Many people and organizations collaborated to make positive strides for Grand Lake St. Marys improvement in 2022. Community support is critical to success, and the Lake Improvement Association applauds the efforts of all those who contribute to make Grand Lake St. Marys an economic engine, wildlife habitat and recreation hub for everyone who enjoys its waters and shores. The following recaps 2022 lake improvement highlights, with additional details and photos below.
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Special thanks to the following individuals who contributed to this year in review, and for all their efforts to improve and promote Grand Lake St. Marys:
- Dr. Stephen Jacquemin, Professor of Biology, Wright State University-Lake Campus
- Theresa Dirksen, Mercer County Agriculture & Natural Resource Director
- Tom Grabow, Ohio Dredging Program Administrator
- David Faler, Grand Lake St. Marys State Park Manager
- Jared Ebbing, Mercer County Community/Economic Development Director
- Donna Grube, Executive Director, Grand Lake Region Visitors Center
2022 Highlights
Water Quality
- Cleaner water: Lake conditions relative to algal biomass and microcystin toxins were low this year relative to historical averages – continuing a promising trend that has become apparent over the past 7+ years – 2022 weekly averages were 65% lower overall than historical conditions
- Expanded watershed conservation: Several hundred acres of wetlands were restored during 2022 including the Burntwood-Langenkamp Wetland Conservation Area with numerous plans to continue wetland habitat restoration projects for next year
- Promising wetland data: Wetland monitoring data continued to demonstrate that the GLSM wetlands are a sink for nutrients with demonstration of up to 90+% nutrient concentration reductions from stream flow with up to 10+% of the annual stream flow volume captured
- Less nutrient loading: Watershed conservation monitoring has continued to indicate improvements in tributary concentrations of nutrients as well as corresponding loading reductions
- Open beaches: 2022 was the second consecutive year that the red sign warnings about algae toxin levels did not have a constant presence at the lake
Lake Conditions
- With the minimal rainfall this summer, the lake level is very similar to November 2016 (December 2016: -17.4″ | December 2022: -16.5”)
- By the end of January, the lake level was +5.3”. Please keep in mind if the ground is frozen, 1” of rain can raise the lake level as much as 4”
- We ended the year 12.24 inches below our normal 45 inches of annual rainfall
Wetlands & Ag
- Burntwood-Langenkamp Wetland Conservation Area completed: The nearly 90-acre site treats water through a mile-long flow path marsh wetland before emptying into Coldwater Creek
- Gilliland Nature Preserve Wetland: Slated for final planting in late 2022/early 2023, this project includes a 2-acre wetland, 1.5 acres of reforestation and 5+ acres of native grasses
- Mercer Wildlife Area Wetlands: Phase 1 of this 3-phase project was completed in 2022, which saw 11 acres of new wetland development and 20 acres of existing farmland tiled and connected to a forcemain
- Chickasaw Creek Wetlands and Stream Restoration: Work began on this site which will restore Little Chickasaw Creek with connected wetlands for water treatment
- Prairie Creek Littoral Wetland Planting: More than 2,000 wetlands plants were planted in Phase 2 of this project, which is designed to establish a diverse habitat and ultimately increase flow through these littoral wetlands
Dredging
- 157,110 cubic yards dredged: Numbers were down a bit due to mechanical failures, but the dredge crew was still able to dredge Montezuma Creek and Prairie Creek (to be continued in Spring 2023)
- New DMRA: A new 10-acre disposal site was constructed at AquaView, with two more planned for 2023. Another DMRA plus two redevelopments are planned for 2023-2024
- Windy Point rip rap: The dredge crew continued to place shoreline protection around Windy Point
Tourism & Economy
- Record year for campers: The GLSM State Park Campground report shows a full campground for 26 weekends in 2022, eclipsing the record 22 weekends reported in 2021
- Renovated beach: The renovated Sunset Beach saw a lot of use. The new handicap kayak launch ramp was popular and although the new play equipment wasn’t installed until mid-October, many children and families used it during the unseasonably warm days that occurred into November
- Desirable destination: Visitors continue to flock to GLSM, evidenced by lodging tax receipts that increased by nearly 12% over 2021. The Grand Lake Region Visitors Center has done a wonderful job promoting the lake
