CLEAR Program

NWU Radio Script

6-11-01

A joint state and University of Nebraska program is offering Nebraska communities help in restoring park and community lakes that through the years may have silted-in, become choked with algae or suffer from general neglect.

The Community Lake Enhancement and Restoration, or CLEAR, program combines aquatic resource experts from NU's Lake Water Quality Cooperative Extension Program, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to provide technical and financial assistance to communities with lakes that may be experiencing a variety of aging problems.

"Many of these lakes were constructed when the community was founded or were built as government projects during the 1930s. They may now be in need of help to return them to their former status as centers of community pride and recreation opportunities," said NU water quality specialist John Holz.

He, NU water resources specialist Tadd Barrow, environmental program specialist Paul Brakhage of the NDEQ and urban fisheries specialist Rick Eades of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission comprise the joint university-state team that will consult with communities on lake restoration projects over the next three years using $2.9 million in state and federal grant funds.

The team of experts will work with community leaders to develop complete overhaul plans. These plans may include addressing watershed and runoff problems affecting silt buildup, identifying and stopping sources of nutrients entering the lake that contribute to algae blooms, designing plans to dredge or drain lakes to make improvements, restock appropriate species of sport fish, constructing wetlands to retain water quality improvements and other recommendations.

"After restoration efforts are completed, all of the lakes will be stocked with fish and managed for quality fishing, particularly for youngsters, through the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Urban Fisheries Program," Eades said.

CLEAR will fund these restoration projects on a competitive basis. Limiting factors include funding for no more than one lake project per community over the next three years and a maximum lake size of 20 surface acres.

"Each project will be limited to a maximum of $300,000 in assistance and a community match of at least 5 percent in cash and 10 percent in-kind services is required," Brakhage said.

Community involvement and youth education will be part of each CLEAR project.

"Each community will help assess the quality of their project and evaluate its impacts. We will increase community and student awareness of water quality, lake processes and stewardship," Barrow said.

High school students will be recruited and trained by the restoration team to collect water samples as a means of documenting water quality improvements in the lake by analyzing such factors as nutrients and algae content, presence of contaminants and dissolved oxygen content of the water. Schools and communities will also be involved in planning reopening events for the restored lakes.

The $2.9 million in funding over the next three years combines a $1.85 million Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund grant with $1.05 million in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funding administered through the NDEQ.

Communities wanting more information about CLEAR should contact Tadd Barrow at 402-472-7783 or Rick Eades at 402-471-5445.

Program cooperation includes NU's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and UNL's Water Center and School of Natural Resource Sciences.

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