Winter 2016

Click here to view a pdf of the full newsletter

2016 Watershed Stakeholder of the Year
Student Research Presented at Watershed Annual Meeting
The MACC Welcomes a New Agricultural Technician!
MACC Receives Community Foundation Grant to Study Green Infrastructure Possibilities
Project Clarity Update

2016 Watershed Stakeholder of the Year

The Macatawa Area Coordinating Council was pleased to name the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) at Grand Valley State University its 2016 Watershed Stakeholder of the Year. The Watershed Stakeholder of the Year Award is given to an individual, organization or group that has made significant contributions to improving water quality in the Macatawa Watershed.

Several AWRI representatives were at the meeting to accept the award. From left are Michael Hassett, Lab Manager, Maggie Oudsema, Research Assistant and Emily Kindervater, GVSU Graduate Student.

Many staff and students from AWRI have been involved in various aspects of the Macatawa Watershed Project for many years. Their participation in the watershed has increased in recent years due to Project Clarity. Dr. Alan Steinman’s Lab is conducting water quality monitoring in Lake Macatawa and in streams near significant restoration projects. Their 2016 report will be published after the first of the year. They are also monitoring streambank erosion using a remote sensing technique called LiDAR. Dr. Carl Ruetz has conducted fish surveys of Lake Macatawa the last three summers. Several students, including graduate student Emily Kindervater who presented her work at the December 15 meeting (see story inside), have conducted research in the watershed. The W.G. Jackson and its knowledgeable crew made six trips to Lake Macatawa since 2002, allowing 100’s of residents to explore water quality in Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan. They also brought some of this hands-on learning to the Macatawa Water Festival the last two years. AWRI staff participated in other MACC projects including the urban tree canopy assessment completed in 2013 and the sustainable funding study completed earlier this fall.

Emily Kindervater, A Grand Valley State University Graduate Student, also presented some preliminary results of her research investigating phosphorus retention in two-stage ditches in the Macatawa Watershed. Several agricultural two-stage ditches were installed over the last several years with local farmers in partnership with Project Clarity. Two farmers are cooperating with the study to allow sediment samples to be taken from their ditches. Overall, her preliminary results are showing lower concentrations of phosphorus within the two-stage ditch when compared to samples taken upstream. She is also looking at whether or not the two-stage ditches could potentially be a source of phosphorus. In other words, as the sediment in the ditches accumulates phosphorus, could some of that become soluble and transported downstream to Lake Macatawa? Initial results show that one of the two-stage ditches could potentially be a source of phosphorus, but that ditch was constructed, about a year ago. More data and long-term monitoring is needed to fully answer this question. Emily hopes to wrap up her research and publish her thesis within the next year.

Back to Table of Contents

Student Research Presented at Watershed Annual Meeting

From left to right: Elijah Riggen, Amanda Dort, Cody Berkobien, John Harron, and Monica Elliott.

Students from Hope College’s Advanced Environmental Seminar, under the instruction of Dr. Brian Bodenbender, presented results of their semester-long research at the Macatawa Watershed Annual meeting on December 15 at Holland City Hall.

The team of Cody Berkobien, Amanda Dort and Elijah Riggen studied the pollution of heavy metals in Lake Macatawa that are associated with antifouling paints used on boats. The heavy metals in these paints, copper in particular, can be dislodged during boat washing and concentrations may build up in nearshore areas of marinas. The team took sediment samples from several marinas around Lake Macatawa to see if there is a significant concentration of copper in Lake Macatawa, if there are other heavy metals present and what the spatial distribution of these metals are in relation to boat haul-out areas. Copper was found in sediments at all 5 marinas that were sampled and no copper was found in control sites at parks. Copper concentrations were higher near boat-washing or haul out areas compared to sediment near docks. More research is needed to fully explore the extent of copper pollution and what, if anything, should be done about it.

The team of John Harron, Monica Elliott and Lea Vehling (not present at meeting) studied the effectiveness of various restored wetlands in removing phosphates from the watershed. High phosphate levels are a concern in the Macatawa Watershed, and past remediation methods have involved the human construction of wetlands. Their research sought to provide insight on how well the wetlands are retaining phosphorus, and whether it was correlated to the land management techniques or restoration history at each site. Data were collected during periods of high and low flow in the watershed to examine peak phosphate removal conditions. So far, they found that seasons have a large impact on the amount of phosphate being removed or added to wetlands. More research is needed to understand how systems change over time and whether or not these wetlands that are designed to trap phosphorus could become a source of phosphorus to the watershed.

Emily Kindervater in action, collecting sediment samples from one of the two-stage ditches.

Back to Table of Contents

The MACC Welcomes a New Agricultural Technician!