- New developments: Boardwalk Village opened in 2022, offering the feel of resort lodging on GLSM’s shores. Larger, more luxury type rentals reported brisk business in 2022
Amenities, Ongoing Projects & Events
- East Bank benches: The LIA funded new benches on the East Bank
- Lighthouse preservation: Work continues on the Northwood Lighthouse Preservation Project
- Kayak launch: The LIA funded a kayak launch at Windy Point. Operation Kayak Access is well under way with an ADA Kayak launch at Sunset Beach, Floating Launch at Little Chickasaw boat ramp, Sand Launch at Coldwater Creek
- New channel markers: The LIA and Grand Lake Recreation Club installed additional solar-lit markers on the lake’s major channels
- Successful events: The LIA held several successful events to raise funds for lake improvement efforts, including the Bar Stool Open, Winter Icebreaker and Grand Lake Scavenger Hunt. The Grand Lake Recreation Club hosted successful Bicycle Poker Run and “bands on the beach” events, and the GLSM State Park Campgrounds had a great turnout for its annual Fall Festival
Water Quality
Courtesy Dr. Stephen Jacquemin
Cleaner Water
Lake conditions relative to algal biomass and microcystin toxins were low this year relative to historical averages – continuing a promising trend that has become apparent over the past 7+ years – 2022 weekly averages were 65% lower overall than historical conditions.
Expanded Watershed Conservation
Several hundred acres of wetlands were restored during 2022 including the Burntwood-Langenkamp Wetland Conservation Area with numerous plans to continue wetland habitat restoration projects for next year.
Promising wetland data
Wetland monitoring data continued to demonstrate that the GLSM wetlands are a sink for nutrients with demonstration of up to 90+% nutrient concentration reductions from stream flow with up to 10+% of the annual stream flow volume captured.
Less Nutrient Loading
Watershed conservation monitoring has continued to indicate improvements in tributary concentrations of nutrients as well as corresponding loading reductions.
Open Beaches
2022 was the second consecutive year that the red sign warnings about algae toxin levels did not have a constant presence at the lake.
Lake Conditions
Courtesy David Faler
- With the minimal rainfall this summer, the lake level is very similar to November 2016 (December 2016: -17.4″ | December 2022: -16.5”)
- By the end of January, the lake level was +5.3”. Please keep in mind if the ground is frozen, 1” of rain can raise the lake level as much as 4”
- We ended the year 12.24 inches below our normal 45 inches of annual rainfall
- 2021 was a banner year for water quality for Grand Lake with the low rainfall in the spring. 2022 was more of a normal year
- Although the microcystin numbers are still slowly coming down each year, we need to continue our effort on nutrient reduction
Wetlands & Ag
Courtesy Theresa Dirksen
Burntwood-Langenkamp Wetland Conservation Area
The construction of the nearly 90-acre project site was completed in 2022. Water enters the site during high flows through Burntwood Creek and also has a pump with the capacity to pump 500,000 gallons of water per day during the growing season. Water is treated through a one-mile long flow path of a meandering marsh wetland prior to the water outlet into Coldwater Creek. Over 5,000 wetland plants were planted on-site on September 9, 2022 by many local volunteers to further enhance the water quality and wildlife attributes of the site.
This public nature park can be accessed off of Coldwater Creek Road (between Green and Younger Roads). There is a large parking lot on the east side of Burntwood Creek and a walking bridge over the Creek to enter the wetland area. You can enjoy the observation tower constructed by Eagle Scout, Wyatt Greenwood, and an observation deck out into one of the wetland pools. The site has been permanently seeded, has over one mile of grass walking path and numerous educational signs. Hunting of the property is not permitted (permission must be obtained).
The project was made possible by CleanOhio Funds, the H2Ohio program through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Langenkamp Family, the Grand Lake St. Marys Lake Facilities Authority, VTF Excavation, LLC, Reforestation & Wildlife Services, Pheasants Forever, Mercer Soil and Water Conservation District and Wright State University-Lake Campus.
Gilliland Nature Preserve Wetland
This project includes a 2-acre wetland, 1.5 acres of reforestation, and 5+ acres of native grasses. The 0.4-mile grass walking path is available to the public for their enjoyment. We will be wrapping up some final planting of seed and trees in late 2022/early 2023. This project was funded by Clean Ohio and the Ohio EPA Section 319 program.
