Update On Celina Water Problems

Ed Price

Member
UPDATE ON CELINA WATER ISSUE



Our big national swim-in at Celina fast approaches, and this year, we have
an issue that's on everybody's mind; just how bad is the pollution in Grand
Lake St. Marys?


* On the bad side:

1. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) has issued a warning
that people should not drink the lake water, should not let their pets into
thee water, should not eat fish from the lake, should not go boating in the
lake, and shouldn't even let lake water touch them.
2. A Toledo TV station reports that they could smell the lake a mile
away, and that the color was alarming.
3. Water quality is measurably worse than last year.


* On the good side:

1. Lake Festival officials say the Festival will go on as scheduled.
2. The Celina Chief of Police says that the pollution is limited to
just very near the shoreline, and that most of the lake is nice.
3. Local motels have offered us the use of wash-down hoses for cleaning
our cars after swimming.
4. The City of Celina gets its drinking water from GLSM, and they
haven't abandoned water for beer and vodka.


* In the middle:

1. Weather forecasts call for a lot of rain, and weather forecasts are
typically 50% correct. BTW, rain means less fun and less pollution problems.
I don't know what to hope for!

So what's this all about? The short story is that runoff from local streams
builds up nutrients in the lake water. Then, summer heats allows algae to
bloom. Some algae can create toxins that are harmful to humans. In the
instance of Grand Lake St. Marys, there is an algae that produces
Mycrocystin, a toxin that can cause liver damage. The risk is very low, but
not zero. There are no recognized USA or Ohio limits on Mycrocystin, but on
July 12th, levels 200 times greater than the World Health Organization
suggested limit were found in some lake water samples. (That same day, they
found levels near the boat ramp to be "very low.") Algae conditions can vary
hugely from day to day; here today, gone tomorrow!

So what are we going to do?

* Well first, we will be sticking to our schedule of events for
Celina. There is no cancellation of our swim-in. Someone has been spreading
the word that Celina is off for this year, but that's totally wrong. There
are many other water spots in Celina that we can use to support our
activities.
* We will work with the local Festival officials and the City of
Celina to ensure safe boating each day. If we have a bad algae day, then
Grand Lake St. Marys just might be closed for that day.
* We are setting up alternate and back-up venues; Indian Lake (5800
acres, miles of shoreline and many islands) is one possibility that doesn't
have an algae problem. Larry Depasquale has scouted this lake, and reports
that it is shallower than GLSM, has plenty of restaurants and bars, and
there is a Moose Lodge with facilities similar to the old Eagles Lodge.

To sum it all up, Celina is on as planned, although we may have to do some
last-minute substitutions. As usual, Amphibians will go with the flow,
surmounting pond scum with all our friends and fellow Amphibians in Celina!


Ed Price
IAOC Membership Registrar
El Cajon, CA USA
WB6WSN
1961 Amphicar 770
1987 MB 420SEL
 

Midwest Amphicar

Worlds Largest Amphicar Destination
Great The World Health group is running the show. Mike and I will be there. Unfortunately our car will not. But I know where Gord "hides" his key. Will meet you in the parking lot!. Later Dave the Wave
 

chadparsons

New Member
Great The World Health group is running the show. Mike and I will be there. Unfortunately our car will not. But I know where Gord "hides" his key. Will meet you in the parking lot!. Later Dave the Wave

He probably "hides" his key in the same place we all do...the ignition ;)
after all the amphicar has that extra security measure known as the blower that takes people forever to figure out (and by people, i mean myself the first time i drove one haha)
 

SNOWBIRD

Amphicar Expert
The problem is I am not Bringing a Amphicar eather. AS I am heading to Fl right after and have one there already.
Keys,,, opps,
I once went into a shopping mall in Tenn. and after walking around for a while noticed keys were not in pocket,, went back to car and there they were, in the Iginton.
I was lucky!!!
GORD S.
 
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