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Dirksen and Jacquemin Receive “Guardian of the Lake” Award at December LIA Meeting

The Lake Improvement Association (LIA) opened its December 2025 meeting with a major recognition, presenting the annual Guardian of the Lake Award to two people whose scientific and engineering work continues to shape the future of Grand Lake St. Marys.

This year’s award went to Teresa Dirksen, Mercer County’s Ag and Natural Resources Director, and Dr. Stephen Jacquemin, biology professor at Wright State University–Lake Campus. The honor is typically given to a single individual, but LIA leaders said the duo’s combined leadership has been central to water-quality progress throughout the watershed.

Presenting the award, Brian Miller called the two “the team everyone expected,” noting their influence extends far beyond the local community. Miller described how both Dirksen and Jacquemin have become respected voices at the Statehouse, where they previously testified on proposed H2Ohio funding cuts. “If anyone else were in their positions, we wouldn’t see anywhere near the progress we’ve made,” he said.

Water quality report shows major gains despite historic drought

After receiving the award, Jacquemin delivered his year-end water quality update. He said 2025 was one of the driest years in the past century, with extremely low rainfall and runoff into the lake. April was the only month with normal stream flows; the rest of the year saw tributary flows down by as much as 80 percent.

On average, Jacquemin said daily flows into the lake were 55% lower than typical years. Because rains were infrequent and fell on dry ground, much of the precipitation simply absorbed into the soil instead of running off into tributaries.

Despite the historic drought, Jacquemin reported significant achievements:

• 757 million gallons of water were pumped through the lake’s treatment wetlands in 2025 — up from 620 million gallons in 2024 and 440 million gallons in 2023.

• Wetlands processed roughly 15% of all water entering Prairie and Coldwater Creeks.

• Water quality indicators continued a years-long upward trend, with algae levels far below historic norms.

• Spring algae concentrations were 60% lower than long-term averages; summer and fall values were down around 40%.

• Only two weeks exceeded World Health Organization advisory thresholds.

Jacquemin said these gains are becoming harder to achieve each year as water quality improves, yet local agencies and volunteers continue to move the benchmarks forward.

He also announced that a coalition of local Rotary clubs and the LIA funded new analytical equipment that will automatically identify algae types down to the family level. The device, expected to be operational in early 2026, will allow researchers to track increases in healthier algal communities, not just cyanobacteria.

Next year, the monitoring program will expand to additional sites, including Burntwood Creek, Monroe Creek, Little Chickasaw Creek, the Red Wing and Gilliland nature preserves, the North Shore greenspace, and the Rosenbeck property near Coldwater.

Dirksen highlights wetland expansion and conservation projects

Dirksen followed with a detailed presentation of her 2025 work across several agencies. She serves as the county’s Ag and Natural Resources Director, facilitator for the Lake Restoration Commission, and engineer for Mercer Soil and Water Conservation District.

Dirksen said she gave public presentations nearly every month and reached 500 to 600 people throughout the year with updates on lake health and restoration progress.

A major milestone in 2025 was the acquisition of the Harmon Preservation Project property, secured through the state’s Clean Ohio conservation program. The 50-acre site will support future wetland construction designed to treat up to 2 million gallons of water per day. Planning work is already underway, and construction could begin in 2027 pending funding approvals.

Dirksen also reviewed progress at the Red Wing Nature Preserve, where wetland construction was completed this year. Final plantings will take place this winter through frost seeding. Educational signage, developed with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, will be added in 2026.

She also discussed her role evaluating new manure-treatment and nutrient-recovery technologies through the H2Ohio TAP program. As part of the review committee, Dirksen will evaluate roughly 20 proposals over the next six weeks.

Beyond lake-focused projects, Dirksen updated members on large two-stage ditch projects completed across Mercer County, including the Green Ditch, Harner-Dickey-Woodell Ditch, and Mormon Ditch. These projects reshape waterways to slow flow, reduce erosion, reconnect floodplains, and improve downstream water quality.

Wildlife regulations clarified during public questions

During public questions, attendees asked about wildlife handling rules.
Neil Baker, a wildlife research technician, clarified that wild-trapping animals and relocating them elsewhere is illegal in Ohio without proper authorization.

“You cannot take wildlife past property boundaries,” Baker said. “You couldn’t take your deer necessarily across. It’s a violation of the law.”

He noted the rule is designed to prevent disease spread and protect ecosystem stability.

Looking ahead

The meeting closed with project updates from state park staff and reminders of ongoing conservation initiatives. Both Jacquemin and Dirksen thanked the community for its continued partnership, emphasizing that progress on Grand Lake St. Marys remains a collective effort.