As the name suggests, Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams has had a long working relationship with Lilly Endowment, Inc., which is headquartered in Indianapolis.

That endowment is the largest private foundation in the United States, with assets reaching a record $100 billion.

The endowment provided a large gift to the Lakes and Streams nine years ago, which led to the organization being renamed.

The Grace College entity was established in 2007.

Bosch, who's overseen the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams for nearly 18 years, realizes how unique that connection has been.

“They have invested a lot in the most important changes for the better in our state,” Bosch said.

“To have them backing this new project that we're working on is pretty exciting,” he said.

The post Center for Lakes and Streams drawing support from various groups for Lake Rx initiative appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WINONA LAKE – Grace College has received a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams kickstart a new program to revitalize Kosciusko County lakes.

Since 2007, the Lilly Center has created innovative education programs and conducted applied research on local lakes, according to a provided news release.

Now, with new funding, the Lilly Center will launch Lake RX, a program to create custom, holistic prescriptions to address the health challenges facing lakes. This initiative will focus the center’s efforts on the most strategic solutions to each lake’s health challenges to ensure its well-being and the well-being of its surrounding communities.

Kosciusko County is home to more than 100 lakes, most of which are open to the public for recreation. Seven public beaches provide free access to the entire community and to visitors. Research shows that the lakes contribute more than $400 million annually to Kosciusko County’s economy. Healthy lakes increase business, tourism, employee retention, home values and quality of life, the release states.

But elevated levels of E. coli and blue-green algae toxins in lakes pose a threat to human health and therefore limit the community's access to lakes.

Lake RX projects to improve community wellbeing fall into three categories:

• Solutions on land: agricultural best practices, wetland revitalization.
• Solutions in the water: blue-green algae research, ecosystem rebalancing, weed management.
• Solutions in the community: water literacy, responsible boating, native shorelines.
By following Lake RX prescriptions, Lilly Center scientists will work to improve the health of local lakes and anticipate outcomes that include increased lake access, reduced health threats and increased economic value. The Lilly Center will work carefully to help residents and local businesses, including farmers, and other stakeholders understand the benefits of healthy lakes and ensure that the prescriptions are beneficial to all.

“Lilly Endowment has a long history of supporting efforts that improve the quality of life in communities across Indiana,” said Dr. Nate Bosch, Creighton Brothers endowed director at the Lilly Center. “It’s exciting that Lilly Endowment sees Lake RX as an important effort that enhances our communities through the care of lakes and streams.”

While this gift will have an immediate impact, the Lilly Center’s mission includes making lakes healthy for future generations. Under the grant agreement, of the $10 million gift, $8 million will be allocated to an endowment to support Lake RX on an ongoing basis as a permanent addition to the Lilly Center. The remaining $2 million will seed the initial on-the-ground and in-the-water projects.

“Lilly Endowment’s founders cared deeply about the well-being of communities in Indiana and had a special connection to Lake Wawasee in Kosciusko County,” said Ronni Kloth, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for community development. “We are pleased to support the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams’ comprehensive, research-based efforts to ensure that future generations of Hoosiers and visitors to the area can enjoy the lakes of north central Indiana.”

“Collaboration is at the heart of Lake RX,” said Rusty Martinez, assistant director of marketing at the Lilly Center. “We look forward to partnering on projects that are a win-win for the lakes and for our neighbors.”

Projects will include partnerships with lake stakeholders who share a vision for healthy lakes. Partners include lake associations, environmental nonprofits, local government, and state and federal agencies.

“The Lake RX grant is another great example of Lilly Endowment coming alongside Grace College and enabling us to serve our community better,” said Dr. Drew Flamm, president of Grace College. “The Lilly Center and Lake RX create a path for greater impact locally and across our region.”

The Lilly Center envisions implementing a variety of projects during the next five years. Not only will these projects improve local lakes and streams, but they will serve as a model to guide the improvement of waterbodies throughout the state and country.

