OUR GOALS
- Preventing invasive species
- Preserving and protecting the wetlands in the Iowa Great Lakes watersheds
- Participating in the control of lake developments to prevent environmental threats
- Promoting sustainable urban and agricultural development that won’t upset the delicate ecological balance of the lakes and watershed
- Informing the community of any concerns and actions that must be taken to act on those ecological concerns
LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
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2025 Annual Meeting - "State of the Lakes" - Celebrating 120 Years of OPA!
June 20th, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Gull Point State Park Lodge, Milford
Program: "State of Lakeshore Bank Reconstruction"
Enjoy small bites & drinks - Everyone welcome - Bring a friend!
Check out our most recent newsletter!
OPA Awarded Grant from Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce
Okoboji Protective Association was the recipient of a $5,000 grant from the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce from their Walleye Weekend grant program. These funds will go towards the Cooperative Lakes Area Monitoring Project (CLAMP) to help in measuring water quality in the Iowa Great Lakes.
OPA Awarded Grant from Dickinson County Endowment Fund
Okoboji Protective Association was the recipient of a grant from Dickinson County Endowment Fund to support our "Keep Okoboji Beautiful" anti-littering campaign. This grant was used to purchase recyclable bins to place at area boat ramps and other area locations as well as reusable mesh trash bags that will be perfect to take on the boat in order to help keep trash out of our lakes. We began rolling these out in spring of 2023. If you're interested in one of our mesh bags, contact Amber at [email protected].
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Purchases Portion of East Okoboji Shoreline (The Narrows Preserve)
With the help of many generous donors, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF) was able to purchase 50 acres directly north of Elinor Bedell State Park that includes 2,020 feet of natural shoreline. INHF is now the owner and manager of the property which will be preserved to protect wildlife, water quality, and the natural character of the Iowa Great Lakes. The property is now known as The Narrows Preserve.
Okoboji Protective Association had initially pledged $25,000 towards the project. During the final week of fundraising, we created a match challenge for our members, matching dollar for dollar up to $10,000 to donate to the project. Our members exceeded our expectations and donated and pledged a total of $98,075 in less than a week. With that money plus OPA's initial $25,000 plus an additional $10,000 from OPA after members met our challenge, we were able to generate a total of $133,075 to go towards the purchase of this portion of the East Okoboji shoreline. We are so grateful this property will be left in its natural state for generations to come.
Read HERE for more information.