What is a watershed?

By definition, a watershed is "the total runoff from a region which supplies the water of a river, lake, catchment area or drainage basin." Strictly defined, the watershed is the drainage divide between two areas. Watershed management is defined as the administration and regulation of a drainage basin for the production of water and the control of erosion, stream flow and floods. The Wolf Creek Watershed lies in Franklin, Rome, Adrian and Cambridge townships. The watershed and surrounds the Wolf Creek, which provides the city of Adrian with drinking water. Reducing pollution in the watershed helps us all by reducing the risk of surface and groundwater pollution. Read on to find out more about the watershed, it's development and how to reduce pollution. The good news is: eroding pollution is a by-product of good management practice that can save the manager time, money and, in many cases, hard work. And what could sound better than that?

Sustainable Development

During the past ten years the increase in permanent changes to land and the demand for land in Lenawee County has grown at an exponential rate. By permanent changes I am referring to land moving from some open use into a land use that cannot be reversed. Some examples of this are lands moving from agriculture into housing or natural and open lands being used for buildings and parking lots.

There is no comprehensive process in this area to assess the impacts that a change in the landscape has upon nearby and downstream areas. By installing this parking lot we increased the water that flows into the stream immediately after a rainfall, the stream is not large enough, so it overflows and floods your backyard. This is what I mean by downstream impacts. As areas have buildings placed upon them, they generally change the landscape so water will run off the surface as quickly as possible, so it does not affect the building. But how does that influence the streams in the area? How does it affect groundwater recharge? The big question is: How does it affect areas beyond the building site? How does it affect the flooding in Blissfield? Does it affect the flooding in Monroe?

The nature of most people is to ignore offsite impacts because that is off our property and is no longer "our" problem. Yes, it is no longer your problem. Nevertheless, the changes that you made caused a change in the way the water drained and it stayed wet under my house and forced the foundation to cave in. From my standpoint, this is a serious problem. From the city Engineer's point of view, the extremes in high and low flow in drainage ditches causes major damage. From the Environmentalist's view, that stream is now too "flashy" for fish and frogs to survive. The impacts of poor land planning go beyond the township and city. They are more than keeping housing compact and not using large areas of land for a few houses. The impacts move into the entire environment and affect each of us.

The President's Council on Sustainable Development produced a report titled "Sustainable America" that covers some points very well. One point is obstacles: "The politics of mistrust are the greatest obstacle to the process of innovation and change that we all believe is necessary to achieve the goals we share." Practically everyone supports the ideas of developing in a way that supports industry, people and the environments. Unfortunately, getting people to agree is a very difficult, especially at any level of government. The report also states "we believe the consensus will move America forward both faster and farther then confrontation. Moreover, we believe that consensus is the public's job, not the government's." The Council put is succinctly by stating "The goals express the shared aspirations of the President's Council on Sustainable Development. They are truly interdependent and flow from the Council's understanding that it is essential to seek economic prosperity, environmental protection and social equity together."

Remember why you live where you live. What was it that brought you here? Was it the open spaces? Was it the small towns? Were you born here? And as you answer these questions, think about how current changes affect you, then think about how changes affect the environment.

Safe use of pest control

Growing your own fruits and vegetables in the summer is fun and can save you money, but some of the pleasure is taken out of your gardening if you have insects that harm your produce. There are a number of products on the market to help keep your garden free of pests. Some of these products are chemical pesticides and should be used with caution.

Before using any pesticide for gardening or general lawn care, read the entire label and follow its instructions for safe usage. Use only the amount directed under the conditions specified. Do not think that twice the dosage will do the job. Be sure to look for one of the following signal words on the front of the lable to indicate how hazardous the product is if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. "DANGER-POISON" means highly poisonous; "DANGER" means poisonous or corrosive; "WARNING" means moderately hazardous; "CAUTION" means least hazardous. Know what to do in case of accidental poisoning. In addition, make sure to take the following safety precautions;

• Wear protective clothing as the label indicates, such as long sleeves and long pants, gloves, rubber footwear, hat, gloves and goggles.
• If you must mix or dilute the pesticide, do so outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Mix only the amount you need and use the portions listed on the label. Keep chilren and pets away from areas where you mix or apply pesticides.
• If a spill occurs, clean it up promptly. Do not wash it away. Instead, sprinkle with sawdust, vermiculite (water-absorbent material) or kitty litter. Sweep it into a plastic garbage bag and dispose of it as directed on the pesticide product label.
• Never spray pesticides outdoors on a windy day (winds higher than 10 mph). Stand so that a light breeze does not blow pesticide spray into your face.
• Shower and shampoo after using a pesticide product. Wash contaminated clothing separately from the family laundry. To prevent tracking chemicals indoors, rinse footwear before entering your home.
• To remove pesticides residues, use a bucket to rinse tools or equipment three times, including any containers or utensils used to mix the chemicals. Then, pour the rinse water into the pesticide container and reuse the solution later by applying it according to the pesticide product label directions.
• Follow the label's directions for safe storage and disposal of the pesticide. Never transfer pesticides to containers not intended for them, such as empty soft drink bottles, keep pesticides in containers that clearly identify the contents and properly refasten them after using with childproof caps.