The Lilly Center anticipates sharing project updates and findings from its research with stakeholders, the public and fellow scientists to help improve lakes throughout Indiana and the country.

For more information about Lake RX, visit lakes.grace.edu/LakeRx.

To learn more about Lilly Endowment, visit lillyendowment.org/.

The post Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams receives $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WINONA LAKE — The Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams has built up a wealth of data and research over the past 15 years and is now embarking on a new effort in Kosciusko County.

The Grace College-based organization recently unveiled plans to go beyond its bread and butter — educational outreach, in-depth research, and occasional response efforts when toxic environmental issues surface — and begin focusing on implementing solutions to local water quality problems.

“We know what the problems are in our lakes. We also, from our scientific understanding as an organization, know what the most strategic solutions are so now we’re excited to allocate more of our resources towards fixing those problems that have come up," said Nate Bosch, the Creighton Brothers Endowed director for the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams.

Lilly has already developed working relationships with state-level organizations such as the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Department of Natural Resources, along with local groups including the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Soil and Water Conservation District, The Watershed Foundation and the Wawaee Area Conservancy Foundation, and many of the local lake organizations.

"We want to come alongside these partners and implement some of these fixes," he said.

The Lilly Center is developing proposals for individual lakes and will soon begin unveiling some proposals.

Some of the ideas are geared toward getting some quick results for the sake of seeing overall momentum gain some ground.

Bosch said they've been talking directly with lake groups about their plans.

His message to lakes organizations was simple:

"We've got this list of solutions. We know we can't tackle all of them all at once immediately so what are sme of the low-hanging fruit ... that we want to implement first, and then as we build that momentum, we can continue on with some of the other solutions," Bosch said.

Bosch spoke with News Now Warsaw for this week's In the Know, the public affairs show you can hear every weekend on Kensington Digital Media radio stations.

*  *  * 

In The Know can be heard at the following times:

News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):

Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Saturdays at 7 a.m. 

Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.

WRSW (107.3):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

Willie (103.5 FM):

Sundays at 6 a.m.

The post Lilly Center expands its approach with numerous water quality initiatives appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WINONA LAKE — The Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams is venturing into a new chapter as it works to preserve lake water quality in Kosiusko County.

The Grace College organization was established in 2007 and has focused its efforts on Lake research, outreach and education, but is now preparing to take the next step with what it they are calling the Lake Rx — a prescription for healthy lakes.

Dr. Nate Bosch, the Dean of the School of Science and Engineering who oversees the center, said he believes the Lilly Center has built up enough research and credibility to take the next step.

“We’ll continue with the research and education, but we want to allocate more of our resources toward fixing some of the problems that the research and education that we have been doing have illuminated for us," Bosch said in a recent interview with News Now Warsaw.

He said they intend to reach out and collaborate with numerous local and state partners in different ways to accomplish new goals.

Bosch said reaction from supporting groups has been strong  and that they’re eager to develop a long-term prescription to address what’s happening with local lakes 

Bosch said they want to establish numerous priority projects for many lakes in kociusko County. That could entail a few "low-hanging fruit" projects that could be reached somewhat easily and other goals that will take more time and money.

But one issue that affects many bodies of water is Zebra mussels and the impact they have on algae in lakes.

Zebra mussels are an invasive species that began showing up in local lakes in the 1990s. 

Getting rid of them proved impossible as they quickly spread through out much of the upper Midwest and continue to be a problem for boat owners and residents for various reasons.

On top of that, tough, researchers have learned there is a connection between the Zebra mussels and water quality.

As it turns out, they represent a double-edged sword when it comes to what they like to eat.

Zebra mussels are filter feeders that suck in water and extract plankton and other material for food, which helps clean the water.

At the same time, they tend to ignore the more problematic glue-green algae, which has become an increasing problem in local lakes.

"So, Zebra Muscles, while they have made our lake clearer, have also made our lakes more susceptible to algae toxins because there’s more blue-green algae," Bosch said.

