Northeast Indiana lakes land more than $800K in grants for improvements

April 17th, 2017

Lakes in northeast Indiana will get grants totaling more than $800,000 from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to help control invasive aquatic plants and remove sediments, the DNR announced on Thursday.

In all cases, local sponsors pledged to share at least 20 percent of the total cost of the projects the grants will support.

The invasive-plants grants will help control or manage aggressive non-native species, including Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, and starry stonewort, that can take over and clog lakes. The grants can also provide economic benefits to lake communities by improving and increasing public access opportunities for those who fish or pleasure-boat, the DNR said.

The goal for the sediment-removal plans and projects is to improve public accessibility to Indiana waterways and lakes, according to the DNR. Improved access will increase recreation opportunities for boaters, anglers, paddlers and others. Projects to dredge lake inlets or boating access channels receive the highest priority for funding. Whole-lake dredging is generally too expensive for any entity to address.

These grants are funded through fees paid by boat owners annually when they register their boats with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This user-funded program benefits boaters all over the state. The grants allow for the completion of projects that would be difficult for local organizations to fund on their own.

The list of projects by lake, county, and grant amount:

Adams Lake in LaGrange County will get $12,640 for invasive plants.
Atwood Lake in LaGrange County will get $8,560 for invasive plants.
Backwater Lake in Kosciusko County will get $1,300 for invasive plants.
Barbee Lakes chain in Kosciusko County will get $6,750 for invasive plants.
Beaver Dam and Loon Lakes in in Kosciusko County will get $2,030 for invasive plants.
Big Long Lake in LaGrange County will get $18,000 for invasive plants.
Big Turkey and Henry lakes in Steuben and LaGrange County will get $20,500 for invasive plants.
Bixler Lake in Noble County will get $30,000 for sediment removal.
Blue Lake in Whitley County will get $7,500 for a sediment-removal plan.
Center Lake in Kosciusko County will get $16,600 for invasive plants.
Chapman Lakes in Kosciusko County will get $28,400 for invasive plants.
Crooked Lake in Steuben County will get $9,000 for invasive plants.
Dewart Lake in Kosciusko County will get $5,875 for invasive plants.
Hamilton Lake in Steuben County will get $39,000 for invasive plants.
Jimmerson Lake in Steuben County will get $12,800 for invasive plants and $60,000 for sediment removal.
Lake George in Steuben County will get $8,375 for invasive plants.
Lake Pleasant in Steuben County will get $13,520 for invasive plants.
Little Turkey Lake in LaGrange County will get $4,725 for invasive plants.
Oliver, Olin and Martin lakes in LaGrange County will get $10,160 for invasive plants.
Pretty Lake in LaGrange County will get $6,400 for invasive plants.
Round Lake in Whitley County will get $30,000 for sediment removal.
Silver Lake in Kosciusko County will get $145,000 for sediment removal.
Stone and Brokesha lakes in LaGrange County will get $13,160 for invasive plants.
Sylvan Lake in Noble County will get $140,000 for sediment removal and $5,000 for invasive plants.
Tippecanoe Lake chain in Kosciusko County will get $34,500 for invasive plants.
Wall Lake in LaGrange County will get $10,880 for invasive plants.
Wawasee and Syracuse lakes in Kosciusko County will get $18,500 for invasive plants.
Webster Lake in Kosciusko County will get $36,000 for invasive plants.
West Otter Lake in Steuben County will get $13,300 for invasive plants and $30,000 for sediment removal.
Westler Lake in LaGrange County will get $60,000 for sediment removal.

Categories Quality of Life