INDIAN LAKE STATE PARK
MANAGER, FRANK GIANNOLA
INDIAN LAKE STATE PARK
MANAGER, FRANK GIANNOLA
August 19, 2010 - Watershed celebrates its 20th year.
The watershed has made the lake’s sediment fall from 80,000 tons in 1990 to 15,000 tons a year currently.
State Park Manager Frank Giannola announced the park’s plans to purchase their own weed harvester. The Watershed Project will be handling the fundraising for the harvester, which will cost about $125,000.
July 10, 2010 -
INDIAN LAKE update
Excerpted from the Dayton Daily News
INDIAN LAKE, Logan County — Indian Lake and Grand Lake St. Marys are separated by more than just 30 miles.
Although the two share a common history as hand-dug reservoirs intended to power a 19th century canal, that’s where the similarities end. At Grand Lake, dead fish pile up on the beach and toxic water fueled by manure and fertilizer wears a thick coat of algae. At Indian Lake’s Fox Island Beach, children frolic as parents picnic — a kid spouts water out of his mouth like a whale. Fishermen at Indian Lake’s Great Miami River dam play the large, frisky catfish.
Businesses die and tourism sinks at Grand Lake St. Marys because of water that is now deemed off limits. Twenty years ago at Indian Lake, residents, farmers and business people, assisted by state and federal agencies, formed the Indian Lake Watershed Project.
Faced with 85,000 tons of sediment running into the lake annually, the Project emphasized good will, volunteerism and common purpose to check out-of-control runoff. Today, sediment running to the lake is slashed to 15,000 tons annually, thanks to erosion and runoff control and widely adopted no-till farming. The water at Indian is so clear that visibility has increased from six inches to many feet.
Indian Lake State Park Manager Frank Giannola
Taking the reins at the beginning of the 2002
summer season, he comes well qualified to head the State Park facilities. A graduate
of both Ohio State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Parks
and Recreation Administration and of the 11th Ranger Academy, Mr. Giannola has
worked at 5 state parks, Alum Creek, Punderson, Indian Lake, West Laramie, and
Grand Lake Saint Mary. He is at home at Indian Lake having worked as assistant
park manager from 1984 - 1995.
As Manager of Indian Lake State Park, Frank Giannola regularly reviews the
customer satisfaction surveys for his parks to best determine how to make improvements
and better serve the public. He is
also very aggressive in pursuing outside grants and partnerships to help improve
the parks.”
Over the years, Giannola has forged beneficial relationships
with the local chamber of commerce, lake development group, watershed organizations
and scout troops to improve the parks.
He encourages staff members to attend
trainings and expand their skills in any way they can. His employees describe
their work environment as “professional, yet a fun and great place to work.
It takes a watershed of cooperation to keep a threatened recreation lake healthy.
There’s no better proof than Indian Lake, now benefiting from two decades of environmental stewardship. Here is a lengthy list of programs funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Natural Resources over the years. There’s $1.38 million spent on 45 no-till planters and 23 no-till drills purchased for local farmers to stem runoff; low interest loans that bought various pieces of equipment for $742,874; there’s $48,236 spent for pesticide and nutrient containment systems.
There have been 264 acres of filter strips installed and many acres of wetlands built to contain runoff. It’s helped create a lake that is, if not pristine, clean for all the use it receives, water quality reports compiled by University of Dayton students since 2002 show.
Filter strips slow water runoff and trap sediment, fertilizers and pesticides. They also offer a natural habitat for wildlife and improve fish habitat, Boots says. Sanitary sewer hookups have replaced old on-site septic systems all around Indian Lake. In the Indian Lake watershed, 75 percent of farmers practice no-till, said cattleman Frank Phelps, who was instrumental in conservation programs there. That compares to only 6 percent who practiced no-till in the 1990s, he added. Phelps, 58, manages 800 or so head on 1,200 acres with a quarter mile of lake frontage. Instrumental in the project’s leadership, Phelps built wetlands to capture nutrient-rich runoff. They’re now great places to view wildlife.
