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Mary Fales,Watershed Coordinator

Michigan Watershed SummitMarch 28, 2012

MACC MissionMACC Mission::

“To encourage cooperation “To encourage cooperation among neighboring units of among neighboring units of government on area wide government on area wide issues”issues”

Land UseLand Use

� 175 Square miles

� 46% Agricultural� 33% Urban� 19% Forest� 2% Wetlands

� 9 townships� 2 cities� 2 counties

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� Too Much Sediment

� Causes Turbidity and Sedimentation

� Too Many Nutrients

� Causes algae blooms, low dissolved oxygen, fish kills

� Too Much Water Too Fast

� Causes soil erosion

� Elevated levels of E.coli bacteria

� Causes beach closures and public health concerns

� MDEQ studied water quality� Main problem: Phosphorus

� Develop Phosphorus TMDL

� Need 70% Phosphorus Reduction

� 90% of pollution is coming from runoff (non-point sources)

� Watershed Management Plan was developed in the late 90s

•Public Water Supply

•Coldwater FisheryNot

Applicable

•Agricultural Use

•Industrial Water Supply

•Navigation

Meeting Standards

•Warmwater Fishery

•Other Aquatic life/Wildlife

•Total Body Contact

•Partial Body Contact

•Fish Consumption

Impaired

� Hydrology Study

� Pollutant Loading Study

� Wetlands Assessment

� Geomorphology Study

� Conservation Priority Map

� Road Stream Crossing Study

� Agricultural Survey

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� Partnership with Hope College

� Proposed low-cost sediment samplers

� 2009- Water Quality Monitoring Grant

� Funded initial 12 sites

Traditional Sediment Sampling

2011 Sampling Events

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Cost-share for MAEAP

• $500 for completing the Farm-A Syst checklist

• $1500 for becoming verified

• $500 for renewing verification

• If you live in the focus areas: please contact me directly

Mary Fales616-395-2688

mfales@the-macc.org

Great Lakes Restoration InitiativeSediment Sampling in the Macatawa Watershed

� First sampling grant in 2009

� 2010: � Expanded the analysis side of the program� Rcvd Water Quality Monitoring Grant from MDEQ� Expanded from 12 sites to 26 sites

� 2011: � Rcvd private funding to expand the program from 26 sites to 43

sites

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� Size and shape� Color� Cathodoluminesence� Biological analysis� Elemental analysis� Phosphate content� Radiodating

� Particle size examined by using both sieve stacks and scanning electron microscope (SEM)

� Shape analyzed by Scandium® software for roundness, elongation, etc.

� Majority of sites feature high concentration of clay-sized particles (<65µm)

Site 19

Site 27 Site 40

Site 16Site 9

Site 6

� Using this technique to identify and quantify minerals within samples

� Blues are the feldspars� Reds are the calcite� Dark purple and blues are quartz

� Analysis performed using SEM to create pollen and diatom library for site by site comparison

� Loss on ignition testing also performed to measure total organic content

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� Particle induced x-ray emission (PIXE) to look at various elements

Zn Event 2

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1BE2

3CE2

5BE2

7CE2

9BE2

11CE2

13BE

2

15BE

2

18CE2

20CE2

22CE2

24CE2

26BE

2

28BE

2

30CE2

32BE

2

34CE2

37BE

2

41AE

2

Ave

rage

Site

Concen

tration

Cu Event 2

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1BE2

3CE2

5BE2

7CE2

9BE2

11CE2

13BE

2

15BE

2

18CE2

20CE2

22CE2

24CE2

26BE

2

28BE

2

30CE2

32BE

2

34CE2

37BE

2

41AE

2

Ave

rage

Site

Concen

tration

Fe Event 2

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

1BE2

3CE2

5BE2

7CE2

9BE2

11CE2

13BE

2

15BE

2

18CE2

20CE2

22CE2

24CE2

26BE

2

28BE

2

30CE2

32BE

2

34CE2

37BE

2

41AE

2

Ave

rage

Site

Concentration

0.1

1

10

AA & PIXE Comparison of Fe:Ca Ratios

AA Fe:Ca

PIXE Fe:Ca

� Phosphate analyzed using AutoAnalyzer III

� Total inorganic phosphates (Ca-bound, Fe-bound and soluble) measured

� Fe/Ca ratio has matched elemental ratio found using PIXE

Event 2Event 4 Preliminary Results:

A typical “event”

Phosphates

Event 2Event 4 Preliminary Results:

A typical “event”

Phosphates

� Is sediment coming from streambank erosion OR surface runoff?

� Looking for 7 Be which has a short half life

� Topsoil: should have 7Be

� Soil from bank erosion: little to no 7Be

First 7Be Radiodating Results

Site 5

Site 24

Site 32

Site 42

7Be

7Be

7Be

7Be

Most sediment collected is topsoil (<1 yr old) = Run-off

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� Size and Shape� Minerals � Biological Analysis

Most Promising� Color� Elemental Analysis� Phosphate Analysis� Radiodating

� Both of our State grants end this summer

� Putting together guidance on how other groups might develop a similar program

� The monitoring program will continue this year

� Turn sediment mass data into sediment loads

� Continue sampling in the future . . . .we hope

� Build partnership with local college or university� Chemistry, geology departments

� Make friends with local road commissions

� Advertise the program as much as you can!

� Use students! Mary Fales,Watershed Coordinator

616-395-2688mfales@the-macc.org