Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 2 at 10:32PM EDT until April 2 at 11:15PM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
At 1032 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Fort Recovery, moving northeast at 70 mph.
HAZARD...70 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect considerable tree damage. Wind damage is also likely to mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings.
Locations impacted include... Fryburg, Union Corners, Newbern, Bradford, Chickasaw, Lockington, Darke County Airport, New Madison, Covington, New Knoxville, Neptune, Fort Loramie, Sharps Crossing, Hardin, Pemberton, Kossuth, Bloomer, Lake Loramie State Park, Arcanum, and North Dayton.
This includes I-75 in Ohio between mile markers 76 and 118.
Flood Watch issued April 2 at 9:21PM EDT until April 6 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible.
* WHERE...The following counties, in Indiana, Dearborn, Fayette, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley, Switzerland, Union and Wayne, the following counties, in Kentucky, Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Owen, Pendleton and Robertson, and the following counties, in Ohio, Adams, Auglaize, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Darke, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Highland, Hocking, Licking, Logan, Madison, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Pickaway, Pike, Preble, Ross, Scioto, Shelby, Union and Warren.
* WHEN...Through Sunday morning.
* IMPACTS...Soils remain moist and excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Multiple rounds of rain will occur into the weekend with the heaviest rain expect Thursday night into Friday morning and then again Saturday into Saturday night.
Tornado Watch issued April 2 at 9:13PM EDT until April 3 at 4:00AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 103 IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM EDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN INDIANA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA
FAYETTE UNION WAYNE
IN SOUTHEAST INDIANA
DEARBORN FRANKLIN OHIO RIPLEY SWITZERLAND
IN KENTUCKY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 9 COUNTIES
IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY
BOONE BRACKEN CAMPBELL CARROLL GALLATIN GRANT KENTON OWEN PENDLETON
IN OHIO THIS WATCH INCLUDES 27 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL OHIO
DELAWARE FAIRFIELD FAYETTE FRANKLIN LICKING MADISON PICKAWAY UNION
IN SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO
HIGHLAND
IN SOUTHWEST OHIO
BROWN BUTLER CLERMONT CLINTON HAMILTON WARREN
IN WEST CENTRAL OHIO
AUGLAIZE CHAMPAIGN CLARK DARKE GREENE HARDIN LOGAN MERCER MIAMI MONTGOMERY PREBLE SHELBY
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ABERDEEN, ADA, ALEXANDRIA, AUGUSTA, AURORA, BATESVILLE, BEAVERCREEK, BELLEFONTAINE, BELLEVUE, BLANCHESTER, BRIGHT, BROOKSVILLE, BROOKVILLE, BURLINGTON, BUTLER, CAMDEN, CARROLLTON, CELINA, CIRCLEVILLE, COLDWATER, CONNERSVILLE, COVINGTON, CRITTENDEN, DAY HEIGHTS, DAYTON, DELAWARE, DILLSBORO, DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS, DOWNTOWN DAYTON, DRY RIDGE, EATON, ERLANGER, FAIRBORN, FAIRFIELD, FALMOUTH, FLORENCE, FORT THOMAS, FRANKLIN, GEORGETOWN, GREENDALE, GREENFIELD, GREENVILLE, HAMILTON, HIDDEN VALLEY, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, HILLSBORO, INDEPENDENCE, KENTON, KETTERING, LANCASTER, LANDEN, LAWRENCEBURG, LEBANON, LIBERTY, LONDON, MARYSVILLE, MASON, MIDDLETOWN, MILAN, MILFORD, MINSTER, MOUNT CARMEL, MOUNT ORAB, MOUNT REPOSE, MULBERRY, NEW BREMEN, NEWARK, NEWPORT, OAKBROOK, OSGOOD, OWENTON, OXFORD, PICKERINGTON, PIQUA, PLAIN CITY, RICHMOND, RIPLEY, RISING SUN, SIDNEY, SPRINGBORO, SPRINGFIELD, ST. MARYS, SUMMERSIDE, TIPP CITY, TROY, URBANA, VERSAILLES, VEVAY, WAPAKONETA, WARSAW, WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, WEST COLLEGE CORNER, WEST JEFFERSON, WILLIAMSTOWN, WILMINGTON, WITHAMSVILLE, AND XENIA.
