Center for Research on Utilization of Scientific Knowledge u K
UTILIZATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
ON NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Donald C. Pe'lz Director, Center for Research on Utilization of Scientific Knowledge
Part of Final Report to:
National Science Foundation RANN Program
on :
INVESTIGATIONS INTO ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF LAND-USE DECISIONS
Grant No. AEN72-03483A03 (Formerly G!-3^898)
Center for Research on Utilization of Scientific Knowledge (CRUSK)
Institute for Social Research THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor, Michigan 38106
July, 1977 UTILIZATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE ON NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Table of Contents
Page
FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1
SUMMARY • 3
A. PERSPECTIVES ON UTILIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE 7 !• Meanings of knowledge use 7 2. Summary of cases of use 10 3. Intermediate transformations of information 12
B. UTILIZATION ACTIVITIES OF NMERP * 17 1. Identifying and involving a population of "stakeholders" . . 17
2. Information packages about the Northern Michigan environment 19
3. Specific cases of instrumental and conceptual use 23 Wetlands ordinances and zoning Oden Fish Hatchery Preliminary planning for sewer systems Bear River proposals Freeway planning in Emmet County Land development, lake dredging, and campgrounds Inquiries from realtors and prospective buyers Formation of lake associations Background documents for decision-makers Scientific methodology
h. Personal contacts with local decision-makers and civic groups k]
5. Information transmitted by mass media 1*8 a. General articles about NMERP b. News articles about cases of use c. Articles authored by Station staff and published in mass media d. Summaries based on reports from NMERP
C. SURVEY ON "LAKELAND REPORTS" 59
Nature of sample 59
Feelings about the series as a whole 63 General comments 67 Further detail on each report 71 Summary of Lakeland Reports evaluations 72
i i i Table of Contents (cont'd)
page D. PRINCIPLES FOR UTILIZATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE 75 1. Multiple techniques 75 2. Multiple types of knowledge and modes of use 76
3. Preparation of information packages 7b 4. Worki ng th rough local associat i ons and leade rsh i p 77 5. Preparation of direct inputs into local decisions 79
6. Some major end results: institutional changes 79 In conclusion 81
E. LISTING OF NMERP REPORTS RELEVANT TO UTILIZATION 83
F. APPENDICES 85
I. Lakeland Reports (reproduction of nine issues) 87
II. Inland Lake Protection in Northern Michigan (excerpts) . . 135 III. Other condensed reports 1 i#3 IV. Clippings and other documents illustrating knowledge use . 159 V. Survey Questionnaire on Lakeland Reports 172 FOREWORD AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The present report describes one of four major components of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation - RANN Program (Research Applied to National Needs). The project has been conducted by the University of Michigan Biological Station on Douglas Lake, Michigan and in Ann Arbor, in coopera• tion with two divisions of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research — the Survey Research Center and the Center for Research on Utili• zation of Scientific Knowledge. Research has focused on the lakes and streams, the land, and the residents of two counties at the northern tip of Michigan's lower peninsula, where the Biological Station is located.
Over a five-year period, roughly summer 1972 through summer 197&, the program has had three research thrusts: ^uatic--characteri s t i cs of 38 inland lakes in the study area and associated streams, under direction of John E. Gannon, Associate Research Scientist and year-round resident at the Station, and co-princi pa 1 investi gator; terrestrial—character!sti cs of surrounding land, under direction of Curtis J. Richardson, Assistant Professor of Resource Ecology, School of Natural Resources; and sooval'- characteristics of the area's residents, under direction of Robert W. Marans, Research Scientist, Survey Research Center, ISR, and Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Planning. The other co-principai in• vestigator and project administrator -is Mark W. Paddock, assistant to Bio• logical Station Director David M. Gates.
