The weather may be cooling off, but the work being done by the Syracuse-Wawasee Trail Committee isnt. At a time when most construction projects are wrapping up, the last permits required to start work on the Pickwick section of the trail have been awarded to the committee by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The committee recently awarded a contract to Beer and Slabaugh of Nappanee to construct the two boardwalk sections as well as a pedestrian bridge in the Pickwick trail section. This bridge will be located on Eastshore Drive, south of the Cornelius Road intersection, and will eventually be in the middle of a 6,500 foot long segment of trail, explained Spike Ford, president of the trail committee. In addition to the bridge the segment will include an overlook and three boardwalk sections, all of which border wetlands between Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake.

Ford explained the concrete wing walls on the existing bridge will be cut so the pedestrian bridge will sit on it and be at the same level as the roadway.

Work is expected to start in mid-November. In the spring, when the asphalt plants reopen, the asphalt sections of the trail will be installed.

The trail committee recently received a $75,000 K21 Foundation grant to help fund the construction of the pedestrian bridge. Once completed, the 3.6 mile section of trail will connect Lake Wawasees north shore areas with the Wawasee Village and Wawasee High School.

Having opportunities to pursue activities that promote and increase healthy lifestyles is an important priority of this foundation for our community, said Rich Haddad, K21 president, in a press release. Its a bonus when one of those opportunities, like a safe and scenic route for walking and biking, is a significant attraction for the citizens and visitors of the Syracuse community.

In addition to the $75,000 K21 grant, the Laudeman family has issued a community challenge, a $1 to $1 match up to $50,000. The campaign is to start at the end of November.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Trail Committee also received a $100,000 grant from a local donor.

There has not been one tax dollar, not one federal nickel spent on this project, Ford said, paying kudos to the community for supporting the project. Its all been private funds.

Along with the Pickwick section of the trail, concrete sections of sidewalk continue to be installed along East and North Shore drives. Work is being done by Martin Hummitch.

This past summer, the committee also extended the trail that runs along Cornelius to the parking lot of Wawasee Boat Co. Eventually that trail will connect with the first trail segment which was installed by Peter Nicholas several years ago.

The WHS section of the trail has been seeing extensive use since it was replaced after sewer work was completed on the Syracuse-Webster Road. Carolyn Elliott, a Syracuse resident out enjoying a ride on her recumbent bike, said she liked having the trail to ride on since it gets me off the road.

That particular segment of trail is also a hit with local children. Emilia Layne said it goes really fast. She was playing with friends Brandon Smith and Chris Prater. Both boys said they liked the trail declaring it really steep and awesome.

To participate in the Laudeman family challenge, donations may be sent to Syracuse Parks Foundation, c/o Chad Jonsson, Syracuse Parks Dept. 1013 Long Dr., Syracuse, 46567 or visit Web site www.syracusewawaseetrails.com.

The trail committee usually meets at 6:30 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month at the Syracuse Community Center. Meetings are open to the public. Call (574) 457-3440 to make sure the meeting will be held.

Due to the increase in the train noise over the years, the town of Syracuse is applying for a Quiet Zone.

The people of Syracuse were able to tolerate the noise when an average of 20 trains passed though the town each day, said the Syracuse Action Committee, which is made up of interested town and county residents. Now the average has increased to over 70 trains per day, and the noise has become unbearable.

The Federal Railroad Administration realized that safer crossings and new ways to warn people about oncoming trains needed to be legislated, said SAC. The new laws will allow communities to develop safer systems and apply for a Quiet Zone once the new safety conditions are met.

The best solution for the noise is the Wayside Horn System, which has been approved by the federal government to establish Quiet Zones, said SAC. Wayside horns are mounted on a fixed vertical mount at each crossing. They are cone-like in appearance and emit the prescribed decibel blast toward the road at the gate rather than the echo traveling through the community. The train engineers would not used their whistles unless someone or something is in harm’s way.

The WHS restricts the horn sound to within 100’ of the crossing. Most residents will hear little or nothing. The system meets and exceeds the safety guidelines set forth by the FRA.

The system will be installed on 8 sites: Oak Street, Main Street, Huntington St. (SR13), Front Street, East Shore Drive, Warner Road East, Bishop Road East and Wawasee Drive East.

The Syracuse Town Board and the Kosciusko County Commission recognized SAC as their representatives to investigate and figure out the costs involved. As required by federal law, CSX has been notified and it, in turn, has forwarded preliminary estimates that set the cost figures.

The costs included assembled hardware, proposed engineering and installation upgrades. Each of the eight crossings has an estimated cost of $75,000 each. The total cost to implement the Quiet Zone will be $1,000,000 or more. At the moment there is no federal or state grant money available, and SAC has been in touch will congressional leaders for their help in securing financial assistance. The Quiet Zone will require the communities financial support, said SAC. The cost will have to come from community donations.

