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SFLECC Annual Meeting

The Shafer Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation Annual Meeting is Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 10:00 am in the Benjamin Pavilion at the Monticello City Park. Five board positions will be filled at the meeting and only members of the SFLECC are entitled to vote. Members of the corporation consist of persons who have a paid current Shore Front License or have made a donation twice the amount of a standard Shore Front License during the calendar year. They could also be a recorded member of an association with a paid current Shore Front License. Ballots will be available at the registration desk.

SFLECC’s ANNUAL MEETING SLATED

The annual meeting of the Shafer Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation will be on Saturday, August 26, 2023 in the Benjamin Pavilion at the Monticello City Park. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Five board positions will be filled at the meeting. Any person interested in being on the SFLECC board is asked to send their resume to:

                SFLECC

                Attn: Nominating Committee

                P.O. Box 372

                Monticello, IN 47960

Resumes may also be emailed to amanda@sflecc.com. Resumes must be received no later than July 19, 2023. Only members* of the SFLECC are entitled to vote. Directors must be legal residents of the State of Indiana.

*Members of the corporation consist of persons who have a paid current Shore Front License or have made a donation twice the amount of a standard Shore Front License during the calendar year. They could also be a recorded member of an association with a paid current Shore Front License. Members are encouraged to attend this meeting. Ballots will be available at the registration desk. Please ask about responsibility pertaining to a Directorship.

2023 SFLECC Newsletter

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Summer is here and it is definitely going to be a busy year!  Our clean up crew is currently cleaning up floating natural debris on both lakes. Our number one priority is always to get things out of the main lake that can cause hazards.  Please remember, if you see trees, logs, or limbs to call our office and we will put work orders in for cleanup. 

Fish stocking: 

We continue to stock fish in both lakes according to what is needed.  I work together with a fisheries biologist to determine what goes in and where.  This year we will be stocking fish in the fall.  As mentioned last year, we wanted to implement some fish habitat and have been able to do so.  Having the opportunity to do this allows for great fishing in the lakes whether it be recreational or having tournaments on our lakes that in return bring revenue to our community. 

Dredging:

We have finished in the Big Monon area and have started the spring up north and will be continuing to work our way down.  If you’re on the north end of Lake Shafer, please be aware of our dredging signs and abide by them.  We want everyone to have a safe and fun experience on the lakes. 

Lake Level: (Statement from John Koppelmann, Taskforce Chair.)

After nearly a decade of an overestimated minimum flow that, at times, drained Lake Freeman during the summer months, the lakes community will now see relief in the form of a reduced minimum flow.

On March 30, 2023, FERC approved a NIPSCO requested license amendment.  This amendment incorporates the compromise that the SFLECC, USFW and NIPSCO had discussed, studied, and agreed to implement.  This compromise consists of reducing USFW’s mandated minimum flow from Oakdale Dam of 500 cubic feet per second(cfs) to a minimum flow of 315 cfs. 

“This revised amendment will greatly reduce the number of Abnormal Low Flow events and in turn lower the likelihood of drastic loss of lake levels on Lake Freeman.

In 2014, the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFW) issued a Technical Assistance Letter requiring NIPSCO to deviate from their license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  This directive from USFW required NIPSCO, during drought conditions, to release a minimum amount of water into the Tippecanoe River to protect endangered species of mussels located in the river below Oakdale Dam.

Over the years following this directive, Lake Freeman could see drops in the lake level from 2 feet to 16 feet depending on the severity of the drought at that point in time. Also, during those years, the Shafer Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation (SFLECC) fought this directive and tried to preserve the way the lakes had been operated for over 80 years.  The SFLECC had help from city and county government, state and US legislators, local businesses, agencies, and property owners.

