Volume 4, Number 1 |
Spring 1996 |
During the months of June & July in 1995, water samples were collected from rural wells in the townships of Adrian, Cambridge, Franklin and Rome. The samples were analyzed by the Institute of Water Research in East Lansing for the presence of nitrates and/or Atrazine. Some totals of 119 samples were collected in these four townships. Nitrates were detected in nine samples and Atrazine in seventeen samples. (Samples taken for wells located near feedlots and barns may have higher concentrations of Atrazine or Nitrate.) A nitrate concentration of 0 to 3 parts per million (ppm) is considered background level ( the natural level that may occur even if no contamination is present), four samples had concentrations of 1-2 ppm. Further testing is not required at this time. A nitrate concentration of 4 to 9 ppm is below the drinking water standard set by the EPA, but above background levels. Three of our samples had concentrations of 5 ppm. A nitrate concentration of 10 ppm or greater indicates that your water is above the drinking water standard, you should contact your local county health department immediately for another test. For Atrazine, the EPA Lifetime Health Advisory is 3 parts per billion. Although your sample was below this limit, you may want to have your water sample retested. The Michigan Department of Agriculture is offering a free retest (only if you participated in the initial sampling) that will include Atrazine as well as other chemical parameters.
You can start building a healthier garden at the moment you choose plants for your landscape. Read the plant tags and ask questions to decide which plants are the best bets for you selected sites. Points to consider include whether your spot is sunny or in the shade or both. What kind of soil is in the spot you choose? Some plants prefer wet soils, while others like a dry site. Consider height, spread, flower color, autumn show and the amount of maintenance a plant might need for optimal growth. Don't buy plants that require a lot of maintenance if you don't have the time to maintain them. Dwarf varieties will stay compact throughout their lifespan, without a lot of pruning. Look for varieties that are labeled as resistant to disease. This will reduce the amount of spraying you do for diseases. Plan your landscape so that it incorporates many different types of plants, which will in turn cut down on the number of diseases and insects you get. Pests don't build up as quickly when a garden has many different kinds of plants, because the insects and diseases that feed on a single variety can't find as many sources for food. Ground covers and landscape beds are great alternatives to planting a lawn, because they require less maintenance than grass. When used in the landscape, they cut down on the amount of mowing and fertilizing the lawn requires, as well as the number of pests and diseases. This reduces the number of chemicals used in the landscape and the amount of potential pollution in the landscape.
By following these few simple guidelines, you can make your home more attractive and help prevent erosion. Landscape your lawn to minimize rain water runoff. Preserve the established trees in your neighborhood, which help minimize damage caused by surface runoff. Choose the appropriate plants, shrubs and trees for the soil in your yard; don't select plants that need lots of watering (which increases surface runoff). On average, 50-70 % of household water is used outdoors for watering lawns and gardens. Find "smarty" plants, grasses, and ground cover that are adapted to the local climate and don't need a lot of additional water. Choosing healthy plants can be tricky. If you're looking for plants to put into your landscape that won't be subject to diseases and insect attack, try some of the plants below. This group of perennials is known for having relatively few or no problems with insects and diseases, and will provide beauty and color to your garden or yard, while being low-maintenance at the same time.
