Work continues at Camp Miakonda as we move past the first month of on-the-ground implementation. River work is nearly complete after the installation of Longitudinal Peaked Stone Toe Protection (LPSTP), Bendway Weirs, Locked Logs, Living Dykes and hundreds of native plants along 655 feet of the Ottawa. These structures are designed to reduce the impact and erosion the Ottawa River exhibits on its own banks. Dave Derrick (Army Corp of Engineers) joined the crews on site while construction on the Ottawa River took place to oversee the installation of these important structures. Derrick had a large input in the preliminary designs of the project and Partners for Clean Streams is thankful that he joined us for the implementation of these plans.

Lake Sawyer dredging and excavation continues on schedule. A temporary road is being installed as the excavators continue to remove some of the 80 years of sediment that has been deposited in the lake. So far, an estimated 4,504 cubic yards of sediment have been removed from the lake in 563 truckloads.  Excavated areas in the lake will vary from four feet to a maximum depth of eight feet, resulting in ideal conditions for fish wintering and improved sustainability.  In addition, wetland shelves bordering the islands and shoreline will help stabilize the lake banks, collect sediment and clean the water as it filters into the lake. Restoration of Hartman and Cunningham ditches, with wetland plants and stabilized banks, will also filter sediments and nutrients before the water empties into Lake Sawyer, further reducing sediment loads.

The outflow channel connecting Lake Sawyer to the Ottawa River will be one of the last pieces completed in this phase of the project. The outflow channel will allow Lake Sawyer to re-connect to the Ottawa River during storm events. An existing wetland along Sylvania Avenue will also flood, allowing water to flow back into the Ottawa River. Areas like this in a watershed that can flood, without impacting homes or businesses, help hold onto flood waters until the Ottawa recedes. The outflow channel will also allow Lake Sawyer to exhibit a constant churn and flow, resulting in increased amounts of recycled oxygen and a higher quality of plant and freshwater life.  The proposed start time for the channel reconstruction will be the week of October 21st. We are looking forward to finishing this important piece of the project.

The construction at Camp is slated to end in early November this year. The project will continue next year with monitoring, evaluations, educational signage, and further plantings. Partners for Clean Streams is planning on utilizing as much volunteer help as possible with the follow-up plantings and other upkeep. Keep an eye open for volunteer opportunities in early 2013 on both our website and newsletter.

Partners for Clean Streams would like to highlight a group that made a huge impact for this year’s Clean Your Streams Day. The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) won the Youth Challenge of Most Volunteers with 67 volunteers. TOP is a service learning group, facilitated through the YWCA of Northwest Ohio comprised of young men and women of the Toledo Public High Schools: Bowsher, Rogers, Scott, Start, Waite, and Woodward. The students have many talents and interests and are extremely giving to the community. Last year alone TOP students achieved over 4,000 volunteer hours in various service projects from cleaning the environment, to childcare, working with the elderly, packing food baskets for the needy, and advocating for tolerance & diversity at the Annual Martin Luther King Day celebration at University of Toledo – to list a few.  The teens were happy to make ‘Clean Your Streams’ their kick-off project for the 2012-2013 school year.  The students regarded this project as a great adventure while helping to beautify their community, specifically the Ottawa River watershed where they were stationed.  All the students expressed a major interest in contributing their time and effort for next year’s clean-up. They are excited to challenge themselves to increase the amount of trash collect next year. The students commented that because of their experience with Clean Your Streams, they have a better understanding of where their drinking water comes from and that the responsibility to keep litter and pollution out of our waterways is both a local and global job. Some of the interesting things they collected were: a sleeping bag, deer bones, and a soccer ball. We look forward to seeing the TOP again next year!

The Northwest Ohio Community Shares Campaigns are still going on in multiple workplaces around Toledo! This workplace giving campaign goes to support a variety of 26 small, local non-profit organizations here in northwest Ohio. For this campaign, donations to the campaign can be simply given with payroll deductions when you enroll or as a one-time gift. This can be done with the campaign materials supplied by your employer or on the Northwest Ohio Community Shares website.  If your business participates in this charitable campaign, you are able to select Partners for Clean Streams as the recipient of your donation. Look for us in your donation materials. Our staff has been giving brief introductory talks about Partners for Clean Streams to a few businesses and organizations. To learn more about the work that Northwest Ohio Community Shares is doing visit www.nwohioshares.org.  In advance, thank you for your contribution and support.