The Lake Restoration Commission has secured an ODNR H2Ohio grant to fund wetland construction at Harmon’s Landing.Mercer County Ag & Natural Resources Director Theresa Dirksen applied for the grant, which will provide $1.115 million to:Construct 15-20 acres of open water wetlandPreserve and/or estab
Capital budget allocates $800,000 to East Bank Road improvements.It’s official – East Bank Road is getting resurfaced! Governor Mike DeWine signed the capital budget bill for fiscal years 2027 and 2028, which allocates $800,000 to East Bank Road improvements. We don’t have a timeline or total cost e
Meet Chris Monroe & Andrew Vogel - the Boat Busters of Grand Lake.Meet Chris Monroe and Andrew Vogel of the popular Boat Busters YouTube channel, filmed on Grand Lake St. Marys.
Grand Lake natural resources updates wtih Theresa Dirksen.Mercer County Ag & Natural Resources Director Theresa Dirksen gave an update at the June 2026 Lake Improvement Association meeting.
Wright State University-Lake Campus professor Dr. Stephen Jacquemin, Mercer County Ag & Natural Resources Director Theresa Dirksen, and colleagues recently published a new study highlighting long-term water quality improvements associated with the restored Prairie Creek wetlands in the Grand Lake St
Latest microcystin numbers from Grand Lake St. Marys (from 5/6/2026).This is three weeks out from the “spike” we saw. Algae biomass is still high, but it is lower than the biomass from three weeks ago – about 75% of the levels we saw then (a 25% decrease).We are hopeful that we see a continued downw
Wright State University-Lake Campus Biology Professor Dr. Stephen Jacquemin provided a water quality update at the May 2026 LIA meeting. Key facts, video, and PowerPoint below.Why Are We Seeing Elevated Algae and Toxins Now?Exact mechanisms are challenging to disentangle at a watershed scale. Howeve
Grand Lake Recreation Club President Brad Fisher gave a presentation about the Rec Club’s lake projects at the May 2026 LIA meeting.
Our 2026 Pontoon Raffle winner is ticket #334 Brooke Brown. Congratulations and thank you to all who purchased a ticket to support the LIA!
Episode 3 of Diving In is all about Grand Lake. Lee Keaser sits down with Brian Miller of the Lake Improvement Association for a conversation about the lake’s past, present, and future. From growing up at his family’s marina to serving as former manager of Grand Lake St. Marys State Park, Brian brin
Hydroplane driver Tony Black – a six-time national champion and world champion who pilots one of the fastest boats in the sport – spoke at the April 2026 Lake Improvement Association meeting. Tony shared stories from the racing circuit and what it’s like behind the wheel at extreme speeds. He was ac
The All Abilities Playground for the East Bank at Grand Lake St. Marys is here, and we’re just one step away from installing it. To make the playground fully accessible and safe, we need to purchase and install rubber surfacing. Our goal is $71,000, and we hope to raise it quickly so the playground
Mercer County Ag & Natural Resources Director Theresa Dirksen offered an update at the March 2026 LIA meeting.
Pro fisherman Matt Tuttle discussed how to catch crappie at Grand Lake St. Marys at the March 2026 LIA meeting.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has released its 2026 dredging plan for Grand Lake St. Marys.For the first time in six years, the dredge crew is fully staffed. Two new crew members will be trained as dredge operators, which will require some training time, but a fully staffed program is pos
Learn why gizzard shad are frozen in the ice on Grand Lake this winter.We asked Wright State University-Lake Campus biology professor Dr. Stephen Jacquemin why we’re seeing so many fish frozen in the ice at Grand Lake. Here’s what he said (thank you, Dr. Jacquemin!).Winter Mortality of Gizzard ShadD
This graphic compares one of Grand Lake’s worst years for microcystin levels (2015) with the most recent full year of data (2025), demonstrating the progress made over the past decade.This didn’t happen by accident. It reflects a sustained, coordinated effort by many individuals, organizations, and
Wright State University Lake Campus Biology Professor Dr. Stephen Jacquemin gave an update on 2025 wetland performance in the Grand Lake St. Marys watershed at the February 2026 Lake Improvement Association meeting.Highlights760 million gallons treated in 2025 (compared to 620 million in 2024 and 44
Troy Shively discusses Grand Lake St. Marys’ migratory birds at the February 2026 Lake Improvement Association member meeting.
Mercer SWCD’s annual tree seedling sale is underway. Order by the March 6, 2026 deadline. View the flyer for more info.VIEW FLYER
A new $2.54 million mixed-use building will be built at Grand Lake St. Marys State Park to replace two old and deteriorating structures that no longer meet operational or visitor needs.Key details:The current camp store and park office are outdated, cramped, and in disrepair, prompting long-standing
The Lake Improvement Association presented Theresa Dirksen and Dr. Stephen Jacquemin with the Guardian of the Lake Award at its December 2025 member meeting.The Guardian of the Lake Award is presented to individuals who have taken extraordinary action to improve Grand Lake St. Marys, and both recipi
ODNR Wildlife Research Technician Neil Baker gave a presentation on beavers, muskrats, and other Grand Lake furbearers at the December 2025 Lake Improvement Association meeting. Watch the video and view the presentation below.VIDEOPRESENTATION
Theresa Dirksen presents on ag and natural resources.Mercer County Ag & Natural Resources Director Theresa Dirksen offers an update at the December 2025 Lake Improvement Association meeting. Watch the video, view the presentation, and watch the H2Ohio TAP 2.0 video below.VIDEOPRESENTATIONH2Ohio TAP
