Winona Lake Preservation Assoc. Holds Annual Meeting
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Three topics highlighted the Winona Lake Preservation Association meeting Tuesday.
Among the topics discussed were a possible catch basin to trap hazardous materials from going into Winona Lake, a Grace College water quality study and a proposed shoreline stabilization project.
Approximately 30 Winona Lake residents and preservation association board members attended the meeting at Ramada Plaza to discuss projects in the town.WLPA President Chris Cummins said the board has been considering a catch basin be installed along roads around Winona Lake.
"The catch basin could purify water that runs on Argonne Road and Bronson Street after heavy rains," Cummins said.
In the past, after heavy rains, oil has washed off the road into Winona Lake.
Ed Belmonte, ecologist for V3 Companies, Woodridge, said the catch basin could be located on either the north or south side of the railroad tracks by the Gatke Property.
"The catch basin could filter oil coming from streets and urban areas, and be a wet bottom retention area that is a planting shelf where physical materials could be filtered out or trapped before entering Winona Lake," Belmonte said.
Cummins said a feasibility study would need to be conducted.
"The first thing to do is we want to see if a catch basin is feasible, then we could determine where it would need to be located and the cost of installation," Cummins said.
Eileen Boekestein, Kosciusko lakes and streams coordinator for Grace College, gave an update on the college's project to provide a Web site accessible by the public that provides information about county lakes.
She said the first phase of the site has been launched. It provides information on Kosciusko County lakes, including lake and watershed sizes, inlets and outlets.
The other phases will include data on the county's streams and an interactive education component for county teachers and students.
Also during the meeting, Mark Pranckus, JF New, Walkerton, provided an update on the Kosciusko County fairgrounds shoreline stabilization project.
He said the Kosciusko County Fair Board approved applying for a Lake and River Enhancement grant in November for the stabilization project.
"The shoreline south of the grandstand is eroding along Winona Lake," Pranckus said.
He said the solution is to install a natural seawall incorporating natural vegetation.
"The idea is to rebuild the embankment with erosion control material and provide erosion protection," Pranckus said.
He said the seawall would be seeded with native vegetation, which will provide long-term stabilization.
There will be wildflowers planted along the shoreline if funding for the embankment project is approved, he said.
The fair board will hear in July if they will receive the grant.
He encouraged lake users and those who attend events at the fairground to e-mail Kent Tracey at ktracey@dnr.in.gov to support the bank stabilization project.
Preservation Association Board member Joy Lohse said the association, Winona Lake and Grace College will work this Saturday for a "wade-in" day where materials such as tires and cans will be cleaned from the WInona Lake shore.
WLPA members are Cummins, Treasurer Cathy Carter, Co-Secretaries Tammy Dalton and Peggy Lieffring, Joy Lohse, Pat Miller, Dr. David Dick, Dodge Elkins, Chris Rankin and Carl Williams.
