The City of Worcester and the Indian Lake Watershed Association are working with ESS Group to continue to monitor algae levels in Indian Lake. Water samples are collected once a week and sent to a lab for analysis. We are very thankful to the City for recently extending the contract so algae testing will continue for the rest of the summer season.

The water sample collected on July 27th shows blue-greens remaining at well under 1000 cells per milliliter. Restrictions for human activity are put in place by the state at 70,000 cells per ml which clearly we are no where near. To put this in perspective, the lake had blue green counts of nearly 500,000 cells per ml at various points during the period when the advisory was issued last year.   

The City of Worcester has also expanded their coliform bacteria monitoring this summer to include the inlets to Indian Lake. In previous years, coliform bacteria monitoring was only at the public beaches during the swimming season. 

While the battle is not over, we are thankful that the interim plan for this summer has been successful.

While the conditions at Indian Lake that need addressing weren't particularly new, last year's closure brought forward a very immediate need to develop short and long range plans for Indian Lake.

The long term plans take considerable time and money. But it was imperative that we do as much as possible to ensure the lake is open for residents and visitors in the interim.

Our short term plan included many facets but extremely important was the ability to hire environmental companies to assist with reducing the nutrients in the lake and being able to apply treatments as needed to counter any spike in blue green algae. This plan came at a cost of over $30,000!

Upon announcing funds were needed, we were immediately contacted by the George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation which quickly issued a challenge grant of $15,000! Following are numerous organizations, individuals, families and businesses that made donations specific to this project to help us reach our goal which was above and beyond membership dues:

George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation

Hoey Tire Co.

Mill Street Motors

Lord & Benoit Charitable Foundation

The Dubois Family

Dan Callahan

Vincent Ritchie

Doug Haddad

Keith Bousquet

The Clougherty Family

Ford's Hometown Services

Tony Economou RE/MAX Advantage 1

Peter Coffin

Kiwanis of Worcester

Worcester Fitness

R. Emerson Brooks

Tweed's Pub Restaurant

290 Auto Body Inc.

Saint-Gobain

Charlene Stultz

Diane Mohieldin Schwartz

The Tully Family

Dunkin Donuts/John Nadreau

Fred Bayon, DMD

A.L. Purinton Corp.

Herlihy Insurance Group

Honey Farms Inc.

Bigelow Electric

Karl Bjork

O'Connor's Restaurant

Birgit McNerney/Kirsten Sheehan

Kevin & Linda O'Sullivan

Bob & Kathy Gates

Jolin Paving & Excavating

Gregory O'Connor Associates  

Remember these funds have been spent carefully but our fundraising efforts are not over. Please consider sending your tax deductible donation to: Indian Lake Watershed Association, Inc., PO Box 60244,  Worcester, Massachusetts 01606. THANK YOU! 

It is with great sadness that we announce the services for our board member Irving Cormier who died unexpectedly on July 27th after arriving in South Dakota for a long anticipated trip to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Irving has been a longtime resident of Indian Lake and supporter of the ILWA, being re-elected to the board this past March. Irving will be greatly missed. Please consider donating in Irving's memory to the Wounded Warriors Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/telegram/obituary.aspx?n=irving-cormier&pid=175385903&fhid=15217  

Dave Harris, a sanitary engineer and stormwater manager in the City of Worcester's Department of Public Works and Parks Sewer Division, reports that 175 storm drains were stenciled last week by 3 interns from the City's Inspectional Services Department. As part of the City's stormwater management efforts, storm drains throughout the city are stenciled to warn people not to dump anything into the drain that could harm the local waterways. Many educate residents where the storm drain leads to such as Indian Lake. Dave and his counterparts have worked with many volunteers to stencil storm drains over the years and distribute informational flyers to neighboring properties. The focus last week was the storm drains leading to the Ararat Brook inlet. This is especially great news as this inlet has been a vital piece of the discussions about reducing the nutrient flow to Indian Lake.

It's important to remember that water quality goes beyond the shoreline! 791 storm drains within the city limit drain to Indian Lake!

Worcester properties leading to Ararat Brook Inlet are shaded. The area extends well into Holden.

A grant application was recently submitted to New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) on behalf of Indian Lake. The NEWEA was seeking humanitarian and community type projects throughout New England with awards of up to $2500. Dave Harris, a sanitary engineer and stormwater manager in the City of Worcester's Department of Public Works and Parks Sewer Division took the initiative in preparing and submitting a grant to upgrade and replace water quality monitoring equipment.

Many thanks to our new volunteer Stephanie Allen for her assistance with this as well!

Recipients will be announced in September! 

A special acknowledgement to some of our key summer maintenance folks! Keep in mind during the summer, these tasks are accomplished weekly and even daily in some instances! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Mikey Sloan .... mowing Morgan Park!

Jim Vargas.... trimming Morgan Park!

Lincoln MacDonald.... mowing Frostholm Memorial and planting/maintaining buckets at the intersection of Holden and Grove Streets!

Bob Lyons... mowing Hapgood Brooks Memorial!

Raychelle Lyman and family... watering flowers at Frostholm Memorial!

Ford's Hometown Services... planting and maintaining flower buckets at Grove and Forest Street!

Proko family.... watering and weeding at Hapgood Brooks Memorial! 

Many thanks to District 1 City Councilor for his perseverance in getting the water leak repaired on Holden Street near the corner of Nelson Place. The water bubbling from the street has been a concern of neighbors for quite some time. The water flowed year round, creating the need for additional street treatments in the slippery weather. Excess road sand can easily make it's way to the lake. Councilor Economou worked with the Department of Public Works and Parks while the street was opened up for re-paving. It was initially not something that was going to be addressed at this time since it was groundwater and not a leaking pipe. This often makes it nearly impossible to capture and divert. Thank you to Councilor Economou and the folks at DPW&P for prioritizing this.  

After years of numerous folks donating their time and effort to keep it running, one of our lawn mowers reached it's limit recently. We are desperately in need of another lawn mower.... preferably commercial grade. Thank you so much to Bob Gates as well as Mike and Michele Sloan of Hoey Tire for your enormous efforts to keep it running!

We have a new email address! Please direct questions and concerns to indianlakeboard@gmail.com.