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The DEQ today announced an April 10 public meeting and hearing on a proposal to clean sediment and riverbanks on the Huron River at the former MichCon Manufactured Gas Plant site in Ann Arbor. MichCon property owners are proposing to remove sediment, near shore soil, and some contaminated upland soil from the Huron River and its south bank at the MichCon plant site near Broadway Street. This plan requires a construction permit from DEQ.

HRWC’s River-Up project and the Wolfpack had brought together the City of Ann Arbor and DTE to discuss transforming the MichCon/DTE site on the Huron River into a public-private partnership that includes a park and river-friendly  commercial establishment.  Clean-up and restoration of this coal gasification site just below Argo Dam is underway and will revitalize this area and improve the ecology of the river environs.

The public meeting and hearing will be held at Cobblestone Farm, located at 2781 Packard Road in Ann Arbor. Doors will open in the big barn on the second floor at 6 p.m. for informal discussion with DEQ staff, followed by a public meeting at 7 p.m., and a formal hearing to gather public comment around 8 p.m.

As part of the permit review process, the DEQ also is accepting written public comment on the plan through April 30, 2012. A copy of the plan can be viewed at: ftp://ftp.deq.state.mi.us/deq-outgoing/ Insert the user I.D.: deq-public-ftp, and the password “Jumbl355#.”

A copy of the construction permit application may be viewed at this web site: www.deq.state.mi.us/CIWPIS/ (enter file # 11810066, select Search, then click on the folder icon for specific information).

In addition, copies of both the plan and permit application can be viewed at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library, 343 South Fifth Avenue, and at the DEQ Jackson District Office, 301 E. Louis Glick Highway in Jackson (517-780-7690).

For More Information: Brad Wurfel, 517-373-7917, wurfelb@michigan.gov
Ray Spaulding, 517-780-7832; spauldingr1@michigan.gov
James Sallee, 517-780-7910; salleej@michigan.gov

These severe flow fluctuations kill a river ecosystem

With the huge rain last week and the flood warnings, I visited the U.S. Geologic Survey’s (USGS) real-time stream flow gages on the river to see how the river reacted .  In the Huron, we have 4 permanent USGS gages in the river that measure stream flow constantly. The sites are the Huron River near New Hudson, the Huron River near Hamburg, Mill Creek in Dexter, and Wall Street in Ann Arbor.  These gages allow us to see how the river responds to rain and snowmelt.  A slow, gradual rate of stream flow increase (and corresponding decrease) is indicative of a more natural and higher quality river with natural areas for infiltration.  An erratic rate of increase (and decrease) is indicative of a more impacted and degraded river where pavement and pipes prevail.

The USGS also has a map of real-time streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year for Michigan.  Only one of the sites on the Huron, that farthest up on the system, is “normal”, two other sites being “above normal” and the stream flow at Wall St. in Ann Arbor is “much above normal”.  Normal flow patterns change due to increased impervious surfaces such as roads and rooftops, a loss of natural areas such as wetlands, floodplains, and forests, and dams that alter the natural flow of the river. There may also be a regional variation in annual rain amounts.  

In this and coming decades, meteorologists project more intense storms for Michigan, warming and cooling periods in close succession, and an overall warming trend.  HRWC is working hard to restore the river and creeks to a more natural and healthy system so they can respond to the “weird” weather–taking up and storing more rain water in storms, slowly releasing the water in to the groundwater, creeks, and rivers over time to keep steady flows in drier weather–overall, allowing for a more dynamic system to respond to the extreme weather.  Examples of this kind of work include the recent protection of 40 acres of wetland in the watershed and in cumulative over 6,000 acres in Washtenaw County, the removal of Mill Pond Dam in Dexter, buffer ordinances passed in 4 watershed communities in the last 4 years, the installation of over 1300 rainbarrels and 2 dozen rain gardens,  and much more.

Without funding from the USGS and local government partners to maintain these gages, it would be far more difficult to “read” the river through stream flows. Unfortunately, the gage in Milford was discontinued in the past year due to tight budgets. More, not fewer, gages are what we need on the river.

Please join us in building resilient communities and watershed.  Visit our website at hrwc.org.

The next nationally designated water trail?

The Secretary of the US Department of Interior Ken Salazar just announced a new National Water Trails System as part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.  This comes in advance of a White House conference this Friday on Conservation: Growing America’s Outdoor Heritage and Economy, that I will be attending in Washington, DC.

I am very excited about this focus on rivers as one of the pillars of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative and the emphasis on the conservation of rivers.  In introducing the National Water Trails System, Secretary Salazar used the same language as HRWC’s RiverUp! project,  “Historically, we have had the backs of our communities to our rivers and waterways, and we want to turn the faces of our communities toward the river to transform the Huron River corridor”.   This recognition of the integral and important role of rivers in our communities–as economic drivers, recreational havens, and opportunities for art and cultural destinations–is exactly the direction we are aspiring to.

