Still no solid news? Am afraid the Band Aide Brigade may gain the upper hand-"it`ll COST too much; it`ll TAKE too long; it`s too hard; I don`t want to be inconvienanced..." the same group that indirectly HELPED put the lake in the shape it`s currently IN. And the one guy`s editorial comment..."remember, the lake wasn`t always like this; maybe it won`t happen again next year!" well, KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED! And a clothes pin nearby, just in case...where has this guy BEEN the last 20- 30 yrs? The lake (and surrounding area) has changed in that time dramatically, hasn`t it? Am sure he means well, but THAT WON`T FIX THE LAKE!

I have not heard much lately either. Now that the EPA has dropped the warnings there is less of a stir going on. It will reoccur again next year. The algae bloom was by far the worst ever this year. But is was not the first one either. This has been going on for years and years. It just gets worse ever year. There is a lake improvement organization that has a lot invested in the economy in the area. They will not let this die. You may not hear much right now but they are still there. Something this hugh takes some time to get right. I am hoping they do the proper thing this time.
Lowell did you mention that you might be interested in participating in our panfish tournament?

Yes, Ffish, my scheadule other than the project has cleared, will make time to join you if at all possible, Thank you for the invitation. Will try to bring the significant other if possible, if that`s OK (and you don`t mind possibly getting out fished)

Not a problem Lowell, the ladies are always welcome.

Will let her know. Again, thank you and here`s to good weather!

Amen to that. Weather always plays a critical role. Seems like we get alot of wind in the fall. Hopefully we will have an outstanding day.

Saw on Ch 7 that the plan now is to use a sophisticated alum spraying boat and to only treat a small section of the lake in ideal weather conditions (lower than mid summer temps, hopefully little to no wind, and admittedly declining algea levels to start with) ; if the "test" is "sucessful" under all but ideal conditions, then the state reportedly is willing to spend upwards of $6,000,000+ to "fix" the lake "for good".....forgive my pessimissum, but remember the comments `bout the "quicker, easier, faster Band Aide commitee"; well, HERE WE GO! Have to wonder who`s getting quietly paid off to make the problem "go away" long enough to be forgotten, and 2cnd how much of the lake COULD have been dredged for $6 million? Last question- here we have a major watershed for sediment for the last 150+ yrs that used to average 5-8 fow in the past, with a large no wake zone and limited lakeside developement, that is now 3-5` deep with almost no horsepower restrictions anywhere on it with 3-5X the developement of the past on the shorelines as before... be truthful... does ANYONE really think this will be the "fix" everyone around the lake is depending on? (And notice, did not say "LONG TERM" even once.) ANYONE at all? One thing IS certain, by mid August, we shall see....and to be fair, again, I honestly hope it works on the algea; as far as deepening the lake so the boat propellers don`t keep plowing it up and releasing the stored phosphate.....hopefully it  somehow will "fix" that too...somehow. Kinda like running  in the Indy 500 in a Yugo with  a dead cylinder, a leaking gas tank and faulty brakes...whats the WORST that could happen? It don`t work for $6 mill? And to whom shall we give the credit for this "cure"...? On the bright side; if at first you don`t succeed...

I got a letter from Congressman John Boehner yesterday discribing all this and the long term plan to get the lake cleaned up. Hope they succeed. But I have some doubts.

Haven`t heard anything yet, am sure will get something today or Monday. DO pray tell what yours says! As suggested, HOPE all the local business/ property owners REMEMBER this next election..... a "Band Aide " to cure gangrene.....wonder why they waited till NOW instead of trying this under the WORST conditions possible (this summer, for instance) when the plan would have been put to the acid test, so to speak...leave it to the politicans, and the "easier, faster, CHEAPER" commitee.....as said previously, the 1 good thing is if at first you don`t succeed, there`s always the year after this next summer to try, try , try, try, try again. Am sure after `bout 5 more cheaper, faster, ad nausium "cures" the IKEs will finally get sick of having Ohio`s largest cess pool at their doorsteps and DEMAND the state LONG TERM FIX the lake at long last. Shouldn`t take more than 4 or 5 more YEARS for this to ACTUALLY get started.... in the mean while, enjoy! Bet everyone`s looking forward to next summer!

i spoke to someone at ohio wildlife.. they lifted the ban on boating you can fish all day but gotta release the fish i read thier gonna turn the lake around

We all hope they do. And actually am an optimist, simply am not sure releasing alum this late into the season will be a realistic test, or that it will have any impact on a lake that has become too shallow to allow high power ski boats on, their propellers dig furrows in the bottom, leaving muddy plumes behind them, and releasing accumulated phosphates to fuel the algae blooms. All the alum on earth won`t work to DEEPEN the lake. Adding it is like sticking an extra strong odor eliminator next to an over flowing kitty litter box; smells alittle nicer, but it just IS NOT the realistic answer...

