Grant to protect water quality in Lake Monroe

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Friends of Lake Monroe has received $179,404 in grant funding from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

This funding, along with financial support from the Monroe County Stormwater Board and in-kind support from 10 partner organizations, will be used for a $300,000 three-year project to implement portions of the 2022 Lake Monroe Watershed Management Plan.

“We have identified sediment, nutrients and fecal contamination as the top threats to water quality in Lake Monroe,” Lake Monroe Watershed Coordinator Maggie Sullivan said. “This grant will allow us to address these pollutants at their sources and prevent them from entering the lake.”

Friends of Lake Monroe will offer a voluntary cost-share program to help landowners offset the cost of adopting soil and water conservation practices on farmland, forestland and along streams in the Lake Monroe watershed, which spans portions of Brown, Monroe and Jackson counties.

Example practices include planting cover crops in the winter after the main crops are harvested, fencing livestock out of streams and installing permanent perennial vegetation along streams.

The project also will include an education and outreach program.

“One of the best ways to encourage the adoption of soil and water conservation practices is to host field days where people can see the practices in action,” Sullivan said. “We are excited to partner with the soil and water conservation districts in Monroe, Brown and Jackson counties to showcase the conservation work already happening in our region.”

Another focus will be educating residents about septic system maintenance in partnership with local health departments. Failing septic systems are one source of nutrients and fecal contamination impacting the streams that flow into Lake Monroe. Many homeowners are unaware septic tanks should be pumped every three years to maintain functionality.

Friends of Lake Monroe will help organize three workshops about septic maintenance as well as sending educational mailers to the estimated 9,000 households in the watershed that rely on septic systems for wastewater treatment.

Other programming plans include forestry field days, boat tours, shoreline cleanups and a citizen scientist program to monitor shoreline erosion at Lake Monroe.

“Improving water quality in Lake Monroe is a long-term process that will require support from throughout the watershed,” Sullivan said. “We are excited to build on our previous work ensuring that water quality in Lake Monroe is protected and enhanced.”

Friends of Lake Monroe is a nonprofit organization that was formed to protect and enhance Lake Monroe and its watershed through science, advocacy and public involvement, working collaboratively with citizens, government and business to improve and support lake water quality.

For information, visit friendsoflakemonroe.org.

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