Visit www.the-macc.org to learn more about the Macatawa Watershed. 

The State Poster Contest is sponsored by Michigan Association of Conservation District Employees. The National Poster Contest program is sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts.

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Although production methods have improved on farms from the days of the dust bowl, most farms continue to conventionally till the soil all the way up to the edge of the water in ditches, streams, and all types of water bodies. It is not only crop fields where this occurs; we see it around our lakes and rivers on many landowner properties. The lack of protection for our water has become acceptable, even considered proper. But opinions don’t change the fact that we are all responsible for one of Michigan’s most valuable resources, our water. As farmers, we feel a connection to the land and nobody intends to destroy their fields.

The Problem: Without something there to protect stream banks we increase the erosion that occurs. By leaving no long term deep rooted vegetation along waterways, we leave no filter for water that flows over the land and into the stream. Buffer strips live up to their name in that respect; they buffer the stream, ditch, lake, and any type of water resource from runoff. Runoff left unrestricted flows quickly across the top of the land, picking up all sorts of pollutants including fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and sediment.

What are buffer strips?

According to the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), “Conservation Buffers are small areas or strips of land in permanent vegetation, designed to intercept pollutants and manage other environmental concerns. Buffers include: riparian buffers, filter strips, grassed waterways, shelterbelts, windbreaks, living snow fences, contour grass strips, cross-wind trap strips, shallow water areas for wildlife, field borders, alley cropping, herbaceous wind barriers, and vegetative barriers.”

When a buffer is managed along farm fields we can expect to remove up to 50% more pesticides and nutrients, 60 % more pathogens, and 75% more sediment. This means soil, fertilizer and pesticides stay on the land and out of the water. Other benefits include wildlife habitat, lower water temperature in water channels, reduced flooding, protects buildings and roads, conserves biodiversity, increases habitat for pollinators, and stabilizes streams. Additionally, it reduces the cost of maintenance of drains in the watershed.

A Conservation Buffer is a minimum of 20 feet wide extending out from the edge of the waterway. There are many types of buffers from those that are forested to those that are filled with herbaceous plants. Filter strips are planted with permanent herbaceous plants that have a stiff high density stems. Forested buffers are usually much wider and have a minimum width of 80 feet.

Regardless of the type of buffer you choose to install and maintain on your property, the important point is to make sure you have them. In addition to this soil saving practice it is also beneficial to include grassed waterways to reduce gully erosion. Conservation buffers use land that might otherwise be used as crop land. There are various cost-sharing opportunities to help make the transition. There is also the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) program that can help farms keep area planted as buffers with rental agreements paid to the farmer or landowner. To learn about these programs contact the NRCS or Farm Service Agency at your local USDA Service Center. Allegan NRCS 269.673.8965 x4

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In recent years, there seems to be an increase in the effects of these events. And this year we seem to be getting an abundance of rain. This in conjunction with the way we often manage our land, leads to increased erosion and nonpoint source pollution. Over the years, we have been converting wetlands, creating straightened channels for drainage, building parking lots and buildings, and conventionally tilling farm fields. Today, these changes dominate our landscape, often without a balanced approach. The common factor of all these practices is that they convey runoff into streams and waterways quickly. The motto of the past has been to get the water off the land and downstream as quickly as possible. This was fine when there were a few small farms. Today, The Rabbit River Watershed is covered by 63% farmland and growing. As prices go up, one can bet that the number of planted acres will increase.

Gone are the endless forests, grasslands, abundant wetlands, and other natural areas that are naturally designed to balance the flow of water. 58% of the wetlands in the watershed have been drained since the 1800’s. Flooding happens, it always has and there is no need to end flooding overall. But we have managed the land so that flooding occurs far more often that it would if we took steps to maintain balance in our managed lands.

