FLM is excited to announce the hiring of Iris O'Donnell Bellisario as Executive Director of Friends of Lake Monroe. Iris graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Science and will be working on a half-time basis for FLM while concurrently pursuing her Masters of Public Health. She has also interned with the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, working with scientists and environmental impact groups throughout Indiana.
In addition, Ms. O’Donnell Bellisario has worked directly with the mayor of West Lafayette on developing a plan for the community to achieve carbon neutrality. Most recently Iris worked with the Southern Indiana Development Commission on public policy, community development and facilitation efforts to develop regional digital inclusion plans for a 5-county region.
“We are excited to have Iris onboard” says FLM president, Sherry Mitchell-Bruker. “Her experience, energy and dedication make for a great leader and we are fortunate that she is joining our organization.” Ms. O’Donnell Bellisario will officially assume her position on July 1. She can be reached at director@friendsoflakemonroe.org. Please drop her a line and welcome her to FLM!
Lake Monroe Sailing Association Fundraiser Report
Many thanks to the Lake Monroe Sailing Association for hosting our summer kickoff fundraiser and to Charlotte Zietlow for presiding. This event raised over $12,800 for Friends of Lake Monroe! Charlotte shared her memories of the creation of the lake in the 1960's and her role in preserving its natural beauty in the 1970's. She also shared her initial suspicions about the concept of a constructed lake.
"I come from Wisconsin and Minnesota. In Minnesota we have 10,000 lakes and Wisconsin is the Land of Lakes. And those lakes were made by Babe the Blue Ox. Does everybody know who Paul Bunyan is? So Paul Bunyan took his blue ox to Minnesota with him and the blue ox was kind of testy and he would pound his feet into the ground and a lake would come up. He went stomping around Minnesota and the lakes came up. Those were the lakes I knew. Those lakes were clear and blue and clean...
So I thought that’s what lakes were. I thought they were clean and clear and you could swim in them and you could drink the water. Now comes Lake Monroe, and I was very suspicious. But I didn’t know a whole lot about what had come before and I didn’t know that the Corps of Engineers had taken the place of Babe the Blue Ox, and made this lake for recreation purposes and flood control."
Audubon Grant to Encourage New Kayak Trip Participants
Friends of Lake Monroe received a $500 grant from the Sassafras Audubon Society (SAS) to fund our three guided kayak tours on the lake this year. The goal is to “encourage participation by members of the local community who have never had the experience of a guided paddle outing.” FLM promoted the free kayak outings through the Habitat for Humanity newsletter, Prospect Hill newsletter, and Big Brothers Big Sisters in addition to its regular channels.
FLM would like to acknowledge the continued support from David Rupp of Indigo Birding Nature Tours who offers these guided paddles to us at a reduced fee. As trip leader, David provides kayaks, canoes and equipment as well as many years of experience identifying birds and other wildlife on the lake.
Our most recent trip took place on Friday, June 24, from the Crooked Creek boat ramp. Nine paddlers, including five people new to the experience, headed out at 9am for the two-hour trip. (Justin and Ivan Hutchins are pictured.) David chose to focus on songbirds this time. Highlights included scarlet tanager, prothonotary warbler and the (nearly) always present bald eagle, great blue heron and red-shouldered hawk.
Future outings will include:
A sunset paddle on August 12 from 6:45 to 9:15 pm at the Pine Grove boat ramp
A focus on Fall migration on September 18 from 4 to 6:30 pm at the Pine Grove boat ramp.
Thank you to Friends of Lake Monroe member Judy Klein for spotting and photographing these weird blobs on Lake Monroe. They may look like aliens but it turns out they are Pectinatella magnifica, a species of freshwater bryozoan commonly found in the lake. According to Mitch Rice, they are "small invertebrate animals that live colonially in a gelatinous sack, filtering the water for micro-nutrients... Fossil records of bryozoans date back to the upper Cambrian period, about 500,000,000 years ago."
Want to learn more? Join DNR Naturalist Jill Vance at a Facebook Live Event on August 25 to learn how bryozoans once colonized ancient marine seas and now occupy both modern oceans and freshwater lakes. (These presentations are also recorded and posted on Facebook after the event.) https://www.facebook.com/events/1375038176348392
Lake Monroe Community Forums Update
Thank you to everyone who attended our Lake Monroe Community Forums! Between the Bloomington, Nashville, and Virtual sessions we had over 60 attendees. Couldn't join us but want to learn more? Check out this recording of the 20-minute presentation summarizing the watershed management plan. We asked participants to help us brainstorm ways we can engage the community in reducing the amount of sediment, nutrients, and bacteria that reach Lake Monroe. Here are a just a few examples:
Organize a "Lake Monroe Day" event to increase awareness of water quality issues
Work with septic contractors and realtors to educate about septic maintenance; the goal is to address septic problems before they start
Educate through homeowners associations, neighborhood associations, churches, conservancy districts, and farmers markets
Engage sororities and fraternities to help with volunteer projects
Support state legislation requiring septic inspection before property sale
Reach adults through kids by offering programs at schools, camps, 4H, etc.
Create an Adopt-A-Shoreline program
Do you have ideas on how we can engage the public? Please reach out to watershed coordinator Maggie Sullivan at watershed@friendsoflakemonroe.org or 812-558-0217.