Bosch said the answer is to work with the state to increase the number of specific fish species that already exist locally and prey on Zebra Muscles.

“So if we can increase the number of  fish species in the lakes, then we can decrease the number of zebra mussels and therefore decrease the amount of blue-green algae.”

Another top project is to work to increase the number of wetlands in the county.

Below is the entire news release issued
by the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams:

WINONA LAKE — Backed by 15 years of thorough research and numerous research
studies, the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams is thrilled to announce Lake Rx, a
prescription for healthy lakes. Through Lake Rx, the Lilly Center offers a compelling
vision to make Kosciusko County’s lakes clean, healthy, safe, and beautiful through
projects on land, in the water, and in the community.

Imagine a future where your family enjoys the lake without worrying about blue-green
algae toxins. Toxic algae blooms are a thing of the past, and the water is clear and
healthy.

Such a future is possible, but first we must understand the problem. The Lilly Center's
research shows that an overabundance of nutrients feeds harmful algae, encourages
weed growth, and can even contribute to unsafe E. coli levels. These threats are serious,
as shown by Grand Lake St. Mary’s in Ohio. If left unattended, these problems will have
a negative impact on the economy, recreation, and human health.

Through partnerships with lake associations, watershed groups, government agencies,
and other universities, the Lilly Center will activate wholistic and scientifically-sound
solution that will move the needle in lake health.

Solutions on Land
Agricultural land and wetlands are key components of land-based solutions. Most of the
land draining into our lakes is used for agriculture. The Lilly Center and other university
partners are currently working to quantify the impact of specific agricultural

management practices around our lakes. Practices with the best “bang for buck” will be
identified and incentivized, keeping nutrients on farmland and out of the water.

Wetlands act as kidneys and sponges, filtering and absorbing water before it reaches the
lake. Revitalizing existing wetlands or constructing new wetlands serve several
purposes. These wetlands can hold back sediment, reduce the nutrients available to
algae, and even prevent flooding.

Solutions in the Water
Often, over 90% of the algae in local lakes are blue-green algae. In other words, there is
great potential for toxin production! Zebra mussels, an invasive species, have
unnaturally shifted algae populations toward blue-green algae. In partnership with the
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, we can work to rebalance a lake’s ecosystem
to reduce harmful algae populations.

Most lake residents view weeds as pests, making swimming and boating difficult. But
what if weeds were our friends rather than part of the problem? Weeds, also known as
aquatic macrophytes, incorporate nutrients into their plant tissue that could otherwise
fuel blue-green algae blooms. Mechanical harvesters are like lawnmowers for a lake!
Removing plant tissue from the lake makes swimming and boating easier, and
harvesters remove nutrients at the same time.

Solutions in our Community
Inspiring and equipping the next generation to steward our lakes well will ensure that
our work today lasts for years to come. Through innovative educational programs,
youngsters will dive into lake science from an early age.

This investment in the future of our lakes must be paired with actionable steps today.
Everyone lives in a watershed, that is, the area of land that drains into a nearby body of
water. Equipping our community with the tools they need to make a difference will have
a direct impact on lake health. Best practices include planting native plants, optimizing
fertilizer use, keeping yard waste out of the lake, and thoughtful boat use.

By following the steps in Lake Rx, our lakes will be safe for everyone (including Fido!) to
enjoy. We can end the need for algae toxin notifications, keep our public beaches free
from E. coli, and enjoy peace of mind on the lake.

Sign up for the Lilly Center’s monthly e-newsletter for updates on Lake Rx:
lakes.grace.edu.

The Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams at Grace College conducts research, provides
resources, engages and educates residents, and collaborates with local organizations to
make the lakes and streams of Kosciusko County clean, healthy, safe, and beautiful.

To date, the Lilly Center has conducted scientific research on over 30 streams and 45 lakes.
The Lilly Center is driven to create a legacy of stewardship by equipping community
members, visitors, and future generations with an understanding and to enjoy the county’s
natural beauty. For more information, visit lakes.grace.edu.

