Indian Lake Watershed Association Update 12/6/2014
Honoring Bob Gates  

                 

 

At the end of December 2014, Bob Gates, our beloved founder and leader of the Indian Lake Watershed Association for over 40 years will be stepping down as president.

 

During Bob's tenure, he has steered the lake association through many valuable projects including charting the course when the lake was nearly unusable due to the onset of invasive nonnative weeds in the 1970's, the development of Morgan Park, restoration of Frostholm Memorial and so much more. Bob led our group to lobby city officials to get sewer lines repaired, pave streets that washed repeatedly into the lake, install sedimentation systems to begin capturing excessive sediment before it reached the lake at several locations and educate the public on protecting Indian Lake and its tributaries.

 

Bob can be found on any given day repairing picnic tables and grills at parks around the lake, fixing the dock at Morgan Park, removing dangerous trees and branches, replacing flags at Morgan Park, Hapgood Brooks and Frostholm Memorial, repairing our equipment and cleaning up along the shoreline.

 

Bob has given tirelessly to our organization, our neighborhood an our City.

 

Please join us as the Worcester City Council acknowledges Bob's efforts on Tuesday, December 16th at 7pm at the Council Chamber, 455 Main Street in Worcester on the 3rd Floor.

WPD's Neighborhood Crime Watch  

                

Just a reminder that the Worcester Police Department's monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting will be on Tuesday, December 16th at 5:30pm at Ford's Hometown Services, 549 Grove Street. Enter 2nd floor in the rear, left side of Ford's Hometown Services.

 

There will not be an ILWA meeting this month. Members are encouraged to join us at City Hall to honor Bob Gates at 7pm.

Your Help is Needed

                

As discussions continue regarding the short and long term plans for Indian Lake, it is imperative that we look to larger projects that are key to improving the lake's health:

 

  • dredging nutrient filled sediment
  • addressing the inlet at Shore Drive near Holden Street which has been repeatedly identified as a key source of nutrients entering the lake
  • improving water flow at the Sears Island Causeway, between Little Indian and Big Indian and into Little Indian

 

Sediment characterization is the term used to identify how much sediment is in a body of water and what's in that sediment. It is crucial to the discussion of sediment removal also known as dredging.

 

As you may know, the ILWA paid for the sediment to be characterized in 2007 at the inlets at Shore Drive, Nelson Place, Huntington Ave and Sherburne Avenue. That report noted over 10,000 cubic yards of sediment. Yet we know there is much more.

 

We have received a proposal from an environmental engineering firm we have worked with in the past to characterize all the sediment in the Indian Lake and Little Indian Lake, update our 2007 study and identify phosphorus 'hot spots'. Knowing that we will not likely ever be able to remove all the sediment that has built up in the lake over the years, identifying key areas that are most problematic to the conditions that caused last summer's closure will help us focus on those areas whether for removal long term or sealants, if possible, in the short term to reduce the nutrients being released.

 

Numerous residents have indicated they are interested in pursuing smaller scale projects which require only local conservation commission approval. This would also provide them with critical information they need to get these smaller projects underway.

 

The ILWA has voted to move forward with raising $18,000 to fund this important next step towards dredging. These funds must be put in place by the end of January in order to received this reduced (yes reduced) price thereby allowing the work to be done in the winter.

 

We are preparing a press release that will be sent out next week. Anyone that can help with writing grants or sending letters out, please contact Beth Proko at bproko@charter.net. As always these donations are tax deductible.

Happy Holidays!

 

Best wishes for a happy holiday season and wonderful 2015 to all of our supporters!

 

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Website: www.ilwa.org

 

Indian Lake Watershed Association, Inc.
5 North Pond Road
Worcester, Massachusetts 01605