Once in the channel, we often manage to move the water as quickly downstream as possible. We have changed the landscape on a scale that has significant impacts to the waters of the Great Lakes overall. Maintaining these drain systmes has become a huge effort including a high cost. The amount of sediment, such as topsoil, that we send downstream is tremendous. For an agricultural community, the soil is gold. It is the base of our economy and without it, future generation will have a harder time farming here.

We don’t have to convert all land back to a previous natural landscape to significantly reduce the impact we are collectively having on the land and water. It is important to understand that we all affect the lands and waters of our watershed. It is not only up the people living right on the Rabbit River that can maintain the quality of water in our backyards, farm fields, towns, and waterways. It includes everyone including those living in town, out of town,and on farms. It includes all people that live, work, and breathe in the watershed.

All property owners should consider what we are losing by sending the water and soil away from the land. Creating better systems where infiltration (water filtering through the soil) is a key to successfully reducing erosion, nonpoint source pollution, and flooding. In the Rabbit River Watershed we have converted much of the land to agriculture. The question here is: How do we maintain our agricultural lands and protect our water at the same time? The good news is that it is possible.

Changes to our properties and land management to care for our land and water:

• Buffer Strips: Maintain at least a 20 foot buffer along waterways of grass or 80 foot forested land. By leaving this area to grow plants with long roots that remain year-round the banks of drains and streams will be stabilized and runoff water will be slowed and filtered before entering the stream or drain.
• Conservation Tillage: Converting farms from conventional tillage of stirring the soil each year to a system like no till, we can not only increase infiltration, but often increase the productivity of the land that we farm. Also retaining crop residue on the land will reduce need for added fertilizer while protecting the ground from erosion during rain events.
• Cover Crops: Using covers means ground is not left as bare soil all winter and spring. Protecting our soil should be the main goal of every farmer. Cover crops stabilize our soil while often adding needed nutrients to the soil such as nitrogen.
• Capacity for water: The more capacity we have for water in the system the less rush of water will be felt downstream. Restoring wetlands and floodplains will add areas where high waters flow can reduce the erosion in stream channels is key. Give water flow a place to go rather than just downstream.
• Two stage channel design: Rather than using trapezoidal channels (common ditch construction) we use a two stage design that gives high waters some area to spread out and diffuse stream energy and increase capacity (lowering water levels).

These are ways to change how we are impacting our loss of soil and our pollution in the streams. Not every farmer can buy new equipment to change to a no till system. Every farmer could consider returning the area directly adjacent to waterways back to grass. If you have any questions on anything in this article feel free to contact your local conservation district.

Definitions:

Infiltration: process of water on the surface of the ground enters the soil. With many current systems the rate of infiltration is less than the rate of precipitation. This leads to run-off.

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Do you remember what veggies used to taste like out of the garden? Many of us used to have gardens, remember our parent’s or grandparent’s gardens, or maybe have a garden of our own. The farmers’ market is a great way to supplement your own garden and support your neighbors farm. Locally produced vegetables can be tastier than the produce that was shipped from hundreds of miles away. Michigan has a great and growing industry of small producers that want to market their goods directly to you.

Have you ever wondered what goes on in parks and parking lots across the county under all those canopies? Stop by a local farmers’ market, you probably will be surprised at the prices and the availability of locally produced and seasonal products. When you support a farmer at the market, you are giving your money directly to the people that grew your food. Some markets do allow distributors in, but a quick question and you can find out which vendors live and grow food right down the street from you.

Here is a list of some of the local Farmers’ Markets. There may be more but here is a place to start:

Allegan Farmers Market:

• Offering fresh homegrown goodness in downtown Allegan!
• The Allegan market is open Thursdays from 8-2 from May to October.
• Located at the parking lot on the corner of Water and Cutler Streets.
• For more information about the market or becoming a vendor, please contact Vicki Knuckles at 269.673.3456 or griswoldauditorium@charter.net.

Fennville Farmers Market:

• Offering local produce, flowers, herbs, plants, jams, honey and baked goods.
• Open June-October, Every Sat 10am-2pm.
• Located SW corner of Main & Maple Streets Fennville, MI.