The post New focus at Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams seeks to actively improve water quality appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WINONA LAKE — The Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams, in collaboration with DreamOn Studios, has released the first three episodes in its new podcast.

The podcast series includes 26 in all and is available in an audio and visual format wherever podcasts are available or by visiting lakes.grace.edu/podcast.

The podcast helps lake residents answer questions like:

• Is my lake healthy?
• What are the threats facing my lake?
• Who is taking care of my lake?

Guests join cohosts Suzie Light, former CEO of the Kosciusko County Community
Foundation, and Dr. Nate Bosch, Creighton Brothers endowed director of the Lilly
Center.

Each guest speaks to their area of expertise related to the lakes, including research, K-12 education, wetlands, fisheries, planned giving, and more.

Short feature segments help listeners dive deeper into the primary topic of the interview.

Guests in the first three episodes include Rich Haddad, CEO of The K21 Health Foundation; Dr. David Hoffert, Warsaw Community School superintendent; Dr. Rachael Hoffert, Grace College chair of elementary education; and Kay Young, Syracuse realtor.

Future guests include representatives from the Indiana Department of Natural
Resources, local lake organizations, scientists, and local leaders.

Are you a lake resident, lake lover, or simply interested in podcasts? The Lilly Center
wants to hear from you! After listening to one or more episodes, visit
lakes.grace.edu/podcast to submit feedback and help improve the podcast.

Listen or watch the Lake Doctor Podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music or YouTube.

The Lake Doctor Podcast is possible thanks to support from The K21 Health Foundation and Rick and April Sasso.

The post Lilly Center unveils podcast for lake lovers: Lake Doctor Podcast appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW – The Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors Bureau (KCCVB) is changing its brand to Clearly Kosciusko starting officially in February 2024.

On September 13, KCCVB requested grant money from the Kosciusko County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission (KCCRVC) to change their current Kosciusko County - Live Well in the Moment brand to the Clearly Kosciusko brand.

KCCRVC granted KCCVB $25,000 in order to acquire necessary assets to change brands, including brand font, update of all marketing materials, including print material like the Visitor Guide, supplementary brochures, t-shirts, postcards, other swag, and refresh of the website.

The Clearly Kosciusko brand was originally created in 2018 as a campaign for the local lakes by Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams.

However, it grew into much more than this when later through a Kosciusko Leadership Academy whitepaper project, Clearly Kosciusko became the county-wide brand, to be used as a unifying county identifier and voice. This was done through a partnership between KCCVB, the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams, the Kosciusko Chamber, and the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO).

In the Spring of 2023, Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams gave management of the Clearly Kosciusko brand to KCCVB and transferred the copyright of the material to KCCVB.

The mission of KCCVB and Clearly Kosciusko are identical, to be a county-wide brand and first-touch point for people new to the area. After many discussions with all four Clearly Kosciusko partners, KCCVB decided it would make the most sense and be most effective to take Clearly Kosciusko on as KCCVB’s official brand.

"This initiative is the logical next step for the Clearly Kosciusko brand. KCCVB has an excellent record of highlighting all the communities and organizations in our county and helping visitors and top talent have the best experience. As a partner organization, the Lilly Center is excited to support KCCVB as they take the Clearly Kosciusko brand to the next level,” said Dr. Nate Bosch, Creighton Brothers Endowed Director of the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams.

Clearly Kosciusko will still remain a partnership between all four organizations moving forward, and KCCVB plans on regularly seeking input from all four organizations involved during this transition. This brand change will allow the message of Clearly Kosciusko to reach further and have more impact than before and reduce duplication in marketing efforts moving forward.

“We are excited to make this change and promote Kosciusko County even further, drawing more visitors to the area and helping attract and retain talent through quality of place. Our goal is to show that the place to live, work, learn, and play is Clearly Kosciusko,” said Cori Humes, KCCVB Executive Director.

The new brand will launch officially in February 2024 along with the release of the annual Kosciusko County Visitor Guide and new website.

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