April 2023 Newsletter

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In this edition: Round Up at Bloomingfoods Public Meeting with Dr. Eric Barefoot U.S. Forest Service Halts Houston South Project Kayak Trips Hikes Shoreline Cleanups Save the Date - Lake Monroe Day September 17 Brown County Septic System Maintenance Cost-Share Conservation Cost-Share Program Update Community Science Opportunity - CoCoRaHS Get Involved Donate Round Up at Bloomingfoods Do you shop at Bloomingfoods?  Friends of Lake Monroe is the Positive Change recipient for the month of April.  You can support our work by rounding up at the register, donating your change to us.  (Feeling generous?  You can also ask the cashier to add an additional dollar or two or ten.)  Please round up for Friends of Lake Monroe! Friends of Lake Monroe Public Meeting April 27 Join us for our first public meeting of 2023!  Catch up with other Friends and learn about sediment movement in streams from Dr. Eric Barefoot, a sedimentary geologist at Indiana University. He studies how flowing water moves sand and silt through rivers and floodplains. Flowing river water erodes sediment, transports it downstream, and deposits it elsewhere.  One of the challenges and opportunities of modern research is the abundance of available data, particularly images and topographic data collected using satellites, planes, and drones.  Dr. Barefoot will discuss the strengths and limitations of different data sets as well as opportunities to collect site-specific data using low-cost DIY sensors.  This research is of particular interest in understanding sediment movement into Lake Monroe, which has been identified as one potential driver of harmful algal blooms. No registration is necessary - see you there! U.S. Forest Service Halts Houston South Project In response to a lawsuit brought forth by Friends of Lake Monroe and three other organizations, the U.S. Forest Service will not start work on the Houston South Restoration Project this spring.  Friends of Lake Monroe is very pleased that the decision was made to protect water quality in Lake Monroe.  The proposed project involved burning as much as 15,000 acres of forest and applying herbicide to more than 2,100 acres near Lake Monroe over the next 10 to 15 years.  Sherry Mitchell-Bruker, President of the Friends of Lake Monroe, states, “Lake Monroe is already suffering from high levels of sediment and nutrient pollution. We are relieved that this Court is requiring the Forest Service to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act’s requirement to examine the impacts of the extensive logging and burning in the Houston South Project on our drinking water supply. We hope this decision will encourage the agency to respect the concerns of the local community and recognize the responsibility of the Forest Service to protect and not degrade water quality.” Back in May 2020, The Indiana Forest Alliance, Monroe County Board of Commissioners, and Hoosier Environmental Council sued the Forest Service, arguing that the Houston South Restoration Project had not complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  An initial ruling in March 2022 found that the Forest Service had "failed to fully evaluate the environmental effects to Lake Monroe” and that the court expected the agency to provide a "convincing statement of reasons" as to why the project's impact on Lake Monroe would not be significant.  In response, the Forest Service issued a Supplemental Information Report in October 2022 and stated that a “correction, supplement, or revision to the project’s Environmental Assessment" was "not necessary."  The forest service declared its intent to move forward with the project in the spring. In January 2023, Friends of Lake Monroe joined the three original co-plaintiffs to sue the Forest Service again, requesting a preliminary injunction to halt all work on the Houston South project until the judge could make a final decision.  On Wednesday, March 29, the federal court granted a preliminary injunction.  On April 4, the Forest Service withdrew their Supplemental Information Report, meaning they've elected not to defend the document in court.  The Forest Service must conduct further evaluation on the project before moving forward.    Support Our Work - Donate Today! Kayak Trips Kayak trips with David Rupp of IndiGo Birding Nature Tours are back this summer!  These FLM member events are FREE and include the use of boats, paddles, PFDs and binoculars for those who need them – but they are limited to 10 members per trip.  (Not a member? Join Today!  Email questions to director@friendsoflakemonroe.org.) No experience is necessary. Participants should wear proper paddling attire and bring their own snacks and hydration. Dry bags are suggested for non-waterproof gear. There are four dates available this summer.  Capacity is limited so register early using the links below. April 22 – Kayak Tour at Pine Grove, 3:30-5:30pm May 21 – Kayak Tour at Crooked Creek, 4:00-6:00pm June 17 – Morning Kayak Tour at Crooked Creek, 9:00-11:00am July 14 – Sunset Kayak Tour at Pine Grove, 7:00-9:00pm Photo credit: Kip May Photography FLM Hikes We are also pleased to offer several member hikes this spring, with more planned for the future.  This is a great way to explore the lake and its watershed while you meet new friends.  Space is limited; please register online or by email. April 23 – Friends of Lake Monroe Hike at Fairfax SRA, 10:00am-12:00pm.  Meet at the Bayview Shelter across from Inn of the Fourwinds to search for spring wildflowers along the new trail system at Fairfax.   