Carlyle Lake Final Plan.pdf - Fayette County Soil & Water ...

Scoping
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The six Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) within the Carlyle Lake Watershed area
worked together, cooperatively, to identify the number of individuals and interest groups to be
involved in the planning process. A thirty member planning committee was developed.
The planning committee represents a variety of interests including villages and municipalities,
the SWCD’s, the Mid-Kaskaskia River Basin Coalition, Drainage Districts, Farm Bureau,
environmental groups, farmers, politicians, the business element, and the Carlyle Lake
Association. A majority of the members represent multiple groups.
Public Involvement
The planning committee meetings were always open to the general public. The Carlyle Lake
Watershed Planning Committee members have facilitated a series of public meetings. The
meetings were held in Carlyle, Vandalia and Shelbyville. An informational pamphlet was
produced and distributed at each meeting. Meetings were publicized through an announcement
to all media contacts within the six-county area. During public meetings a history and
description of the planning process was given. Attendees were given the opportunity to submit
both verbal and written comments.
There were a total of 10 Power Point presentations prepared and given. The presentations were
given to both planning and technical members, along with outside organizations and agencies.
There have been a series of six newsletters prepared and mailed to the 6,000 landowners and
operators within the watershed area. The informational newsletter was entitled “Carlyle Lake
Watershed – At a Glance” and published through funding received by the Illinois Department of
Natural Resources Conservation 2000 program.
Agency Coordination
On 20 August 1997, each SWCD came together to discuss the formation of the Carlyle Lake
Watershed Planning Process. It was decided by the group that the Fayette County SWCD would
assume the lead role in the planning process. This was done for several reasons. One being that
Fayette County holds the majority of the watershed acres and, second, it is centrally located in the
watershed area.
On 31 March 1998, the first Technical Committee meeting was held. This group brought together
the expertise of 22 people from individual agencies. This range of technical expertise and
agencies include: The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Illinois
Extension Service, the Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Illinois State
Association of Drainage Districts, the Illinois State Water Survey, the Fayette County Farm
Bureau and the Carlyle City Hall. Also involved were the Region IV Conservation 2000
Coordinator and Biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; the Agronomist,
Resource Planning Specialist, Archeologist, Sociologist, and Hydraulic Engineer all with the
Natural Resources Conservation Service; the Untied States Army Corps of Engineers and the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The Technical Committee met periodically throughout
the planning process to present and submit compiled data.
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