Under a renewal grant beginning March 1975, the three research as• pects were supplemented by a fourth component on knowledge utilization under direction of Donald C. Pelz, Research Scientist and Director, Center for Research on Utilization of Scientific Knowledge, ISR. Utilization has been an integral concern of the project from its in• ception, with special attention by Paddock who planned the systematic out• reach to community leaders and news media. Throughout, a major responsi• bility for community contacts has been borne by Gannon, who as a long-time resident is well-known to local leaders. With the receipt of the second
-1- Foreword -2-
(mai n) g rant i n December 1973, ut i1i zat i on respons ib i1i ty was formally assigned to William L. Foster, Public Information Scientist, also a local resident for several years. Under the third grant beginning March 1975, Foster was designated "Knowledge Utilization Agent" and maintained a knowledge utilization (KU) activity log.
An important tool for community outreach was the series of Lakeland Reports. The first three of these were basically newsletters to community leaders. Under the utilization component, these were expanded. Pelz de• veloped the concept of brief, self-contained, semi-technical "information packages," each focusing on one aspect of environmental information. Six of these were generated during 1975~76. Nos. 4, 6, and 8 were prepared by Pelz based on work of the investigators in the three research components. Report No. 5 was prepared by Jan Nagel , Station writer, No. 7 by Gannon and Foster, and No. 9 by Foster. Part C describes an evaluation survey conduct• ed by Pelz of Lakeland Report recipients.
Other forms of dissemination are described in section B-2, including an informational booklet on inland lake protection by E.W. Say with Paddock, Gannon, and Foster, a booklet on geology of the area by Foster, and arti• cles by Nagel in local newspapers.
The local media--newspapers, radio, and television--have been highly cooperative. The frequency and scope of this extensive coverage is docu• mented in section B~5-
In the preparation of this report the author is especially indebted to Francis S. Eliot, who administered the survey of Lakeland Report reci• pients reported 'in part C, and to Margaret Elliott Horn, who did the typing. It should be emphasized that dissemination and utilization of environ• mental knowledge from the northern Michigan program has been a cooperative undertaking with many persons contributing. The largest single responsi• bility has been carried by John Gannon, who--in addition to his heavy re• search load--has given tirelessly of his talents and energy through speak• ing at meetings, preparing special reports, and maintaining extensive per• sonal contacts with public officials and civic leaders. SUMMARY
The following highlights on utilization of knowledge from the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program are presented under headings paral• leling those in the body of the report.
A. Perspectives on utilization of knowledge
It is helpful to recognize broad distinctions among types of knowledge involved, modes of utilisation of this knowledge, and intermediate forms of information.
1. Meanings of knowledge use. Among outputs from the northern Michi• gan program it is important to recognize different types of knowledge pro• duced, ranging from relatively "hard" knowledge (e.g., factual information about parameters of the lakes and surrounding land, facts about area resi• dents) to relatively "soft" knowledge (e.g., terms such as "eutrophicat ion" and "nutrient loading," the concept of wetlands and why they are important, the connection between lawn fertilizers and water quality).
Such knowledge may be used in-different modes—such as "instrumental" uses in which information" (either hard or soft) affects a specific decision or action (e.g., adoption of a wetlands ordinace), and "conceptual" uses in which information brings about a change in awareness, thinking, or understand• ing by some concerned audience.
In the following matrix:
Mode of uti1ization Type of know 1 edge Inst rumen tal Conceptual
A C
B D
a traditional perspective considers knowledge to have been utilized only in cell A--when a hard form of information serves as input to an instrumental use as output, with a linear connection between input and output. This per-
"For convenience the terms "information" and "knowledge" will be used as roughly interchangeable, although the latter is broader and includes functional relationships and theory in addition to descriptive facts. S umma ry
spective is needlessly restrictive. In the long run, more important uses will take the form of soft knowledge as well as hard being used conceptually as well as instrumenta11 y.