Mercer Wildlife Area Wetlands
Phase 1 of the Mercer Wildlife Area wetlands project was constructed in July and August of 2022. 11 acres of new wetlands were developed on the far east side of the wildlife area along Its It Road. 20 acres of existing farmland were tiled systematically and connected to a forcemain. Water will be pumped from the lake into the tile drainage system to act as subsurface irrigation for annual crops. The water leaving the tile system will then outlet into the newly constructed wetlands for filtering before entering the lake.
Phase 2 of the project is under contract and construction will begin in 2023. This project will consist of an additional 9 acres of wetlands on the west side of the wildlife area. The project will also improve the berm along Monroe Creek, allowing for a greentree marsh creation in the existing woods.
Phase 3 of the project will begin later in 2023 and will involve wetlands on the south side of State Route 703 and the far north side of the wildlife area. This phase will also include approximately 5 acres of treatment wetlands on the former Southbay Motel property. These projects are all made possible by the H2Ohio fund and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Chickasaw Creek Wetlands and Stream Restoration
The tree clearing and site grubbing for the project has been bid (November 2022) and will be completed by the end of March 2023. Excavation and grading work will be bid late 2022/early 2023 and construction will begin in the summer of 2023. Little Chickasaw Creek will be a stream restoration project with connected wetlands. Big Chickasaw Creek will include a pump and wetlands for water treatment. This project is made possible through State Capital improvement funds and Ohio EPA Section 319 funds.
Prairie Creek Littoral Wetland Planting
In June 2022, over 2,000 wetlands plants were planted in Phase 2 of the Prairie Creek littoral wetland. The goal is to establish a diverse habitat to continue the improvement of water quality and eventually run more flow of Prairie Creek water through the littoral wetlands.
Many other grants have been submitted or are currently being developed for additional projects over the next few years. Projects include more property purchases for wetland development along with advancing manure nutrient recovery research into development.
Dredging
Courtesy Tom Grabow
2022 Dredge Summary
Total production: 157,110 cubic yards
We were very unfortunate this year, having a few major mechanical failures. The Pump-a-Little dredge received an upgrade of the controls and the computer system. Once we got all the bugs worked out it was mid-July before we got the dredge fully operational. The machine dredged at Montezuma Creek this summer and will finish up the project in the spring of the 2023 season.
Brutus was down the entire season with a broken transmission. Great Lakes Transmission disassembled the transmission and identified the parts needed for repair. The parts were ordered in April and will not arrive at the vendor’s repair shop until mid-January. The supply and demand chain has been very slow for all heavy equipment parts this year. Brutus will be ready in March for the 2023 season, starting off dredging the bay of Montezuma Creek.
Hoedag carried most of the heavy lifting this year, spending the bulk of its time in the Prairie Creek Area. Hoedag will continue its way up Prairie Creek in the spring of 2023.
DMRAs
- We have constructed one 10-acre disposal site at Aqua view in 2022 and will construct two more sites on the same long-term property in 2023
- Redevelop the West Bank DMRA in 2023
- Redevelop the Gast (Lake side DMRA) 2023-2024
- Add an additional DMRA on the Wright State University property 2023-2024
- Continue giving away dredged soil as a beneficial resource material
Rip Rap
Continue placing shoreline protection at Windy Point
We look forward to getting our dredge program back on track in 2023. “Providing safe navigable water and promoting the health of the lake by removing nutrient sediment.”
Tourism & Economy
Courtesy Donna Grube
Tourism 2022
2022 was a great year at Grand Lake St. Marys.
It was the second consecutive year that the red signs, warning about algae toxin levels, did not have a constant presence at the lake.
Due to the improved water conditions and several other factors this second year in a row, boat traffic and interest in the lake continued to increase.
The State Park Campground report shows a full campground for 26 weekends in 2022 that is up from the record 22 weekends they reported in 2021.
The renovated West Beach (with signage to be installed soon redubbing it Sunset Beach) saw a lot of use. The newly installed in 2022, handicapped kayak launch ramp was popular and although the new play equipment wasn’t installed until mid-October, there were many children and families that used it during the unseasonably warm days that occurred into November.
