The vegetation on Indian Lake has made it impossible at times in the past few years for people to boat and jet ski. That has affected recreation, tourism and the local economy.
Lake Management Expert Ed Kwietniewski from the company Aquadoc was hired by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to present a report on how to deal with the excessive vegetation at Indian Lake.
He told the crowd that an effective management strategy will keep some of the aquatic plants.
“Having weeds in the lake is important. Having so much weeds in the lake to the point where you can't use the lake is not acceptable,” Kwietniewski said.
Based on reports from the lake management experts, the ODNR said at that meeting its short term management strategies will include harvesting some of the plants and using targeted herbicide applications on others.
The goal is to mitigate the vegetation in Indian Lake before next summer's boating season.
That’s good news for Amber Fagan from the Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce. She spoke to the media before the meeting.
“We're calling for 76 degree weather this coming weekend. That's going to be beautiful for boating. Come out, catch a burger at one of our many restaurants on the water. The lake's wonderful,” Fagan said. “The vegetation is not 100% gone, but you're not going to have any problems boating anymore.”
Kwietniewski from Aquadoc said that the exact reason for the unprecedented aquatic vegetation growth on Indian Lake is uncertain.
Chris Welter is a reporter and corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
