Okoboji Protective Association

Our Goals

1. To protect and monitor water quality, including the threat of invasive species.
2. To preserve and protect the wetlands in the Iowa Great Lakes watershed.
3. To participate in the control of lake development where a threat to the aquatic and shoreline environment exists.
4. To promote sustainable urban and agricultural development to protect the ecological balance of the lake and its watershed.
5. To inform the community of ecological concerns of the OPA and courses of action to be taken.

Current Activity

CLEAN WATER

• The OPA works with members of the Dickinson County Clean Water Alliance to preserve and enhance the water quality of West Lake Okoboji and beyond.
• The OPA is working with area lawn care, landscaping, and fertilizer companies to pledge the use of minimum or zero-phosphorous fertilizers within the watershed to reduce algae blooms.
• The OPA is encouraging the use of Low Impact Development (LID) techniques in new construction and landscaping projects - and retrofitting old ones - to manage storm water runoff. LID projects - such as rain gardens, bio-swales, wetland restorations and other methods - dramatically slow rainwater runoff and reduce sediment, erosion and other pollutants from entering the lakes.
• The OPA is very active in educating the public to the threats of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) - such as zebra mussles, Eurasian water milfoil and others - entering our natural water resources. Funding from the OPA jumpstarted the Department of Natural Resource's educational efforts and inspection visits to boat ramps on the Iowa Great Lakes. The OPA is organizing a volunteer task force to establish a presence at area boat ramps to educate boaters about the dangers of AIS.

With water quality at the core of its philosophy, the OPA vigilantly monitors issues that affect the integrity of the Iowa Great Lakes watershed.

WATER SAFETY

• The OPA works in partnership with the Iowa Great Lakes Water Safety Council (WSC) and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to improve water safety.
• The OPA has teamed with the WSC and the DNR to double the number of Lake Patrol officers and strengthen the fleet of patrol boats on the lakes, as each year the number and size of boats using the Iowa Great Lakes is increasing.
• As boating accidents and fatalities have increased in recent years on the Iowa Great Lakes, the OPA supported the DNR's administrative rule to establish a nighttime boat speed limit.
• With boat noise escalating with the increase in size and power of recreational vessels, the OPA supported a stronger boat noise ordinance and enforcement.
• The OPA is working with the Iowa legislature to reduce the alcohol level limits for boat operators to be the same as alcohol level limits for motor vehicle operators.

The OPA will continue to support new legislation, administrative rules and volunteer efforts to further enhance water safety on the Iowa Great Lakes.

Past Accomplishments

• Lead in the development of the Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary Sewer District.
• Initiated the first watershed study of Iowa Great Lakes region in 1970.
• Acted as a joint partner in wetland restoration projects.
• Was founding member of the Clean Water Alliance.
• Helped found Friends of Lakeside Lab to provide student scholarships at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.
• Provided financial support for Friends' mission to found and fund Lakeside's Waitt Water Quality Lab as a community resource for water quality monitoring, research, and education.

Meeting Dates

• Annual Meeting - Sunday, August 24, 2008, at Gull Point State Park
• Board of Directors Meetings - Monthly, April through September, on the last Saturday of the month at the Waitt Water Quality Building of Iowa Lakeside Laboratory. Starting time varies from 8:00AM to 9:00AM.