CLEAR Project coordinator talks about first month on the job

CLEAR LAKE — Clear Lake’s new Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration Project coordinator is settling into his new job.

Joel Schwichtenberg lives on his family farm in Clear Lake and previously worked as a senior environmental, health and safety specialist at Poet Biorefining in Hanlontown.

Schwichtenberg says he’s been busy over the last month in his new position. “In the one month I’ve been in the position, I’ve been focused on updating and becoming well versed in our watershed management plan, as we’ll be doing a revision of that since it hasn’t been revised since 2015. The other goal of this position is developing a master preventive maintenance plan so we can identify all of our  current projects as well as ensure longevity as well as efficacy of all these projects continue through their life.”

Schwichtenberg also wants to continue to facilitate the educational outreach of the CLEAR Project. “Increasing our digital footprint, getting exposure to a larger audience. We’ve really been on a tactile basis up until recently, so I think getting onto that online platform will help increase the reach of the project.”

The CLEAR Project Coordinator’s position is now under the direct supervision of the Clear Lake city administrator with indirect supervision of an advisory board of representatives from the cities of Clear Lake and Ventura, Cerro Gordo County, the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake, and the Soil and Water Conservation Boards of Cerro Gordo and Hancock counties.