Events and Workshops
$$$ Cost-share for Wetlands Restorations Workshop
November 10th, 2009
6:00pm – 8:30pm
Gun Lake Tribe Community Center
419 126th Avenue
Shelbyville, MI 49344
Are you interested in the history of wetlands in Michigan?
Are you interested in receiving cost-share dollars to restore wetlands on your property?
Do you own marginal agricultural land that may have historically been a wetland?
Do you own property that floods on a regular basis?
Did you know you can receive $3,330.00 per acre for agricultural land that is taken out of production and restored to a wetland and protected with a conservation easement!
Hear from leading wetland experts including representatives from the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service!
If you have an interest in creating wetland habitat on your property this is the FREE workshop for you!
Agenda
6:00 – 6:45 Michigan’s Wetland History?
Rob Zbiciak, MDEQ
Shawn McKenney, ACD
6:45 – 7:15 Why are wetlands vital to Michigan?
Rob Zbiciak, MDEQ
7:15 – 8:15 Wetland restoration cost-share for landowners.
Tim Redder, NRCS WRP
Jim Hazelman, USFWS
8:15 – 8:30 What type of property makes a promising wetland restoration?
Shawn McKenney, ACD
Jim Hazelman, USFWS
Please RSVP by November 4th, 2009 to Shawn McKenney at: 269-673-8965 x.3
A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON WETLANDS AND WATER QUALITY
Wetlands improve water quality by filtering out pollutants before they reach a river or lake. These pollutants include nutrients and sediments.
Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus contribute a large amount of pollution to the Michigan’s lakes river and streams. Excess nutrients contribute to increased algae growth, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the water. Wetlands can filter out as much as 91% of the phosphorus and 86% of the nitrogen.
Sediment (soil particles) is the leading non-point source pollutant in Michigan’s lakes, rivers and streams. Sediments that are suspended in running water can also be removed by wetlands. As the running water enters a wetland, the water slows and the sediments settle out. Some wetlands can retain as much as 94% of the sediment.
Wetlands also function like big sponges, slowing down and absorbing excess water during storms. This combined action of slowing and storing water reduces flooding downstream and shoreline erosion. Flooding and high flows in local rivers are becoming worse with increased development pressures which add impervious surfaces, such as driveways and roads, which do not absorb rainfall.