Wood ducks looking for tree cavities to nest in will take advantage of nest boxes. If you have property along a river or steam or your land has a pond or lake on it, consider putting up nest boxes at water's edge in midwinter. Glen Dudderar, Extension wildlife specialist at Michigan State University, says the ducks start scouting for nesting sites as early as March, so boxes should go up in January or February. Wood ducks are shy, secretive, small ducks. A suitable site for a nest box is secluded and fairly free of human activity. The nest also needs to be protected against predators, especially raccoons. "Raccoons are probably the greatest threat to the female and her eggs," Dudderar says. "Once the local raccoons learn what nest boxes are, they'll look for them." Keeping raccoons out of the nest box is like keeping squirrels out of the bird feeder: you need to prevent them from climbing up the tree or mounting post or stretching across from an adjacent tree or structure. To foil raccoons and other predators climbing up to the box from below, place a metal shield, either cylindrical or cone-shaped, around the tree or post supporting the box. The cone should extend outward at least 18 inches, and the cylinder should be at least 18 inches long. Both types should be 5 feet or more from the ground so predators can't jump over them. "It won't be effective if predators can get to the box from above, so be sure to place nest boxes on trees or posts some distance away from structures those would-be nest robbers could launch from," Dudderar advises. Make the box from unplaned, weather -resistant lumber. Do not paint, stain or treat it with preservatives. The bottom should be about 10 by 12 inches, with four « inch drainage holes drilled through it. The back should be 24 by 12 inches and the front 23 by 12. Make the sides 12 inches wide and cut the top ends at a slant to match the different heights of the front and back. The roof should be about 16 by 12 inches so it overhangs the entrance. Make the entrance hole an oval about 3 inches high and 4 inches wide. Inside, nail window screen or hardware cloth to the inside of the front so the baby ducks will be able to climb to the entrance hole to get out. Tilting the box slightly forward when you hang it will also help. The height from the ground doesn't seem to matter. "When the ducklings exit the nest, they climb the screen ladder to the entry hole and simply drop to the ground," Dudderar says. "They are hardly more than little fluffballs and they tumble to the ground unharmed." Wood ducks don't gather nesting materials. Dudderar recommends putting about 3 inches of sawdust or wood shaving in the house for a nest base. Change this material and clean the house each year in midwinter. Wood ducks aren't the only creatures that may find your nest box inviting. Woodpeckers, starlings or owls may also take up residence. To improve your chances of getting at least one wood duck family, put up several boxes in a suitable habitat. Nest boxes should be placed far enough apart that a female nesting in one box can't see other boxes or hear ducklings hatching in them. Nest boxes too close together may encourage female wood ducks to lay all their eggs in one box or to abandon their own clutch of eggs when they hear ducklings in a nearby box.
Water may be cheap and plentiful now, however, it may not be that way in the future. This valuable resource must be conserved and protected. Conservation saves money by reducing water use can mean money in consumers' pockets. Conserving water can mean substantial savings in sewer, energy, and water bills. For homeowners with septic systems,conserving water reduces wear and tear on the system and requires less energy for pumping well water. Widespread reduction in water usage can also mean a reduced need for new or expanded sewer treatment facilities. Tax dollars saved by not expanding existing facilities could be used to improve water treatment techniques. Only four of the 100 gallons of water used by the average person each day are actually necessary. Consumption can be decreased by 15-20 % without major discomfort or expense. People need to acquire good water use habits and then spread the word to friends and neighbors. Using low flow faucets and shower heads, reduced flow toilet flushing equipment, and water saving appliances such as dish and clothes washers. Use slow watering techniques such as trickle irrigation or a soaker hose. Fresh water is used faster than groundwater is recharged. More than 50% of wetlands that recharge and purify ground water have been destroyed in the United States.
The lands water flows across or under on its way to a stream, river or lake. How does watershed work? The landscape is made up of many interconnected basins, or watersheds. within each watershed, all water runs to the lowest point a stream, river, or lake. On its way, water travels over the surface and across farm fields, forest land, suburban lawns and city streets or its seeps into the soil and travels as groundwater. Large watersheds like the ones for the Mississippi River, Columbia River and Chesapeake Bay are made up of many smaller watersheds across several states. Are all watersheds the same? Not at all. Watersheds come in many different shapes and sizes and have many different features. Watersheds can have hills or mountains or be neatly flat. They can have farmland, rangeland, small towns and big cities. Parts of your watershed can be so rough, rocky or marshy that they're suited only for certain trees, plants, and wildlife. Who lives in a water shed community? Everyone lives in a watershed. You and everyone in your watershed are part of the watershed community. The animals, birds and fish are too. You influence what happens in your watershed good or bad, by how you treat the natural resources the soil, water, air, plants, and animals. What happens in you a small watershed also affects the larger watershed downstream.
URL: www.msue.msu.edu/wolfcreek/wc4-1.html