(Provided by IDNR)
DNR grants totaling more than $585,000 will be used to fight invasive aquatic plants in Indiana's lakes.
The grants were awarded by DNR director Cameron F. Clark through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program in the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife.
The 42 projects involve lakes in 16 counties. The applications were submitted by local sponsors who share at least 20 percent of the total cost.
LARE grants are funded through the LARE fee paid by boat owners annually when they register their boats with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This user-funded program benefits boaters all over the state. The grants allow for the completion of projects that would be difficult for many local organizations to fund on their own.
"These LARE grants further our goals of improving aquatic habitat while enhancing recreational opportunities for fishing and boating," said Mark Reiter, director of DNR Fish & Wildlife. "Addressing invasive plants in many of Indianaís most popular public lakes should benefit many lake users during the summer boating season."
The grants will help control or manage aggressive non-native species, including Eurasian watermilfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, and starry stonewort, that can take over and clog lakes. The grants can also provide economic benefits to lake communities by improving and increasing public access opportunities for those who fish or pleasure-boat.
The list of projects by water body, county, and grant award:
| Water body (County) | Grant award |
|---|---|
| Adams Lake (LaGrange) | $12,640 |
| Atwood Lake (LaGrange) | $8,560 |
| Backwater Lake (Kosciusko) | $1,300 |
| Barbee Lakes chain (Kuhn, Barbee, Little Barbee, Irish, Sawmill, Banning and Sechrist lakes) (Kosciusko) | $6,750 |
| Bass Lake (Starke) | $25,600 |
| Beaver Dam and Loon lakes (Kosciusko) | $2,030 |
| Big Long Lake (LaGrange) | $18,000 |
| Big Turkey and Henry lakes (Steuben/Lagrange) | $20,500 |
| Bruce Lake (Fulton and Pulaski) | $5,000 |
| Center Lake (Kosciusko) | $16,600 |
| Chapman Lakes (Big Chapman and Little Chapman) (Kosciusko) | $28,400 |
| Clear Lake (LaPorte) | $9,600 |
| Crooked Lake (Steuben) | $9,000 |
| Dewart Lake (Kosciusko) | $5,875 |
| Fish Lakes chain (Upper Fish, Lower Fish and Mud lakes) (LaPorte) | $27,800 |
| Flint Lake (Porter) | $18,400 |
| Four Lakes area-(Mill Pond, Kreighbaum, Cook and Holem lakes) (Marshall) | $29,200 |
| Geist Reservoir (Hamilton and Marion) | $5,000 |
| Griffy Lake (Monroe) | $17,200 |
| Hamilton Lake (Steuben) | $39,000 |
| Hudson Lake (LaPorte) | $18,450 |
| Jimmerson Lake (Steuben) | $12,080 |
| Koontz Lake (Marshall) | $6,500 |
| Lake George (Steuben) | $8,375 |
| Lake Lemon (Monroe and Brown) | $5,000 |
| Lake of the Woods (Marshall) | $12,400 |
| Lake Pleasant (Steuben) | $13,520 |
| Little Turkey Lake (LaGrange) | $4,725 |
| Long Lake (Porter) | $3,460 |
| New Lake (Gibson) | $5,200 |
| Oliver, Olin and Martin lakes (LaGrange) | $10,160 |
| Pine Lake (LaPorte) | $35,100 |
| Pretty Lake (LaGrange) | $6,400 |
| Simonton Lake (Elkhart) | $1,500 |
| Stone and Brokesha lakes (LaGrange) | $13,160 |
| Stone Lake (LaPorte) | $5,000 |
| Sylvan Lake (Noble) | $5,000 |
| Tippecanoe Lake chain (Tippecanoe, James and Oswego lakes) (Kosciusko) | $34,500 |
| Wall Lake (LaGrange) | $10,880 |
| Wawasee and Syracuse lakes (Kosciusko) | $18,500 |
| Webster Lake (Kosciusko) | $36,000 |
| West Otter Lake (Steuben) | $13,300 |
| Total | $585,665 |