Email

morsewaterways@gmail.com

PO Box

P.O. Box 422 Cicero, IN 46034

Spring 2013 News

Greetings from Your President.
Spring is just around the corner and hopefully we will get some warmer weather soon to begin the boating and fishing season, but let me take this time to explain MWA overall objectives.
“Promoting Safety and the Environment within the Morse Reservoir Watershed”
These are the words that have guided our association since inception in 2005. Here are examples of how we go about our business driven by our Board of Directors.
Rain Garden
MWA STRIVING FOR BETTER WATER QUALITY
Many of you are aware that MWA (Morse Waterways Association) has been working with many local agencies and communities to strive for better water quality for our Cicero Creek/ Morse Reservoir watershed. These agencies include the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District, Noblesville and Cicero Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s), the Upper White River Watershed Alliance (UWRWA), plus DNR and Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management (IDEM).  Also, we have a very good working relationship with Citizens Water who has been very supportive of and responsive to our organization.
FREE MONEY AVAILABLE
Recently we applied for and received grant funding for the Morse Healthy Shores Initiative. These funds are available to property owners living on Morse Reservoir through an IDEM 319 grant awarded to and being administered by the UWRWA. These funds are available as follows:
The Morse Healthy Shores Initiative is a targeted approach to install rain gardens and native shoreline buffers on shoreline properties around Morse Reservoir.  Shoreline properties directly discharge rooftop, driveway, sidewalk, and lawn runoff into the reservoir, adding nutrients, bacteria, and sediment into our waters.  Targeted outreach will be conducted and a streamlined application process developed for Morse shoreline property owners.  Our goal is to implement 10 rain gardens and 10 native shoreline plantings via this program.  Participants will be given yard signs that will be visible to neighbors and lake users, spreading the message of residential impacts on water quality.  This targeted, concentrated approach will help change the typical mindset of mown lawns and seawalls around Central Indiana reservoirs.
If you and/or your neighbors have any interest in this program, please respond to us at info@morseh2o.org and we will put you in contact with someone to walk you through the process.
For more information on the complete 319 Grant funding, go to the UWRWA web site http://www.uwrwa.org/ and click on “Cost Share Program”.
Recently, I and Morse Waterways Association received a“Partner in Conservation Award” from the Hamilton County Soil and Conservation District (SWCD) for promoting clean water initiatives and backyard conservation. Representing our organization, I have been an active participant in the 319 Grant awarded to the UWRWA and serve on the technical committee reviewing the applications for funds which are then approved by the UWRWA Board and finally by IDEM. MWA also partnered with UWRWA for a Morse water quality study provided by funding from DNR through a LARE (Lake and River Enhancement) grant 4 years ago. In addition, MWA worked with the SWCD and Hamilton County Parks to build a rain garden at Morse Park and Beach 2 years ago. As you can see, we have been actively promoting water quality and will continue to do so. We hope to increase our efforts toward improving water quality within the Cicero Creek watershed. For example, last year we completed the shoreline stabilization to eliminate the erosion of the island.
We need for each of you to be pro-active in helping MWA in our goals.
Award
On Wednesday May 22nd, we will hold our Spring public meeting at the South Harbour Clubhouse beginning at 7:00pm. I encourage each of you to attend to learn more about our group and how you can participate. We will inform you of the discussion topics as we get closer to the date.
On Saturday May 18 we will hold our annual lake cleanup. This is a great community event which helps to make our lake both safer and cleaner. Please join us for a morning of fun and community pride and help keep our lake clean.
If you would like to make a tax deductible contribution to our association, please use the PayPal feature on our web sitewww.morseh2o.org or make checks payable to Morse Waterways Association and send them to: Jim Schneider, 2460 Cape Henry Ct. Cicero, IN 46034.
Thank you for your past and future time and contributions.
Jim Schneider, President – Morse Waterways Association