The contributions are tax deductible, and SAC will gladly come to any neighborhood gatherings. If interested, contact Cassie Cowan, Jim Atwood, Becky Fox, Terry Kelogg, Tom Knopp, Jeff Moore or Van Young.

Dan and Marilyn Berkey and Dave Brandes were honored for their work within the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation as recipients of the 2008 annual WACF Cattail Awards.

The awards were presented Sunday afternoon during the annual WACF meeting at its new WACF Lakes and Wetlands Education Center, 11586 N. SR 13, Syracuse. More than 70 individuals attended the meeting/open house.

Deborah Flanagan, new WACF chairwoman, recognized the Berkeys for the six years of service of testing the lake water each month for chlorophyll A and phosphorous for the Indiana Clean Lakes Program, and for E-coli for the River Watch program over the past six years. The readings or samples obtained are sent to Indiana University with the chlorophyll A and phosphorous readings indicating the quality of water along with 80 to 90 other lakes.

"Without them we couldn't participate in this program," said Flanagan. She expressed their dedication is what keeps organizations like the WACF vital and the tests they conduct tell how well the organization is or needs to be. "They are a dynamic couple without whom we'd be lost."

Flanagan noted the presentation to Brandes was "not just because he endured so many years at the helm" of WACF and was an inspired leader, it was his insight in such areas as resolving the hog farm issue amicably for all parties, and his work and dedication to figure out a "plan forward" with his committee in "planning to be able to turn this organization over to new people who want to join in. He made it very, very easy," said Flanagan adding, "he has a commitment and a fire in his belly, that is unrivaled at most of our board meetings."

While he will no longer be on the board of directors, he will be coordinating the educational committee.
Earlier in the meeting Brandes gave his farewell address recognizing and thanking a variety of individuals for their donations and efforts to WACF. "After 10 years on the board, there are many to thank," Brandes noted. He recognized board members and committee members who had worked hard to protect the watershed and those who formed the conservancy which has now grown into a large conservancy recognized statewide.

He stressed WACF is more than a land purchaser, explaining the fight to keep a confined feeding operation from developing less than a mile from Lake Wawasee-s shoreline, despite Indiana Department of Environmental Management-s issuance of a permit, with the land owner now a friend of the conservancy.

He noted several recent instances in which CFO permits were issued by IDEM and two days after manure was injected into land, heavy rains fell with the waste reaching lakes and causing large fish kills in the Little Mississinewa Lake, in Lebanon, Huntington. "It takes one drop of water 21/2 to 3 years to leave the lake," he said.

Flanagan announced Brandes had accepted the position as head of the educational committee for the new educational facility and will be putting together a committee and program. "Our goal is to bring more awareness and education (regarding conservancy) to the community."

Bob Myers was recognized as outgoing ecological chairman, a position he has held since 1995, turning it over to Diana Castell, and Betty Knapp, treasurer, who has turned the position over to Don Baird. It was noted Irv Deister Jr. was resigning as chairman of the nominating committee. Appreciation was also noted to the "buoy boys" - Jeff Guyas, George Hardy, Doug and Carolyn Anderson and Cindy Kaiser.

Rebecca Kubacki was welcomed to the board as development director and Nancy Duehmig as Flanagan's "partner in crime" as vice chairman. Jacquie Giles and Jennifer Barton were also welcomed to ecology committees.

Those attending were taken back to school during the presentation by Castell, who had three sacks representing the three concerns to the watershed - sediment, nutrients and excrements from geese and livestock.

Heather Harwood, executive director, reviewed the grants received and those groups who provided grants as well as projects. Grants from the Department of Natural Resources Lake and River Enhancement, Ruth Lilly Foundation, Harkless Foundation, and Kosciusko Community Foundation were noted. Finished projects were noted at Gordy Lake, Martin Ditch and more.

Ongoing projects noted were the Village Lake erosion and sediment problem, Littoral zone plantings and aquatic weed treatment and survey grants on the eco-zone areas and Eurasianmilfoil, underwritten by WPOA, Citizens for Responsible Environmental Lake Policy and WACF. She noted GPS points have been designated in the eco-zone areas as a baseline for future research. She also noted work with the Grace College Lake Leaders, Indiana Lakes Management Society and Tippy Environmental Lakes and Watershed Foundation.

During the presentation of land acquisition it was noted eight parcels were obtained, vulnerable property to the watersheds bringing the total to 35 wetlands, 640 acres and more than 50,000 feet of shoreline.

The financial position of WACF was noted by Bill Johnson, finance committee, who noted $1.4 million had been spent picking up property utilizing funds in various investments thus the need to get busy again raising funds, as $300,000 a year in generous gifts is not enough. He noted the major gifts received in 2007 cannot be counted on each year.
Johnson noted word needed to spread in a proactive manor to protect a fragile lake. He stressed public education on recreational usage, land use and more. He likened a donation to WACF as an extension of property taxes. "Think about what we have on the lake. We need to step up on what we do," he stated, noting individuals need to tell their neighbors, their neighbor's neighbors and so forth.