Atlanta’s Chattahoochee River became first national water trail designated and we hope the Huron River will receive this designation soon.

Reusing Waste Water?

Is it okay for irrigation, watering lawns, manufacturing, drinking water, …oops, too far?

The New York Times reports that more and more communities are looking to reuse their wastewater.

A new report from the National Academy of Sciences said that if coastal communities used advanced treatment procedures on the effluent that is now sent out to sea, it could increase the amount of municipal water available by as much as 27 percent.  Right now most of these communities are in the arid west or south, but when will we see this in the Great Lakes?

Baseline Lake: at it's summer level!

Recently, I went to Washtenaw County Circuit Court about a lake level for Portage and Base (aka Baseline) Lakes in Washtenaw and Livingston County.  Under Michigan’s Lake Level Control Act, residents who live on the lake can petition a judge to set a legal lake level.  Yes, Legal!  The County Drain Commissioner (or now know as the Water Resources Commissioner) has to keep the lake at the court ordered level.  These lake levels are controlled by dams and their operators.

Most lakes that are formed by a dam for recreational purposes have a winter and summer level set by a judge.  Higher in the summer for docks and boat traffic and lower in the winter to protect docks and shorelines from ice and damage.

The Court case I attended was to establish a winter lake level for Portage and Base Lakes.   Standard practice was to lower the lake level in the winter, but there wasn’t a court set winter level.  The Livingston and Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioners petitioned the court to set a winter level 15-18 inches below the summer level.  Some residents wanted the lake to be lowered 30 inches and the MDNR was opposed to a winter lake lowering.

In terms of this petition, HRWC understands the balance of interests in setting lakes levels—fisheries, homeowners, recreational enthusiasts, ecologists, and more.  We also know the impacts of changing lake levels on the Huron River and its lakes.  While a river and its watershed is a changing and dynamic system, there are boundaries to how far those variations should go.  Three feet is too much.  While scientists argue for no lowering of the lake level in winter, this is not publically acceptable at this time. Given past practices and expectations, a 15 inch winter draw down is the best strategy.

Why is three feet  too much?  Although drawdowns can produce relatively weed free conditions for short periods of time, over the long-term, frequent drawdowns may result in less diverse plants and native species and more monocultures or invasive nuisance species.  Drawdowns resulting in bare sediment favor those species that colonize the fastest.  Not surprisingly, these tend to be non-native nuisance species such as Eurasion watermilfoiil and Curlyleaf Pondweed.  Over time, the drawdown can promote the replacement of a diverse native plant assemblage by monocultures of invasive exotic species….nuisance species that then result in lakewide herbicide and pesticide applications.

I agree with the direction of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to limit the range of seasonal lake level controls as we’ve seen the detrimental effects of dry spring rivers.   A gradual draw down and increase should be best practice for dam operators with the goal of minimizing extreme flows and providing a base flow.  In terms of future policy and changes to the lake level control act, we strongly support a better quantification of minimum river flows for aquatic habitat and fisheries.

A few great tips on discussing climate change.

As friends and colleagues head off for thanksgiving celebrations and harvest meals I am reminded of the numerous conversations at staff meetings about how we talk about the work we do.  Much of our communications discussions mention either the “elevator speech” or conversations (arguments) around the thanksgiving table.  The “elevator speech” is the 3-minute summation of what you do.  But the thanksgiving dinner conversation is what’s on my mind today.

You know how it goes. You’ve just sat down to the dinner and your cousin/aunt/friend/neighbor turns to you and asks, “So, what do you do?” or “How is the river?” or the more contentious, “Seems pretty cold today, what about your climate change theory?”  And your response?  You probably sum up their knowledge of their topic in your head to tailor a response.  You then think about how long a response or conversation you want to have (a pat answer or more in-depth), and then you take in to account their world view or political leaning (do you want an argument?).

As HRWC expands our work on climate change and integrates it in to our existing work, climate change continues to be the big contentious and most political environmental topic.  As part of our work, we craft our language carefully depending on the audience, the targeted strategy and change we are after, and the way the message is delivered.

But in the informal, on the spot, thanksgiving dinner conversation, you have to think fast or suffer the consequences!

So, granted, you can convey your thoughts about climate change through your actions–walk, bike, or take public transportation to your thanksgiving destination, eat and buy locally, reduce your meat consumption, wash the dishes in cold water, reduce the thermostat and bring your slippers and vest, etc.

