Autumn The MACC welcomes a new Agricultural Technician! The 2014 Macatawa Water Festival was a success!

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1 Macatawa Area Coordinating Council A Cooperative Effort Among Units of Government Autumn 2014 Inside this issue Project Clarity Update Paw Paw Foot Bridge Update Water Quality Boat Tours Fall River Cleanup 3 Soil Loss 4 Calendar of Events 5 The MACC welcomes a new Agricultural Technician! Aaron Spicer, the new Agricultural Technician, started with the MACC this August. Aaron is a life-long no-till farmer from Jackson County. He grows corn, wheat, soybeans, and hay and raises Angus cattle, Boer goats, swine, and rabbits. Aaron has been a long-time 4-H member, leader and avid supporter, participating in Beef, Swine, Goats, Rabbits, and Poultry and has also served as a 4-H Camp Counselor and Archery Instructor. Aaron completed his B.S. in Environmental Conservation at Northern Michigan University. In Marquette, he took part in NMU s Competitive Archery Team and volunteered his time with the Moosewood Nature Conservancy, the Presque Isle Deer Census Project, the annual Dead River clean-up, and other student-led conservation programs. Aaron is looking forward to working with the MACC and local farmers to help promote a healthier watershed. If you would like to talk to Aaron about improving water quality protection on your farm, you can contact him at or aspicer@the-macc.org. The 2014 Macatawa Water Festival was a success! The 2014 Macatawa Water Festival was held on Saturday, July 26, at the Holland Farmer s Market. Nine exhibitors set up displays and activities for all ages. Exhibitors included the Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway, Holland Board of Public Works, West Michigan Environmental Action Council, MSU Extension, Hope College, US Coast Guard Auxiliary (pictured at lower left), Ottawa County Parks, Ottawa Conservation District (OCD) and MACC. The OCD also held 2 rain barrel building workshops during the festival (pictured at upper left). The MACC would like to thank all of the exhibitors who participated and the City of Holland and the Holland Farmer s Market for hosting the festival. We re all looking forward to next year!

2 By Dan Callam, Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway We have had some great help over the past couple months implementing a few more projects that will help to achieve the water quality goals of Project Clarity. Two sites in Zeeland Township have had improvements that will limit the amount of sediment leaving the property. We worked to restore wetlands that were disturbed by the construction of a dirt bike track that was installed by a previous owner (pictured at upper right). We worked with Niswander Environmental and Connan Excavating to restore these wetlands, which will provide additional water storage. A native seed mix was planted that will help improve the wetlands function. Invasive species activity will also be monitored. We hope to have much more activity in the next few months along this stretch of the Macatawa Greenway. In another project improving water filtration, we worked with Walters Gardens of Zeeland to demonstrate barrier grasses they have developed for buffer strips at a farm near Drenthe (pictured at lower right). These grasses will help to slow water coming off a 13-acre crop field that was causing severe erosion at the edge of the field before entering Hunderman Creek. The grasses act as a physical barrier, slowing water and trapping sediment, reducing the amount of energy and subsequent erosional power of runoff. If you think you might have a project that Project Clarity can help with, please contact the MACC or the ODCMG! It has also been a busy summer with opportunities for education. In addition to the Macatawa Water Festival, we have been meeting with a number of neighborhood groups, government boards and business owners about the work we are doing for Project Clarity and how they can become involved. Support has been coming in throughout the summer, and while we have raised over half of our $12 million goal, we still have lots of work to do! Paw Paw Foot Bridge Project Update Thanks to volunteers from Herman Miller, some of the plantings have been completed at the Paw Paw Foot Bridge Park in Zeeland as part of the streambank restoration project that was installed earlier this summer. A row of shrubby cinquefoil was planted at the top edge of the streambank (pictured at lower left) and native grass and wildflower plugs were planted on the face of the slope. In addition to the streambank plantings, volunteers also pulled weeds out of the bioswale on the north side of the foot bridge and planted some additional native wildflowers (pictured at lower right). Additional shrubs will be planted on the streambank later this fall. The project will not be fully completed this fall as a portion of the project is still planned to be planted in the Fall of Page 2