The Wind Advisory has been cancelled. (details ...)
The Wind Advisory has been cancelled and is no longer in effect.
57° 57° chance Thu 68° Thu 68° chance 49° 49° Fri 57° Fri 57° likely
Saturday, July 10th, 2010

Alum alone won't cure Grand Lake

By William Kincaid
GRAND LAKE - Alum treatment alone will not be enough to ensure the long-term sustainability of Grand Lake, the report says.
Aerators in the lake and best management practices throughout the entire watershed also are needed. Dredging is not the answer, according to the report.
The report was created by consultant Tetra Tech for Ohio and U.S. EPA officials. The Ohio EPA had no comment on Friday as the report has not been fully analyzed, according to a spokeswoman.
"To address this environmental decline and poor water quality, a variety of methods of providing both in-lake treatment and external load reductions are needed," the report states. "Ultimately, phosphorus availability must be substantially reduced to limit the primary conditions in Grand Lake St. Marys."
Tetra Tech recommends a five-year action plan that begins with educating landowners, farmers and homeowners about best management practices. Some of these practices include nutrient management plans, conservation tillage, grazing land protection, filter strips, cover crop, conservation easements and restoration of riparian buffers.
The consultants also recommend conducting two alum demonstration projects during the first year - one using alum treatment and the other using a pretreatment of peroxide followed by alum.
Alum has been shown to cause phosphorous to coalesce and drop to the bottom, holding pollution in place. Phosphorous feeds the blue-green algae that has bloomed excessively on the lake this year.
"Each of these two approaches should be used in separate (areas) that are between 40 and 80 acres," the report states of the alum treatments. "The (areas) should be closed off with curtains (barriers) to prevent, or at least minimize, water exchange with the open lake."
Analysis should follow.
Also, the report says aerators should be placed strategically in channels and bays to improve dissolved oxygen levels, to help reduce the amount of organic materials in the sediment and to keep the water circulating to reduce odor.
"The estimated cost to aerate the 2 percent of the lake surface that would benefit from aeration is approximately $12.7 million plus annual operation and maintenance of $200,000," the report says.
The second and third years of the plan should include a focus on wide scale lake treatments and reduction of external phosphorus loads, according to the report.
If an alum demonstration proves that the chemical is effective in reducing internal phosphorus loading and improved water quality, a full scale application of alum to the lake should occur.
At a past Lake Improvement Association meeting, Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski said alum treatment of the whole lake could cost millions of dollars.
Also, depending on the success of the previous year, aerators should continue to be placed around the lake.
During the fourth and fifth year, Terra Tech recommends comprehensive lake monitoring, continued reduction in external loading and stabilization of the lake's shoreline.
As for dredging the lake, the report advises against it. Dredging is the most expensive lake restoration technique and too high (in cost) for serious consideration, the report says.
"Therefore, although dredging should be employed in strategic locations, such as at the mouths of large tributaries where there is significant sediment/nutrient building, it is not recommended for full-scale application," the report says.
The report's overall action plan is intended to improve water quality and meet the following restoration goals identified by Ohio EPA:
• Improve the lake from its present hypereutrophic and unhealthy state.
• Greatly reduce harmful algae blooms be inactivating internal nutrients.
• Restore and maintain water quality to ensure safe human recreation.
• Greatly reduce fish kills caused by insufficient dissolved oxygen levels.
• Reduce external nutrient and sediment loads into the lake.
• Improve local land use management to protect the lake.
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Local ag community fears restrictions for lake cleanup
GRAND LAKE - Farmers and area agriculture leaders say they're working to be good environmental stewards for the future of Grand Lake, but it takes time.
A levy passed in November and a recent grant have put two area libraries in better financial position. But neither is out of the woods as their largest revenue source is the state, whose coffers are in even deeper woods.
LIMA - A week after a contest that saw plenty of heat between the teams, there were no on-field fireworks between Grand Lake and Lima on Friday night.
The only explosions came from the bats of the Locos.