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Four Township Water Resources Council | |
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News
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August 2011 Second Large Grant to be Used to Develop Conservation Easements The Four Township Water Resources Council is partnering with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) on a fourth grant under the federal Clean Water Act. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), which administers these Section 319 grants in Michigan has awarded a matching grant to restore and permanently conserve land in the Augusta Creek watershed. The $440,000 MDEQ grant will provide funds to purchase conservation easements on wetlands, land along the stream corridor and uplands that will remain undeveloped and serve as a riparian buffer to filter out harmful nutrients and sediment from adjacent land uses. The project is scheduled to run from October, 2011 to September, 2014. Our partner, the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, was the key agent in another large MDEQ grant resulting in the development of conservation easements in the Prairieville Creek Watershed totalling 310 acres. Prairieville Creek is the most significant surface water contributor to Gull Lake, supplying about 21% of Gull Lake's water. Augusta Creek which runs through southwestern Barry County and northeastern Kalamazoo County ending in the Kalamazoo River near the village of Augusta, has been studied intensively by ecologists and is the site for ongoing research by the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. According to Dr. Steven Hamilton, professor of ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry with KBS, Augusta Creek carries clear cool water. It remains in good ecological health not only because it remains largely free flowing, but also because it has extensive wetlands surrounding its headwaters and because forest lines much of the stream valley. "We were ecstatic to find out we received the largest sum of money awarded in the state during this round of funding to conserve land along Augusta Creek," said Emily Wilke, the Conservancy's Director of Land Protection. "The creek was identified as one of the most pristine water bodies in Michigan and therefore a priority to conserve to keep it that way." The Conservancy serves the nine counties of southwest Michigan, and has protected almost 9000 acres since its inception in 1991. You can learn more about them at www.SWMLC.org. FTWRC 2011 Kanoe the Kazoo Paddle Event For the eigth year in a row the Four Township Water Resources Council participated in the Kanoe the Kazoo events. FTWRC conducted a guided tour on the Mud Lake-Pleasant Lake system on Saturday morning, June 11, 2011. Naturalists helped explore natural features and wild inhabitants on the lakes and associated wetlands during the paddle. These lakes are contiguous with valuable and unique wetlands including one of the Council's Priority Conservation Areas, Blachman Swamp. (See the Natural Features Inventory on the FTWRC Publication Page.) And they are connected by the Watson Drain, a dedicated Barry County Drain, with Glasby Lake and Marsh. Glasby Marsh is another Priority Conservation Area. This area is the location of the outflow of the Southwest Barry County Sewer & Water Authority purification plant. Participants in the event explored issues pertinent to this area, and many other inland lakes and watercourses, and the decision making processes involved with fluctuating lake water levels, failing septic systems, installation of sewer systems around lakes and alterations in county drains. Among the interesting natural features observed were a beaver hutch large enough to hide a small car, two wetlands orchids, grass pinks and rose pogonias, insectivorous pitcher plants and Blanchard's cricket frogs, which are a species of special concern in the state of Michigan. More information about the paddle or Kanoe the Kazoo program can be obtained at the Kanoe the Kazoo website, www.kingmanmuseum.org/kanoethekazoo. FTWRC Annual Meeting May 19, 2011 The Four Township Water Resources Council held its Annual Meeting at 7:00 PM in the Kellogg Biological Station Auditorium in the Stack Building on Monday, April 26, 2010. At the meeting we provided an update on the successful development of Conservation Easements in the Prairieville Creek Watershed north of Gull Lake and other Council activities. The feature presentation titled How Did the Lakes Get Here? was presented by Dr. Alan Kehew, professor in the Western Michigan University Geosciences Department. Dr. Kehew spoke about the geologic history of Michigan and specifically the formation of the geologic features of the Four Townships area and the Gull Lake region. Dr. Kehew is originally from Pennsylvania, received his B.S. from Bucknell University. He then received his M.S. from Montana State University and PhD in Geology from the University of Idaho. Dr. Kehew has been teaching at Western Michigan University for the last 25 years including courses in hydrochemistry, geomorphology, and glacial geology. The primary focus of his research is the Glacial Geology of Southwest Michigan. FTWRC Watershed Management Plan Approved This Four Township Watershed Area Management Plan was created by the Four Township Water Resources Council for the community. This plan primarily serves three purposes: 1. Prioritize future land use improvement and resource protection needs. 2. Reference and document existing watershed products and past efforts. 