The Upper Tippecanoe River watershed and its lakes were awarded $178,700 in grant funds from the IDNR Lake and River Enhancement’s 2014 program. “The Tippecanoe Watershed Foundation worked with numerous partners to apply for these funds and will assist in the implementation of these projects to stop pollution and keep our area lakes and streams healthy and beautiful,” stated Lyn Crighton, executive director of the Tippecanoe Watershed Foundation.

In the upper part of the watershed $19,700 was awarded to the Crooked Lake Association for gully stabilization and watershed detention basins to reduce erosion entering Crooked Lake in Whitley County.

Both Loon Lake in Whitley and Noble counties and Webster Lake in Kosciusko County were awarded funds to halt the loss of islands due to erosion. They will implement bio-engineered shoreline protection on these islands by installing glacial stones, soil lifts, coir fabric and native plants. The LARE program is providing $33,000 to the Loon Lake Association and $56,000 to the United Methodist Church/Epworth Forest. Tippecanoe Watershed Foundation has received an additional grant of $25,000 from the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership to contribute to these projects. Webster Lake Conservation Association is also providing their support to save Kline Island.

LARE also awarded Watershed Land Treatment grants to the Kosciusko and Whitley County Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Each county received $35,000, which means that $70,000 is available to agricultural producers for use in the Upper Tippecanoe River Watershed. These funds will provide up to 75 percent of the cost of conservation implementation on agricultural lands.

Another LARE grant of $10,900 was awarded for bio-engineered shoreline protection to the Beaver Dam — Loon Lake (Kosciusko County) Conservation Club. Beaver Dam and Loon lakes are also located in the Tippecanoe River watershed, but downstream from Warsaw.