3 Water Quality Boat Tours Make a Splash in Lake Mac The W.G. Jackson from the GVSU Annis Water Resources Institute in Muskegon, was able to make a trip to Lake Macatawa on August 8 and 9 to offer public tours of Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan to explore water quality. Over 130 people attended 6 tours that each lasted 90 minutes. Participants helped to take water quality measurements in Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan including water transparency, turbidity, color, plankton density, ph, and conductivity. Participants were also able to explore the bottom sediments and the critters that live there as well as investigate the microscopic plankton that live in the water column. All along the way, participants learned why these measurements and critters are important and what they tell us about water quality and the health of the lake ecosystem. The MACC would like to thank the crew of the W. G. Jackson for all the work that they do, Project Clarity for helping to sponsor the tours, and everyone that came out to explore water quality! Shirley McIntire, Science Instructor (center) explains how to use the secchi disk to measure transparency.. Fall River Cleanup Report Volunteers that picked up trash along the shoes of Dutton Park. Not included are additional volunteers that cleaned up the shores of Kollen Park. Anne Hesselsweet, Science Instructor (center) talks about plankton found in Lake Macatawa. The fall Macatawa River Cleanup was held on Saturday, September 6, 1-4pm. Over 28 volunteers picked up trash along the shoreline of Lake Macatawa at Kollen Park and Dunton Park. In total, about 12 bags of trash were collected this fall. The dominant type of trash we collect at the cleanup events continues to be drink bottles, Styrofoam, cigarette butts, and plastic bags. The MACC and our partners at the Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway remind everyone to do your part to help keep Lake Macatawa clean and always be sure to properly dispose of your trash and pet waste when out on the water or while enjoying time at any public park. Page 3

4 Soil Loss 5 Steps to Better Soil Management By Aaron Spicer, Macatawa Area Coordinating Council It is easy to dismiss soil as being simply dirt, but it is in fact a vital part of farming. Soil erosion removes the topsoil which is not only the matrix for seeds, but also contains valuable nutrients, organic matter, and microorganisms necessary to the fertility of arable land. Promotion of better soil fertility starts with stopping soil erosion. There are several methods of soil conservation that can be achieved through good agricultural practices and often involve minimal effort. 1. Practice no till farming. With no-till farming, crop residue is allowed to remain rather than being plowed under at the end of the season. This method keeps soils securely in place rather than having bare ground exposed to wind and water. 2. Use cover crops. Planting a cover crop at the end of the harvest ensures that the soil remains in place, but also secures nitrogen loss, suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and can provide supplemental forage for livestock. 3. Reduce impervious surfaces. Impervious surfaces like driveways, cement feedlots, and compacted paddocks allow rainfall to flow freely across them. Water flow gains momentum when moving over such surfaces and can then erode fields and stream banks. A good compromise is to use stone in place of a concrete slab or asphalt to allow the water to permeate down into the soil. 4. Plant buffer strips along stream banks. Buffer strips help hold stream banks intact during times of flooding. They also help to prevent topsoil from eroding from the field and into waterways. Buffer strips can include a mixture of grasses, shrubs, and trees; which can also serve as a windbreak. 5. Plant windbreaks. Windbreaks prevent soil erosion by slowing the natural force of the wind over open ground. Trees or shrubs can be planted in a windbreak to help prevent wind from carrying away the topsoil. Any or all of these methods can be employed to help protect this important natural resource and provide a sound basis for increasing soil productivity. Once you begin using soil conservation methods, you'll no longer look at soil as simple dirt. Residue cover in a no-till planted field Cover crop demonstration plot planted in the Macatawa Watershed, 2013 Page 4

