$100 Septic Pumping Vouchers
Thanks to the Monroe County Stormwater Board, we are bringing back our popular septic maintenance voucher program. Residents in the Monroe County portion of the Lake Monroe watershed can be reimbursed half the cost of septic pumping up to $100. Learn more at www.friendsoflakemonroe.org/septic.
Septic Maintenance 101
Not sure why you should pump your septic tank? Join us on June 20th to learn the basics of septic system maintenance. Register by June 15th for free pizza. Can't make it? Download our recently updated septic maintenance brochure with tips on how to keep your system healthy.
Septic Summit 2.0 - Sep 15
Save the date for Septic Summit 2.0 at the Brown County Fairgrounds on September 15th. We are excited to support the Brown County Regional Sewer District and Brown County Soil & Water Conservation District in bringing back a festival of septic system information (and fun).
Other Upcoming Events
Kayak Trip for New Paddlers
Never been out on Lake Monroe? Join us for a member sunset paddle on Friday, August 16, 6:30-9:30pm at Pine Grove SRA boat ramp, guided by David Rupp of IndiGo Birding Nature Tours. This event is FREE for members who have never been on the lake but space is limited. Register today on our event page.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Kayak Trips
We are also bringing back our Big Brothers Big Sisters partnership to get kids out on the lake in kayaks. This is a great opportunity for "Littles" who have never been to the lake to experience the joys of paddling. We have room for two members to join in a canoe on each paddle - Wednesday June 12 at 7:30AM and Saturday July 20 at 7:30AM. Contact Keith Bobay at volunteer@friendsoflakemonroe.org for more information.
Shoreline Cleanups
Our shoreline cleanups continue at Paynetown State Recreation Area at 6:00pm on
In the fall we will switch to Sundays at 2:00 starting with Sunday October 13th.
Did you know that Lake Monroe was built 60 years ago? Construction started in 1960 and the lake was considered fully operational (e.g. full of water) in 1965 but the official dedication was held in October 1964. This year Friends of Lake Monroe will partner with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and several other groups to host an assortment of activities celebrating the lake. More details coming soon!
Cost-Share Project Update - Soil Health Field Day
Many thanks to Bill Duckworth (pictured in the black jacket) for sharing his farming story at our Soil Health Field Day on May 14th. We met at the Monroe County Airport to hear Bill's story of rehabilitating the cropland around the airport, which had experienced major erosion before he took over.
It was a little rainy but we had a great time visiting the fields and learning about conservation. Bill has been using cover crops, no till planting, and WASCOBs (water and sediment control basins) to stabilize the field and rebuild soil health. Justin Conard (pictured in baseball hat) also shared his memories from when his grandfather farmed the land many years ago. It can be challenging for landowners to find tenant farmers who are committed to investing in soil conservation, particularly when the farmer may only have a contract for a year or two. Building soil healthy takes a lot of time and the benefits do not appear immediately. It's great to meet farmers who are committed to improving soil health on rented land and landowners who will support them.
Martha Miller with the Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation shared two different soil tests, a slake test and a slump test. These tests help demonstrate how some soils have a resilient structure - they hold together even when wet and can absorb water easily - while other soils completely fall apart.
Healthy soils have lots of living roots and active bacteria making "glue" that gives the soil structure to hold moisture and withstand erosion. Unhealthy soils have minimal roots, minimal active bacteria, and minimal structure for water storage and resistance to erosion. The best management techniques for maintaining healthy soils are to plant cover crops after the main crop is harvested (so the bacteria have new roots to feed on) and to minimize tillage (which damages soil structure and disrupts the bacteria ecosystem).
Field days are a great way to introduce farmers (and non-farmers) to conservation practices and to share information about our Conservation Cost-Share Program. We are planning to host a field day this fall at one of our cost-share project sites in Brown County with a focus on livestock and forestry practices and a field day in Jackson County with a focus on cover crops.
U.S. Representative Erin Houchin Introduces Wilderness Bill
Remember last year when Senator Mike Braun introduced S.2990, the Benjamin Harrison National Recreation and Wilderness Establishment Act of 2023? U.S. House Representative Erin Houchin finally introduced the companion bill H.R. 8535, leading Senator Braun to reintroduce his bill as S.4402 with identical language. The bills call for expanding the Deam Wilderness Area and creating a new National Wilderness Area in Hoosier National Forest. These changes would add additional protections to portions of the Lake Monroe watershed, including the proposed Houston South logging project area.
Concerned community member Bruce Anderson reached out in May to share his concern about the amount of trash stuck in log jams in North Fork Salt Creek just upstream from Lake Monroe. Trash removal by boat can be tricky, especially when it comes to large items like tires. Many thanks to Joe Ryan (pictured) and Richard Harris for heading out in a canoe to take action while also staying safe. Click here to read the full story.
We also greatly appreciate volunteers like Cheryl Munson (pictured) and Kelly Conaway who tabled at the Bloomington Farmers' Market, Christy Crandall who tabled at the Nashville Farmers' Market, and Sherry Mitchell-Bruker who tabled at the Bloomington Bike To Earth Day event.
Get Involved
Interested in volunteering but not sure how? Contact our volunteer coordinator, Keith Bobay, at volunteer@friendsoflakemonroe!
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 is only $25 annually.