Al Campbell and Dan Berkey presented the canoe trip update, noting it begins with a clean-up trip in May and there have been full trips in June and July (eight canoes). Figures indicate close to 1,300 people have taken the trip over the past 12 years.

Berkey, a former teacher, noted the best way to teach adults the importance of wetlands is a hands-on experience.

Doug and Barbara Grant, left, are shown with Heather Harwood, WACF executive director, at the Barbara Berkey Grant and Sacajawea Wetlands just off CR 100N one-half mile east of Lake Wawasee. WACF recently acquired 27 acres in the Turkey Creek Wetlands, known as the "Final Filter," just upstream from Lake Wawasee. Turkey Creek supplies approximately 43 percent of Wawasee and Syracuse Lakes surface water.

Several years ago, when WACF was examining areas needing protection, Barbara Grant was one of four people who paddled the challenging wetland route via canoe through this section of Turkey Creek. These wetlands had not been previously opened for canoeing and made the trip feel like an expedition. Like Sacajawea, the Shoshone Indian woman who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition in Missouri, Barbara Grant maintained a helpful, uncomplaining attitude of cheerfulness. Hence this wetlands acquisition is named in honor of both Barbara and Sacajawea. The Grants were instrumental in the acquisition of this wetland area with a substantial donation specifically named for the wetland acquisition.

Deborah Flanagan didn’t really mean to get involved in protecting the Wawasee area watershed - it just happened.

“It’s a funny story,” Flanagan said. “I was an innocent bystander, sitting on my pier, when someone tapped me on my shoulder and asked if I was interested in getting involved with the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation. He explained how we’re all interdependent and the group’s charter was a noble one.”

Flanagan, a native Hoosier who grew up in Indianapolis, spent several weeks in the summers of her childhood at Lake Wawasee. When she retired from a sales operation management job in London, she bought a house on the lake she loved as a child. Flanagan now spends May through November in Syracuse and the remainder of the year in northern California.
She became involved with the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation 10 years ago. At the foundation’s next meeting, Flanagan will be named chairperson of the group.

“It’s fun and worthwhile,” Flanagan said about the group that she is passionate about. “This region has a lot to offer and we need to conserve it.”

The WACF was founded in 1991 as a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the Wawasee area watershed for present and future generations.

“A lot of people think its just about the lake, but its about the entire watershed č all 25,000 acres,” said Flanagan. “We need to preserve fragile properties, keep the area as clean as possible, keep the community educated and raise awareness. It’s critical to the entire community.”

The entire watershed area affects water quality and the WACF’s mission covers the area’s complete watershed ecosystem, including 26 lakes (Wawasee, Syracuse, Papakeechie and Bonar Lakes, to name a few). The foundation preserves and improves the lakes by determining problems through environmental testing and analysis. They solve those problems by developing systems for the protection of water and ecosystem from environmental pollution and deterioration by, among other methods, acquiring, by gift or purchase, ecologically significant parcels of land.

“We’ve built retention ponds to filter waterways; preserved wetlands from abuse, neglect, and getting into trouble; prevented erosion; and instituted trash pickups,” Flanagan said.

In 1995, the WACF engaged environmental engineers to study watershed and determine problems in maintaining the ecology of the lakes. The study has served as the basis of dozens of projects. As of 2001, the WACF has acquired 362 acres of wetlands and buffer ground including 11,350 feet of wetland shoreline.

“We have a flight plan that we work off of,” Flanagan explained. “By studying the watershed, fish, water life, weeds and sediment we know what we need to do in order to protect the watershed. We’re well-intentioned, but we’re not microbiologists.”

The WACF is run and supported by volunteers’ time, money, expertise and land. The foundation applies for grants which are then used for river and lake enhancements.

“[The foundation] brings an added dimension to my time here at the lake. The lake is beautiful but fragile č we strive to keep it clean, upstream,” said Flanagan.

One thing Flanagan looks forward to in her upcoming two year term as chairperson is educating and reaching out to the community about what is at stake at the lake.

“The very health of the ecology of the lakes is important,” she said. “The quality of the water affects the quality of life, property values and water recreation. One thing that is controllable is human behavior so one of our goals is wetland education.”

Besides her involvement in the WACF, Flanagan also spends her time working for the Catholic Youth Organization in Indianapolis, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and at a yoga school. She also enjoys water skiing, swimming and the bike trails around the area.

Flanagan will be named chairperson of the WACF at the Sunday, Aug. 17 meeting at 4 p.m.; the public is welcome to attend. For more information about the foundation call (574) 457-4549.