VinkPicv2 Growing up in the heart of California’s Central Valley, Rob Vink was surrounded by a thriving agricultural community. It was here that Rob developed a great interest and appreciation for the work and efforts of the region’s growers and dairymen. Rob left California to attend Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He spent a summer researching and making recommendations for the management of the Mt. Pisgah sand dune situated near Holland State Park. Rob graduated from Calvin College in 2007 with a degree in Environmental Geology. Rob is an avid outdoorsman and a father to two young boys. He enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, taxidermy, and spending time with his family in the outdoors. Most recently he has had the opportunity to work with one of West Michigan’s premier agricultural service providers. Rob provided assistance to the precision agriculture department and was responsible for dispatch and customer service. Rob’s experience working with West Michigan farmers has taught him that the key to being successful is by building long term, trusting relationships, and by providing innovative, creative, and sustainable solutions for growers and their operations.

At the MACC, Rob will continue working with farmers on sustainable options that benefit the farm and our water quality. He will provide technical assistance to plan and implement agricultural best management practices that reduce sediment and nutrient pollution. Rob will also assist farmers in seeking financial assistance through the MACC’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant and Project Clarity. Rob can be contacted at rvink@the-macc.org or 616-395-2688.

Back to Table of Contents

MACC Receives Community Foundation Grant to Study Green Infrastructure Possibilities

The MACC was pleased to receive a grant from the Community Foundation of the Holland Zeeland area this fall. The $21,000 awarded by the Foundation will help support a project that will take a deeper look at where to implement green infrastructure in the Holland-Zeeland urbanized area. Simply defined, green infrastructure is a way to manage water that mimics nature.

In the image on the left, rain water will land on impervious surfaces like buildings and streets, and flow off of those surfaces and into storm drains that delivers water directly to streams and lakes. There is very little opportunity for water to be used by plants or soak into the ground. In the image on the right, rain water has different pathways. Some rain is caught in leaves and tree trunks, more soaks into the ground where it can replenish groundwater or be available for plants to use, and very little runs off the surface and is delivered directly to streams or lakes.

The MACC’s project will include analyses of where green infrastructure can be implemented in the landscape and also look at areas that should be prioritized for green infrastructure. In other words, where are the best places to put green infrastructure and where can it be done easiest and most cost effectively? MACC staff will do a portion of the analyses, but much will be done by a professional engineer from Kieser and Associates, a Kalamazoo based environmental science and engineering firm that has extensive experience in planning and analyzing green infrastructure. The project will offer opportunities for public input and specifically focus community engagement in the Holland Heights area. The MACC will also actively seek input from local units of government in order to identify priority areas for green infrastructure implementation. Another key component of the project will be to hold a green infrastructure training for local decision makers, planners, engineers, developers, and anyone else interested in learning more about how green infrastructure can be used to effectively manage storm water. This event is scheduled for August 22 at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center in Downtown Holland. More information will be provided at a later date.

This project is just beginning, but hope to have some preliminary analysis ready for review at our January 26 Watershed Advisory Committee Meeting. All are welcome to attend to review our progress and provide feedback on the results. Further analysis will be completed by Kieser and Associates in late winter through early summer. At the same time, MACC staff will be engaging with the community to promote the uses and benefits of green infrastructure. The training seminar is planned for the end of August. All community engagement will be wrapped up in late summer/early fall and a final report will be submitted to the Community Foundation by the first of December.

Back to Table of Contents

Project Clarity Update

Contributed by Dan Callam, Greenway Manager, ODCMG

Another Project Clarity wetland restoration project designed to store floodwater was installed in along the Macatawa Greenway corridor. Referred to as our Middle Mac West restoration, the site has two wetland cells that were constructed on fallow pastureland on the north bank of the Macatawa River. Following the 38-acre restoration completed last year on the south side of the river, this five-acre wetland will also help capture storm water flowing from adjacent properties. It will also capture floodwater from the Macatawa River during periods of high flow.

What started as an early summer project turned into a late summer project due to wet site conditions. However, it did show that we picked a good site on which to construct a wetland! Material was excavated out of the site and placed into a berm between pools and a larger knoll overlooking the site, and then the entire site was reseeded with native plants. Future plans for the site will include a section of the Macatawa Greenway trail, as well as a nice overlook area for wildlife observation.

This project wraps up a grant the Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway received from the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This resulted in 44 acres of improved wetland habitat and increased connectivity of the Macatawa River to its historic floodplain, further reducing the sediment and nutrient loads downstream. We are grateful for the support we have received on both Middle Mac projects, including design from Niswander Environmental, excavation work by 28 Specialties, and additional funding from numerous local sources.

Above shows Middle Mac West during excavation and the wet conditions that were present on site. Below is the finished wetland, fall 2016.

Picture1pc

Back to Table of Contents