Awards & Grants
Cattail Award
The Cattail Award is awarded to an individual who shows exceptional commitment to the enhancement of water quality in the Wawasee Area Watershed.
Cattail Winner 2024: Mark and Lisa Maggart
Cattail Winner 2024: Deb Patterson
Past Winners
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2001 Cindy Brumbaugh David Culp Bob Myers |
2011 Nancy Brown Jeff Herdrich Ian Rolland |
2021 Donn & Linda Baird Steve & Bridget Johnson Rick Lemberg |
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2002 Betty Knapp Helen Alfrey |
2012 John Holdeman Howdy Wilcox Nick Stanger |
2022 Bill Hess |
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2003 Harriett Inskeep Bill McNagny Al Campbell |
2013 Robert Fanning |
2023 Jim Silcox |
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2004 MaryLou Brewer Jane Love Tom Yoder |
2014 Roger Symensia |
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2005 Richard & Sandy Green Heather Harwood |
2015 Laurie Hardie Levinson-Labrosse Families |
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2006 Jane Wilson Vance Lopp |
2016 Rob DeBeck Jerry Riffle |
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2007 Mike Kiley Dave Tyler Ted Rogers |
2017 Kenny Bolles Diana Castell Betsy Roby |
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2008 Dan & Marilyn Berkey David Brandes |
2018 Scott Fetters Nancy Nelson |
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2009 Doug & Barb Grant |
2019 John Bearss Jim & Sally Hubbard |
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2010 Kay Young Dick Ruddell Deborah Flanagan Tobias |
2020 Larry Baumgardt Joan Szynal Doug Yoder |
Grants
In addition to receiving support through individual donations, the WACF applies for and receives grants from local, state, and federal organizations. Here is a comprehensive list of what we have received over the years along with the projects they’ve funded that protect and preserve our watershed.
| Project | Year |
| Received a $42,000 from the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership for erosion control in Martin and Turkey Creek subwatersheds | 2024 |
| Received a $40,000 grant from IDNR LARE for a Lake Diagnostic Study | 2024 |
| Received a $1.2m in federal funding NWQI | 2023 |
| Received a $2,000 grant from Kosciusko County Community Foundation for security lighting | 2023 |
| Received a $1,000 grant from the USFWS for native seed at the WACF Education Center | 2022 |
| Received $3,000 from the Harkless Foundation for Center and Between the Lakes lighting | 2022 |
| Received $13,000 from LARE for Aquatic Vegetation Management Survey (AVMS) for Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) | 2022 |
| Received a $76,000 Grant from the IDNR LARE for Dillon Creek Branch shoreline stabilization | 2021 |
| Indiana Lakes Management Society (ILMS) Outstanding Lake Association | 2022 |
| Received a $1,000 grant from the USFWS for habitat restoration at the WACF Education Center | 2021 |
| Received a $10,500 grant from the USFWS for habitat restoration and invasive removal at Gordy Lake Preserve | 2021 |
| Received a $10,500 Grant from the IDNR LARE for Aquatic Vegetation Survey and Management | 2021 |
| Received a $7,500 grant from KCCF for the Bayshore and Beck Conservancy Enclave access and site improvements | 2021 |
| Received a $15,500 grant from the USFWS for Habitat Restoration at the Gordy Lake Preserve | 2020 |
| Received a $6,250 grant from the Harkless Foundation for a match for an Education Officer along with a $5,000 Levinson Family | 2020 |
| Receive a $4,200 grant from the USFWS for native seed mix at Between-the-Lakes | 2020 |
| Received a $12,400 grant from the IDNR for Aquatic Weed Treatment of Eurasian Watermilfoil and survey | 2020 |
| Received a $7,500 grant from KCCF for WINS | 2020 |
| $80,000 from IDNR LARE for Turkey Creek Tributary phase II | 2019 |
| $150,000 from Natural Resources Foundation 50-50 matching grant for the Wawasee Inlet Nutrient Study (WINS) – a data intensive water testing study of the 5 inlets and outlet of Wawasee to help determine priority areas for mitigation efforts | 2019 |
| Received a $10,000 grant from KCCF for WINS | 2019 |
| Received a $10,000 grant from the IDNR for Aquatic Weed Treatment of Eurasian Watermilfoil and up to $3,000 match for aquatic plant survey | 2019 |
| Received a $5,000 grant from the Harkless Foundation for trail development and signage at Syracuse Lake Wetlands | 2018 |
| Critical Areas Study and recommendations of BMPs throughout the watershed | 2018 |
| $10,000 from LARE for an Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan Update and Eurasian Watermilfoil treatment | 2018 |
| $76,000 from LARE for Turkey Creek Tributary Erosion Control Construction grant | 2017 |