5 Calendar of Events September 24, 10-11:30am, Autumn Walk at the Macatawa Greenspace with Ottawa County Parks. Program is free but please register by calling September 27, 10:00am 2:00pm, Drug Take Back. Bring your expired/unneeded medications to Holland s Department of Public Safety to have them properly disposed of. Located at 89 w 8th street, Holland. Contact Judy Visscher for more information: September 29, 2:00-4:00pm, Macroinvertebrate Monitoring. Adam s Street Landing, Adams Street, Holland. Aquatic insects from seven locations are collected from streams and then brought back to ODCMG for identification. The identification process is one way that helps us determine water quality in the Macatawa Watershed. For more information or to register contact ODCMG at Registration is required. October 1, 10-11:30am, Autumn Walk at Mt. Pisgah with Ottawa County Parks (meet at Black Lake East). Program is free but please register by calling October 2, 6:00-9:00 pm, Ottawa Conservation District Native Plant and Tree Sale Pickup and Presentation. Preorders will be accepted through September 26. Orders forms are available at ottawacd.org or by calling Becky at x5. October 4, 9:30am-12:00pm, Krazy for Kazoo River Cleanup, Allegan County Fair Grounds. Cleanup the Kalamazoo River via canoe. Morning refreshments and lunch are provided free of charge! Visit allegancd.org/ events or call Chris at x4 for more information or to register. October 6, 8:00am-5:00pm, West Michigan Climate Resiliency Conference. Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids. $35 if paid online, $45 if invoiced or at the door. Register online at wmsbf.org/climate October 24 & 25, 5:00pm 8:00pm, Treats & Trails. Outdoor Discovery Center Nature Preserve. Bring the entire family out for a fun walk along the Sensory Trail and other trails of the nature preserve. There will be wildlife encounters, games and lots of candy. Children are encouraged to wear their costumes. All the ODC Nature Preserve trails are wheelchair, stroller and wagon-friendly. Located at th Street, Holland. Contact ODCMG for more information at November 7, Ottawa County Water Quality Forum. Fillmore Street Complex, Fillmore St, West Olive, MI. Check for more information as details are finalized. Macatawa Watershed Annual Meeting December 4, 10:00am-12:00pm This meeting will feature research presentations from Hope College s Advanced Environmental Seminar students and the presentation of the Macatawa Watershed Stakeholder of the Year Award! The meeting will be held at Holland City Hall, 370 South River Ave, Holland. The meeting is free but your RSVP is requested. Tired of paper? Visit our website, to sign up for electronic mailings! Page 5

6 Macatawa Area Coordinating Council A Cooperative Effort Among Units of Government 301 Douglas Avenue Holland, Michigan Protect your storm drains! Storm drains in the Macatawa Watershed lead directly to county drains or streams that end up in Lake Macatawa. To prevent pollution entering the system from your neighborhood, make sure to... Storm-Drains & Water Pollution Be aware of their location Next time you take a walk, look around and find where storm drains are located in your neighborhood. You may have one or two very close to your own home. Contact MACC Staff Steve Bulthuis - sbulthuis@the-macc.org Elisa Hoekwater - ehoekwater@the-macc.org Kelly Goward - kgoward@the-macc.org Carolyn Ulstad - culstad@the-macc.org Aaron Spicer - aspicer@the-macc.org General Inquiries - info@the-macc.org Phone: Take action when needed Now that you know where to find nearby storm drains, take action if you see them covered with debris such as grass clippings or leaves. Clogged drains can be expensive to clean and can lead to flooding if not managed properly. Prevent pollution from your own yard After mowing, sweep clippings off the road and driveway, rake leaves away from street, and never dump anything down the storm drain! We re on Facebook! Interested in staying up to date with the Macatawa Watershed Project? Become a fan of our Facebook page! The easiest way to find us is to visit and click on the Find us on Facebook icon on our homepage.