Lake Restoration Initiative

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Lake Restoration Initiative
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The Paw Paw Lake Foundation

• Lake Management Study
• Results
• Recommendations

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Paw Paw Lake Watershed Study

• This study was conducted by the Spicer Group,
  recognized experts in aquatic engineering and
  lake management.
• This study was funded thanks to all that
  generously donated to the Paw Paw Lake Foundation.

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Studies Conducted

• Watershed mapping
• Inflow vs. Outflow
• Depths - Entire lake
• Sediment / Locations / Composition
• Nutrient Inflows / Locations / Quantities
• Oxygen concentrations by
• depth
• Drain assessments

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BranchDarby Drain
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Results The Short Version

• Water flows from a 20 mile area into Paw Paw Lake
• - Primary land use is agriculture, wooded,
  residential
• Lake takes 2 ½ years to turn over. (Inflow
  vs. outflow)
• 50 inflow from Branch Darby Drain
• 25 inflow from lakefront run-off
• Underwater springs input under water seepage
• Outflow drainage weir evaporation
• Nutrient (Phosphorus Nitrogen)inflows are very
  high
• Bottom sediments are 5 feet deep in some areas

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Input minus Output Accumulation
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Why are increased phosphate levels bad for Paw
Paw Lake?

• High phosphate (nutrient) levels are the cause of
  accelerated weed and algae growth!

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Good news / Bad news

• A Pristine Lake

• Paw Paw Lake

• Phosphate level 10 to 15
• Bottom sediments 6 in.
• Phosphate inflow 5 to 10
• Normal weed growth
• Normal algae growth
• High water clarity

• Phosphate level 25
• Bottom sediment 6in. to 5ft
• Phosphate inflow 46
• Accelerated weed growth
• Accelerated algae growth
• Poor water clarity

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The Bottom Line

• Between the increasing bottom sediments and the
  steadily increasing nutrient levels, the water
  quality of Paw Paw Lake continues deteriorating
  each year. Accelerated weed and algae growth and
  poor water clarity will continue until nutrient
  levels are reduced.

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The Magic Wand Solutions

• Remove all bottom sediments using hydraulic
  dredging.
• Replace the current chemical spot weed
  treatment with a whole lake treatment plan that
  uses best practices for mechanical and chemical
  treatment.
• Repair drain banks to stop erosion.
• Build sediment basins on County drains to collect
  sediments and reduce phosphates before drain
  water enters lake.
• Stop using phosphate fertilizer on properties
  near lake.
• Preserve and increase wetlands and buffer zones
  in watershed.

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Little Things Big Impact

• Riprap program
• Residential street drains
• Rain gardens
• Buffer strips
• Leaf pick up

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The Reality Its all about

• The cost of the magic wand would exceed 20
  million
• Priorities need to be established based on impact
  and available funding.
• Some small amount of short range funding may be
  available from the two Townships and the Drain
  Commission.
• Some funding may be available using funds donated
  to the Paw Paw Lake Foundation.
• Long range, some method of local taxation
  (Special Assessment Districts) may need to be
  established.

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Options for Funding Lake Improvements

• One way to fund Lake Improvement Projects is by
  cost sharing. E.g. Donations, Townships, Counties
• Another way to fund Paw Paw Lake Improvement is
  the creation of Special Assessment Districts.
  (S.A.D.)
• If BOTH funding sources are available, progress
  will be faster and overall improvement will be
  better.

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Establish Priorities

• Separate major projects from minor projects based
  on cost.
• Identify biggest bang for the buck.
• Indentify partners and stakeholders that can
  help.
• Get buy in on priorities.
• Establish who is going to do what.
• Establish time frames
• Go to work.

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Recommended Priorities Projects with funding
options

• Branch Darby Drain Restoration clean
  drains -remove sediments - reduce bank erosion
  in-line sediment traps
• Funding Coloma Watervliet Townships, Berrien
  and VanBuren County Drain Commissioners, PPLF
• Benefits
• Reduce sediments entering Paw Paw Lake
• Reduce nutrients entering Paw Paw Lake

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Recommended Priorities Projects with funding
options (Continued)

• Paw Paw Lake Weed Control Bottom Sediments
• Stop current chemical treatment.
• Replace current annual spot treatment with a
  whole lake best practices treatment plan.
• Implement a spot dredging program
• Funding Paw Paw Lake property owners
• Establish Special Assessment Districts.
• Benefits
• Entire lake weed elimination
• Nutrient levels reduced
• Water quality and clarity improved

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The Spicer Study and Recommendations funded by
the Paw Paw Lake Foundation
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Now its up to us! Our lake, our
property, our responsibility.
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Special Assessment Districts for Paw Paw Lake

• A possible solution for the today and the future

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Now! How do we create Special Assessment
Districts for Paw Paw Lake?