Hopkins Farmer’s Market:

• Offering plants, nursery stock, flowers, fruits, vegetables, jams, honey, syrups and sauces, and some hand crafted items
• Open 8-4 Wednesday and Saturday May-October
• Located in the Hopkins Downtown Park

Otsego Farmer’s Market:

The market is open 8-2 on Saturdays and 4-7 on Tuesdays. Proceeds will make possible scholarships to local Otsego Students. Please call the chamber office at 269.694.6880 with any questions.

South Haven Farm Market:

• Continuing to provide vibrant, fresh and exciting additions to the community.
• Open Wednesdays (June-September) and Saturdays (May-October) 8-2.
• Located under the pavilion in the Huron Street parking lot behind the Post Office in downtown South Haven.(546 Phoenix St.)

Saugatuck-Douglas Greenmarket:

• Open June 1st-Oct. 5th, Fridays 8am-2pm and July 2nd-Aug. 27th, Mondays 3-7pm
• Located Saugatuck Center for the Arts (parking lot) 400 Culver Street Saugatuck, MI

Wayland Farmers Market:

• Open on Tuesday and Saturday
• Located across from the fire department on West Superior

Farmers’ Markets are run by local groups and towns to offer at least a weekly marketplace for producers to sell their products to local people. Farmers’ markets are not only a place to buy food, but also to connect with other community members. Stop by this week. Farmers’ markets are tied to the growing season so don’t be surprised that there aren’t any tomatoes in May. Learning to eat what is available in the current season is one of the best ways to experience the best tasting produce currently available. Enjoy our local culture by visiting a farmers’ market today.

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Planting native species provides many benefits for you and for the world around you. Native plants require less maintenance and provide many benefits to birds, animals and insects, plus they provide a natural beauty to the landscape.

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For future funding the Rabbit River Watershed Project is focused on two grant proposals. The grant proposals include a grant from the Great Lakes Commission called the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control. This grant will be proposed in collaboration with the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council, Allegan County Drain Commission and the Allegan County Road Commission. Focus will be on projects that reduce sediment from reaching the Great Lakes, in this case Lake Michigan. These projects will include use of two stage channel design, a culvert replacement and programs to increase the use of conservation tillage among the producers in the Rabbit River Watershed.

Additional future funding will be seeking a new 319 grant administered by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The focus of this proposal will be on Wetland Restoration, Best Management Practices (BMPs), and conservation tillage through Farm Bill Programs. Both of these grants will include a significant education and outreach component.

The Allegan Conservation District has been working hard to increase it’s use of electronic means for outreach and education. Over the current grant and use of electronic education we have seen a consistent increase in the use and number of individuals we are reaching through this communication. We will continue to utilize both new innovative techniques for outreach as well as integrating long standing methods of public education.

Currently, we are focused on implementing BMPs with The Allegan County Road Commission and The Allegan County Drain Commission. These projects are the current on the ground work that is progressing under the current 319 grant. We are also working to contact any landowners in the Rabbit River Watershed that have unrestricted livestock access to waterways including drains, ditches, channels and streams. Reducing unrestricted livestock access is critical to reducing nonpoint source pollution (NPS) in the watershed.

The next meeting of the Rabbit River Watershed Steering Committee will be held in July 2013. Feel free to contact the Project Manager with any questions, comments, or concerns.

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Native plants are suited to the local climate so they can require less watering and maintenance compared to flowers from other countries and they rarely become aggressive or invasive. (The worst invasive species in America right now, started as decorative plants which nurseries brought in from other countries). Wildlife, including butterflies and insects are adapted to native plants. They receive nutrients from, help pollinate and also lay eggs in native plants. If a yard has only non-native plants, then these garden beauties will go elsewhere to live.