But for the conversation at the thanksgiving day table here are a few great tips from the Environmental Defense Fund.

1. Adjust how you say things based on who you are talking to,

2. Don’t talk to a brick wall unless you really want to,

3. Be informed for effective conversations; you won’t convince otherwise,

4. Speak on current solutions and steps being made to mitigate climate change, and

5. Listen to what everyone has to say and don’t go on the attack.

I found EDF’s site and tips useful as I head to Chicago to be with the large Rubin Clan for a few thanksgiving meals and lively conversations.  We are an opinionated and argumentative bunch, so I feel well armed!

I hope you have nice meals and conversations this thanksgiving, without any food fights over climate change.

Thank you for being part of a strong and healthy community working to protect the Huron River Watershed.

On Thursday, the Michigan Senate passed HB 4326, a bill that prevents the Governor from issuing protections for the Great Lakes  and our watersheds that are stricter than those currently on the books at the Federal level.

Federal regulations are only intended to be the lowest standard that states must meet; they are the floor that states can’t slip below. Unless Governor Snyder vetoes this bill, no Michigan governor will be able to protect the Great Lakes and our watersheds in the same way that Governor Milliken did when he issued a rule in 1976 that limited the amount of phosphorus flowing into Lake Erie. At that time the algae blooms threatened the Lake’s entire ecosystem. His requirements were stricter than those at the federal level, and have since been adopted legislatively in Michigan.

As the state most defined by the Great Lakes and mighty rivers, we should be a leader in their protection and not shirk that responsibility. We need Governor Snyder to veto this bad bill, and affirm his commitment to protecting the Great Lakes that he campaigned on in 2010. Contact Governor Snyder today and urge him to veto this short-sighted bill!

HRWC Staff on Lake Erie last summer

Come join other Great Lakes scientists, advocates, policy makers, and general enthusiasts for Great Lakes Week in Detroit, October 11-14.  For the first time, three large convenings are happening at the same time in the same city: The International Joint Commission’s Biennial Meeting, the Healing Our Water’s Seventh Annual Great Lakes Restoration Meeting, and the Great Lakes Commission’s Annual Meeting.

You can hop around to sessions of interest, drop in to hear Al Gore, or meet and network with hundreds of Great Lakes activists.  Lisa Jackson, Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, will be speaking and the topics look interesting and varied–ecological restoration, stormwater rulemaking, emerging contaminants and more.  To learn more about the agendas and topics, click here.

If you can’t make it to the meeting, Detroit Public Television will be offering coverage of most of the events.  DPT plan’s to broadcast and/or webcast:
• 25 hours of coverage of conference sessions, featuring speakers and panel discussions
• A daily half-hour recap of activity each day on October 12, 13 and 14
• Other live and on-demand programming featuring conference participants and topics.

I hope you can catch some of the sessions and excitement about the Great Lakes.

A Dreiseitl Rainwater Sculpture

The Ann Arbor Public Art Commission is hosting a grand opening ceremony of a sculpture by world-renowned artist, Herbert Dreiseitl.  Dreiseitl is know for his rainwater reuse projects throughout the world.  The ceremony is tomorrow, Tuesday, October 4, 7 pm at the City of Ann Arbor Municipal Center Plaza, 301 E. Huron Street.

The sculpture is part of the site’s overall stormwater management system and includes a rain garden adjacent to the sculpture.  Come check out it’s beauty and functionality!

On Tuesday, September 27, UM President, Mary Sue Coleman announced some major goals toward sustainability:

• Reduce UM’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent.
• Make the UM campus transit system more efficient – decreasing vehicle carbon output by 30 percent for every person in the car, truck or bus.
• Shrink the amount of waste sent to landfills by 40 percent.
• Protect the Huron River, a beloved natural feature of our community–apply 40 percent fewer chemicals to grass, trees and walkways; ensure that at least 30 percent of our stormwater runoff does not flow into the Huron.
• Promote a healthier environment by supporting more Michigan farmers and producers–committing that at least 20 percent of their food will come from local and sustainable sources.

All this by the year 2025.

This leadership on sustainability and river stewardship issues specifically, from a large university is key to the protection and resilience of the Huron River watershed.  Many people have asked me what this means and if UM can meet these goals.  In practice, this could mean less salt application in the winter due to better weather forecasting, better application methods, and less caustic solutions.  It could mean more focus and installations of native plants and trees that require less fertilizers and nutrients to keep them alive.  It could mean rain barrels, rain gardens, bioswales or permiable pavers that soak up and infiltrate  stormwater.  In terms of meeting these goals, if UM continues to show the leadership, commit the financial resources, and tap in to the ingenuity of faculty, staff, and students, I believe they will meet these goals and I look forward to partnering on these efforts.