In 2019, the SFLECC’s Washington DC attorney files Petition for Review with the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit challenging FERC’s decision to permanently changing NIPSCO’s License.  In 2021, the panel of judges on the DC Court of Appeals essentially told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and USFW to determine if the USFW’s mandate is only a “minor change” to the operation of the dam.  In May 2022, USFW acknowledged that the 2020 drought that caused Lake Freeman to be drained for an extended period of time was not a “minor change”.  This lead USFW to start the discussion that brought this compromise.

100 year Celebration of Norway Dam

This year marks the Centennial year for Norway Dam!  Wow to think of how things would look in our community would certainly be different without our lakes!  We are very fortunate to have the lakes and we will be celebrating the occasion this year on July 8th from 10am-2pm at Norway dam.  SFLECC and NIPSCO have partnered for this event and will be focusing the day on the history of the dam along with safety by having several different first responder and emergency departments on site that day.  We will have something for all ages so bring your family and celebrate with us.  The SFLECC wave runner drawing will be at noon that day.  The F.O.P. will be there with food so plan on eating lunch and supporting our local F.O.P.  Also, there will be door prizes for families and games for the kids to win items.  Please join us on July 8th!

In Greatest Regard,

Gabrielle Haygood, SFLECC Executive Director

MINIMUM FLOW FROM LAKE FREEMAN REDUCED!

After nearly a decade of an overestimated minimum flow that, at times, drained Lake Freeman during the summer months, the lakes community will now see relief in the form of a reduced minimum flow.

“The SFLECC is happy to have finally reached a compromise that will help the lakefront homeowners, area businesses, and the community,” said SFLECC President, Carrie Woodruff.

On March 30, 2023, FERC approved a NIPSCO requested license amendment.  This amendment incorporates the compromise that the SFLECC, USFW and NIPSCO had discussed, studied, and agreed to implement.  This compromise consists of reducing USFW’s mandated minimum flow from Oakdale Dam of 500 cubic feet per second(cfs) to a minimum flow of 315 cfs. 

“This revised amendment will greatly reduce the number of Abnormal Low Flow events and in turn lower the likelihood of drastic loss of lake levels on Lake Freeman,” said Gabrielle Haygood, SFLECC Executive Director, commenting on the License Amendment.

In 2014, the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFW) issued a Technical Assistance Letter requiring NIPSCO to deviate from their license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  This directive from USFW required NIPSCO, during drought conditions, to release a minimum amount of water into the Tippecanoe River to protect endangered species of mussels located in the river below Oakdale Dam.

Over the years following this directive, Lake Freeman could see drops in the lake level from 2 feet to 16 feet depending on the severity of the drought at that point in time. Also, during those years, the Shafer Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation (SFLECC) fought this directive and tried to preserve the way the lakes had been operated for over 80 years.  The SFLECC had help from city and county government, state and US legislators, local businesses, agencies, and property owners.

In 2019, the SFLECC’s Washington DC attorney filed Petition for Review with the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit challenging FERC’s decision to permanently change NIPSCO’s License.  In 2021, the panel of judges on the DC Court of Appeals essentially told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and USFW to determine if the USFW’s mandate is only a “minor change” to the operation of the dam.  In May 2022, USFW acknowledged that the 2020 drought that caused Lake Freeman to be drained for an extended period of time was not a “minor change”.  This lead USFW to start the discussion that brought this compromise.

“I want to thank the SFLECC Lake Levels Task Force for all the work they put in on this concern over the years,” said John Koppelmann, SFLECC Lake Level Task Force Chair. “Additionally, the support we received from the community helped to make our efforts possible.”

 For additional information on the Amendment or the years-long process up to this point, please contact the SFLECC office at (574) 583-9784 or info@sflecc.com.

COMMENT PERIOD ENDS TODAY!

USFW, NIPSCO AND SFLECC AGREE TO MODIFICATIONS OF FLOW REQUIREMENTS FROM LAKE FREEMAN

Over the last few months, Shafer Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation (SFLECC), US Fish & Wildlife Service(USFW) and NIPSCO have been in discussions about modifying USFW’s mandated dam operation rules for Oakdale Dam. These discussions stem from SFLECC’s court hearing in the Washington DC Court of Appeals, and the subsequent Judges’ order and opinion.