2. Cases of use. Over the active duration of the program (roughly summer 1972 through fall 1976), sections B-3 and B-*t document some 30 illus• trations in which hard or soft information from the Northern Michigan Pro• gram was used in either instrumental or conceptual modes. There were more examples of hard than soft knowledge , and more of conceptual than of instru• mental use."' A table in section A-2 directs the reader to a description of each case.
3. Intermedi ate t rans format ions. Normally, information goes through a series of intermediate transformations before instrumental or conceptual use occurs; some of these transformations are In themselves a kind of use. Section A-3 cites illustrations which are found throughout the report. Thus, information from original sources (scientists' knowledge, original data, sci ent i fi c methodology, techni ca1 reports), i s t rans formed i nto intermediate forms (condensed reports, re-transmission of these to membership groups, re• ports in the mass media), and into other forms that are partly conceptual uses (word-of-mouth transmission, public testimony, preparation of background documents for decision-makers, preparation of policy proposals), and finally into instrumental uses (decision-makers adopt, modify, or reject a proposal).
B. Utilization activities of NMERP
This section documents a series of accomplishments during the active 1i fe of the program.
1. The program identified and involved many segments of the population of "stakeholders"--formal and informal leaders within the two counties of northern Michigan, their townships, state and regional agencies, and a variety of citizen groups such as lake associations. These were reached regularly by a series of mailings, and many attended a series of meetings for "community leaders" held at the Biological Station.
2. The program prepared and distributed to the stakeholder popula• tion a series of compact information packages about selected aspects of the
A staff member commented that if project funding had continued longer, increasing use of hard knowledge would have occurred, with increasing examples in the instrumental mode. Summary -5-
program—nine "Lakeland Reports," a profile on one of the lakes, a 40-page booklet on protection of inland lakes, etc. (see appendices). These were supplied through direct mailing, distribution by 1ake associations to their members, hand-outs at local meetings, and mass media.
3- Specific cases of knowledge use (both instrumental and conceptual) were accomplished, such as: township ordinances to.protect wetlands, control of nutrient discharge from a fish hatchery, opposition to wide-scale exten• sion of sewers, resistance to a new freeway, formation of lake associations, preparation of background documents for decision-makers.
4. Project staff established personal contacts with local decision• making bodies and civic groups, regularly attended county planning or zoning board meetings, made presentations to lake association meetings. Section A-4 lists contacts with 24 public bodies, 14 lake associations, and 18 other civic groups. 5- These communications were supplemented by mass media--articles in local newspapers (and occasionally in Detroit and Ann Arbor papers), and by radio and TV programs. Over the active life of the program these included: (a) general articles about the program and the Biological Station (41 items identified), (b) stories about cases of utilization (24 items), (c) articles
r authored by station staff for media publication--another form of condensed
report (6 items), (d) summaries derived from NMERP reports—a form of re• transmission (9 items).
C. Survey on "Lakeland Reports"
In February 1976 program staff conducted a mail survey with a representa• tive sample of stakeholders on the Station's mailing list, to find out re• actions to the eight Lakeland Reports published by that time. The resulting picture showed the series to be favorably regarded. Well over half of the recipients had read each report, a majority rated each issue as "very interest• ing," and two-thirds said they had discussed each report with someone outside their family. Three-quarters found the series useful for their own activities; • both "public" and "private" representatives -agreed that the series was even
more useful to public officials. Most of the volunteered comments (quoted at the end of the section) found the reports informative, important, and readab1e. Summa ry
D. Principles for utilization of environmental knowledge
Distilled from the foregoing events are general guidelines which can be applied by environmental programs in the utilization of ecological know ledge. 1. An over-arching principle is the need for multiple techniques that are mutually reinforcing. These included: repeated mailings to a population of stakeholders, periodic consultation with community leaders, non-technical information packages, regular contact with local decision• makers, relationships with lake associations and other civic groups, direct input into local decisions by testimony and documents, use of mass media.