“We had good buy-in from everyone involved,” Phelps said. “You can’t blame people. You have to all work together and fix it.”
Today, Indian Lake is “the best I’ve seen it in 31 years,” Giannola said. “The fishing is fabulous.”
Facts and quotes excerpted from the Dayton Daily News, July 10, 2010
Awards
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Projects wrapping up at Indian Lake
Written by Michael P.
Garrity
Wednesday, 12 August 2009 15:42
LAKEVIEW – With another summer
season winding down, Indian Lake State Park employees still have their fair share
of ongoing projects to complete before the cold winds of winter once again blow
across the lake.
Dredging operations on the north side of the lake continue
with both the large and small dredges working in their respective areas.
The
large dredge, called “The Indian,” is working the areas adjacent to
Turkeyfoot Point and will continue working this area which also includes dredging
the bay in front of Acheson’s Resort, according to Indian Lake and Kiser
Lake Regional Park Manager Frank Giannola.
“Once we finish the area around
Acheson’s, we will move the dredge to the west side of Pony Island,”
he said.
The smaller blue dredge, named “The Millie,” is now dredging
the west side of Sassafras Point. It will then move on and dredge the east side
as well and will also dredge along Avondale, moving into the channel leading back
into the Barnes Landing area.
Giannola also hopes that “The Millie”
will be able to finish up the season doing some work in the Kings Landing area
as well.
“We hope to get to those areas this year and also use ‘The
Millie’ next season to do some dredging around Pew and Crane Town Islands.
It all depends if we have it on the lake next season since the smaller one is
best for working those smaller areas,” said Giannola, who also stated he
hopes that once “The Indian” has finished its work around the north
side of the lake, it can wrap up the season working on an unfinished project the
dredge did a few years ago around Duck Island near Spend-A-Day Marina.
Next
year, “The Indian” is going to be doing dredging work on the north fork
of the Great Miami River near the former O’Conners Lodge area.
Some other
projects on tap for next year include: shoreline protection work around the Blackhawk
area and refurbishing the jetties at Old Field Beach and Lakeview Harbor.
One
long-term area of concern for both local park officials and lake residents alike
is the condition of the “bulkhead” spillway.
“We have
been asking for that project to have been done for about 15 years now, but we
never get any answer,” said Giannola.
While the concrete on the dam/spillway
does not look very good, Giannola does say that it is structurally sound.
“It
was last inspected by ODNR engineers in 2005. They found that structurally, the
dam and spillway is sound. It gets visually inspected each year and we keep a
close eye on it,” he said.
“Actually, what you see is just a cap
on the larger structure and that doesn’t look so good,” Giannola added.
Another
area of concern for Giannola and his crew, the infestation in the back waters
of the north side of the lake by a non-native, invasive plant species known as
Eurasian Water-Milfoil.
The plants are a fast-spreading species that over time
can make a waterway unsuitable for recreation and fishing. It spreads fast and
can use up the oxygen found in the water that fish need to breathe. The strands
of the plant can get so thick that it becomes impossible to run motor boats through
it without causing engine damage, namely by blocking engine water intakes. Please read the following report.
"The staff at Indian Lake has taken samples of the aquatic weeds growing
in several channels and consulted with professionals to identify them.
So far, no Eurasian Milfoil has been identified. The predominant weeds
that is rooted on the bottom and that creates such trouble for boaters
is Coontail, a plant that looks very similar to Milfoil. The other
species that are found in large number are Elodia, Duckweed, Spatterdock
and Filamentous algae. Each species offers a different challenge.
The staff is also working with a contractor to arrange for application
of herbicides that target these weeds. An test application was made
about 10 days ago to two channels in order to evaluate the effectiveness
of treatment. The results were good. The staff plans to expand the
program as much as our resources permit. The initial estimate for an
expanded program would require about $15,000.
