1. The engineering for the footbridge over Merchant Creek at E. Lake Shore Drive has gotten underway. Preliminary engineering plans should be ready for review in the next week or so. This timeframe should allow pursuing the regulatory permits over the coming winter, to allow construction by sometime next spring / early summer.
2. The annual inspection of the Wonder Lake Dam, as well as the Wonder Lake Sediment Drying Facility, was conducted on Friday, October 15th. The inspection reports have been received by the MPOA and are being submitted to the State of Illinois. No critical issues were identified, just a number of recommended routine maintenance issues not unexpected for a 90+ year old dam spillway.
3. The MPOA is still awaiting the final engineering estimate of the approximate volume of sediment deposited in the Wonder Lake Sediment Drying Facility. This information will be provided to the soil dealers who have expressed some preliminary interest in the dried sediment.
4. The Illinois Lake Management Association (ILMA) and Illinois Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) are hosting a joint Annual Conference at the I Hotel & Conference Center in Champaign, Illinois from March 16th through March 19th, 2022. By being a joint conference with AFS, there will be more fisheries related presentations.
5. Every year, ILMA offers scholarships for students in the natural resources field. Information on the scholarships can be found on the following page.
ILMA Scholarships - Apply NOW!
Every year, ILMA has a number of scholarships available for students attending an Illinois college or university or any Illinois resident attending college or university in Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio or Wisconsin.
Who's Eligible to Apply?
Illinois Undergraduate/Graduate Scholarship ($1,000): Full time undergraduate or graduate students who have a college or university cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on an undergraduate 4.0 scale and 3.0 on a graduate 4.0 scale, enrolled in a natural resource discipline related to lake and/or watershed management. Eligible applicants include Illinois residents enrolled in accredited colleges and universities within the above listed six states and/ or students enrolled in an accredited Illinois college or university. Emphasis will be placed on scholarship money going towards work or project related expenses in a lake / watershed area.
Robert Esser Student Achievement Scholarship ($500): Illinois resident attending an Illinois accredited college or university. A full time junior or senior undergraduate student or graduate student is preferred. Attendance at the Annual Meeting of the Illinois Lake Management Association (ILMA) is strongly encouraged. Student must be enrolled in a lake-related curriculum with clearly articulated personal goals and objectives geared toward Illinois lakes. Emphasis will be placed on volunteer experiences.
The ILM Research Scholarship ($1,000): Illinois resident attending an Illinois college or university, or one of the five Midwest universities mentioned above. A full time junior or senior undergraduate student or graduate student is preferred. Student will be required to send quarterly updates on their research project to ILM and will be invited to present their findings to ILM staff if logistically appropriate. Attendance at the Annual Meeting of the Illinois Lake Management Association (ILMA) is strongly encouraged. Student must be enrolled in a science curriculum with an emphasis on ecology or natural areas management.
What’s my deadline to get the application in?
Applicant must submit the Scholarship application forms to meet the deadline date of December 31. Application forms can be obtained from the ILMA web site or by contacting the Illinois Lake Management Association at 1-800-338-6976 (Access Code 01). P. O. Box 20655, Springfield, IL 62708