2. A companion principle is that effective utilization will require multiple types of knowledge {both "hard" and "soft"), and multiple modes of use (both "instrumental" and "conceptual"). It often appears that con• ceptual use (e.g., public concern over nutrients from fish hatching) must precede instrumental use (e.g., decision to halt hatchery production).
3. Preparation of information packages was guided by specific principles. Each report should: be brief and self-contained (small, digest ible chunks), permit personal identification, contain general principles (soft knowledge) and not only facts (hard knowledge), contain implications for action, use liberal illustrations, involve the reader in an active rather than passive way.
h. The importance of working through local associations and their leadership can hardly be overemphasized. But this is a cumulative process over several years, and wide public participation also requires some politi cal compromise. 5- Special communications were tailored to specific decisions in severa1 ways: obtaining new data, retrieving existing data, public testi- mony, and personal conversation.
6. A final and obvious priciple is that use of knowledge to accom• plish institutional changes will have more pervasive effects than will a single action. Examples are: adoption of ordinances, sewer planning, court decisions, and departmental reorganization.
In summary: Environmental decisions are not likely to be affected by
a single technique--i.e. , by simple dissemination. Rather, many mutually reinforcing channels of communication must be employed, to develop a cli• mate of understanding needed for specific decisions. A. PERSPECTIVES ON UTILIZATION OF KNOWLEDGE
In examining the utilization of knowledge from the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program, it is helpful to recognize broad distinc• tions among:
— types of knowledge involved: "hard" versus "soft"; •—modes of utilization of this knowledge: "instrumental" versus "conceptual"; and -—intermediate transformations of information.
It is also important to recognize that knowledge from the NMERP will be useful in different ways to different segments of the heterogeneous popu• lation of "stakeholders" (or parties-at-interest) in that geographical area. Different segments will have conflicting interests. The stakeholders will include formally established decision-makers (e.g., planning commissions, elected officials, public administrators) as well as constituencies to whom the office-holders are responsive--private associations and individuals. All of these have divergent stakes, either in protecting the natural resources of the area or in using them for enjoyment or profit.
1. Meanings of knowledge use
The meaning of "knowledge utilization" has been clarified by two empiri• cal studies associated with the University of Michigan Center for Research on Utilization of Scientific Knowledge (CRUSK). Although both researchers ex• amined the use of social science information within federal agencies, the re• sults are instructive for use of any type of knowledge by decision-makers at any level. Caplan and associates (1975) interviewed 204 upper-level federal executives in nearly all divisions of the executive branch, to determine ways in which they used social science information in planning policies or programs. In a separate study before he joined CRUSK, Rich (1975) held repeated inter• views with executives in seven federal agencies over an 18-month period, to ascertain uses of data from the Continuous National Survey in which questions A. Perspectives -8-
were tailored by the sponsors to obtain public opinion on critical issues such as energy. '
Although the two researchers worked independently, the results were consistent and supported an interpretation which they have elaborated in working papers (Caplan and Rich, 1976; Rich and Caplan, 1976). As sum• marized by a colleague (Nelson, 1977): "In particular, policy makers tend• ed not to identify discrete studies, separated from each other, but rather clusters of studies around a single issue. Further, they did not make much or a distinction between 'empirically grounded research' and other types of social science knowledge. As a result, Caplan and Rich both found that they could not accurately measure the degree of utilization solely by a one-
to-one matching of particular informational inputs to particular decisions or actions reflecting that input. Such uses do occur, of course, but taken by themselves they seriously underestimate the actual amount of social science knowledge that is used," The two authors describe the shortcomings of the "input/output model": "(l) because knowledge accumulates and builds within organizational memories over time, some decisions . . . are made which seem to be independent of any identifiable, discrete inputs; and (2) because knowledge produces [many] effects it is often impossible to trace outputs-to specific inputs, even when it is poss i ble to i dent ify the un i ve rse of i nformat i onal i nputs" (Ri ch and Caplan, 1976).
