The good, bad, and the ugly of the pine river
Existing Data Tells Us Some Things Are Not So Good
- - E. coli contamination is widespread (2017 DEQ monitoring results)
- - Sedimentation is excessive in many areas (EGLE and DNR assessments, Observations by residents)
- Surface waters are rich in nutrients (Alma College monitoring results, many observations by EGLE, DNR, and residents of excessive growth of aquatic plants and algae)
- - Some streams are critically low in Dissolved Oxygen (2017 DEQ monitoring results)
What is the Upper Pine River Watershed Management Plan
The Gratiot Conservation District was awarded a grant by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to finish writing a watershed management plan for the Upper Pine River Watershed (upstream of the dam in Alma). The Pine River, has been identified to contain high levels of several pollutants including E. coli bacteria, and sediment buildup.
Background:
The Upper Pine River Watershed Management Plan was started by Julie Spencer, who was the Gratiot CD Manager at the time, in 2012. The project took off in the winter of 2013 when community members who lived along the river got involved, most notably Jane Keon and Gary Rayburn. Jane Keon took the framework for the plan, organized the notes and data that had been gathered, and began writing the plan. The grant from MDEQ paid for an independent consulting firm, Streamside Ecological Services, to finish writing the watershed management plan, submit the completed plan to the MDEQ for final approval, and apply for implementation dollars.
What kinds of projects are included?
There are a few basic categories of challenges to be addressed and they break down as follows:
Sedimentation and Soil Erosion
The largest source of pollution in Michigan streams is sediment. When soil washes off the land and into the water, it builds up and clogs the streams, ditches, drains, and lakes. The soil also carries with it any other pollutants that are attached, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste.
Nutrients
Anything that has been applied to the land has the potential to runoff into the streams. This includes lawn fertilizer, agricultural phosphorus, nitrogen, manure, waste from migratory birds such as geese and ducks, and even salts and other chemicals that wash off the roads.
Tile Drainage Systems
Most of central Michigan was once very swampy. In order to farm and live on the land, drainage tiles are installed to pull water out of the soil and wash it downstream. Without proper tile drain management, any chemicals or nutrients in that water washes downstream as well.
Failing Septic Systems
A recent study conducted in cooperation with the Mid-Michigan District Health Department identified approximately 300 properties in the Upper Pine River Watershed where there were no records of a septic system having been installed, ever for some and others after 1970. The life of a septic system is about 20-30 years if properly maintained. Even if a high-quality septic system was installed thirty years ago, and has been properly maintained by pumping the system every three to five years, it is likely failing, and human waste is seeping into the groundwater and streams.
Many other sources of pollutants will be specifically identified in the plan including crumbling infrastructure like roads and bridges, improvements to the dam system, and dredging in the impoundment. Solutions must also be planned for each challenge and then those solutions must be implemented. That will require more funding and more work.
What are some solutions?
One focus at the Gratiot Conservation District that addresses several categories of pollutants in the watershed is conservation farming practices. Please see the MAEAP and Farming page of this website for details on how you can implement these practices.
The largest source of pollution in Michigan streams is sediment. Planting filter strips, buffer strips, and grassed waterways help create a barrier between farm fields or yards and streams, preventing soil erosion and sedimentation. Anything that has been applied to the land has the potential to runoff into the streams. Preventing the soil from reaching the stream addresses multiple challenges.
Making the transition from conventional tillage to no-till farming is another way to hold soil in place, especially if the change includes planting cover crops. Changing farming practices takes time and money. The Gratiot Conservation District partners with agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to help bring funding available to help farmers make those changes.
The ultimate goal is clean water. This project is a long way from completion, and real changes to water quality are still years away, but this is a positive step in the right direction. The Gratiot Conservation District is committed to working to bring grant funding into the community to improve water quality. If you would like more information about the Upper Pine River Watershed Management Plan, the septic assistance program, or funding sources to pay for changes in farming practices, please call our office at 989-875-3900
Written by Julie L. Spencer
Edited 5/24/22 by District Manager Ladean Anderson
For additional information about the Gratiot Conservation District: www.GratiotConservationDistrict.org
301 E. Commerce Drive
Ithaca, MI 48847
989-875-3900
Background:
The Upper Pine River Watershed Management Plan was started by Julie Spencer, who was the Gratiot CD Manager at the time, in 2012. The project took off in the winter of 2013 when community members who lived along the river got involved, most notably Jane Keon and Gary Rayburn. Jane Keon took the framework for the plan, organized the notes and data that had been gathered, and began writing the plan. The grant from MDEQ paid for an independent consulting firm, Streamside Ecological Services, to finish writing the watershed management plan, submit the completed plan to the MDEQ for final approval, and apply for implementation dollars.
What kinds of projects are included?
There are a few basic categories of challenges to be addressed and they break down as follows:
Sedimentation and Soil Erosion
The largest source of pollution in Michigan streams is sediment. When soil washes off the land and into the water, it builds up and clogs the streams, ditches, drains, and lakes. The soil also carries with it any other pollutants that are attached, such as fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste.
Nutrients
Anything that has been applied to the land has the potential to runoff into the streams. This includes lawn fertilizer, agricultural phosphorus, nitrogen, manure, waste from migratory birds such as geese and ducks, and even salts and other chemicals that wash off the roads.
Tile Drainage Systems
Most of central Michigan was once very swampy. In order to farm and live on the land, drainage tiles are installed to pull water out of the soil and wash it downstream. Without proper tile drain management, any chemicals or nutrients in that water washes downstream as well.
Failing Septic Systems
A recent study conducted in cooperation with the Mid-Michigan District Health Department identified approximately 300 properties in the Upper Pine River Watershed where there were no records of a septic system having been installed, ever for some and others after 1970. The life of a septic system is about 20-30 years if properly maintained. Even if a high-quality septic system was installed thirty years ago, and has been properly maintained by pumping the system every three to five years, it is likely failing, and human waste is seeping into the groundwater and streams.
Many other sources of pollutants will be specifically identified in the plan including crumbling infrastructure like roads and bridges, improvements to the dam system, and dredging in the impoundment. Solutions must also be planned for each challenge and then those solutions must be implemented. That will require more funding and more work.
What are some solutions?
One focus at the Gratiot Conservation District that addresses several categories of pollutants in the watershed is conservation farming practices. Please see the MAEAP and Farming page of this website for details on how you can implement these practices.
The largest source of pollution in Michigan streams is sediment. Planting filter strips, buffer strips, and grassed waterways help create a barrier between farm fields or yards and streams, preventing soil erosion and sedimentation. Anything that has been applied to the land has the potential to runoff into the streams. Preventing the soil from reaching the stream addresses multiple challenges.
Making the transition from conventional tillage to no-till farming is another way to hold soil in place, especially if the change includes planting cover crops. Changing farming practices takes time and money. The Gratiot Conservation District partners with agencies such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to help bring funding available to help farmers make those changes.
The ultimate goal is clean water. This project is a long way from completion, and real changes to water quality are still years away, but this is a positive step in the right direction. The Gratiot Conservation District is committed to working to bring grant funding into the community to improve water quality. If you would like more information about the Upper Pine River Watershed Management Plan, the septic assistance program, or funding sources to pay for changes in farming practices, please call our office at 989-875-3900
Written by Julie L. Spencer
Edited 5/24/22 by District Manager Ladean Anderson
For additional information about the Gratiot Conservation District: www.GratiotConservationDistrict.org
301 E. Commerce Drive
Ithaca, MI 48847
989-875-3900