Officers in attendance were President Tim Lovett, Vice-president Mark Piening, Treasurer Pat Lovett, and Master at Arms Bob Sachs. Trustees in attendance were Dave Myer, Tony Seger, Tom Rampe, Stan Wilker, and Jeff Vossler.
Tim Lovette asked everyone to join in for the Pledge of Allegiance. Following this Pat Lovette gave the Treasurer’s Report, as follows:
Treasurer’s Report:
Beginning Balance/$42,989.79
Deposits/0
Expenses/2,726.42
Interest/1.82
Balance/$40,265.19
Mark Piening gave an update on the winter LIA Fundraiser, “Parrots of the Carribean.” The event will be featured on “Paint the Town” on 2/18/11. Ticket Outlets are: Sunnyside, Moose and Duckfoot. The sponsorship opportunities are $500, which includes various signage and acknowledgement and ten tickets; and $50. Dave Meyer and Bob Sachs have put out many of the posters. The LIA needs the membership to help sell tickets and place posters in the community. Contact Meyer or Sachs for posters.
Kate Anderson, who has volunteered to Co-Chair the Membership Comiittee with Dave Eyink discussed the upcoming “2012 Membership Retention and Recruitment Plan.” The plan will be available at a future LIA Membership Meeting and on the website. She explained that the plan was broken down into membership retention and recruitment, explain that both were equally important.
Dave Meyer gave an update on the election process for the elections at the December meeting. He informed the group that the Board Trustee, Matt Tebbe was stepping down and Tom Rampe has reached the end of his term. This leaves two Trustees vacancy and the position of Sargent of Arms vacant. He called for nominations from the floor of which there were none. The nomination process will end at the conclusion of the Membership meeting.
Tim Lovette explained that the Battelle report will be posted on the LIA website soon. It includes lists of businesses that have viable services and products, which can help, clean up the lake. The third section of the report describes, “things people can do in their channels to improve their channels.”
Tom Rampe gave an excellent presentation of the “Aeration of Channels.” He explained that there were three sections in the report: an evaluation of technologies to improve the lake, general lake conditions and channel aeration. Lake property owners are either lakefront or channel front. If in the channel around your property. One
If you are on a channel, here are three ways to reduce the algal blooms in the channel around your property. One way is to add chemicals but this option isnʼt practical because it is requires the purchase and application of chemicals, requires approval, and requires repeated applications. A second way, bio-manipulation is not practical because the lake will cause the channel to revert to its original state. The final way is the most practical and that is to change the environment is through aeration and circulation. Aeration and circulation alters the light availability to the cyanobacteria, their movement, and their photosynthesis capability which disrupts the cyanobacteria’s growth.
The Batelle report recommended three types of aeration systems and identified the type that works the best in an open channel and closed channel.
Types of Aeration…………….. Efffectiveness
Diffused air ……………………. Good
Vertical aerators …………………. Better
Horizontal aerators……………….. Best
For a open channel (an opening at both ends), Batelle recommends the horizontal aerator like an Airy Gator or a pump system. For a closed channel (one opening to the lake), Batelle recommends a pump system with an eductor.
In conclusion, the Batelle report recommended more pilot tests with water samples to obtain more specific data on the different types of aeration.
Tim and Tom opened the floor for questions and answers with the following questons discussed:
How do you build a closed channel aeration pump? In a closed channel, the pump has to be at the lake end of the channel with a pipe running to the other end of the channel.
Who will do the pilot test? It will be a neutral third party.
What is the cost for the pump system? For a channel that is1250’ the estimated cost is $7,000 to $10,000.
Did Batelle look into the sediment traps? No.
The interim Batelle report has identified about 75 companies who have solutions to help the lake.
Tim Lovette reported that there is movement on using AgConversions who have processes for turning manure into fertilizer and the lake sediment into peat moss.
The U.S. Dept. of Interior has announced the two Ohio projects for the “America Great Outdoors” program. This program focuses on areas struggling with environmental concerns. The Grand Lake of St. Marys has been identified as one of the two projects. The Governor’s office submitted the application. This will create national visibility for the lake and provide grant funds. This is great news for the lake.
Tom Grabow, Ohio Park Service, reported on Park Service activities for the GLSM:
- Several places are left to dredge
- “Brutus” the new dredger will be ready for the Spring
- Pulling the Airy Gators out for the Winter
- Reclaiming the rock at the oil derrick site
- Removing trees and stumps
- Dredged 268,000 cubic yards of the 270,000c/y
- Cutting up the trees and stumps into firewood and mulch for the public use
- Dredge completion will be 1/13/12
Bill Ringo provided a historical perspective of the LIA. The LIA is 65 years old and as he read from the first minutes of the organization (originally called the “Lake Resort Improvement Association”), the issues were the discoloration of the water and the water quality of the channels. The LIA had a annual banquet on 1/6/47. Another interesting fact from the minutes were that in 1947, there were 72 landings and bars on the lake.
Tim announced tha James Price at Behm’s Landing will recycle aluminum cans and the cash will go to the LIA. All one has to do is drop cans off at his house.
Lovette provided an update on LRC activities: o The Batelle Report will soon be posted on the LIA website o LRC is investingating funding for a full-time position to run the LRC o A few million pounds of rough fish remain and removal efforts will continue in 2012 o Supporting the AgSolutions programs o Same emphasis on aeration o Funding for the alum treatment
Michael McGarvey won the 50/50 drawing and graciously donated it back to the LIA.
The next LIA meeting is at 10 AM on December 3, 2011 at the Moose Lodge.
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