Rouge cleanup back on tap

Village of Franklin, Mich.

Buffer Zone considered for fertilizer use near water

Rouge cleanup back on tap

By Dan West
Staff Writer
dwest@oe.homecomm.net

Rivers are eroding back yards. River water is discolored.

Where's the vegetation along the river? What's that smell?

These were among the water quality concerns that have a direct impact on Southfield and which were brought by the residents and civic leaders of many southern Oakland County communities to West Bloomfield's Family Aquatic Center on Thursday.

Finding ways to halt Rouge River pollution was the goal of the local Rouge River Watershed advisory group, comprised of representatives from 18 county communities including West Bloomfield, Southfield, Birmingham, Troy and Rochester Hills, where water runoff spills into the river.

They said fertilizers, oils, eroded soil, septic leakage and pollutants rinsed off pavements flow into the river and other bodies of water, creating environmental and public health problems.

"We're trying to clean up the watershed through public education and awareness," said Philip Sanzica, an engineer with the Oakland County Drain Commissioner's Office. "We want the river to be fishable and we want to increase recreation opportunities around the river and other local bodies of water."

Through research and public inquiries, the advisory group is nearly done with a strategy to clean up the Rouge River watershed within the county. In the meantime, individual communities are finding success with programs that may be part of the entire watershed clean-up strategy:

* In Birmingham, officials obtained grant money for landscaping and bioengineering (specific natural plantings that reduce erosion) to stop the Rouge River from swallowing land which dirtied the water that flows through the city-operated Springdale Golf Course.

"With the improvements made, the loading of sedimentation from the stream-bank erosion will be reduced and provide an improved aquatic life habitat," said Jennifer Lawson, Birmingham's watershed consultant.

* In Southfield, officials developed a septic inspection program where Oakland County Health Division staff visit homes using septic systems in the hope of preventing septics from leaking into the river. During visits, staff members also take time to explain to homeowners how to prevent harmful runoff into the river.

"Most of Southfield's residents still using septics are in the southwest part of the city, where the river flows," said Mark Hansell of the county's health division. "So this program is having quite an impact on the river."

* In Bloomfield Township, officials are creating a public forum involving all residential associations along the township's lakes, all of which have private access.

The forums are designed to educate residents about the smart use of fertilizers, salts and septic systems. They are creating uniform methods to monitor their declining water quality, so they can find ways and local government policies to improve it.

"Ultimately, this group effort will lead into an expansive network of all township homeowners who treasure our lakes as a valuable asset within our community," said Wayne Domine of the Bloomfield Township Water Department.

These efforts pleased Bill Scott of Farmington Hills, who said he's concerned about the quality of river water running along his back yard.

"They always seem to focus their clean-up efforts down river," said Scott, who assisted Rouge River clean-up efforts in the past. "We don't hear too much about what they're doing -- until now."

Thursday marked the third of four public participation meetings slated during the local Rouge River advisory group's planning process. The next one is scheduled for May at a site to be named later.

Buffer zone considered for fertilizer use near water

By Stacy Jenkins
Staff Writer
sjenkins@oe.homecomm.net

Orchard Lake residents will again have to think twice before applying lawn fertilizer near a waterway.

A 25-foot buffer area included in the city's wetland ordinance was taken out following a change in state law that prohibits municipalities from regulating wetland buffer zones.

Currently, the city law allows fertilizer applications up to the edge of a wetland or other body of water.

The city council is now considering an amendment to the city's fertilizer ordinance that would reinstate the no-fertilizer zone but increase it to 35 feet, defined in the city's woodlands preservation ordinance as an "environmentally sensitive area" near a waterway.

"We had to eliminate that 25-foot buffer from the wetland ordinance, but we didn't change the fertilizer ordinance," said Clerk Janet Overholt Green. "So we needed to put a buffer back in."

The council accepted the amendment on first reading Tuesday and will likely consider a second reading and adoption next month.

There are 10 designated wetlands areas and three lakes in the city that could be affected by any ordinance change.

Councilman Richard Hartzell said he's perplexed about enforcement of the fertilizer rule.

"I don't know how on earth that would get enforced," Hartzell said.

Educating the public about the use of fertilizers near water bodies and informing them of the 35-foot buffer zone will be key, said Councilwoman Nancy Davis.

Mayor Bruce McIntyre said difficult enforcement doesn't eliminate the need for the buffer, especially considering that an unusual, bright green discoloration of Green Lake was discovered by West Bloomfield residents last summer.

"It's difficult to enforce, but if you look at what's happened in other lakes, we've been spared," McIntyre said.

Overholt Green said information about the no-fertilizer zone will be included in the citywide April issue of the Mayor's Newsletter.

Setting buffer zones prohibiting lawn fertilizer near water bodies is not unusual, said Doug Pullman, aquatic ecologist and lake consultant.

"It's an environmentally popular thing to do," said Pullman, noting the use of fertilizer near lakes is not necessarily a harmful practice.

Many people view fertilizers as a damaging agent for lakes because the phosphorus in manufactured fertilizers can promote aquatic plant growth and increase algae in lakes.

Pullman said phosphorus isn't always a bad thing.

"Phosphorus can stimulate algae growth, not plant growth," he said.

He went on to explain that when there's not a lot of algae floating around in the water, the lake becomes clear instead of cloudy. Clear lakes allow more sunlight to reach the bottom, which stimulates rooted plant growth.

The suspended algae also serves as food for fish, so with more algae comes more food and bigger fish.

But Pullman said he can also see the benefits of limiting phosphorus in lakes by creating a buffer zone. Over-fertilizing can increase the risk of phosphorus loading, which can turn dangerous in extreme cases.

"I don't really get worked up (about algae) unless I start seeing blue-green algae," he said. "I don't like the blue-greens because they can be extremely toxic. That's the most compelling reason to keep phosphorus out of the water."

Blue-green algae looks like bright green latex paint floating on the surface of the lake, he noted.