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IDNR Report
Several Indiana counties will receive funds to improve their waterways thanks to $1,506,640 in grants awarded by DNR Director Daniel W. Bortner through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program.
DNR grants totaling $908,700 will be used in sediment or logjam removal projects and will support 13 projects in 15 counties. The other $597,940 will be used to fight aquatic invasive plants, including 37 projects involving 57 bodies of water in 11 counties.
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 local organizations to fund on their own. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and local sponsors share at least 20% of the cost.
Funded projects include grants for both planning and removal of sediment. Removal projects help improve recreation and remove excessive nutrients near inlets. Projects to dredge lake inlets or boating access channels receive the highest priority for LARE funding.
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IDNR and News Reports
A Munster man has been taken into custody on an active warrant after an Indiana Conservation Officer investigation revealed video of him torturing an animal.
Nikola Kutansky, 35, of Munster was arrested Monday afternoon with the assistance of the Gary Police Department on a felony warrant for Knowingly Torturing or Mutilating a Vertebrate Animal, a level-six felony.
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IDNR Report
Mixsawbah State Fish Hatchery stocked 22,429 coho salmon averaging 8.02 inches into Trail Creek on Feb.16.
Coho salmon stocked this month will stay in the streams until this coming spring, when they will migrate to Lake Michigan. They will spend one to two years there feeding and maturing until they return to the streams where they were stocked for spawning.
This stocking is in addition to the 54,139 coho that were stocked this past October into the Little Calumet River and the 29,457 coho that were stocked into Trail Creek.
Anglers should take care when fishing these areas. These fish are currently under the legal-size limit and are sensitive to being caught. If you are catching undersize coho, consider moving to a different area of the stream or try switching your method of fishing. These new fish are crucial to the continued existence of the northwest Indiana trout and salmon fishery.
For more information about Mixsawbah State Fish Hatchery, visit on.IN.gov/mixsawbah-sfh.
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IDNR Report
The Indiana DNR will host a public meeting to discuss upcoming renovations to be done on J.C. Murphey Lake at Willow Slough Fish & Wildlife Area on March 1.
The public meeting will run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. CT at the Newton County Government Center in Morocco. DNR property management and fisheries staff will give a presentation providing details about the renovations and answer questions about the project.
The lake requires periodic renovations to maintain habitat for the maximum number of species and recreational opportunities. The renovation not only will provide habitat for rare and endangered species, but also will improve opportunities for waterfowl hunters, anglers, and wildlife viewing.
Lake renovations are expected to take until 2024 to complete, with the drawdown beginning this spring. Recreational opportunities will be affected while the lake is drawn down and maintenance is performed.
For more information about this event, visit https://bit.ly/355BM2A.
The Newton County Government Center is at 4117 S. 240 W., Morocco, IN 47963
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IDNR Report
Indiana Conservation Officers have arrested three Chicago men on multiple wildlife violations.
The arrests stem from an investigation that originated on the evening of Feb. 15, when conservation officers were contacted after witnesses reported shots coming from a vehicle illuminating a rural area with a spotlight.
Shortly after the call, a Newton County Sheriff’s deputy observed a vehicle matching the suspected vehicle commit a traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop. While on the stop, the deputy observed blood on the vehicle’s license plate and a freshly killed deer in the bed of the truck.