Griffy Lake Nature Preserve Master Plan Monroe County, Indiana
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Griffy Lake Nature Preserve Master Plan Monroe County, Indiana Summer 2008 Prepared for: Bloomington Parks and Recreation c /o Steve Cotter PO Box 848 Bloomington, Indiana 47402 Prepared by: c /o Sara Peel 708 Roosevelt Road Walkerton, Indiana 46574 (574) 586-3400 Griffy Lake Master Plan Update 2008 August 13, 2008 Monroe County, Indiana GRIFFY LAKE NATURE PRESERVE MASTER PLAN UPDATE 2008 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Bloomington Water Company, a public utility company, originated in 1923 with the intent to build a dam on Griffy Creek in an attempt to ease periodic water shortages caused by leaking reservoirs on the west side of Bloomington. The dam was constructed at its present location in 1924 and with it, Griffy Lake was born. By 1934, the City of Bloomington acquired ownership of the water treatment plant located adjacent to Griffy Lake and much of the surrounding property. In 1995, the Griffy Lake Water Treatment Plant was decommissioned; however, Griffy Lake remains as a back-up water supply to the City of Bloomington. The nature preserve was formed from more than 45 property acquisitions which occurred between 1922 and 2007. In total, the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve covers 1,180 acres including the 109-acre Griffy Lake and is located on the north side of Bloomington. Griffy Lake and the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve (GLNP) are City-owned and under the control of the City of Bloomington Utilities Services Board. An agreement between the Utilities Services Board and the Board of Parks and Recreation allows for activity development and recreational facility maintenance for the property to occur under the purview of the Board of Parks and Recreation. All activities which occur within the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve boundary are required to be compatible with the long-term strategy of using Griffy Lake as a drinking water source. Despite these controls, the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve is a popular destination for hiking, fishing, boating, wildlife observation, and other outdoor recreational activities. The overall goal of the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve Master Plan Update is two-fold: 1. To establish a consensus community vision, and 2. To develop strategies and a funding plan to protect and preserve Griffy Lake Nature Preserve for future generations. The GLNP Master Plan Update builds on the original Griffy Lake Long-Range Use and Management Plan with the intent of preserving the ecological integrity of the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve while providing recreational opportunities throughout the property. With these ideals in mind, JFNew and their team from Indiana University Bloomington, The Eppley Institute, Indiana State University, Indiana University Northwest, and Woolpert, Inc. developed a program to identify the natural features and resources; document changes in land use, development, and adjoining property influences; and determine user values with relation to recreational opportunities, facilities, land acquisition, and property expansion. These tasks were completed through a series of field visits, public user surveys, open houses or public meetings, and document reviews. All identified recommendations were discussed within the quarterly citizen steering committee meetings and were reviewed by the public during the project open houses. During the course of this project, JFNew team members identified more than 565 terrestrial plant species, including 15 state ETR-listed species; observed nearly 100 small mammal species; documented nearly 160 bird species; and documented nearly 50 reptile and amphibian species. Soil erosion sites throughout the GLNP, the Griffy Lake watershed, and along Griffy Lake’s shoreline were identified during the course of the project and were subsequently classified based on levels of severity. Additionally, user surveys and property-wide assessments were completed to determine the human-use factor associated with trails, parking, safety features, fishing, and other potential problem areas throughout the nature preserve. Survey results indicate that most respondents visited GLNP within the last month and that individuals travel less than 15 minutes to reach GLNP. Overall, GLNP rated as safe (98%) with most users living within the city of Bloomington (70%). Nearly 90% of respondents indicated that they use JFNew Project #070331.00 Page i Griffy Lake Master Plan Update 2008 August 13, 2008 Monroe County, Indiana GLNP for hiking or walking and that this is their primary activity and that they visit the nature preserve two or more times per week. In total, more than sixty-five options were recommended to protect and improve water quality within Griffy Lake and to enhance and expand the experience of visiting Griffy Lake Nature Preserve over the next 10 years (2009-2019). Some specific recommendations include the following: • Implement watershed-based water quality improvement projects; • Increase programming efforts and coordinate these efforts with Monroe County and Indiana University; • Implement exotic, invasive species control and protection of high quality plant communities; • Stabilize Griffy Lake’s shoreline and implement GLNP-wide efforts to reduce erosion and sedimentation to Griffy Lake; • Continue efforts to monitor Griffy Lake’s aquatic plant community and the impacts of lake-wide treatment of the exotic plant community on Griffy Lake’s biota; • Install consistent signage throughout the Griffy Lake Nature Preserve with a focus on safety and information conveyance; • Address severely eroded trail areas including those impacted by dog-human overuse and provide fishing access along Griffy Lake’s shoreline; • Establish safety measures and alternate transportation routes for individuals traveling to and from Griffy Lake Nature Preserve; and • Close the dog exercise area located within Griffy Lake Nature Preserve. JFNew Project #070331.00 Page ii Griffy Lake Master Plan Update 2008 August 13, 2008 Monroe County, Indiana ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Griffy Lake Nature Preserve Master Plan Update was made possible with funding from the City of Bloomington Utilities and Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department. The Griffy Lake Nature Preserve Master Plan Update was completed by JFNew and their team, which included The Eppley Institute, Bill Jones with Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, John Whittaker and his team at Indiana State University, Spencer Cortwright at Indiana University Northwest, Susan and Jim Hengeveldt at Indiana University Bloomington, and James Dobrozsi at Woolpert, Inc. Contributors to this study included Angela Sturdevant and Doug Keller with the IDNR Division of Fish and Wildlife; Ron Hellmich with the IDNR Division of Nature Preserves; and Nate Long, with Aquatic Control, Inc. Thanks to Rob Serbent for providing trails expertise and Alex Harrington for trails expertise and assistance with survey interviews. Special thanks to the dedicated staff of Bloomington Parks and Recreation, City of Bloomington Utilities, and the Steering Committee members for their initiative and assistance in getting this study completed. Authors of this report included Sara Peel, Scott Namestnik, Aaron Johnson, and Betsy Ewoldt with JFNew; Bill Jones, Spencer Cortwright, Susan and Jim Hengeveldt, and Elizabeth Boseker with Indiana University; Andrea Titzer and John Drew with The Eppley Institute; Brianne L. Walters, Ronny Eidels, and John O. Whitaker, Jr. with Indiana State University; and James Dobrozsi with Woolpert. JFNew Project #070331.00 Page iii Griffy Lake Master Plan Update 2008 August 13, 2008 Monroe County, Indiana TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 History of Griffy Lake Nature Preserve ............................................................................. 1 1.2 Physical Characteristics .................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Scope of Study .................................................................................................................. 3 2.0 Environmental Resources ................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Geologic History ................................................................................................................ 4 2.2 Topography ....................................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Soils .................................................................................................................................. 6 3.0 Past Activities .................................................................................................................. 10 3.1 1984 Plan Details ............................................................................................................ 10 4.0 Adjoining Property Influences ......................................................................................... 12 4.1 Adjacent Land Use Changes Since 1984 ....................................................................... 12 4.2 Adjacent Land Use Effects .............................................................................................. 17 4.3 IURTP Collaboration Opportunities ................................................................................. 25 5.0 Land Acquisition and Protection ...................................................................................... 28 5.1