Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Council A not-for-profit organization established in 1982 in Culver, Indiana Our Mission Working Toward the Preservation of an Ecologically Sound Lake Maxinkuckee and its Surrounding Watershed. The Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Fund was founded by a group of Lake Maxinkuckee property owners and Lake Maxinkuckee Association members in 1982 and was granted non-profit status on April, 28th of 1983. Founding Directors of the Fund were: President, Mr. Thomas H. Sams; Treasurer, Mr. Richard E. Ford; Secretary, Mrs. C. Harvey (Mary Jo) Bradley, Jr.; Mr. Thomas R. Johnson; and Mr. John H. Babcock. The reason for the formation of this environmental corporation was due to the growing concern among many shoreline residents that the lake’s water quality was declining. Dr. Thomas L. Crisman of the University of Florida was commissioned by The Lake Maxinkuckee Association in 1981 to conduct a study on Lake Maxinkuckee. The study compiled the seventeen previous investigations of Lake Maxinkuckee known of at the time and collected current lake and watershed data. According to the study, the water quality had declined in recent years. The lake had remained basically unchanged from the early settlements to the mid-1960s. From the mid-1960s to the early 1980s the lake’s status had changed to bordering on the eutrophic (dead or dying) boundary. If nothing was done to protect the lake and slow the eutrophic process immediately, future restoration efforts would be more difficult and considerably more expensive. A list with 14 recommendations was outlined in the study. By the end of 1982 the Fund was formed to find ways to implement them. The original Articles of Incorporation state the purposes of the Fund as follows: (a) To establish and preserve a fund through which the corporation would cause periodic environmental testing and scientific analysis to be performed on Lake Maxinkuckee in Marshall County, Indiana and the ecosystem therein; develop, propose and establish systems for the protection of the water and ecosystem of said lake from environmental pollution and deterioration; and disseminate such testing, analysis and recommendations to the general public, and State of Indiana, and political subdivisions or agencies thereof. (b) To function exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. In 1985 the Fund Board of Directors established the first working Council and hired the first Executive Director all of whom were charged with conducting the educational, investigative and scientific work necessary to accomplish the organization’s goals. Today, those goals remain unchanged and success stories are many. Please go to the Past Projects page of this site to see some of these success stories. The Lake Maxinkuckee Environmental Council is a non-profit organization. Donations can be sent to LMEC, P.O. Box 187, Culver, IN 46511. Contact the Executive Director, Kathy J. Clark at either 574/842-3686 or lmec@culcom.net to learn more about our organization. A copy of our watershed management plan and select newsletters can be viewed or downloaded from another place on this web site.