If you have questions about a particular pesticide, call the U.S.Environment Protection Agency's (EPA) toll-free National Pesticide Telecommunications Network at 1-800-858-7378. For general information on pesticides, write to the EPA, Environmental Information Center, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460 or call 202-260-2080. Ask for a free copy of the EPA's 49- page booklet, "Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety."

Erosion Checklist

Phosphorus pollution from eroding soil is a major threat to water quality in Michigan lakes, ponds and streams. But often erosion seems invisible -- we're not used to looking at our homes with a critical eye. Exposed tree roots, well worn footpaths, driveways which always seem to need fresh gravel -- these are signs of chronic erosion problems.

How do you know phophorus pollution and erosion are problems on your land? Use this "Stormy Day Survey" to pinpoint erosion problems around your home. Water is the major culprit in invisible erosion - it usually is the vehicle for soil to reach streams, ponds, and lakes. Check around your home during a heavy rainfall to observe water's activities. Wait until the ground is soaked and water has saturated the soil and leaf cover to get a good idea of how water moves on your property.

Raindrops can have a big influence on erosion. Like tiny bombs, raindrops fall onto the soil suface, often displacing soil particles great distances. This is the first step in erosion. Are the raindrops pounding on bare soil surfaces? Or are they being deflected by vegetation or absorbed into leaf litter?

Water always runs downhill, causing rill erosion. Look for areas where water is collecting into miniature gullies, called rills. Is the water clean or is it cloudy (with suspended soil particles)? Is the water gouging a channel into the ground? Is it digging out the base of ditches? Are road surfaces showing signs of wash-out? Trace the water channel back up-hill and scrutinize drainage patterns on your land. Keep in mind the following items which controlling erosion and phosphorus pollution:

• Rainwater from impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways, etc.) should be filtered through vegetation - it's full of phosphorus when compared to lake water;
• Keep impervious areas small, far as possible from lakes, and surrounded by vegetation;
• Preserve or repair the forest's natural duff layer - it protects the soil and filters pollutants;
• Depressions and wet spots slow water, reduce erosion and promote infiltration;
• Vegetated buffers work best when they have a duff layer, are composed of various sizes of plants and are as wide as possible;
• Define beach areas, parking areas and walkways to protects vegetation from damage.

Use this checklist below to uncover erosion problems on your land.

I. PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ROADS
   a. Road surface
      Paved - stable
      Gravel - stable or eroding
   b. Road system ditches
     Check ditch base and ditch sides
     Does water drain through vegetated buffer or drain directly into
     water body - no buffer
   c. Road culverts
     Inlets and outlets-stable or eroding
II. DRIVEWAY
   a. Driveway surface
       Paved - stable
       Gravel/soil - stable or eroding
     Rain from driveway surface filtered through vegetated buffer?     
   b. Driveway culverts
     Inlets and outlets - stable or eroding
   c. Driveway ditches
     Ditch base and sides - stable or eroding
     Drain through vegetative buffer
     Drain directly to water body - no buffer
   d. Location of driveway
     Close to or far from water body
III. PARKING AREA
   a. Parking surface
     Paved - stable or eroding
     Gravel - stable or eroding
   b. Size
     Large or small 
   c. Location
     Close or far from body of water
   d. Limits of parking area
     Well or poorly defined
     Rain from parking surface drained through vegetated buffer strip
IV. LAWN AND RECREATION AREAS
   a. Buffer ability of area
     Bare sand (poor)
     Grass (Poor to fair)
     Duff layer (Fair to good)
     Shrubs (Fair to good)
     Trees (Fair to good)
     Combination of vegetation (Excellent)
   b. Grading (direction rainwater flows)
     Toward water body
     Irregular drainage - depressions present
   c. Location
     Close to or far from water body
V. FOOTPATHS
   a. Surface cover or bare soil
     Protected surface cover is:_____________    
   b. Path limits
     Well or poorly defined      
   c. Path configuration 
     Straight (not good)
     Zigzag (good)
VI. WET SPOTS/WETLANDS
   a. Drained/altered or natural
VII. SLOPED SURFACES
   a. Stable or eroding
VIII. BEACH AREA
   a. Surface cover
     Bare sand or protected
     Surface cover is:_____________
   b. Beach area limits
     Well or poorly defined
   c. Size
     Large or small
   d. Fish habitat in beach area
     Raked (poor habitat)
     Natural (good habitat)
   e. Vegetation along shore
     Grass (poor to fair)
     Shrubs (fair to good)
     Trees (fair to good)
     Combination (best)         
IX. BOAT RAMP AREA
   a. Surface cover
     bare soil - stable or eroding
     protected stable
   b. Limits of boat ramp area
     Well or poorly defined
X.ROOF RUNOFF
   a. Channelized or diffused (spread out)
   b. Drain from roof runoff filtered through vegetated
      buffer strip or onto bare soil
XI.STREAMS (crossing property)
   a.  Stream banks and channels - stable or eroding
XII. Other sources of phosphorus pollution you should consider
     include:  excessive fertilizer;
     improperly maintained  septic systems; 
     pet droppings; 
     grass clippings; 
     detergents/soaps;
     motor and boat oils/greases;
     dust.

PRIORITY IMPROVEMENTS:
1.__________________________

2.__________________________

3.__________________________

URL: www.msue.msu.edu/wolfcreek/wc4-2.html