Cerro Gordo, Hancock leaders will soon have to make appointments to Clear Lake Watershed Advisory Committee

CLEAR LAKE — Leaders in Cerro Gordo and Hancock counties will soon have to make appointments for people to serve on the Clear Lake Watershed Advisory Committee.

Margo Underwood with the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake says the new Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration Project director Joel Schwichtenberg will be overseen by the Clear Lake city administrator, but the members of the advisory committee will also have oversight over his position.   “So each of the partners that we are meeting with will have one representative on that Watershed Advisory Committee. The partners are Cerro Gordo County, the city of Clear Lake,  the city of Ventura, the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake, and then two soil and water conservation districts of Cerro Gordo County and Hancock County.”

Underwood says the advisory board will work with Schwictenberg on developing a new watershed management plan. “That is going to be the blueprint for the work that’s being done in the watershed, so it’s a really key element. When we apply for grants for these projects, it’s really important that we have an updated watershed management plan.”

Underwood says the current watershed management plan was last updated in 2015.  “So we’re going to look at that body of knowledge and work, and then we are going to update that plan based upon what we’re seeing today.”

Underwood introduced Schwictenberg to the Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors during their meeting on Monday.