Water Quality Discussed At Annual Winona Preservation Meeting
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Water quality issues in Winona Lake were discussed Tuesday night at the annual Winona Lake Preservation Association meeting.
The meeting was held at the Ramada Plaza, Warsaw.
More than 30 Winona Lake residents, Winona town council members, Warsaw city council members and preservation members attended the meeting.The board elected new officers for 2007. Chris Cummins was elected as president, and will replace Dodge Elkins. Mike Harstine was elected as vice president, and will replace Cummins.
Cummins reported there were 193 board members in 2006.
Ed Belmonte, ecologist for V3, an organization that conducts soil and water surveys, was the featured speaker during the meeting.
Belmonte updated those who attended about a lake survey that the organization conducted on Winona Lake in 2006.
He said a pre-treatment study was conducted June 8-9, and a post treatment study was performed Aug. 1-2 to detect the types of plants that were in the lake.
Belmonte said there was Eurasian Watermilfoil found in the lake by the Boathouse Restaurant and shops.
He defined the plant as an aggressive plant that can grow 10 feet, forming dense mats at the water's surface.
"The plant grows in muck, sand or rock and it has become a nuisance plant in many lakes and ponds," Belmonte said.
He said V3's goal for 2007 is to get rid of the plant in the lake.
Belmonte said coontail, a desirable aquatic plant that supports waterfowl, fish and insects, also was found in the lake.
He said the lake has a surface area of 562 acres and inlets to the lake include Keefer-Evans Ditch, Wyland Ditch and Peterson Ditch.
Frank Rhoades, Kosciusko County fairboard member, said he currently has a permit for a shoreline project on Winona Lake's channel next to the fairgrounds to alleviate erosion.
He said he has been working with J.F. New and Associates, Walkerton, to put together a proposal for soil lifts and planting vegetation to stop erosion along the channel next to the fairgrounds.
Rhoades said although he has a permit from the Department of Natural Resources, he needs a permit from Indiana Department of Environmental Management and equipment and funding to complete the project.
Rhoades said he has spoken with residents who live along the channel about dredging the channel next to the fairgrounds and they have supported the idea.
Cummins said the preservation association could look into grants to assist the fairboard with sediment removal.
John Boal, Grace College, said the college is in the process of developing an environmental management degree.
He said the college received a grant last summer from Kosciusko County Foundation to allow the college to conduct a study of lakes in Kosciusko County.
Boal said the grant will allow the college to collect information about the lakes to distribute to preservation associations, raise the county's knowledge and involvement with the lakes, and partner with local school corporations to teach students about environmental ethics, biology and water quality studies.
Boal said he has met with Congressman Mark Souder to raise awareness about lake issues in Kosciusko County.
Joy Lohse, Winona Lake town council member, informed those who attended about a water quality meeting that was held March 21 at the Winona Lake Senior Center.
Approximately 25 Winona Lake residents and water quality experts attended the meeting and discussed the quality of water in Winona Lake.
Lohse said a meeting will be held May 30 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the senior center to continue to discuss the lake's water quality and is open to the public.