The letter from the congressman was probably nothing you have not heard before. The alum testing was a part of it and to see how that worked. A large part of the long term thoughts were focused on farming practices and what they could do to reduce the nutriuent runoff from farm land. Providing some monetary incentives for them to put in buffer strips and such. He stated that this was not going to be reversed overnight and that it was going to be a process. I just hope that it is before I get to old and decrepite.

i also asked how lake loramie was for fishing. he told me someone saw some algea the EPA put up a warning done testing for two weeks straight gave the all clear
this was in august, when they spray alum i doubt it will be one boat might be more

Ffish, still haven`t gotten any info, probably priority is on local residents at the moment, with the upcoming elections.  Let us do a grass level poll; does anyone  else believe dredging the lake deeper, even 5` will help the lake? Am sure you could guess would say "YES",  it will and  it would solve 50% of the lake`s problems by itself. Chime in- simple yes or no. Ffish? And like you, hope within my lifetime to enjoy the fishery Grand Lake St Mary`s USED to be again and feel safe to eat the fish harvested there.

I personally think the best overall solution would be to drain the lake completely down. Get the heavy equipment out, bulldozers, earthmovers, ect. Clean the muck down to the hardpan and start over from scratch. Dredging would be ok also but it would be to easy to miss areas that way. I got a letter from the congressman because I wrote to him first. We had a letter wriitng compaign here and I put my name to one. I am sure that he reponded to all of those letters.

Recieved mine today. Am sure is similar to yours. Won`t say you are wrong, simply figured dredging would allow some use of the lake while it was being done. And too, with GPS controlled equipment, could easily dredge accurately, the technology already exists. Personally, am not saying that think the agency tasked should dredge the ENTIRE lake, but doing 70- 85%  SHOULD  turn the tide  decicively, along with restoring the wetlands, particulally on SW corner and ALL the feeder creeks.This would include rigorously ENFORCED  "no wake" zone where the lake isn`t dredged. Lastly, FORCE all property owners living within 2,000` of the lake onto municipal sewage . This has been suggested (and DEFEATED) several times, if memory serves. Am sure some will feel am an a$$ being rather long winded, but genuinely miss the Grand Lake St Marys of olde....

Taalked to a friend of mine last night. He said that there has been some alum trials in selected parts of the lake coming back with mixed reviews. Some reports said that it was clearing the water and others said that it did not do much. But it also said that the fish died in the areas that they treated. I just don't see this as a cure. All it is going to do is accumulate everything on the bottom to stir it back up again later. Lowell looking forward to meeting you in a week at the tournament. Did you look on the ohio site to see where and when to meet?

Yes, am loking forward to meeting you and the crew...

Forgive the double dipping, but just can`t seem to keep my big mouth shut; if spraying the alum DOES work killing the algea, but it also KILLS ALL THE FISH, are the agencies responsible suggesting we all start fishing for ALGEA?!!! Never fished for algea before, what kind of rig would you use? And if the @#$% ^&*% algea is TOXIC to begin with, what GOOD does it do to fish for it in the 1st place? If they aren`t going to dredge or find SOMEWAY of deepening the lake SOON then have a realistic suggestion for the lake; at ice out have daily ultra high power speed boat races to get the bottom completely and thourghly churned up into a thick brown algea rich mousse and start several algea- to- biofuel farms. Those running (and profitting off of) the farms would be responsible for supplying the entire local population with clothes pins and ultra powerful air fresheners and offering to buy out anyone who just can`t stand the stench and wishes to move away..."none are so blind as those whom simply do not wish to see the obvious..." Are there any local/ state / federal candidates who are FOR dredging/ deepening the lake? If so, guess whom would be voting for...

Well I agree, if you don't get that nutrient rich muck out of the lake they are just wasting time and money.