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Grand Lake St. Marys Update

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
Copied from the ODNR website....

Media Inquiries
Jason Fallon, Media Relations Coordinator
614-265-6842

Preparations Underway for Alum Treatment at Grand Lake St. Marys
May 25

Written by: news editor
5/25/2011 1:00 AM
A contract to apply aluminum sulfate at Grand Lake St. Marys was awarded to HAB Aquatic Solutions, LLC of Nebraska.
Nebraska company plans June 2 start date
Grand Lake St. Mary's Mid-Lake Treatment AreaA contract to apply aluminum sulfate at Grand Lake St. Marys was awarded to HAB Aquatic Solutions, LLC of Nebraska. The company is mobilizing equipment now and anticipates initiating the application process on June 2 and ending June 22. The alum application is one step in a multi-faceted, multi-year approach to improve the lake’s water quality.

The $3,456,932 contract is being funded through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and implemented by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. HAB Aquatic Solutions will focus the concentrated alum treatment on 4,900 surface acres of the central lake. This revised plan for the project takes into account the dynamic changes in water quality resulting from heavy rains in the area this spring.

State officials note that the community and lake visitors are likely to see increased tanker-truck traffic bound for the designated staging area at West Bank Boat Ramp. These tanker trucks will be delivering nearly 2,631,300 gallons of alum-based chemical, which is being supplied from plants in Ohio.

The state offers the following information about the alum treatment project:

* The public is asked to respect restricted areas at the West Bank Boat Ramp staging area for safety purposes.
* Two vessels with large application booms will stage from the West Bank Boat Ramp.
* Viewing the application process from shore will be difficult since the work will take place near the center of the lake.
* While watercraft are not restricted in the application area, boaters are asked to give the application vessels wide berth and right of way as they move across the lake.
* The aluminum sulfate and sodium aluminate, when applied to the water, do not present a hazard to people or aquatic life. The buffered dose prevents changes in the water’s pH that not on protects human and aquatic health, but helps reduces the possibility of damage to boat hulls.
* The Ohio EPA and U.S. Geological Survey will be monitoring water-quality information before, during and after the project.


Residents and visitors are reminded that this year’s alum treatment is intended to help reduce the frequency and severity of harmful algal blooms at Grand Lake St. Marys. Dredging and rough fish removal, along with installation of a treatment train and other water quality initiatives continue – action steps the state and the lake community consider integral to helping improve the water quality of the 13,000-acre recreational lake in western Ohio.
 

Curran

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,971
172
Central Ohio
And another earlier release...


Media Inquiries
Jason Fallon, Media Relations Coordinator
614-265-6842

Visitors to Park Beaches at Grand Lake St. Marys Urged to Exercise Caution
May 19

Written by: news editor
5/19/2011 1:00 AM
The State is recommending that visitors exercise caution due to an algal bloom that has been indentified at Grand Lake St. Marys.
COLUMBUS, OH — Recreational users of the three public beaches at Grand Lake St. Marys State Park are advised against swimming and wading, water should not be swallowed, and surface scum should be avoided, according to the Ohio departments of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources, and Health. Advisories will be erected at West, East, and Camp beaches which are located at the eastern end of the lake.

The State is recommending that visitors exercise caution because an algal bloom has been indentified at Grand Lake St. Marys. Water samples taken earlier this week at the three beaches by the Ohio EPA indicated that Planktothrix was the dominant cyanobacteria in the water. The bloom is not confined to the beaches, but is visible over most of the lake. This type of bloom holds the potential for producing algal toxins, including mycrocystin, such as those experienced at the lake in recent years.

Algal blooms can produce neurotoxins (which affect the nervous system) and hepatotoxins (which affect the liver). The toxins can potentially impact the health of people and animals that come into contact with water where algal toxins are present.

Testing is ongoing and the State of Ohio has chosen to post advisories in order to assure that lake-goers are aware of the levels of risk that exist, and the steps they can take to minimize those risks. For updated information, visit the Ohio EPA’s Web site at www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/HAB.aspx.

The State of Ohio remains committed to working with regional partners on improving the water quality of the lake. Efforts by the state include:

* Alum testing demonstrations earlier this spring
* Addition of a third dredge and a longer dredging season
* Rough fish removal
* Water quality testing
* Funding for in-stream treatment trains

Nearly 5,000 acres of the central lake area will receive a concentrated dose of aluminum sulfate beginning the first week of June.
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
Supporting Member
9,358
133
Hardin County
I really hope they get this situation straightened out on St Marys. I know it is reallt putting a damper on the local economy as well as a darn good fishing hole!
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Hmm... Never used aluminum sulfate. We have always used copper sulfate. Will have to look into it.

Beentown