• People that care and are willing to work.
• Understand the SAD process.
• Create awareness in the lake community
• Communicate the importance of cleaning up the
  lake
• Circulate petitions / target 51 support
• Persuade Townships to approve

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Special Assessment District Process/Requirements

• Formation of volunteer SAD committee.
• Independent
• Not PPLF or PPLA
• Paw Paw Lake Homeowners
• Paw Paw Lake Condo Owners
• Proven Community leaders
• People willing to commit time

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Special Assessment Districts Committee

• Coloma Township
• Ken Teutsch
• Chairman
• Rod Krieger
• KC McKay
• Ken Parrigin
• Charlie Pater
• Louis Presta
• Norma Somers
• Joe Wasserman

• Watervliet Township
• Thys Van Hout Chairman
• Bob Becker
• Pat Gibson
• Dan Hutchins
• Ken Krengel
• Frank Oswald
• Mary Spessard
• Joe Stepich

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New Name

• Lake Restoration Initiative
• Our Lake, Our Property, Our Responsibility

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What will the Special Assessment pay for?

• A permanent entire lake best practices weed
  control program.
• Spot dredging of bottom sediments in critical
  areas of the lake.
• Interest administration

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What about the drains?

• The Berrien County and Van Berrien County Drain
  Commissioners have committed to implement a major
  drain improvement project on the Branch Darby
  Drain.
• 50 of nutrient input comes from the B D Drain
• BENEFIT Major reduction in nutrients entering
  the lake.

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Will funding a weed control for Paw Paw Lake
really work?

• One company, Professional Lake Management, with
  headquarters in Michigan, Minnesota, and South
  Carolina has treated over 100 lakes in the past
  five years.
• They have supplied a long list of references in
  Michigan for us to contact.
• Eight lakes are near us. (Have complete contact
  list.)
• Lets look one case study of a Michigan lake.
  (Case study document available for all.)

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Case Study Houghton Lake, Michigan

• Large lake-20,000 acres-heavy recreational use
  large fish and water fowl population.
• In 1999 50 covered with Eurasian Milfoil.
• In 2002 Entire lake treated with Sonar.
• ( Sonar targets E.M. systemically with a slow
  vegetative response that kills E.M and allows for
  fast restoration of desired plants.)
• Within first year 91 of E.M. eliminated.
• In 15 months - 100 of E.M. eliminated.
• 2003 Other plant community doing well.
  ( 19 good plant species identified)

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Local Lakes that have funded entire lake weed
control programs

• Mill Lake Ackley Lake
• Attn Mike Connelly Attn Bob King
• 12370 Maple Street 51618 33rd Street
• Gobles, MI. 49055 Paw Paw, MI 49079
• 269-655-8007
•  
• North Lake Indian Lake - Kalamazoo
• Attn Craig Yaple Attn Greg Nichols
• 27935 North St 3503 Greenleaf Blvd.
• Gobles, MI 49055 Kalamazoo, MI 49008
• 269-377-7464 269-353-8282
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• Lake of the Woods Indian Lake Cass County
• Attn Andy Broekhuizen Attn Don Regan
• 2495 47th St 33115 Lakeview Ave.
• Decatur, MI 49045 Dowagiac, MI 49047
• 269-782-2638
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• Big and Little Crooked Round Lake

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Bottom sediment removal

• Do nothing. ( Cost 0 )
• Remove all. ( Cost 10,000,000 plus )
• Remove sediments is targeted areas.
• (Based on 5 areas sampled in Spicer Study)
• (Cost Est. 1,200,000.)
• BENEFIT - Reduced nutrients, reduced weed and
  algae growth, and improved water clarity

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Special Assessment District Process/Requirements

• Separate district required for each Township
• Districts needs to be established/identified
• All riparian property owners (800) from tax
  rolls
• Petitions prepared by legal counsel.
• Petition defines, district, assessment amount,
  purpose and duration
• Community presentations / web site.
• Petitions circulated/ signatures required from
  51 of property owners (both spouses)in each
  SAD(60 goal)

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SAD Requirements Continued

• Petitions presented to each Township Board
• Township Boards decide IF they choose to proceed.
• Townships verify petition signatures
• Townships hire legal counsel to prepare SAD
  documents
• Townships hold public hearings
• Township Boards approve (or not)
• Township Boards appoint SAD advisory committees
• Townships manages SAD with advisory committee
  help. E.g. hire contractors, collect taxes, pay
  bills

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Who will be taxed?

• All properties with riparian access to Paw Paw
  Lake.
• Includes
• Single family
• Condos
• Natures Cove
• Pogagin Heights
• Multi-parcel adjacent properties under the same
  ownership will only be assessed on the parcel
  that has a dwelling on it.

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Big Question Whats it going to cost me?

• Single family properties 270 per year
• Properties that share riparian access 135.
• Anyone that currently treats for weeds can
  deduct the cost of their weed treatment from
  total cost.

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So lets go to work and clean up the lake !!!!
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Lake Restoration InitiativePaw Paw Lake
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