May 9 – Friends of Lake Monroe Hike with Sierra Club in Hoosier National Forest, 9:00am-1:00pm.  Meet in the parking lot behind the IDNR office at Paynetown at 9am to carpool to the trailhead near Houston. We’ll be hiking about 3.5 miles of the Fork Ridge Trail which should give us some panoramic views of the Salt Creek valley and other areas affected by the controversial HNF Management Project.  Contact Keith Bobay at volunteer@friendsoflakemonroe.org for more information Shoreline Cleanups Another great way to stay involved is to join our shoreline cleanups at Paynetown State Recreation Area.  Our April cleanup will be on a Sunday afternoon and then we will switch to Thursday evenings for the summer months.  Please register so we can send an update if there are cancellations due to weather. Sunday, April 23 at 2 pm Thursday, May 25 at 6 pm Thursday, June 22 at 6 pm Thursday, July 20, 6 pm Lake Monroe Day Brown County Septic System Cost-Share Program Do you live in Brown County and own a septic system?  The Brown County Soil & Water Conservation District is currently running a septic cost-share program to encourage homeowners in the Lake Monroe watershed (click here for an interactive map) to pump their septic tank at least once every 3-5 years.  Maintaining your septic system is a key way to avoid failure and prevent septic waste from contamination nearby waterways that feed into Lake Monroe. Qualifying septic work (inspection, pumping, and/or riser installation) must be done by a Brown County Health Department certified, licensed contractor after December 1st, 2022.  Bring your paid receipt to the SWCD office at 803 Memorial Drive, Nashville, IN, 47448 to receive a reimbursement up to $200 (while funding lasts).  Questions?  Contact Katie Starr at (812)-988-2211 or brown@iaswcd.org.   Conservation Cost-Share Program Friends of Lake Monroe continues to accept applications for our new voluntary conservation cost-share program for the implementation of conservation practices that reduce erosion and water pollution.  This funding is available to landowners in the Lake Monroe watershed, which spans portions of Monroe, Brown, and Jackson Counties.  Examples include planting cover crops after the main crops are harvested, using conservation tillage, installing permanent vegetation along streams, fencing livestock out of streams, and installing heavy use area protection where livestock gather.  Most practices will be funded at 75% of the total cost (landowner pays 25%).    Are you a landowner interested in learning more about how BMPs can improve your soil health and protect our waterways?  Contact Watershed Coordinator Maggie Sullivan at 812-558-0217 or watershed@friendsoflakemonroe.org to schedule a consultation.  Detailed program information is posted online at www.friendsoflakemonroe.org/cost-share. Volunteer Opportunity - CoCoRaHS The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS), is currently looking for volunteer weather observers in southern Monroe County to help measure rain and snow on a daily basis. Volunteers of all ages participate across the United States and the data is invaluable to us as well as state climatologists and researchers.  Having more localized data in southern Monroe County will give us more accurate precipitation data for Lake Monroe.   Volunteers are asked to purchase a high quality rain gage for about $40 and to take measurements daily at a set time of your choosing.  There are training videos, detailed information on the time of rain gauges and snow boards needed, and a registration form available on the CoCoRaHS website: https://www.cocorahs.org/.  Get Involved! Many of you have become FLM members or have made a donation.  Wouldn't you enjoy being a closer part of the group? FLM's volunteer coordinator, Keith Bobay, is waiting to hear from you at volunteer@friendsoflakemonroe! Here Are Specific Opportunities We Have Now. Join our Development committee and help with fundraising, recruiting new members, and organizing special events.  We are in the brainstorming phase and would love your ideas.  Contact Jim Krause at development@friendsoflakemonroe.org Join our Science Committee. The science committee currently meets on the 4th Thursday of every month in the evening. Reach out to Maggie Sullivan at watershed@friendsoflakemonroe.org Share your enjoyment of the lake and inspire other members by posting events, news, and photos to our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1513886852253216.   Become a Member! Friends of Lake Monroe depends on members like you to keep our organization strong.  Join today and enjoy one of the great member-only events we have planned this spring.  Memberships are available at several levels: K-5 Elementary Student: $5. Grade 6-12 Student: $10. Individual adult: $25. Family: $45. Supporting: $100. Sustaining: $250. You can sign up on FLM's website here: https://friendsoflakemonroe.org/membership/. Whether or not you are a member, you are also welcome to financially support FLM's work through a one-time donation here: https://friendsoflakemonroe.org/donate/. Thank you for your support!   Share Tweet Forward Below you'll see a link to update your subscription preferences or you may contact Iris at director@friendsoflakemonroe.org. Referenced links: https://www.friendsoflakemonroe.org   Copyright © 2022 Friends of Lake Monroe, All rights reserved.  You are receiving this email because you signed up to join Friends of Lake Monroe  Our mailing address is:  Friends of Lake Monroe PO Box 3145 Bloomington, In  47402 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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