The monthly meeting of the Grand Lake Rec Club was called to order by President, Brad Fisher at Southshore Sportsman Club, with approximately 27 members present. Vice President, Keith Seitz read the  minutes and Treasurer, Mike Metz read the Treasurer’s report
 

Treasury and Fundraising

• The current balance is $20,615.78.
• Recent deposits include $7,500 from the Sportsman’s Club, a $2,000 anonymous donation from the Mercer County Civic Foundation, and $40 from memberships.
• An outgoing check for $4,500 is scheduled for bike path maintenance.
• The Mobley Foundation account has a balance of $4,043.

Lake and Property Maintenance

• The current lake level is approximately negative 11 to negative 12.
• ODNR has had a flat line budget last two years and are working on plans to maximize production of dredge and maintenance. There are some open positions if interested please stop at park office for details.

Channel Clearing and Buoy Maintenance

• Channel clearing has not been done in five years, and many channels have significant debris.
  • A barge will begin clearing “the little chick” on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, starting inside the channel.
  • Volunteers are requested to help operate sonar equipment to efficiently locate trees and logs.
• GLRC will assist the ODNR with pulling buoys on Tuesday, October 14 and Wednesday, October 15, 2025, as the state’s boat is much slower. The GLRC will provide the Log Dog, while the ODNR provides the labor.
  • Bruce Miller will lead a crew on Tuesday morning to start on the south side, and John Hayes will help finish the work on Wednesday.
• Sonar work is planned to start Wednesday, October 15^th and continue locate as needed for ODNR. Rec Club will be scanning in front of barge to help locate and mark underwater obstructions for quick removal. If you are interested in volunteering contact Brad Fisher 419-733-2731.
• Ryan Beatty will manage light buoy maintenance in 2026.
• We currently has one spare buoy, two spare lights for the top, and spare batteries in its inventory. It was agreed that having two buoys on hand would be good.
• New, shorter posts for the buoys are being fabricated to replace the original aluminum ones.
  • Six new posts are already completed.
  • The shorter posts are about 14 inches long, which prevents the buoys from dangling or leaning when the water is low.
• A buoy cleanup and mailer preparation day will be scheduled for after January 1, 2026.

Island, Beach, and West Bank Projects

• Cleanup efforts on Safety Island are ongoing. Volunteers have cut up smaller debris, but large logs remain for the state to remove with their barge.
• Additional dead trees on Safety Island cannot be cut down until November 1, 2025, due to regulations protecting bats.
• An October-November beach cleanup is planned, which includes removing a large tree at Prairie Creek.
• The Tri-Star students have made significant progress on the West Bank project, preparing for a concrete pour on October 13, 2025. This will be followed by the building of the shelter house
  • The recent $7500 donation by South Shore Sportsman Club will fund a sidewalk to the restrooms, a pad for the ADA van and bus unloading, and drainage updates.

Upcoming Club Projects

• A list of ongoing and upcoming projects was reviewed:
  • Collaborating with the state on Safety Island.
  • Taking down buoys and the oil derrick.
  • Performing the October-November beach cleanup.
  • Conducting sonaring of the channels with the ODNR.
• Members are encouraged to use the club boat for these activities and will be reimbursed for fuel.

Dredging Program

• The dredge at West Bank has filled its disposal site to capacity and had to be moved.
• The next dredge site at the sailboat club needs to be excavated further to increase its capacity. A plan is needed to remove the old, dry dirt from the site.
• The state is expected to provide a one-to-two-year dredging plan soon, which will outline the order of channel work.
• Please let us know if you know of any willing local farmers with land higher than the lake to serve as dredge sites.
• Dredging Performance & Challenges
  • The dredging at West Bank has filled it’s DMRA site to capacity and had to be shut down.
  • The next dredge site at the sailboat club has had dried spoils removed and is being excavated to increase its capacity.
  • The state is working to provide a one-to-two-year dredging plan soon, which will outline the order of channel work in conjunction with available DMRA sites.
  • Please let us know if you know of any willing local farmers with land higher than the lake to serve as dredge sites.

Club Equipment and Boat Upgrades

Work Boat Upgrades

• The boat will be sent to Davis Welding for the winter to have the old crane reinstalled and updated.
• A meeting will be arranged with Davis to discuss potential modifications, such as adding aluminum plates, to improve the crane’s mounting.
• A post will be made about the work boat, highlighting donations and upgrades, before it is pulled for the winter.

Safety and Cleanup Equipment

• The Trevor Mobley Foundation raised $26,000 and wants to put the funds toward new equipment.
• Eric Stachler from the Mobley Foundation also offered to donate money for the club to purchase its own cleanup equipment, such as chainsaws.
• New Equipment Acquisition
  • A demo unit of a combined thermal and night vision binocular, costing $5,000-$6,000, is being acquired for evaluation.
  • St. Mary’s Township is purchasing a large spotlight to be mounted on the boat for search operations.
  • Small red lights will be added to the boat for identification.

Upcoming Events

• Upcoming Duck Eve party hosted by the Sportsman’s Club will be held on Friday, October 17, 2025. The event includes a giveaway of two lifetime hunting or fishing licenses for kids.
• Turkey shoot event at Sportsman’s is scheduled for November 8, 2025.

Respectfully submitted by Amy Ruane, Secretary.