Maumee Bay State Park is celebrating its 20th anniversary but all is not well with the emerald jewel in Lake Erie’s green necklace.

Then Ohio governor, George Voinovich speaks at the dedication ceremony for the opening of Maumee Bay State Park lodge in 1991. Seated  Barney Quilter(Left) and Marcy Kaptur(R)

True, there is much to celebrate. The park still attracts more than a million visitors a year, has an annual economic impact estimated at more than $40 million, employs between 120 to 220 full and part-time employees and contributes nearly $1 million in taxes to the state, Lucas County and Jerusalem Township.
 
By any measure, this land of cattails and cottonwood trees, which stirred a dream in Barney Quilter so long ago, has been a success. The state representative from East Toledo, who passed away in 2005, saw something in these 1,300 acres of undeveloped shoreline that most of us did not. He saw an opportunity to create a jewel for the public--a playground for leisure and a refuge for a unique wetland habitat.

The park is all of that. It is a destination point for birders, boaters and campers. It boasts a Scottish links golf course designed by renowned architect Arthur Hills and is known throughout the United States as a premier windsurfer site. The $50 million lodge has hosted conferences for some of the biggest names in the corporate and organizational world. Patrick Czarny, lodge general manager, said several hundred are held each year.

 
These events ring the till, but, more importantly, they bring movers and shakers to our community. The beauty and amenities of the park can’t help but impress them.
 
Czarny said that while the conference business has decreased slightly since the recession, room and cottage rentals has increased. He suspects that’s because families, who have less disposable income, are vacationing closer to home. The number of visitors attending special events such as the annual Bash at the Bay and the Toledo Harbor Light Festival has also increased.
 
On the other hand, boating, camping, picnicking, golfing and visits to the nature center are all down. The chart shows dramatic declines in all categories, however, Jason Fallon, spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, cautions us about making any comparisons to 1999 numbers, which show a high attendance of 1.5 million compared to 1.1 million. Fallon said car counters were installed in 2000 and comparisons made with that year would be more accurate.
 
That said, the decline from 2001 to 2010 for the following categories is still noticeable:
• Boating               67 percent;
• Picnic areas       33      “
• Nature center   41      “ 
• Golf                     21      “
• Camping             44  .    “

Understandably, the big drop in boating and golfing occurred in 2008, at the start of the recession. Camping days are down because there was no reservation system in place before 2004 and campers arrived as early as Wednesday to secure a site for the weekend.  That is no longer the case.

It’s good news that swimming has increased, which signifies a confidence in the quality of the water at the park. However, on some hot summer days, water quality advisories are still posted and visitors are urged to use common sense. Toxins from algae blooms can cause skin irritations, nausea and gastro-intestinal distress.

Toxic algae feeds on the phosphorous from open lake dredging and farm run off. Grand St. Mary’s Lake, the largest inland lake in Ohio, was virtually shut down last year because of it. At times, the algae along the Lake Erie shore has proliferated to the point that boaters, jet skiers and swimmers prefer to go elsewhere.

Our political leaders realize the negative effects open-lake dredging and farm run-off have on Lake Erie’s leisure industry. The Great Lakes Restoration Act, a federal initiative, will pump $650 million annually for the next five years into cleaning up the lakes. That is, if funding isn’t slashed in the rush to control the deficit. Work is also being done on the ditches that feed into the lake in an effort to trap more of the run off and filter it through wetlands.

As we celebrate the park’s 20th birthday, we should thank the legislator who improved our quality of life through his vision and dogged pursuit to convince both Northwest Ohioans and fellow legislators that a jewel lay under those cattails and cottonwoods. Combined with Magee Marsh and Ottawa and Cedar Point Wildlife refuges, the parks form what Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur called “the green necklace of Lake Erie” an area of uninterrupted wetland from Oregon to Oak Harbor. So, here’s to you Barney Quilter.

We should also pressure current legislators to assure the jewel that is Maumee Bay State Park won’t be tarnished by toxic algae, open lake dredging and phosphorous runoff.

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