Located in Crawford County, Conneaut Lake is known as the largest natural glacier lake within the state. A popular destination among recreational boaters, Conneaut Lake is also a haven for fishing, water skiing, and swimming.
However, as Conneaut Lake is noted on the EPA’s Integrated Waters List for having excessive nutrient (particularly phosphorous) loads, improving the water quality of Conneaut Lake is essential to ensuring the continued economic prosperity of the communities surrounding the lake and its watershed.
In 2014, Crawford County Conservation District was awarded a grant from the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener) to develop a Conneaut Lake Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) on behalf of Conneaut Lake Aquatic Management Association. With the development phase of the plan now complete, focus has shifted to assist agencies, organizations, and municipalities surrounding Conneaut Lake and its watershed in obtaining federal and state funding to implement management strategies to prevent the continuation of non-point source pollutants from entering the lake and compromising its water quality.
According to the EPA, too much phosphorous within water can result in the excess growth of aquatic plants and algae blooms. This can result in a decreased level of dissolved oxygen within the water supply, hindering the levels that are necessary to support and sustain aquatic life.