Member Profile: Mary Madore and Michael May
Mary Madore and Michael May reside in the watershed of Lake Monroe on 66 acres of classified forest. Brummett’s Creek borders their front yard and feeds into the North Fork of Salt Creek, which flows into Lake Monroe. Mary has spent her adult life on the front lines of keeping water safe to drink. Her education credentials in biology include the study of limnology. As a young professional, she worked with an environmental consulting firm in Vermont testing well water for safe human consumption. In Colorado, Mary served with the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitary District testing lakes as a source for drinking water. Mary’s lifelong passion for protecting the environment, and clean water in particular, and her location within the Lake Monroe watershed led Mary to become a founding member, serving on the original board of directors of The Friends of Lake Monroe. She currently serves on the board of directors, and is the organization’s Membership Director.
Michael also has deep ties to the watershed. As a local resident, he grew up in Bloomington as the Army Corp of Engineers planned for the creation of Lake Monroe. His teenage years were spent riding motorcycles through Hoosier National Forest and learning to smoke cigars in Patton Cave overlooking the newly-filled reservoir. Michael’s father worked as a part-time salvage diver during the creation of Lake Monroe helping plant dynamite to clear the lake floor for Fairfax Marina and other boating channels. As local salvage divers, Michael and his father recovered many items from the bottom of Lake Monroe in the late 1960s and early 70s including fishing boats, tackle, false teeth, diamond rings, and other sunken treasures.
Mary and Michael work throughout the year to enhance the natural habitat of their classified forest. This spring over 200 trees were planted throughout the property to serve as wildlife food sources, widen the riparian buffer, reduce erosion on steep slopes, and build nesting and shelter habitat. Native plants have been re-introduced to areas of the landscape to support many insects and pollinators. Nature education trails are being created throughout the property, which include water bars to divert fast flowing currents back onto the forest floor where they can be slowed and filtered. When trees fall, they are left to nourish the forest floor or are harvested for firewood or lumber created directly on site. No pesticides are used on the property. The homestead is on a septic system which is pumped every 24 months. Mary and Michael are nourished daily by the stewardship this special piece of the watershed provides, and their work serves as an example to all of us in how the watershed can be protected.
Mary and Michael are strong advocates for the Friends of Lake Monroe’s mission because of the many benefits the lake brings to the area. The reservoir is the only source for our area’s drinking water. It provides food, shelter, and habitat for some of the most diverse wildlife in the Midwest, and serves as a source of beauty and serenity for thousands of visitors to the area each year. Finally, millions of tourist dollars enter the local economy each year because of the recreational assets of Lake Monroe. Mary and Michael’s substantial donations to the Friends of Lake Monroe have made it possible for the organization to hire a part-time executive director beginning July 1, and to support the Watershed Coordinator position to allow FLM to continue its important work.
Septic System Maintenance Cost-Share Program Update
Friends of Lake Monroe continues to run its pilot Septic System Maintenance Cost-Share Program with 94 vouchers issued and 70 reimbursements processed since we launched in March. We posted a recording of our Septic System 101 Workshop online and are distributing a Septic System 101 Brochure at the Monroe County Fair.
Failing septic systems are one source of bacteria and nutrient pollution in the creeks and streams feeding Lake Monroe. You can help by making sure your system is properly maintained and by sharing this information with friends, family, and neighbors who have septic systems. Remember, wherever you live there is someone who lives downstream.
Watershed Coordinator Receives Outstanding Achievement Award
Congratulations to Lake Monroe Watershed Coordinator Maggie Sullivan for receiving an "Outstanding Achievement Award" from the Indiana Water Resources Association (IWRA). Every year, the IWRA recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions in the Academic, Private and Public sectors with regard to:
Promoting research and technical, social, economic, and legislative advances in all aspects of water resources;
Collecting and disseminating water resource information through publications, symposia and other media;
Relating the needs of management, educational, and governmental institutions for specialized serves and guidance to qualified professionals; and
Initiating and maintaining lines of communication in the water resources community.
Photograph shows Maggie Sullivan receiving her award from IWRA President Ryan Mueller.
Community Conversation: The Future of Lake Monroe
Many thanks to Christopher Emge and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce for organizing and hosting "Community Conversation: The Future of Lake Monroe" on Friday June 3. This event brought together representatives from a variety of organizations passionate about Lake Monroe to discuss the challenges facing the lake and why protection is so critical. Watershed Coordinator Maggie Sullivan gave an introductory overview of the lake and FLM Board Member Cheryl Munson facilitated the panel discussion. Panelists from left to right: Cheryl Munson, Friends of Lake Monroe; Maggie Sullivan, Friends of Lake Monroe; Vic Kelson, City of Bloomington Utilities; Jane Martin, Lake Monroe Water Fund; Jim Krause, Friends of Lake Monroe and Lake Monroe Water Fund; Alex Crowley, Bloomington Department of Sustainability; Mike McAfee, Visit Bloomington, and Erin Walsworth Kunkel, Cook Medical.
Upcoming Events
July 14 – Adopt-A-Shoreline Cleanup at Paynetown
August 12 - Sunset Paddle Kayak Trip
August 18 – Adopt-A-Shoreline Cleanup at Paynetown
September 15 – Adopt-A-Shoreline Cleanup at Paynetown
September 18 - Fall Migration Kayak Trip
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? Here are specific opportunities we have now.
Volunteers are needed to serve on our Development committee to assist with member recruitment, special events, and fundraising.
Volunteers are needed for shoreline cleanups on July 14 and August 18 at Paynetown.
Or do you have a special skill you would like to share? FLM's volunteer coordinator, Keith Bobay, is waiting to hear from you at volunteer@friendsoflakemonroe!