Types of knowledge. In the Cap Ian (1975) study , fede ra1 execut ives were found to cite two different types of social science information: "havd knowledge from primary scientific sources, objectively reviewed," and "soft knowledge from secondary sources, subjectively integrated." Hard Information is illustrated by the content of a technical report or scientific paper-- empirical evidence, statistical data, results of scientific experiment or mathematical analysis. While there is no sharp division, soft knowledge will include general principles and concepts, often expressed in non-technical language, short phrases, or visual images.
In the Northern Michigan program these two types are readily illustrated. Hard knowledge is represented in factual information about parameters of in•
land lakes, the surrounding land, and the behavior and opinions of area resi-
I A. Perspectives -9-
dents. Soft knowledge is represented in the meaning of terms such as "eut.ro- phication, nutrient loading"; concepts such as "wetlands" and their importance for lake quality; principles such as relationship between use of lawn ferti• lizers and growth of algae. Modes of use. Both writers distinguished two modes of use: an instru• mental use in which information (either hard or soft) affects a specific deci• sion or action which can be clearly documented; and a conceptual use which in• volves "influencing a policy maker's thinking about an issue without putting Information to specific, documentable use" (Rich and Caplan, 1976). A con• ceptual use is one which brings about a change in awareness, thinking or understanding by some concerned audience.
Both investigators observed that federal executives did not limit their examples of knowledge use to the traditional perspective in which hard knowl• edge is applied in a one-to-one match with a documented action. Rather, policy makers also reported a non-traditional perspective in which soft knowl• edge was accumulated through time in a broad framework of understanding about a poli cy area.
Rich and Caplan argued that "conceptual uses . . . should not be viewed as failures to translate research findings into action." Rather, they may have greater long-term impact on policy than instrumental uses. In particu• lar, conceptual uses will affect the way a problem and its causes are defined. And as Caplan and Nelson (1973) have argued, causal assumptions will bear in• timately on efforts to develop remedies.
in the NMERP, an instrumental use would be illustrated by a specific action such as adoption of a wetlands ordinance, or a decision for or against
installation of a sewer. A conceptual use would be illustrated by some evi• dence of emerging belief or awareness, such as public testimony on a wetlands ordinance or sewer.
Information/use matrix. The investigators suggested the following matrix:
Mode of uti1ization Type of know ledge Instrumental Conceptual Hard A C
Soft B D A. Perspect ives -10-
ln this matrix a traditional perspective considers knowledge to have been utilized only in cell A--when a hard form of information serves as input to an instrumental use as output. As a simple illustration, in July 1975 the appearance of a white residue on the skin of swimmers in Lake Charlevoix prompted the closing of beaches by health authorities; when a sample was analyzed by the Biological Station and found to be marl (calcium carbonate), this hard information permitted the beaches to be re-opened (instrumental use).
As an illustration of cell D, the concept of wetlands and their ecologi• cal value (soft knowledge) was recognized by Burt Township planners and in• corporated in the draft of a land use ordinance (conceptual use). Cell B is illustrated when this ordinance was actually adopted by vote of township re• sidents (instrumental use). Cell C is iI 1 ustrated when a factual study of Bear Creek—its temperature, streambed, plant and animal life (hard informa- tion)--led to recognition that it was only marginally suitable as a habitat for brook trout (conceptual use).
Over the duration of the NMERP (roughly summer 1972 through fall 1976) numerous instances can be identified in which both hard and soft knowledge were used by different segments of the stakeholder population in both con• ceptual and instrumental modes. These illustrations are summarized in the following section; detailed documentation appears in part B.
