Here's how Sandusky will improve its greatest resource

SANDUSKY — The design work is done. Now it's time to start implementing safe solutions for improving the region's greatest natural resource.The public was recently updated on the Sandusky Bay Initiative plan, which ultimately aims to make Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie cleaner.More specifically, the plan entails:• Filtering out nutrients from water flowing into the bay, reducing the size and frequency of harmful algal blooms• Creating better and safer habitats for fish and birds; Fishing and bird watching represent two important tourist activities along the Lake Erie shore• Providing a positive use for dirt taken from the lake bottom during dredging operations; Today dirt is simply dumped from shipping channels to somewhere else in the lake, a practice the Ohio EPA wants to end by 2020.Workers targeted three areas to study: the west end near Cold Creek; a manmade shore, called Kafralu Island, near Cedar Point; and East Sandusky Bay by the recently announced Landing Park, a proposed $24 million public recreation area behind Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center.The project's first phase involved two city-hired firms analyzing, investigating, engineering and designing this plan in hopes of improving Sandusky Bay's overall health.Later phases, which would ideally achieve the aforementioned goals, might take several years to happen. The work, however, should start soon.In 2017, Sandusky's government secured $1 million in state funds to cover all work involved in this first phase. As of today, it's not known how much future phases could cost or where Sandusky would receive the additional money from. Officials predict its overall cost could total in the millions. The state approved of Sandusky's design process, ensuring this innovative process can proceed."Sandusky Bay is one of the areas within greater Lake Erie that gets algae on a regular basis," city engineer Aaron Klein said. "It's a smaller body that has basically one outlet into Lake Erie, and a pilot project like this because, if successful, it can be ramped up for a larger project in the future."Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Three sailboats compete in a race in Sandusky Bay on June 13, 2018. With a $1 million state grant, Sandusky officials are undertaking a process to make Sandusky Bay a healthier body of water.