3. Qualify as a United States Environmental Protection Agency Nine Elements approved watershed management plan. This management plan was created as part of the FTWA planning project, which was funded with a Clean Water Act Section 319 grant administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE), Nonpoint Source Program. The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) in collaboration with the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council was awarded the grant in 2008. Development of the FTWA Management Plan relied on stakeholder input, agency support, and existing planning information generated by the Four Townships Water Resources Council since 1994. The overall health of a watershed can be difficult to determine and generalize. Characterizations and recommendations in this plan are based on the best available data and modeling including recent modeling conducted for the Kalamazoo River Watershed Management Plan (KRWC, 2010). The Watershed Management Plan is available for examination and download by going to the Publications Page on this website. We encourage all citizens and officials to take advantage of this document. December 2010 $500,000 Grant Used to Develop Conservation Easements The Four Township Water Resources Council is partnering with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) on a third grant under the federal Clean Water Act. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), which administers these Section 319 grants in Michigan has awarded a matching grant to purchase development rights in the Prairieville Creek watershed. This will help protect water quality and wildlife habitat for Gull Lake. Conservation of Prairieville Creek has been a FTWRC goal for many years and is now one of the priorities established in SWMLC's recently completed Land Conservation Plan. The $500,000 MDEQ grant - the largest grant ever awarded to SWMLC - provides funds to purchase conservation easements on wetlands, land along the stream corridor and uplands that will remain undeveloped and serve as a riparian buffer to filter out harmful nutrients and sediment from adjacent land uses. The project began January 1, 2008 and is continuing through 2010. Our partner in a large MDEQ grant, the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, has made considerable progress toward the development of conservation easements in the Prairieville Creek Watershed. By early 2011, six parcels totalling 310 acres are expected to be protected through the purchase or donation of conservation easements on a significant portion of the lands on both sides of the Creek and Mud Lake, a pond within the course of the creek. Mud Lake remains open water through most winters and provides a haven for waterfowl in the area. Prairieville Creek is the most significant surface water contributor to Gull Lake, supplying about 21% of Gull Lake's water. Maintaining water quality, water quantity and wildlife habitat are of utmost importance for the health of this watershed and, ultimately, for the health of Gull Lake. Protecting this corridor through land acquisition and landowner education will reduce the impact from residential development, harmful agricultural practices, and invasive species, the three greatest threats. Additional funds in the MDEQ grant were used to update the Watershed Management Plan in the Four Townships area, which is required by the MDEQ. The WMP assesses the health of the water resources and provides guidance on how to maintain and improve water quality. This work was done with the assistance of the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. The Four Township Water Resources Council will leverage the grant to continue its extensive citizen education programs and assistance to local governments and other environmental and conservation groups. We have again partnered with the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy to apply for a new Section 319 grant for a project involving the development of Conservation Easements on Augusta Creek, which bisects Barry and Ross Townships. The grant proposal also seeks funds to plan and design improved stormwater management strategies in the Gull Lake Watershed. FTWRC Annual Meeting April 26, 2010 The Four Township Water Resources Council held its Annual Meeting at 7:00 PM in the Kellogg Biological Station Auditorium in the Stack Building on Monday, April 26, 2010. In addition to a review of recent Council activities and plans for new programs, we featured a presentation from Jenny Molloy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, "Green Infrastructure: Keeping Our Spaces Green and Our Waters Clean". Jenny is an Aquatic Biologist with a background in the ecology of aquatic systems, especially streams and rivers. She spent many years with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality integrating nonpoint source, stormwater, TMDL and other water quality programs from the Kalamazoo, Michigan office and was a resident of Barry Township. She has been the Green Infrastructure Coordinator with the EPA's Office of Wastewater Management for several years and she often travels around the United States to talk about strategies to develop onsite stormwater management through native plantings, sidewalk planter gardens, green roofs, and other green infrastructure elements -- all of which lead to better community design and environmental management. Water Quality Monitoring The Council has conducted studies on the Four Township water resources throughout our existence. Currently we are working with the Gull Lake Quality Organization and the Environmental Health Division of the Kalamazoo County Department of Health and Community Services to monitor bacteria levels in selected surface water bodies in both Barry and Kalamazoo Counties. We are hoping to determine if significant contamination problems currently exist and to establish baseline levels for meaningful future assessments. When there are elevated bacterial counts in the water, it is often difficult to determine what is the source of the contamination. We are beginning to lay the foundation for answers to this question through an auxillary program, funded in part by a grant from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, which will utilize state -of-the- art DNA typing provided by a Michigan State University laboratory. These tests can