About Us

The Clear Lake Enhancement and Restoration (CLEAR) Project is a community-led project to improve the water quality of Clear Lake that has been underway since 1995. CLEAR Project sponsors include the Association for the Preservation of Clear Lake (APCL), the Hancock and Cerro Gordo SWCD's, the Cities of Clear Lake and Ventura, and Cerro Gordo County. The goal of the CLEAR Project is to ensure Clear Lake will remain north central Iowa's most valuable natural resource by sustaining a healthy ecosystem, achieving excellent water quality, providing unparalleled recreational opportunities, and continuing to be the economic engine for the local communities it serves both now and into the future.

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Who We Are

Meet Jim, your favorite neighborhood door to door conservation salesman. It is his mission to work with anyone living, working, or enjoying time outdoors around Clear Lake to teach them the simple things that can be done to protect our lake. He moved to the Clear Lake area in 2016 to lead the CLEAR Project and work with residents to restore their lake. Having worked in conservation for over 12 years, Jim brings a depth of knowledge and understanding to a very complicated task, one that he greets with a smile every day. If you are ready to find out what you can do to help your lake, reach out to Jim today to get started.

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Outreach Goals

• Raise awareness to watershed landowners/operators about the important role they play in lake restoration.
• Promote the instillation of best management practices within the watershed.
• Educate Youth about the importance of water quality.
• Educate lake users about stopping the spread of invasive species.
• Promote the successes of the lake restoration project and changes in water quality.

Best Management Practices

• Native Landscaping
• Bio-retention Cells
• Permeable Pavers
• Shoreline Stabilization

• Terraces
• Cover Crops
• Grassed Waterways
• Reduced Tillage

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Beach Advisories

State Park beaches on Clear Lake are sampled every Tuesday or Wednesday morning for E.coli bacteria and toxic Microcystins produced by blue-green algae. That information is reported every Friday morning to the public and the CLEAR Project. Anyone concerned about possible swim advisories are encouraged to call our office to find out the latest readings and their context as it pertains to Clear Lake. More information and the latest test results can also be found at the Iowa DNR's Beach Monitoring website.

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