Indian Lake’s invasive weed problem still present at holiday fireworks show

LOGAN COUNTY — Saturday night the skies over Indian Lake lit up with fireworks, but some spectators said they wouldn’t dare get out on the water to see them.

This is due to an invasive weed problem at the lake.

The Assistant Chief of Ohio State Parks and Watercraft said the weeds cause issues in roughly 1,700 acres of the 5,000-acre lake.

He said there are seven weed harvesters on the lake working to clean up the weeds in the lake’s southwest corner.

“The lake is still usable, I mean there are some areas that are tougher to navigate through but the lake is still open there is still good fishing and good boating to be had,” Steve Harvey, Ohio State Parks and Watercraft assistant chief said.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ODNR, local groups working to clean up invasive weeds at Indian Lake

But even with the cleanup efforts, some spectators at the fireworks show said they weren’t going to take the chance.

“This year it’s the worse I’ve ever seen it, so it’s pretty bad,” Jeremy Hampton of Lakeview said.

“There isn’t many boats on the water. I think we may have seen maybe four or five boats all day on the water. Even in the swimming area, you can feel the weeds growing up,” Tammy Bennett of Bellfontaine said.

Harvey said weed harvesting is a short-term solution.

A study is being done to come up with ways to tackle the issue in the long term.

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