Every Drop Counts!

The Ogden Dunes Environmental Advisory Board recently mailed to all residents a guide, titled “Every Drop Counts,” packed with tools and ideas on how you can help protect water quality in our wetlands and Lake Michigan.

Funded by an Environmental Grant from the Indiana American Water Company, this helpful guide is especially relevant considering today’s headlines regarding water pollution issues. You may not realize it, but nonpoint source pollution, primarily caused by stormwater run-off, is a significant source of water pollution. An example of an idea that you might consider implementing from this guide is a Rain Garden that accepts run-off from your roof. A Demonstration Rain Garden has been constructed at 95 Diana Road, which is across the street from Long Lake Marsh. Its purpose is to help filter stormwater before it enters the marsh watershed.

This Rain Garden was also made possible through the generosity of the Environmental Grant provided by the Indiana American Water Company.

Long Lake Marsh will be receiving a lot of attention and care this next two years to improve water quality and restore its ecosystem. The Town of Ogden Dunes has been awarded a grant from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Coastal Program that will focus on managing invasive species, such as the cattails; installing stormwater best management practices; and planting native seeds, plants and shrubs. This restoration project would not be possible without the support of our partners, including the Ogden Dunes Volunteer Fire Department (ODVFD), the Ogden Dunes Community Fund, the Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, and the Indiana American Water Company. The first step will be a planned prescribed burn of the marsh that will be conducted in the next month or so.

Please take a look at "Every Drop Counts" and let us know if you have any questions. Then, take a moment to tell me if you found this guide to be useful by sending me an email at spsmodin@verizon.net. I am particularly interested in knowing if you implemented any of the ideas presented. Be sure to visit this blog for updates and information on both projects.