IMPACT OF WATER QUALITY - Van Buren County, Michigan · What types of economic impact might we...
Transcript of IMPACT OF WATER QUALITY - Van Buren County, Michigan · What types of economic impact might we...
IMPACT OF WATER
QUALITY
• Ecological health? – Yes
• Social Benefits? – Yes
• Economic Impact ? – Let’s look
Abundance of Water in SW
Michigan
We have an abundant supply of clean water, a resource vital to our high quality of life. Rivers, lakes, groundwater aquifers, and coastal estuaries are crucial to public health, economic development, and recreational opportunities. However, our water sources are constantly threatened with degradation by such activities as imprudent development, improperly managed agricultural and industrial activities, and unsound watershed management practices.
Soils Exert Pressure on Water
Quality & BMP’s are Required
The soil exerts an important influence on water quality. How we manage the soil and what we put on it determine, in part, the level of water-shed management required to make our water supplies safe and enjoyable.
Erosion and Sedimentation
Sediment comes from many sources:
• Woodlands that lack ground cover
• Road banks
• Construction sites
• Agricultural fields due to lack of buffer
strips, field tiles, bare tilled fields, etc.
• Mining operations
Sediment is a pollutant
Sediment is a water
pollutant transported by
storm water runoff. Storm
water runoff is the major
cause of impaired water
quality in our streams,
rivers, and lakes.
Sediment harms fish and
other aquatic life and can
interfere with the
recreational use of any
water body.
By volume,
sediment is the
largest water
pollutant in
Michigan
Damage – Now and in Future
Damage from sediment is expensive, both economically and environmentally
Damage Now
Sedimentation destroys
fish spawning beds
Damage Now
Sediment reduces useful
storage volume in marshes,
estuaries, and floodplains.
Damage Now
Clogs
streams
and
ponds
Damage Now
Suspended
sediment can
reduce aquatic
plant life
Damage Now
And sediment
can alter a
stream's
ecology
Damage for Years to Come
Because the environmental
damage from sediment is often
additive, the ultimate effects
and costs may not be evident
for years.
Damage for Years to Come
Silt - very small
sediment particles
– remain
suspended in
water until the
velocity slows way
down before they
settle out.
Damage for Years to Come
These very fine particles
develop an electrical charge
while suspended in water and
attract contaminants like
Arsenic which then adhere to
the sediment particles.
Damage that is Expensive to
Correct
• Makes costly filtration
necessary for municipal water
supplies
• Requires dredging of harbors
• Requires sediment removal
from drains and ponds
Damage that is Expensive to
Correct
Sediment that attracted Arsenic or
other contaminants is much more
costly to remove and store properly
Damage that is Expensive to
Correct
• All very costly operations
• All more expensive than
implementing and practicing
watershed BMP’s
Ecological Damage
Sediment often carries organic matter, animal or industrial wastes, nutrients, and chemicals.
Phosphorus
The most
troublesome
nutrient
element is
phosphorus.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus can stimulate the production of algae blooms. As the algae die, organisms in the aquatic system decompose the algae to use as a food source. In the process, they also use significant amounts of oxygen. If the oxygen level is initially low, the decomposition process can further reduce it to a point that "fish kills" can occur. Phosphorus may come from such sources as fertilizers, organic matter, and animal manure.
Phosphorus Control
Fertilizing Tips • Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for fertilizing.
• Never apply fertilizer to frozen ground.
• Never leave spilled fertilizers on impervious surfaces, such as concrete or black top.
• Watch the weather. Never apply fertilizer before a heavy rain.
• Apply fertilizer to dry grass, but water thoroughly after application.
• Mow lawn to a normal height one to two days before applying fertilizer.
• Apply fertilizer at a rate of 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Spread fertilizer evenly over lawn.
• Check the bag for correct setting for your spreader.
• Fill your spreader on a hard surface and sweep up all spills. NEVER wash fertilizer spills into the street where it will be carried to lakes, rivers, creeks, and ponds through the storm water system.
• Close the gate on the spreader when crossing hard surfaces, such as driveways and sidewalks.
• Avoid using any fertilizers in natural drainage areas or pathways where it can be carried into surface water.
• Leave a natural buffer of natural vegetation near shorelines to hinder fertilizers entering the water, prevent erosion, and retain nutrients.
Phosphorus Control
TOP 9 REASONS TO USE PHOSPHORUS FREE FERTILIZERS
• One pound of phosphorus can grow 500 pounds of algae in wetlands.
• Algae in lakes and wetlands blocks sunlight from beneficial plants.