There is a wide range of native plants, shrubs and grasses to suit any gardener’s tastes. They can be found in reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, whites, blues and purples and in varying needs of sun or shade, wet or dry. This spring take some time to look into native plants when you shop for your yard or gardens and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

We’re having a Native Plant Sale this year. Please look at our list of 40 Native Wildflowers, 5 Native Grasses, 3 Native Shrubs, and 5 native Ferns. Orders are due by May 6th, and the plant sale is scheduled for Friday, May 17th, from 4-8pm at the Allegan Conservation District Office.

Native Plant Sale Order Form

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Governor Snyder approved $21 Million for 58 dredging projects at public recreational boating facilities in Michigan. Kalamazoo Lake in Saugatuck is one of the additional locations added to the list. The “emergency dredging” is needed to allow boats access to Michigan harbors. The need is suggested to revolve around falling lake levels in the Great Lakes creating depth issues for boats. The access issues are for recreational vessels, and also for ships as well.

Sediment in the Harbors Comes from Upstream

Dredging is not a solution to the larger problem of excess sedimentation. The issue is not limited to lower lake levels and boat access to harbors. We need more than a quick fix for soil erosion and increased sediment coming downstream. There is no certainty that lake levels will rise or fall in the future. Dredging will allow boats to move in and out of harbors this season, but lake levels may continue to fall. This could lead to the need for more “emergency dredging”. The only certainty is that without a change in upstream land management, we will continue to dump large quantities of sediment in harbors and the Great Lakes.

Even without lower lake levels, we have the issues of upstream erosion that require regular dredging in harbors. The upstream sources of sediment are soils from a variety of inland locations where soil is bare. Significant sources of sediment are introduced from runoff and excessive erosion in stream channels from water racing downstream in straightened channels during rain events.

Runoff from rain events that travel over bare ground or exposed soil erodes soil into the stream system. This sediment load will travel downstream as long as it moves fast enough to remain suspended in the water. Water flows slower when it reaches lakes, reservoirs or harbors. At this point, the sediment is dropped out of suspension or dumped, settling to the bottom. Accumulation of sediment occurs in slower moving waters, particularly harbors or on arrival to the Great Lakes. These accumulated sediments require dredging to maintain ship passage even without lowering lake levels.

Some Sediment is Natural

Some erosion in streams is normal. Stream channels are always naturally changing. It’s also normal to see a delta form where rivers reach large bodies of water. Therefore, some sediment accumulation in harbors is to be expected. Most of our stream systems in Michigan are not all natural. We have continuously increased the speed at which water gets into streams by lengthening, building, straightening, and dredging channels. Due to these practices we have fast moving water and channels with more energy (water volume and speed) than can be handled by the channels. This is coupled with a loss of capacity of the surrounding lands to slow overland flow from rain. As a result these channels erode more and carry large amounts of suspended sediment for great distances. This sediment piles up downstream.

Dredging Regardless of Changes in Lake Level

Harbors and channels are dredged regularly regardless of lake level changes. This increase in sediment causes significant ecological problems in the stream channels, the Great Lakes, and the economic issues in harbors as well.

It appears that this year many harbors are now scheduled to be dredged with State money. Many people see this as a waste since they don’t own boats and receive little to no benefit from the work. Others see tourism and boating as a way of life in Michigan and believe this is an important way to utilize tax dollars. In addition to this debate we should include how we are using the money to keep our harbors accessible. It is possible that spending tax dollars upstream to reduce erosion and sediment in the stream is thelong term solution to multiple issues, not just one symptom of sediment in harbors. Without reducing sediment flowing into the harbors the issue will continue and many dollars will continue to be spent on emergency fixes. Of course this isn’t an answer to the question of why lake levels are falling, but it is another important component to managingthe land and waters of Michigan.

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Location: Outdoor Discovery Nature Preserve
4214 56th Street, Holland, MI 49423

Cost: $6

Event Flyer

To register and pay by credit card please visit our online store.

To register and pay by check, please complete the form below and send a check to the Allegan Conservation District at 1668 Lincoln Rd., Allegan, MI 49010.

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