2. Summary of cases of use Section B-3 below describes many specific cases in which hard or soft information from the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program was used in either instrumental or conceptual modes. A few more illustrations appear in section B-4. The number of such uses in each cell of the informa• tion/use matrix is the following:
Mode of ut i1i zat i on Type of knowledge i ns t rumentaI ConceptuaI
Hard A: 5 cases C: 8 cases
Soft B: 6 cases D: II cases
Total 30 cases A. Perspectives
Burt Township wetlands ordinance (p. 2h) Cel1 Burt Township Association sends Lakeland Report to members outlining Burt Lake watershed to emphasize its wide extent . . . C
Rationale of wetlands is incorporated in proposed ordinance D
Zoning ordinance is adopted by Township Board and subsequently by pub 1 ic referendum B
Springvale Township greenbelt ordinance (p. 27) • Pickerel and Crooked Lakes Improvement Association sends information on lakes and soils to its membership to stimulate their awareness C,D Schwintzer presents rationale of wetlands at Zoning Commission meeting D Township Board adopts riverbank ordinance B
Oden fish hatchery (p. 29) Gannon testifies on nutrient discharge from hatchery into Crooked Lake; Fisheries Division shifts facility from hatching (fry and fingerling production) to brood stock maintenance, result• ing in significant reduction in nutrient discharge A
Preliminary planning for sewer systems (pt 3])
Public hearings in Tuscorora and Melrose Townships aim at increasing understanding C,D Some decisions in the above locations are reached A,B Alternatives to sewers--sanitarian endorses composting device ... B
Bear River proposals (p. 3^) Class study findings discourage construction of deep cold- water pipe C Freeway planning (p, 35)
Social survey results plus Chamber of Commerce survey support Planning Commission resolution opposing freeway A
Land development, lake dredging, campgrounds (p. 36) In Bear Creek Township hearing on Tamarack Development, Walloon Lake Association and Station personnel question ability of lake to withstand increased use C,D
In Tuscarora Township hearing on dredging of Mud Lake, Gannon testifies that it could have undesirable effect on Mullett Lake F
Report on erosion at Twin Lakes campgrounds questions practice of successive abandonment. Letter to DNR urges consultation with water quality expertise in DNR Water Resources Commission D A. Perspectives _12-
Inquiries from realtors and prospective buyers (p. 38) Cei1
Potential buyer clarifies options about property on two lakes (p.167) A,B
Letter to realtor compares qualities of Walloon and Crooked Lakes (p.169) C,D
Formation of lake associations (p. 38) Three lake associations were formed following discussions with Biological Station staff. Several associations are being consolidated around one lake. Discussions held toward forma• tion of an area-wide watershed council D
Background documents
Soci al survey resu1ts are i ncorporated in Cheboygan County
Recreation Plan (p. 39) G Lakeland Reports and Walloon Lake Profile are incorporated in appendix of documents for public hearing in Melrose Township on sewer planning (p. 33) C,D
Charlevoix County planner calculates shoreline development factor (SDF) for several lakes in the county, and cites soft information from two Lakeland Reports, for County Planning Commission (p. 157) n
Other uses
White residue on Lake Charlevoix swimmers is identified as marl; beaches re-opened (pp. 159) A Gannon offers plan for handling flooded swamp on Wildwood Lake (p.29) 8
3. Intermediate transformations of information Only occasionally does it happen that scientists produce a piece of information that bears directly on an action. Normally, information goes through a series of intermediate transformations before instrumental or conceptual use occurs. Some of these transformations are in themselves a kind of use. For example, when a lake association takes a Lakeland Report and reprints it under the associations logo for distribution to its members, the association is using- the report as a service to Its participants (item f below). When a newspaper prints an article which summarizes the conclu• sions of a Lakeland Report and reprints a chart (item g below), it is using the material to inform its readers.
Such uses are a kind of hybrid. They involve a specific action (mail• ing, publishing—akin to instrumental mode), but the intent of the action is to enlighten (akin to conceptual mode). Because of this ambiguity we shall A. Persepctives -13-
simply call such examples "intermediate transformations." Many different forms of information can be illustrated in the NMERP.
