesn’t come without a price tag. The health department measures for EColi and runs those tests for KLAS through the health department’s budget. In terms of phosphorus, samples cost $50 to send to IUPUI for testing. The cost is also $50 to test other nutrient levels. From a public health and safety aspect to the economy of Kosciusko County, the quality of the lakes need to be a top priority agree Weaver and Bosch. “The Lakes matter to all of us,” said Bosch. “We all have a responsibility to take care of our lakes. We all have it in our power to ensure our lakes are clean.”