The opening of the Boardwalk Village development was very exciting. The resort feel of this lodging option brings another dimension of desirable rentals to Grand Lake. The continued development of the playground and amenities at the Bryson Park District is great for families wanting lakeside family fun.
Weed issues at Indian Lake still continue and as a result more of their former users came to the Grand to boat, fish and enjoy the lake area amenities this summer. Will they stay Grand Fans or return to Indian Lake once their vegetation issues improve? Time will tell.
The larger, more luxury type rentals on the lake have reported brisk business again in 2022, especially with families using the location for family gatherings. The lake’s location between Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis, Detroit and other Midwestern cities makes it an ideal meeting spot for those wanting to gather from those far-flung cities.
From the lodging tax collection chart below you can see that overnight visitations in the two-county area are still climbing following the 2020 Covid-19 year when very few chose to travel.
Auglaize/Mercer Counties Lodging Tax Collection, May – August
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| May | $22,517.73 | $6,989.51 | $20,210.39 | $20,483.08 |
| June | $24,951.66 | $12,236.92 | $26,921.71 | $23,973.40 |
| July | $28,300.76 | $13,542.74 | $35,077.64 | $44,255.16 |
| August | $24,594.10 | $19,648.85 | $20,628.93 | $26,391.50 |
| $100,364.25 | $52,418.02 | $102,838.67 | $115,103.14 |
From a marketing perspective, due to the improved water conditions we did attend the Indianapolis Boat, Sport and Travel show as well as the AAA Great Vacations Expo to promote the lake in 2022. We also purchased promotional space during the spring and summer on a digital billboard located south of Dayton on I-75. We dramatically increased our digital spend, ran a campaign of lake ads in the Toledo television market and did several “inspirational” full page ads promoting the lake in the Long Weekends and Ohio Magazines.
Challenges
Courtesy David Faler
State Park Manager David Faler says there is a potential for land acquisition issues as we continue to purchase land to install more wetlands and treatment trains. We are also facing challenges in finding Dredge Material Relocation Areas. With our super aggressive dredge program, we need to look at what can be done to get more DMRA’s around the lake, and one area of concern is the north side of the lake.
Amenities, Ongoing Projects & Events
East Bank benches
The Lake Improvement Associated funded 13 new benches that were installed along the East Bank. This image is representative of the benches from the manufacturer.
Northwood Lighthouse Preservation Project
Work continues to preserve the Northwood Lighthouse, located on the north bank of Grand Lake St. Marys partway between St. Marys and Celina.
Originally built in the early 1920’s as part of the Northwood development, the lighthouse was the first to shine on Grand Lake St. Marys and stands as a testament to our rich heritage nearly 100 years later.
Kayak launch
The LIA funded a new kayak launch at Windy Point, providing an entry point on the south side of the lake for an activity that continues to grow in popularity. Operation Kayak Access is well under way with an ADA Kayak launch at Sunset Beach, Floating Launch at Little Chickasaw boat ramp, Sand Launch at Coldwater Creek.
New channel markers
The LIA and Grand Lake Recreation Club installed additional solar-lit markers on the lake’s major channels.
Successful Events
The LIA held several successful events to raise funds for lake improvement efforts, including the Bar Stool Open, Winter Icebreaker and Grand Lake Scavenger Hunt. The Grand Lake Recreation Club hosted successful Bicycle Poker Run and “bands on the beach” events, and the GLSM State Park Campgrounds had a great turnout for its annual Fall Festival.
LIA Membership Growth
LIA membership numbers continue to grow as more people wish to contribute toward lake improvement efforts. In addition to funding water quality and amenity projects, the LIA serves as a collective voice for GLSM stakeholders, working to influence policies and legislation to protect, preserve and restore Grand Lake St. Marys as an economic engine, wildlife habitat and recreation hub for all who enjoy its waters and shores.
Although 2022 was a good year for lake improvement, it will take ongoing support and work to keep everything trending in the right direction. We face new and constant challenges and must remain proactive to continue to work toward a restored Grand Lake St. Marys and a brighter future for all who enjoy and depend on the lake.
Please join us or renew your LIA membership