Some are original sources3 such as items a through d below. I terns e through g are intermediate transformations. Here, original information has been re-formulated to make it understandable to non-technical audiences. The next three forms, h through j, are not only intermediate transforma• tions but also indicate some degree of conceptual use by stakeholders. The next item k, preparation of action proposals, stands on the borderline be• tween instrumental and conceptual use. The proposed ordinance represents a conceptual use by the people who drafted it, but not until the ordinance is actually approved by the policy board or public referendum (item I) can we say that instrumental use has occurred.
Scattered throughout part B below are many illustrations of these in• formation forms. A few selected examples are the following:
Information forms Selected examples Original sources a. Knowledge and experience of Gannon testifies at public hear• scient i s ts ings on Oden Fish Hatchery (p. 30) b. Original data—sometimes in Inland residents' opinions on free• comp ute r re t r i evab1e fo rm way construction are given to Emmet Planning Commission (p. 36)
c. Scientific methodology U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requests study of indices of trophic state of Michigan lakes (p. 39) d. Technical reports--written in Report on Bear River • (p. 35) sci enti fi c 1anguage for techn i- Progress Report on NMERP, December 1974 cal audience Final reports on NMERP Intermediate transformations e. Condensed reports--sma11 chunks Lakeland Reports Nos. 1 - 9 (p. 19) of information in non-technical Handbook on Inland Lake Protection 1anguage in Northern Michigan (p. 22) Articles by staff published in local
media (p. 22, 153)
f. Re-transmission of condensed Walloon Lake Association reprints reports to membership groups Lakeland Report 6 and Walloon Lake Pro• file and send to membership (p. kh) A. Perspectives
I nformati'on forms Selected examples Transmission via mass media-- usuai ly derived from sources a_, e_, or h_, are further condensed and and transmi tted via:
--Newspape rs Petoskey News-Review reports resi• dents' opinions on freeway con• struction (pp. 3o,l64) Northwood Ca11 reproduces data and cone 1 us i ons from Lake land Report No. 8 (pp. 56,158)
--Radio, TV TV Channel WBKV( Alpena--Foster and Gannon on 30-minute talk show (p. 52) Partly conceptual use h. Word-of-mouth transmission, Recipients of Lakeland Reports de• pe rsonal di scuss i on scribe their discussion of reports outs i de immedi ate family (p. £$) i. Public testimony by stakeholders Walloon Lake Association members speak at sewer hearinqs, Melrose Township (p. 33^ Preparation of background docu• Cheboygan County Recreat i on P Ian , ments for decision-makers 1976, includes NMERP data on recrea• tion of residents (p. 39)
Engineering firm documents for sewer planning include pertinent Lakeland Reports (p. 33) k. Preparation of proposals for Burt Township zoning ordinance pro• policy or program posal incorporates rationale of wetlands (pp. 25,160)
Instrumental use 1. Concrete action--e.g., decision• Burt Township voters endorse makers adopt, modify, or reject ord i nance (p. 27) a proposal
Linkages among these forms of information can be complex. A hypothetical diagram of some typical linkages is shown in Exhibit 1. The arrows suggest the flow of information and its successive transformations. Typically, knowledge of the scientists together with their original data and method• ology are incorporated in technical reports, from which condensed reports are generated. Excerpts from these in turn are transmitted via public media, or retransmitted to membership groups, where they influence personal discussion and public testimony by stakeholders and scientists. These in- A. Perspectives -15-
puts, together with background documents and public media, influence the preparation of policy statements. Finally, at the far right of the dia• gram, a concrete action is taken on the policy statement. This is influ enced by many other inputs (unlabeled arrows at the right) representing a host of interests and pressures aside from the input of this body of know ledge.
References for Part A
Caplan, N. (1975). "The Use of Social Science Information by Federal Execut i ves." In Lyons , G.M. (ed.). Social Research and Public Policies - The Dartmouth/OECD Conference'. Hanover, N.H.: Public Affairs Center, Dartmouth College, pp. 46-67.
