BY: RACHEL WUMKES

It’s no secret the biggest asset in North Iowa is the beautiful, 3600-acre spring fed lake.  Formed by glaciers thousands of years ago, who would have thought it would someday become a mecca of travel and family fun?

With various advancement in technology pertaining to the agriculture industry as well as an influx of tourism, the quality of the water seemed to become a bit disrupted from its natural state at some point in time.  Thus, a group of concerned individuals came together some 80 years ago to create the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake.

This group of private citizens is dedicated solely to the protection and enhancement of Clear Lake.  Being an active advocate for the lake itself since the 1930s, they have been instrumental in protecting the water quality through various programs and projects.

This weekend, on August 15th at 5:00PM out at PM Park, they will hold their annual picnic.  A highlight of the event will be hearing from Scott Grummer, Iowa DNR Fisheries Biologist, Jim Sholly with the CLEAR Project, TJ Herrick, the Iowa DNR Wildlife Biologist, and Laurie Everhardt, Development Director of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

These speakers will provide updates on topics such as water quality funding and prioritization, fisheries update, watershed improvements, water quality monitoring, and more.

You may have seen members of the APCL around town at various events.  They had a float in the 4th of July parade this year, and hosted a Business After Hours for approximately 50 guests in conjunction with the Clear Lake Yacht Club.

While active in many areas, a key point of celebration for the year is the installation of Boat Decontamination Stations at Tourist Park, Lynn Lorenzen, and McIntosh Boat Ramp.  This was a group effort together with the Iowa DNR and the City of Clear Lake.

These stations serve as a line of defense against aquatic invasive species moving into and out of Clear Lake.  The new waterless cleaning stations feature several tools for boaters to utilize, including hand-held grabbing tools, squeegees, brush tools and a plug wrench. A wet/dry vacuum can be used to suck up any water remaining in the boat or bait buckets and a 90-psi blower tool is included to clean those hard-to-reach places. Instructions on the side of the station explain the use of each piece of equipment and a light tower will make sure that boaters returning after dark can easily clean, drain and dry their boat before leaving the lake.

Protecting our lake is key to not only the conservation and protection of the lake itself, but the ramifications of not doing so would create a ripple effect throughout our community, probably the entire region.  Healthy vegetation, thriving aquatic species, positive water quality… they are influential in the thriving livelihood of Clear Lake.  Bringing in visitors from across the Midwest and enticing families to make Clear Lake their permanent home.

The cost to attend the APCL annual picnic is $15 per person and includes a pulled pork sandwich, salad bar, potato chips, and dessert.  If you are unable to attend, I highly recommend becoming a member.  The cost is merely $10 for an individual, or $20 for a family membership.  However, they will accept any donation you’d like to provide.  To learn more, visit their website at https://www.clearproject.net

As noted on the bottom of their website… “When everyone does something small… Together we can do something great!”