Grants announced for 23 lake, river projects
August 04, 2011
Indiana Department of Natural Resources 402 W. Washington St. W255 B Indianapolis, IN 46204-2748 Phone: (317) 232-4200
For immediate release: Aug. 4, 2011
Grants announced for 23 lake, river projects
New grants for the care of Indiana's water bodies this year totaling more than $890,000 have been awarded through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program, part of the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife.
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The projects involve 15 counties and were submitted by local sponsors who commit to sharing a portion of the total cost. DNR's portion comes from the Lake Enhancement fee paid annually by boat owners to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The grants allow for the completion of projects that would have been difficult for local organizations to fund on their own.
“In a time when all spending is scrutinized for cost-effectiveness, these boater-funded LARE grants are an important way to address problems in public lakes and river watersheds across Indiana,” DNR director Robert E. Carter Jr. said.
The new LARE grants involve biological and engineering projects, including design, diagnostic and engineering feasibility studies, and construction.
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“When completed, these projects should improve aquatic habitat and recreational opportunities, and provide a positive impact to the local economy where they are implemented,” Mark Reiter, director of DNR Fish & Wildlife, said.
Several watershed land-treatment projects received funding to assist landowners with water-quality concerns near locally important streams. These grants are awarded to soil and water conservation districts that work with landowners to carry out practices that help keep nutrients and sediment out of lakes and streams.
Several sediment removal projects were also funded to assist with dredging projects at publicly accessible lakes.
These projects are designed to help local sponsors remove accumulated sediment that interferes with recreation and public access.
“One of the program’s goals is to reduce sediment and nutrient pollution of surface waters through a variety of different projects that are locally driven,” LARE biologist Rod Edgell said.
A list of projects by water body, county, project type and grant award follow:
Water body (County)
Project Type
Grant Award
Ball Lake (DeKalb, Steuben)
Watershed Land Treatment
$15,000
Bean Blossom Creek (Brown, Monroe)
Watershed Land Treatment
$20,000
Big and Little Turkey Lakes (LaGrange, Noble, DeKalb, Steuben)
Watershed Land Treatment
$20,000
Big Long Lake (LaGrange)
Sediment Removal
$40,400
Clear Lake (Steuben)
Construction
$60,000
Fox Lake (Steuben)
Lake Diagnostic Study
$8,640
Hamilton Lake (Steuben)
Sediment Removal
$100,000
Juday Creek (St. Joseph)
Design
$38,400
Lake Galbraith (Marshall)
Engineering Feasibility/Design
$24,000
Lake James (Steuben)
Engineering Feasibility
$36,650
Lake James-Croxton Ditch Wetland (Steuben)
Construction
$78,346
Lake Wawasee-Dillon Creek (Kosciusko)
Construction
$45,000
Loefler & Scott Creeks (Gibson)
Watershed Land Treatment
$13,500
Oliver, Olin, & Martin Lakes (LaGrange)
Engineering Feasibility/Design
$34,400
Pigeon Creek (Steuben)
Watershed Land Treatment
$25,000
Snow Lake (Steuben)
Sediment Removal Plan
$7,000
Sugar Creek (Boone, Clinton)
Watershed Diagnostic Study
$44,000
Sullivan Lake – Morrison Creek (Sullivan)
Design/Build
$24,000
Tri Lakes (Whitley)
Sediment Removal
$112,000
Veale & Aikman Creeks (Daviess)
Watershed Diagnostic Study
$40,000
Village Lake (Kosciusko)
Construction
$20,000
West Lakes (Noble)
Sediment Removal
$52,835
Yellow Creek Lakes (Kosciusko)
Engineering Feasibility
$32,000
Total = $891,171
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Media contacts: Phil Bloom, DNR communications director, (317) 232-4003.