“One drop of water stays in the lake for two and half years,” said Flanagan about the importance of the WACF. “We need to make that drop count.”

Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation, a non-profit foundation, is dedicated to preservation and enhancement of the Wawasee area watershed, for present and future generations.

Interested individuals will be able to hear the "State of the Watershed" at a public meeting at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, at its newest property, 11586 N. SR 13, just south of the WACF sign on SR 13. An open house will follow the meeting and presentation of the 2008 Cattail Awards.

The meeting will be held on property approximately 40 acres consisting of 50 percent wetlands and 50 percent filled low ground with approximately 241 feet of shore line. This land had been targeted as a high priority since the foundation’s master plan in the mid 1990s and became a reality in the spring following several years of discussions and negotiations.

Hear at the meeting about other acquisitions/gifts the past year: purchased 27 acres in the Turkey Creek Wetlands, known as the "Final Filter," just upstream from Lake Wawasee, now known as the Barbara Berkey Grant Sacajawea Wetlands; received a donation of approximately .75 acres of wetland in the Chinese Gardens/Mud Lake area; purchased 21.8 acres along Dillon Creek; and purchased and partial gift of 53.49 acres of forested lowland Dillon Creek passes through.

These acquisitions - whether through purchase or gifted - include now more than 30 wetland properties totaling close to 639.2 acres primarily in the targeted areas and it translates to more than 50,000 feet (9.5 miles) of protected shoreline.

Importance of Acquisitions
Every acquisition made or received by the WACF has its own importance.

Wetlands are the "life of our lakes.the life giving and the life sustaining," stated Heather Harwood, WACF executive director. "We all have memories of how it used to b in different areas or in our neighborhoods. And many of the changes that have occurred cannot be viewed as favorable changes. So we feel it is increasingly important to maintain critical areas to prevent irreversible changes in our lakes."

Have you not said or heard said at one time or another, " remember when there used to be so many red-winged black birds all over the place. What ever happened to all these birds" Or, "whatever happened to all the cattails and lily pads that used to grow in that area?" Or how about, "I used to see bulrushes along a certain shore line. Why has that changed?"

Many of the changes can be traced back to increased usage of the lakes and the disregard for wetlands. WACF is committed to the preservation of wetlands because a wetland defines the results WACF seeks to obtain and maintain in its watershed. Without wetlands, the ecosystem of a lake would be eliminated and the lakes would resemble a low-lying area in the middle of a field that collected water. There would be no life.

Harwood explained, "A wetland can be defined as an area consisting of soil that is saturated with moisture, such as a swamp or a marsh or a bog. It is the area between ˜land and water" and all three, -land, waterâ and wetland are all different, yet all dependent on each other."

Wetlands contain many types of plant life and animal life. Cattails, bulrushes, water lilies, arrowhead, duckweed for example. In addition, many different types of fish, birds, insects, ducks, geese, wading birds use the wetlands as their habitat. Like various types of plants, certain animals such as wood ducks and muskrats only survive in wetlands. Beavers may actually create their own wetlands to survive. Migrating waterfowl use wetlands to rest and feed. Fish breed, lay eggs, raise their young and live in or near wetlands.

Water quality is enhanced by the filtering action of wetlands, and yet, with all this quietly happening in a wetland many view wetlands as indifferent or even sometimes as a nuisance. Can life be envisioned on present, beautiful lakes without wetlands?

WACF's mission (dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the Wawasee area watershed for present and future generations) covers the area's complete watershed ecosystem including 26 lakes (including Wawasee, Syracuse, Papakeechie and Bonar lakes) and is funded by individual, corporate and government gifts and grants.

The watershed begins at Little Knapp and Harper lakes in Noble County and flows through 10 lakes by way of Turkey Creek into Lake Wawasee, then through the wetlands of Main Channel and Mud Lakes into Syracuse Lake. This area consists of 24,498 acres.

While studies, grants and acquisitions of essential property are frequently highlighted, the WACF also provides educational opportunities, such as canoe trips each summer through the watershed.

There have been many hot topics for WACF including Eurasian water milfoil. It was one of 49 lakes in the state to receive a grant for Aquatic Plant Management Planting and Treatment from the Department of Natural Resources.

The foundation has been chosen for a littoral study through a lake and river enhancement grant. This study will see which of four plantings -concrete, plastic, bio log and natural - will help preserve erosion. The study is taking place near the channel going to The Frog.

The group is also working with the WPOA, DNR and Town of Syracuse on the needs of the dam in Syracuse. Proposals and engineering studies are in the works.

Since the inception of WACF, funding for projects to improve water quality has reached more than $1,270,000 in grants and contributions. The organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity.

More information about the WACF can be found on its Web site, www.wacf.org, or individuals can write or call: WACF, P.O. Box 548, Syracuse, IN 46567, (574) 457-4549.