distinguish between bacteria from human or cattle origins. It can also indicate if the source is of an alternative type, such as wildlife (e.g. deer,geese), or other livestock (e.g. horses, llamas), etc., although it will not be able to distinguish specifically within these categories. Results of this source typing will probably be available by this printing. The Council is looking into obtaining new grant funds associated with the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to continue and expand our water quality monitoring programs. We remain concerned about a variety of potential sources of nonpoint source pollution. The Council plans to continue research, educational efforts and community discussions on the role of septic systems, public sewer programs, agriculture, residential lawn and garden fertilization, road and stormwater runoff and new development. FTWRC Kanoe the Kazoo Paddle Events For the sixth year in a row the Four Township Water Resources Council participated in the Kanoe the Kazoo events. FTWRC sponsored a guided tour on Sherman Lake in Ross Township in the evening of Thursday, July 9, 2009. Several naturalists provided guidance on the paddle. Among these were Steve Allen , with the Kalamazoo Nature Center for many years and now with Geum Services, Inc., Ecological and Native Plant Consulting, and Jane Herbert, District Water Quality Educator with MSU Extension at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station who discussed shoreline features that protect water quality and enhance wildlife habitat. Dr. Steve Hamilton, Associate Professor, MSU Department of Zoology, and Dr. Lois Wolfson, MSU Department of Fisheries & Wildlife and the Institute for Water Research helped participants appreciate the lake ecology and discussed native and invasive aquatic plant management. The July 9 event began with a short presentation at the DNR boat launch site on North Sherman Lk. Drive. The paddle highlighted shoreline management and erosion control; natural, lake-friendly plantings and native vs. exotic (and sometime invasive) aquatic plants and their role in the lake ecosystem. A unique feature of Sherman Lake is a manmade channel which created an island and many additional home sites with water frontage. There was lively discussion about the special challenges of managing the unique habitat and riparian concerns on the channel where an aeration system has been installed to reduce muck accumulation on the bottom and help manage the aquatic plants.
May 2009 Watershed Sign Program Expanded The
Four Township Water Resources is continuing to work with local partners
to install signs identifying watershed features in the Four Townships.
In 2006 and 2007, the Barry Road County Road Commission and
Prairieville Township Park Commisison installed signs created by the
Council marking the Pine Lake-Gun River Watershed and road crossings of
Augusta and Prairieville Creeks and some of their tributaries in Barry
and Prairiev In 2009, the Kalamazoo County Road Commission has installed signs marking
road crossings of Augusta and Gull Creeks and Spring Brook in Richland
and Ross Townships, plus some of the tributaries and wetlands feeding
these streams. We are hoping to raise awareness of the relations between the roads, land features and water resources in the Four Township area and foster a sense of citizen "ownership" of our natural heritage. July 2008 Paddle Tour on Pine Lake on July 17 For the fifth year in a row the Four Township Water Resources Council participated in the Kanoe the Kazoo events. FTWRC sponsored a guided tour on Pine Lake in Prairieville Township in the evening of Thursday, July 17, 2008. Naturalists helped participants appreciate the lake paddle. Among these were Steve Allen , a naturalist with the Kalamazoo Nature Center for many years and now with Geum Services, Inc., Ecological and Native Plant Consulting, who discussed shoreline features that protect water quality and enhance wildlife habitat. Graduate students in Biology from MSU at the Kellogg Biological Station, Mary Ann Evans and Jarad Mellard, provided a guide to the lake ecology and demonstrated biological sampling from the lake. And Dr. Lois Wolfson, MSU Department of Fisheries & Wildlife and the Institute for Water Research helped with aquatic plant identification and control.
The launch site and facilities at the Michigan Career and Technical
Institute (MCTI) on the North shore of Pine Lake were excellent.The
weather was perfect. Participants said that they appreciated the
mixture of education and entertainment.
Additional information about the Kanoe the Kazoo Program is available
at Kingman Museum - Battle Creek,
Michigan January 2007 Four-Township Water Resources
Council focuses on education The
Four-Township Water Resources Council (FTWRC) has been continuing its
efforts to protect water quality by focusing on citizen education and
involvement. In 2006 the Council began working
with the
Barry Co. Road Commission to place signs along roads to raise awareness
about local water resources and their relationship to the watersheds,
with signs marking the Pine Lake-Gun River Watershed and many road
crossings over Prairieville and Augusta creeks or their tributaries. In
2007 the Kalamazoo County Road Commission will begin erecting similar
signs marking Augusta Creek and Spring Brook and their watersheds. June 2006 Crooked Lake Paddle Tour
June 2006
New road signs identify Pine Lake area Travelers and
residents of the Pine Lake area can now see approximately where their
watershed starts thanks to new signs developed The goal of the
project is to raise awareness about area water resources and their
location. Road signs for other watersheds will be added in
the future. | |
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by the Four-Township Water
Resources Council. These attractive new signs were placed
near major road intersections so that travelers from any direction will
notice when entering the Pine Lake area.