| $18,500 from LARE for Aquatic plan update and EWM treatment | 2017 |
| $10,000 from USFWS for invasive removal at Gordy Lake | 2017 |
| Received a $20,000 grant from the IDNR LARE for a design on Turkey Creek Tributary to help prevent erosion and stabilize the shoreline | 2016 |
| Received $2,000 from NIPSCO for invasive plant treatment of Phragmites in Conklin Bay | 2016 |
| Received $7,500 from the IDNR Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) for a plan update Starry Stonewort treatment, $10,000 for 65 ac treatment Eurasian Watermilfoil in Syracuse and Wawasee Lakes | 2016 |
| Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Non-Profit/Service Organization of the year | 2015 |
| Received $15,000 grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, $1,500 from IDNR for Invasive Plant Removal at WACF Education Center Trail #1 and shoreline | 2015 |
| Received $20,000 grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, $2,500 from KCCF, $1,000 from the ERRA, $1,000 from IDNR for Invasive Plant Removal at WACF Education Center Trail #2 and shoreline | 2015 |
| Received $11,000 from the IDNR Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) for a plan update for the treatment of Starry Stonewort, and $5,000 for treatment of 30 acres of Eurasian Watermilfoil in Syracuse and Wawasee Lakes | 2014 |
| Received $30,000 grant from the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) for Sediment Basin upstream of Martin Creek-Leeland Addition | 2014 |
| 17 years of outdoor programming with canoe trips throughout the upper Turkey Creek 10-lakes area | 2014 |
| Received $11,000 from the IDNR Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) for a plan update for the treatment of Starry Stonewort, and $5,000 for treatment of 30 acres of Eurasian Watermilfoil in Syracuse and Wawasee Lakes | 2013 |
| Indiana Lakes Management Society (ILMS) Outstanding Lake/Watershed Association of the Year | 2013 |
| Planted 6,000 trees in a former agricultural field for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on the WACF Moss and Hindman Lakes Wilson property | 2013 |
| Received $10,000 grant from the USFWS, $2,500 from KCCF, $1,000 from the DNR for invasives removal at Education Center Trail #3 | 2013 |
| Received $33,000 grant from IDNR LARE for sediment control in Ritter Branch at Hindman Lake | 2012 |
| Planted 7,000 trees in a former agricultural field for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on the WACF Bayshore property and ponds created thru LARE in ’06 | 2012 |
| Received a $14,500 grant from the IDNR LARE in partnership with Syracuse Lake Association (SLA) for a Starry Stonewort survey in Wawasee and Syracuse Lakes | 2012 |
| Received a $2,500 grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service for planting of a wetland at the outflow of Village Lake Stream | 2012 |
| Partnered with the Elkhart River Restoration Association on a Great Lakes Commission Grant for $397,000 for sediment and erosion control of over 40,000 tons from the Dillon and Turkey Creek subwatersheds | 2011 |
| Restored a pond along Martin Creek downstream of the agricultural fields and upstream of the woods | 2011 |
| Received a $20,000 IDNR LARE grant for construction of a wetland at the outflow of Village Lake Stream | 2011 |
| Received a $45,000 grant from the IDNR (LARE) for erosion control of Dillon Creek | 2011 |
| Received a $5,000 grant from the KCCF wetland enhancement at the WACF Education Center including a pond adjacent to the Education Center deck overlook | 2011 |
| Received a $20,000 grant from the IDNR Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) for survey of Starry Stonewort in Wawasee and Syracuse Lakes | 2011 |
| Received a $5,000 grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service for Village Lake Stream wetland outflow | 2011 |
| Received a $650 grant from the USFWS for maintenance of CRP property at Moss Lake | 2010 |
| Received a $40,000 grant from LARE for survey and treatment of Starry Stonewort in Wawasee | 2010 |
| Received a $46,875 grant from LARE for an Engineering Construction Project on Village Lake | 2009 |
| Received a $9,000 grant from the KCCF for a Master Plan of the WACF Education Center | 2009 |
| Received a $27,000 grant from LARE for a Feasibility / Design Study on Dillon Creek | 2009 |
| Received a $27,000 grant from LARE for aquatic plant management including treatment and survey | 2009 |
| Received multiple grants prior to 2009 totaling over $950,000. An important grant was for the Watershed Diagnostic Feasibility Study examining the health of our lakes and streams, including a Watershed Management Plan identifying threats to water quality and a plan to preserve the watershed. | |
| Environmental Enhancement Award, Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District | 1998 |