SHIPSHEWANA
COMMUNITY LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER – FALL, 2011
Hello, Everyone,
We would like to inform you of recent happenings within
the S.C.L.IA. We have been working
hard to update the mailing list and also to set up a website. The website is in its early stage of
construction (www.ShipshewanaLake.com). We intend to make it available to the
public as a general information source as well as a means to provide updates on
any projects under way affecting Shipshewana Lake and the surrounding
community.
We have been
working with several entities to assist in resolving lake issues. One such
organization is the LaGrange County Lakes Council. They have helped with water quality testing on many of our
near-by lakes. These statistics are
available on their website (www.LaGrangeCountyLakesCouncil.org). Additionally, the LaGrange County Soil
& Water Conservation District (SWCD) has been testing the waters of the
Pigeon River Watershed, which includes Shipshewana Lake. When problems are detected, grants will
be written and submitted for funding of the proposed solutions.
Many people have expressed concern with the runoff from
CR 250. We share those concerns. The
SWCD has been monitoring the water quality coming into and leaving Shipshewana
Lake for the past year and a half.
If any problems show up in the continued testing, remedies will be found
and repairs will be made. One
significant concern is any resulting sediment. SWCD and the LaGrange County Drainage Board are looking into
this. The S.C.L.I.A. has been
working with these organizations for over two years.
The Shipshewana West sewer project is moving forward at
this time.
A petition had been circulated last summer seeking a
waiver to the mandated 10 M.P.H. speed limit, thus allowing high-speed boats on Shipshewana Lake. The required signatures were acquired
and the petition was submitted to the DNR. The Fish & Wildlife Division (F&WD) conducted an
extensive review and vetoed the petition on its original presentation and
the subsequent appeal this past September.
The following are excerpts from the report issued by the
F&WD that we feel will explain why they were so strongly against granting
of the waiver and demonstrates why we must continue to closely guard against
activities that could potentially bring irrevocable damage to the lake. It continues to be of upmost importance
that we monitor the lake and initiate improvements that will benefit the entire
community.
____________
In
May 2011, DNR Lake and River Enhancement staff conducted a hydro acoustics
survey to determine
the current bathymetry profile of the lake. Though a maximum depth of 17 ft. was found,
average depth was only approximately 5 ft. and little evidence of the dredging
project was
observed. The study also showed
that only 3% of the lake was 10 ft. or deeper by volume and
7.7% by surface area.
The
shallow nature of the lake has created nearly annual algae blooms and
occasional fish kills. At the time of hydro acoustics survey,
water clarity (sec chi depth) was only two feet, and
water was green in color due to an algae bloom in progress.
Allowing
for high speed boating on a shallow, hyper eutrophic lake such as Shipshewana Lake
may pose significant threats to the fish, wildlife, and botanical resources of
the lake. Though
the depth of water impacted by high speed boating is dependent on numerous factors
(weather, speed, boat size, substrate, etc.), impacts from high speed boating generally
occur in water depths of 10 ft. or less.
According to the recent bathymetric survey
conducted by the DNR Lake and River Enhancement Program, 92-93% of the lake
is shallower than 10 ft. and will be impacted directly or indirectly by the
speed limit
increase. The primary impact
created by boating is increased turbidity, which may have
negative impacts on water quality, fish populations, wildlife and botanical
resources of
the lake.
Water
quality of Shipshewana Lake is likely to degrade due to increase in high speed boating. Additionally, maximum increase in
turbidity and phosphorus levels increased within
the first two hours of boating activity and turbidity took more than 24 hours
to return
to initial levels. (Consequently, even two hours of boating a day will damage
the
water quality for the entire day.)
Water
quality may also be diminished as a result of increased erosion on shorelines. Erosion
was already prevalent along the west side of the lake where the lake-shore interface
is largely unprotected. High speed
boating will increase the rate of erosion, allowing
for more sediment to enter the lake and increase turbidity.
High-speed
boating may negatively impact fish in Shipshewana Lake, both on an individual
level and population level. The
increased turbidity that is likely to result from
high-speed boating has been documented to negatively affect fish’s nesting, feeding,
and overall reproductive success (Asplund, 2000). There will likely be less habitat
for fish to live in and locations for fish to spawn. Additionally, because little deep water
habitat is available in the lake; fish have little area of the lake to retreat
to if physically
disturbed by boats.
Similar
to fish populations, impacts to water quality and clarity may indirectly affect the
plant community of Shipshewana Lake.
Though plant growth is limited to shallow depths,
presumably due to low water clarity, increases in turbidity may be additionally negative
for the plant community.
An
additional concern for vegetation growing in shallow water is scouring. As a boat passes
through shallow water, a scour channel may be left in the sediment. This is likely to
uproot and dislodge vegetation (submerged and emergent). It’s noted that these channels
are likely to persist for many years without the ability for vegetation to reestablish.
Boat
activity certainly causes many wildlife species to be disturbed from a variety
of activities. For some species, this may represent
just a temporary disturbance, with little
long-term effect. For other
species, or in cases where unique habitats are disturbed by
high frequency or intensity of boat use, boat activity can have effects on the
entire population. Migratory birds may require more
protection as their energy needs can easily
be disrupted by excessive disturbance.
___________
The above are excerpts from a six page report from the
Fish and Wildlife Division. The
full report is available in its entirety by contacting Steve Weideman by
telephone at 260-768-9137 or on line at ShipshewanaLake.Com.
Last summer, to celebrate the 4th of July, we
sponsored a flotilla with eleven pontoon boats participating.
Boats were beautifully decorated with varied patriotic designs. Prizes were awarded for the most original design. A great fireworks display was also part of the celebration
that weekend.
A goose
roundup was not deemed necessary this year. However, we continue to evaluate the amount of
geese on the lake each season. We
don’t want to have to remove any geese but over population can
result in serious e-coli contamination.
During
Shipshewana’s Mayfest celebration in May, we organized a S.C.L.I.A. booth to
sell chicken nuggets and french
fries as a fundraiser to support our various projects.
Thank you for
your interest and please look for us online. We look forward to welcoming you to our June General
Meeting. Please consider joining S.C.L.I.A. as a member.
Best regards,
SHIPSHEWANA
LAKE COMMUNITY
IMPROVEMENT
ASSOCIATION,
Board of
Directors
(Please return the portion
below)
SHIPSHEWANA COMMUNITY LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Name: ________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Phone:__________________________
E-Mail:__________________________
Please submit $10.00 Annual Dues per individual and
return to:
S.C.L.I.A.
P. O. Box 915 Shipshewana,
IN 46565
