Sediment that enters a lake through storm water runoff or from under seawalls can be that body of water’s number one enemy because it serves as a platform for E. coli.
Donna Swall, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance, said that’s why they’ve been working so hard to encourage homeowners to get involved in their “Beautiful Yards for a Healthy Lake” project. Trained Volunteer Evaluators (TVE) from the Master Naturalist and Master Gardener programs visit the location and assess the property, then helps them build low-impact landscaping or rain gardens into their yard designs; use rain barrels to catch roof runoff and install rip-rap along their shorelines.
A $740,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as well as $496,000 in in-kind matching funds pledged by several Lake-area businesses, has allowed LOWA to assist with the costs of those projects in the Buck Creek and Lick Branch sub-watersheds. In an earlier interview, Swall said that area, which begins at Bagnell Dam and encompasses the first 18.8 miles of the Lake’s main channel and accompanying coves, was chosen for the study because it is the most urbanized area of the Lake. The area includes Osage Beach, Lake Ozark, Laurie, Sunrise Beach and the Village of Four Seasons.
For those in the focus area, the grant will pay 10 percent of the total project cost up to a maximum of $400 and the supplying company will pay another 10 percent up to a maximum of $400. However, pre-approval is required. While there is no grant money currently available outside the focus area, all supplying companies have agreed to provide a 10-percent discount up to a maximum of $500. Pre-approval is also required on those projects.
Swall said they also work with “do-it-yourselfers.”
“One of LOWA’s Trained Volunteer Evaluators will come out and provide free consultations about LOWA LILs, runoff control, and native perennials – and people can still get a discount if they purchase their products from one of our partnering businesses,” she said.
As an extra, added incentive, LOWA has started providing “Lake Protector” yard signs and outdoor thermometers to property owners who take those steps. So far, they’ve awarded 86.
“We wanted to recognize people for their efforts. In addition to showing that they care about the quality of the Lake, we thought that the signs and thermometers would also serve as a talking point to let others know about the program and possibly then get them involved too,” she explained.
Signing up for the program or getting more information is as easy as going online to the website, www.soslowa.org, or picking up the phone and calling Swall at 573-434-4400.
How to get started
1. After registering for the program, LOWA will send a team of TVEs to meet with the property owner to discuss their needs and plans. This team will work with the homeowners through all of the steps of the process to assist with questions and documentation required to receive the cost-share funds.
2. A pre-approval form must be filled out with the help of the TVE team and signed by the home or business owner. This form includes a description of the project, sketch of the plan, and a written cost estimate from the landscaper.
After filling out the form and signing it, a scanned copy can be emailed to Project Director Caroline Toole at ckingtoole@yahoo.com or mailed to:
LOWA Inc.
P.O. Box 836
Sunrise Beach MO 65079
3. LOWA will return the form with approved dollar amounts to the home or business owner
4. When the work is completed the landscaper, home or business owner will notify LOWA
5. A TVE will return to the property to confirm that the project was completed as approved at the start of the project
6. LOWA pays the landscaper the amount specified in the pre-approval
The Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal provided this news story to LakeExpo.com for republication. For a hard copy, pick up The Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal at newsstands across the Lake area. The Lake of the Ozarks Business Journal is a respected monthly news magazine providing accurate, relevant news and information to area readers.