• The storm sewer system sends run-off from your yard directly into lakes and rivers.
• Up to one-third of the phosphorus in urban run-off comes from lawns.
• Ninety-seven percent of lawns don't need any additional phosphorus.
• Phosphorus is not necessary in detergent to get clothes clean or in fertilizer for healthy lawns.
• SW Michigan has many wetland areas that are susceptible to phosphorus overloading.
• An ounce of prevention is cheaper than a pound of cure.
• Water should be blue - not green.
Pesticides
Sediments also carry
pesticides — such as
herbicides and
insecticides into our
watersheds
Pesticides
Herbicides
and
insecticides
may be toxic
to aquatic
plants and
animals
Pesticides
The varying chemical
properties of
pesticides—for
example, their
solubility, toxicity,
and chemical
breakdown rate—
determine the
potential damage to
water quality.
Importance of Good Soil
Management
An understanding of soil properties and how these interact with common management practices is essential for reducing the movement of pollutants from the land to our waters.
Importance of Good Soil
Management
Reducing soil
erosion is the
key to reducing
the damaging
effects of
sedimentation.
Importance of Good Soil
Management
Fortunately, with current technology,
erosion can be reduced to acceptable
levels. The challenge is to match the
appropriate technology to each
situation.
Importance of Good Soil
Management
Various practices enhance surface water quality by controlling erosion. Some of these have little effect on groundwater. The careful use of fertilizers, animal wastes and pesticides is a widely applicable approach that benefits our groundwater. It is essential to apply management practices that protect both surface and groundwater quality.
Importance of Good Soil
Management
• Contour Farming
• Conservation tillage
• Cover Crop
• Filter strips
• Field boarders
• Crop residue management
• Terracing
• Subsurface drainage,
controlled
• Grassed waterways in fields
Importance of Good Soil
Management
• Lead storm water to rain gardens before it flows into waterway and water bodies
• Vegetative buffer strips along waters edge
• Not mowing to edge of water
• Reduce/eliminate use of pesticides and herbicides
What types of economic
impact might we expect?
• Property Values ?
• Cultural, Heritage and Eco Tourism ?
• Related Economic Development– Gas,
food, lodging, amusement, recreation,
local goods and services, specialty
shopping, etc. ?
Water Quality &
Property Value
Where would you rather live?
Before and after photos of same
water body, little different angle.
Water Quality &
Property Value
Where would you rather live?
Before and after photos of same
water body, little different angle.
Water Quality &
Property Value
More than just your perception
Water Quality &
Property Value
Studies indicate a direct correlation between
the quality of water and property values
Water Quality &
Property Value
The value of water quality is capitalized in the value of land.
(Steinnes, 1992 and Boyle, 1998)
Water Quality &
Property Value
The better the water clarity, the higher the property value.
Steinnes; BSU Study 2004,
completed for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Secchi disk study with hedonic property value equations. Vacant lot values increased by $206 for each 1-foot increase in water clarity.
Water Quality &
Property Value
However, the increase in value for better clarity is smaller than the decrease in property value for a reduction in clarity.
Michael, Boyle & Bouchard, 1996; 1 meter improvement in Secchi disk visibility increased property values. A 1 meter reduction in Secchi disk visibility had a bigger decrease in property values. The gain was between $11 and $200 per linear foot of lake frontage. The decrease was over $300 per linear foot of lake frontage.
Other Water Clarity Studies by
Secchi Disk or Pollution Events
1. Epp & Al-Ani, 1979: Improving PH by 1 point increases value by $1,564.50 in Pennsylvania.
2. Young, 1984: malfunctioning municipal wastewater plant polluted bay and resulted in 20% drop in property value in Vermont.
3. Mendelsohn, Hellerstein, Huguenin, Unsworth and Brazee, 1992: PCB pollution dropped property values between $7,000 and $10,000 per lot in Massachusetts.
4. Leggect and Bockstael, 2000: Every change of 100 in fecal coliform count per 100 mL leads to 1.5% change in property values in Maryland.
Water Quality &
Property Value
Even views of man-made or natural water increase property values.
Seiler, Bond and Seiler, 2001: Lake Erie front view increased home value by 56% in Ohio.
Benson, Hanson, Schwartz and Smearsh, 1996: Waterfront view added 47% to the selling price of homes in Washington. Views added 32%and partial views added 10% in value, relative to no view.
Water Quality &
Property Value
Clearly, the impact of water quality on property values is significant.
