The Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council has worked to implement its Little Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan, aimed at improving the bay's water quality, since 2004. Recently the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) approved the plan, and the council can now apply for federal grants to help pay for the $17 million undertaking.
"Our focus really is storm water because Petoskey and Harbor Springs are the most urban areas we have," said watershed coordinator Valerie Olinik-Damstra.
According to Olinik-Damstra, a water management plan usually contains an inventory of resources and recommendations for improving storm water, land use, land protection, zoning, forestry and agricultre. She added, though, that realistically the council will not be able to address all these cateogires and therefore not spend the full $17 million. Any projects included in the plan are simply possibilities available for improving water quality.
With storm water as its main focus, the council acting as an informant for and providing recommendations to help city groups, organizations and interested individuals in incorporating local storm water practices. The installation of sewer retention systems and earning of clean marina certifications are among the accomplishments the Little Traverse Bay areas has since since the plan's creation three years ago.
Currently the council's attention is focused on a Bay Harbor and Resort Township East Park cleanup project. Olinik-Damstra said with East Park being under construction, thihs is the perfect time to address park runoff issues. Resort Township and construction manager CMS Energy agreed that CMS would purchase and install a storm water treatment system in the park and that the township would own and maintain it.
"What the [storm water system] does here is collect the storm water that runs off Quarry Drive and separates that out before it runs into the lake," said CMS area manager Tim Petrosky.
Olinik-Damstra added that sediments, oil and grease from the road will be filtered out before water flows into the bay. "The idea is that the water coming out is treated and clean," she said.
Source: Petoskey News Review
