August News from Friends of Lake Monroe

Water Treatment Plant Tours, Boat Rides, Live Music, and More!

Lake Monroe Day and 60th Anniversary! On Sunday, September 15th we will celebrate our THIRD ANNUAL LAKE MONROE DAY!  See below for information about Lake Monroe Day events, including water treatment plant tours, a pontoon ride, a bike ride, and a fabulous party featuring music from local favorite Busman's Holiday. This fall also marks the 60th anniversary of the lake, which finished construction in October 1964.  To celebrate, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources is partnering with many local organizations to host events from July through October!  Events include boat trips, painting workshops, meteor watching, and much more. For a detailed list, please visit the DNR’s Monroe Lake 60th Anniversary webpage or follow facebook.com/monroelake for weekly updates. Lake Monroe Day Events Commemorate 60 years of Lake Monroe and support the organization that is working to keep it clean! Join us for our third annual Lake Monroe Day Celebration on Sunday, September 15 from 5:00 to 8:00 at The Fields Clubhouse. Enjoy wonderful music from local favorite Busman’s Holiday, heavy appetizers, a cash bar, and a chance to mingle with other lake supporters all for only $25. Help us recruit new members by bringing a friend (or two). Doors open at 5:00 and music starts at 6:00. Hear brief updates on our work protecting water quality in Lake Monroe and dance the night away. Tickets available at:  https://buskirkchumley.org/event/3rd_annual_lake_monroe_day_celebration/ BUY YOUR TICKET TODAY! Water Treatment Plant Tour September 8 at 10:00 and 12:00 Learn about the treatment process that turns water from Lake Monroe into our drinking water and how that water is distributed to taps throughout Bloomington. Tours last approximately 90 minutes, take place outdoors, and include stairs. Register today for 10:00 or 12:00. Note: We are also offering water treatment plant tours on Sunday October 6 at 12:00 and 2:00 as part of the 60th Anniversary of the lake. Pontoon Tour September 10 Join us for a pontoon ride on Lake Monroe in celebration of Lake Monroe Day! Relax and enjoy the evening on beautiful Lake Monroe guided by naturalist Jill Vance. The boat leaves from Two Herons Marina at Cutright SRA.   Space is limited so register today. Trail 19 Hike September 12 Join Friends of Lake Monroe and Sierra Club as we explore Trail 19 in the Hoosier National Forest.  This trail is included in the proposed Deam Wilderness Expansion and is an easy/moderate woods walk.  Should be burgeoning fall colors and definitely good company.  Registration required. Tour de Ramps September 14 A Bloomington Bicycle Club Classic!  Spoil the normally pleasant ride around Lake Monroe by descending & climbing all the boat ramps. There are nine of them, plus many assorted hills in between! 60 miles, 4000 ft of climbing…  Or stick to the pleasant ride around the lake. Yes, there are a few hills, but you will only visit 2-3 of the ramps! 40 miles, 2200 ft of climbing.  Either way, say hi to FLM at the Cutright rest stop.  Registration required. Volunteers Needed We are looking for volunteers to help us with Lake Monroe Day.  Opportunities include: Saturday, September 14 - help staff the rest stop at the Tour de Ramps Sunday, September 15 - help set up for Lake Monroe Day Sunday, September 15 - help tear down Lake Monroe Day Contact our volunteer coordinator, Keith Bobay, at  volunteer@friendsoflakemonroe.org for more information about volunteering. Septic Summit 2.0 How much do you know about your septic system?  Bring your curiosity and your questions to Septic Summit 2.0 on Saturday, September 14 at the Brown County Fairgrounds from 10:00 to 1:00.  Friends of Lake Monroe is proud to be a co-sponsor of this educational event.  Doors open at 10:00 for an equipment show featuring septic tanks, pumps, pipes, and a "honeywagon" vacuum truck.  Visit informational booths to learn about assistance programs, septic care products, and local efforts to protect our lakes and streams from pollution.   Lunch will be available for purchase from Love Bugs 4-H Club.  At 11:00, hear from a panel of professionals about the best way to keep your septic system in shape.  Door prizes will be raffled off at 12:30, including vouchers for $200 septic system pumping.  Full schedule and more details available at https://browncountyrsd.org.  No registration required. Other Upcoming Events Thursday, September 26 at 6:00 p.m.: Shoreline Cleanup at Paynetown Sunday, October 6 at 12:00 p.m. - Water Treatment Plant Tour  Sunday, October 6 at 1:00 p.m. - Water Treatment Plant Tour  Sunday, October 13 at 2:00 p.m. - Special 60th Anniversary Cleanup  Thursday, October 17 at 2:00 p.m. - Pine Grove Kayak Trip Sunday, November 10 at 2:00 p.m. - Shoreline Cleanup at Paynetown Cigarette Butts Are The Most Common Litter in America An unfortunately common site on Lake Monroe's beaches, cigarette butts are an environmental threat.  .  Think it's just a bit of paper?  Think again.  They release toxins and plastic fibers into our water.  Learn more about their impacts by watching this four-minute video.  Thank you to everyone who has taken time to pick up litter at Lake Monroe or its watershed. Conservation Cost-Share Project Update We have allocated all available funds from the Lake Monroe Watershed Conservation Cost-Share Program and are starting to develop a waitlist.  Many of our projects will start construction this fall including a water and sediment control basin, a cropland-to-pasture conversion, and a forest trail repair.  For now, the corn is as high as an elephant's eye and the bees are busy in the fields (photo courtesy of Martha Miller). Septic Program Update Thanks to Monroe County Stormwater, we continue to issue vouchers for 50% off the cost of septic tank pumping but we have only a few remaining.  Apply today if you live in the Monroe County portion of the Lake Monroe watershed and need to pump your tank (which should be done every 3-5 years).  Learn more and apply at   www.friendsoflakemonroe.org/septic Support Our Work - Donate Today! Become a Member! Friends of Lake Monroe depends on members like you to keep our organization strong.  Join today to help us keep the lake drinkable, swimmable, and fishable.  Individual membership starts at $25 annually. You can sign up on FLM's website here: https://www.friendsoflakemonroe.org/memberships. Whether or not you are a member, you are also welcome to financially support FLM's work through a one-time donation here: https://www.friendsoflakemonroe.org/donations. Thank you for your support!   Share Tweet Forward Below you'll see a link to update your subscription preferences or you may contact us at membership@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? 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