The panel of judges on the DC Court of Appeals essentially told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and USFW to determine if the USFW’s mandate is only a “minor change” to the operation of the dam. In May of this year, USFW acknowledged that the 2020 drought that caused Lake Freeman to be drained for an extended period of time was not a “minor change”. This led USFW to start the discussion that lead to this compromise.

On August 26, 2022, NIPSCO filed for a License Amendment with FERC to incorporate the compromise that SFLECC, USFW and NIPSCO had discussed, studied and agreed to implement. This compromise consists of reducing USFW’s mandated minimum flow from Oakdale Dam of 500 cubic feet per second(cfs) to a minimum flow of 315 cfs.

“This was a compromise that all the entities involved could agree to,” said Gabrielle Haygood, SFLECC Executive Director, commenting on the requested License Amendment. Also commenting on the Amendment, John Koppelmann, SFLECC Lake Level Task Force Chair said “our calculations show that this minimum flow reduction will significantly reduce the frequency of entering into Abnormal Low Flow events.”

There is a process that FERC has to follow in order to incorporate the Amendment into NIPSCO’s License. This process includes a 30-day public comment period that begins today and ends October 10, 2022.

“The SFLECC needs the lakefront homeowners, area businesses and Local, State, and Federal government officials to submit their comments supporting this change,” said SFLECC President, Mike Triplett.

The process to submit a comment is as follows:

How to File Comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Comments by individuals on their own behalf may be made in one of two ways:

1) Filing comments electronically:

Go to FERC eFiling system at: https://ferconline.ferc.gov/QuickComment.aspx

click on “eComment”.

Follow directions given there.

eComment filings by individuals allow up to 6,000 characters of text-only comments (no pictures or attachments). Reference Project Number/Docket Number: P-12514-090.

2) Filing comments on paper via US Mail:

Reference P-12514-090 as Project Number/Docket Number and in capital letters the title as “COMMENTS”, “PROTESTS”, or “MOTION TO INTERVENE”.

Pictures or attachments may be included. Following your comments give your name and contact information.

Mail an original to:

Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE Room 1A

Washington, DC 20426

Comments on behalf of a company, agency, organization, association or other non-individual and comments exceeding 6,000 characters; and non-text material (exhibits, photos) or file attachments) may also be made in two ways:

1) Filing comments electronically

Must use FERC’s eFiling system that requires registration in an unrestricted eRegister account. To register go to https://ferconline.ferc.gov/Login.aspx

To register click on “eRegister to gain access to FERC online applications”

Once registered go to “eFiling”; log in and follow directions there.

eFiling file size is limited to 50Mb and must be submitted in a text searchable format.

2) Filing Comments on Paper via US Mail.

Reference P-12514-090 as Project Number/Docket Number and in capital letters the title as “COMMENTS”, “PROTESTS”, or” MOTION TO INTERVENE”

No restriction on number of characters.

Pictures or attachments may be included. Give your name and contact information (name of entity filing , address, phone number at the end of your comments.

Mail an original to:

Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, NE, Room 1A Washington, DC 20426

Recommended Sample FERC Comment Letter Format:

Date: (Before end of comment period)

To: Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 first Street, NE, Room 1A

Washington, DC 20426

Re: COMMENTS PROJECT NUMBER P-12514-090

Northern Indiana Public Service Company;

Notice of Application for Amendment of License Article 403

From: Your name (or organization)

SECRETARY,

(I, we, the) is (are) in full support of Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) in their request to amend their license to modify the definition of Abnormal Low Flow (ALF) at Lake Freeman. These measures would better protect federally threatened mussels in the Tippecanoe River while also considering socioeconomic impacts to land-owners and other stakeholders by minimizing decreasing lake levels at Lake Freeman.

Thank you for your consideration of our situation here in Indiana.

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