In Berrien, Cass and Van Buren County water front property values run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Any drop in water quality would result in a drop in property values. A drop in property values would have a significant negative impact on communities and all that receive tax dollars based on waterfront property values. Those impacted would include schools, ambulance, police, fire, city, township, village, park commissions, etc.
Water Quality &
Property Value
• A State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection study said that the value of lakes in local economies is “estimated to be as much as $830 per lake acre from fishing, lodging, and other recreational uses.” That was in 1985 dollars.
• Berrien County: 4,256 acres of lakes and ponds = $3,532,480
• VB County: 8,000 acres of lakes and ponds = $6,640,00
• Imagine what the numbers would be in today’s dollars!
There’s gold in
them thar lakes!
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is very immobile in most soils and concentrates in the top few inches of soil.
It is very susceptible to erosion and likely to be present in sediment.
Water Quality and Tourism
Direct Pleasure Trip Expenditures by Tourists in SW Michigan (MSUE, 1996)
$133,393,000 – Berrien County
$ 59,285,000 – Van Buren County
$ 41,328,000 – Cass County
$5.1 Billion - Michigan
Water Quality & EcoTourism
“Purposeful travel to natural areas to understand the cultural and natural history of the environment, taking
care not to alter the integrity of the ecosystem while producing economic
opportunities that make the conservation of natural resources
beneficial to local people.”
EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF ECOTOURISM *
• It must promote positive environmental ethics - fostering preferred behavior in its participants.
• It does not degrade the resource - There is no consumptive erosion of the natural environment visited.
• It concentrates on intrinsic rather than extrinsic values. Facilities and services may "facilitate" the encounter with the intrinsic resource; they never become attractions in their own right, nor do they distract from the natural attraction itself.
• It is biocentric rather than homocentric in philosophy. Ecotourists enter the environment accepting it on its terms, not expecting it to change or be modified for their convenience.
• It must benefit the wildlife and environment. If the environment has not at least achieved a net benefit toward its sustainability and ecological integrity, then the activity is not ecotourism.
• It is a first-hand experience with the natural environment. Movies and zoological parks do not constitute an ecotourism experience. Visitor centers and interpretive slide shows are included.
• It has an "expectation of gratification.“ • It has a high cognitive and effective experiential dimension.
* SOURCE: Ecotourism: Its Changing Face and Evolving Philosophy, Dr. James R. Butler, Department of Forestry, University of Alberta, Canada, 1992
Water Quality and Tourism
Bangor/South Haven Heritage Water Trail Association is a volunteer group of people working to open and establish a canoe and kayak trail encompassing 20.9 miles of the South Branch of the Black River between the cities of Bangor and South Haven in Van Buren County, Michigan. The mission of the Bangor/South Haven Heritage Water Trail Association is to protect and present the scenic beauty and the heritage along the Black River between Bangor and South Haven for enjoyment for all.
www.vbco.org/watertrail.asp
Water Quality and Tourism
• 8,000 water acres in VB County (399,296 total)
• 1,542 acres of public recreation land
• 28 public access sites
• 13 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline
• 25 Great Lakes marinas
• 977 Great Lakes marina slips
• 5 boat liveries
• 12 charter boats
• 586 commercial lodging units (12 B&Bs; 16 cabin/cottage and 12 hotel/motels)
• 324 miles of rivers and streams
• 3,875 owned second homes
• 1,889 campsites in 26 campground
Water Quality and Tourism
TOURISTS . . .
• Bring dollars into the community
• Have little cost to the community
• Leave their dollars and go home
• Help support amenities that we may not be able to support alone (restaurants, theatres, attractions,
rentals, etc.)
Water Quality and Tourism
• Tourists cited Michigan’s water related resources as the ‘most frequent response’ when asked what gives them a favorable impression of Michigan.
• Michigan has more ‘floatable’ streams and rivers than other state. Area canoe and kayak liveries depend on water quality for their business success.
• Thousands of registered watercraft in the tri-counties depend on water quality
• Thousands of non-resident fishing licenses are sold in the tri-counties
Water Quality and
Economic Development
Water quality helps small and
large towns in SW Michigan
Water quality can impact
economic development in both
small and large towns in SW
Michigan.
Water Quality and You
More people living along and using a
lake, river or stream can easily
threaten the quality of water.
Water Quality and You
People like and value
water quality.
That’s the danger.
More development
threatens water
quality.
Water Quality and You
Education, enlightened citizens, and well thought out and progressive policies are needed to protect water quality.
That’s where you come in!
Water Quality and You
• Care
• Ask Questions
• Seek Information
• Keep your eyes open