Another challenge that is unique to canal feeder lakes is the ownership
issue. There are channels where the state park has full authority to
act. These are typically channels where the land on each side is owned
by the state. You are certainly aware that there are numerous channels
where land on one side is public and the other side is private. These
areas will require an effort to solicit support from landowners to
cost-share for aquatic weed control. In areas where the adjacent land
is private on all sides, the state park has no authority. These
channels will need to be maintained by the landowners. The staff at
Indian Lake has begun work to inform landowners about this challenge and
to offer support for controlling these weeds.
I hope this helps you understand that the staff at Indian Lake is aware
of this growing issue and that they are, infact, working to provide some
action and leadership. If you have other questions or would like more
information, feel free to contact the park office at 937-843-2717."
Scott Fletcher, CPM
Operations, Training & Safety Section Manager
Ohio State Parks
2045 Morse Road C-3
Columbus OH 43229
O 614-265-7055
F 614-265-7202
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"The suction dredge comes with all the newest technology available to day. It's hydraulic driven, pushes ahead to dig two feet at a time, is totally computerized, much lighter, has better fuel economy and is much easier to operate," said Former Park Manager, Dave Helgeson. "It has the capacity to move silt up to 5,000 feet. Our old dredge boat was stationary, meaning it didn't have the maneuverability or the moving parts this one has. With the old boat we couldn't go from side to side in a channel without first moving and repositioning the boat. With this one, we can position it once and let the arm do the maneuvering," Mr. Helgeson explained.
Boaters at Indian Lake are advised to take precautions when traveling near either of the lake's dredgers. When the dredger is not operational the lines used to transport the dredge material float on the surface, which makes them easy to see. When in use, however, the lines sink. Boaters can recognize them through the use of floating orange balls which are attached to the lines. Hitting one of the lines could damage props or other parts of their boat.
Lakeview
Bikeway Extension - Berm work, landscaping, and signage will
complete the project May 15th, 2007.
Pew Island/Cherokee
Trail
Renovation work was completed on both Trails to improve accessibility
and use by visitors.
Boater Access Improvemeents
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New Multi Purpose Building at the Indian Lake State Park Campground
For
the past several years, the camper host volunteers have been fund raising for
the purpose of constructing a multi purpose building at the State Park campground.
Thru their efforts and the contributions of the Indian Lake Development Corporation,
over $27,000 in private donation monies were raised for this project. The main
structure was completed in August of 2006. Electrical service, lighting, shelving,
tables and chairs will be added to make this building ready for use in 2007. This
building will serve as a meeting place, a family reunion destination, a place
for park programs, movies, biology classes, special events and many other activities.
The Ohio Division of Parks and Recreation and the Indian Lake/Kaiser Lake Region
expresses their sincere thanks and gratitude to the park volunteers and the Indian
Lake Development Corporation for this wonderful contribution.
Indian Lake
State Park Manager, Frank Giannola
LAND ACQUISITION
Fifty acres of an existing field will be planted in native prairie grasses. The prairie grasses will be maintained offering nesting and winter cover for pheasants and other ground nesting birds. Cattle will be allowed to graze on the land during months when cool season grasses are depressed. The project will demonstrate native tall prairie establishment and the numerous benefits. These would include grasses that excel during drought periods, superior nesting/winter habitat for ground birds and mammals, and hunting opportunities. The project will also demonstrate co-benefits of grasslands for grazing cattle while still protecting the benefits for wildlife. |
The bicycle rental in the camp area will continue as in the past season. Rental payment is collected at the Commissary. The bicycles are stored, signed out and maintained at the Check Station. VIP Dick Andrew has been doing a yeoman's job keeping the bicycles up and running. Rental rates are $6.50 per hour, tax included.
Paddle boats and kayaks both single and double,
canoes, and row boats all rent for $6.50 per hour plus tax.
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