Caplan, N. and Rich, R. (1976). "Institutional Insularity and Bureaucrati• zation: The Process and Consequence of Information Policy at the National Level." Delivered at the OECD Conference on "Dissemina• tion of Economic and Social Development Research Results." Bogota", Colombia, June.
Caplan, N. and Nelson, S. (1973). "On Being Useful--The Nature and Conse• quences of Psychological Research on Social Problems." Ame r i can Psychologist, Vol. 28 (March), pp. 199-211.
Nelson, S. (1977). "A General Systems Perspective on Governmental Use of Social Science Knowledge." The General Systems Paradigm: Science of Change and Change of Science. Proceedings of the 21st Annual North American Meeting of the Society for General Systems Research, Denver, February 21-25, pp. 301-07.
Rich, R.F. (1975). "Selective Utilization of Social Science Related Informa• tion by Federal Policy-Makers." Inqui ry, XIII (September), pp. 239-45.
Rich, R.F. and Caplan, N. (1976). "Instrumental and Conceptual Uses of Social Science Knowledge and Perspectives: Means/Ends Matching Versus Understanding." Delivered at the OECD Conference on Dissemination of Economic and Social Development Research Results." Bogota', Colombi a, June. Intermedi ate Conceptual and Orig i na1 sources t ransformations nst rumenta1 use
~\ 01 TJ <0 o Original data
Scientific Technica1 Condensed Public met ho reports reports medi a do logy \ I Knowledge Re-trans Concrete of investi mission to documents action gators membership
Persona Public Pol icy di scussion tes 11mony proposa1s
Exhibit 1. Some typical linkages among various forms of information. See text for definition of items. -17-
B. UTILIZATION ACTIVITIES OF NMERP
1. Identifying and involving a population of "stakeholders"
An early and continuing priority for the Northern Michigan Environ• mental Research Program has been to establish communication with numerous individuals and groups who have an investment or "stake" in the study area." Potential users of outputs from the program are formal and informal leaders within the study area at township, county, regional and state levels, and citizen groups such as lake associations.
The Northern Michigan area has for generations been the summer "playground" for more affluent visitors from urban centers in lower Michi• gan and adjacent states. Although much of the economy in Northern Michigan is geared to these summer people, and much commercial property is either owned by or oriented to these non-residents, the regional decision-makers or "influentials" are still dominated by local people. Communication with these people has been a high priority, in the conviction that utilization of new information about natural resources will not occur without local acceptance.
This communication effort has involved all members of the project staff, but particularly those residing permanently at the Biological Station. Beginning with the pilot grant in June 1972, the local effort was led by John E. Gannon, Associate Research Scientist at the Station and co-principal investigator. Through years of residence and study in the area, he has been
Preparation of this section has drawn from the Progress Report to the National Science Foundation, "Investigations into Ecological and Socio• logical Determinants of Land-Use Decisions," December 1974, section V, Utilization, pp. 224-246. B. Utilization Activities -18-
able to establish rapport with local citizens and has developed many fruit• ful contacts. With receipt of the main (second) grant in December 1973, uti1i zat ion respons ib i1i ty was formally ass igned to Wi 11i am L. Foster, Public Information Scientist, also a local resident for several years. Prior to this assignment he was a we 11 - respected biology teacher at Petoskey High School, and was readily able to cultivate local lines of communication.
Under the third grant, beginning March 1975, the research aspects of the program (aquatic, terrestrial, and social) were supplemented by input on utilization from the U-M Center for Research on Utilization of Scientific Knowledge, and Foster was also designated as "Knowledge Utilization Agent." One of his tasks was maintaining a Knowledge Utilization (KU) activity log. From fall 197^ through summer 1976, KU log entries averaged about 10 per month, including: visits and presentations by staff to local commissions and associations, articles appearing in local newspapers, programs on radio or TV, and visits and letters to the station by leaders within and outside the two-county area. With winding-down of NMERP funding during the summer of 1976, the position of KU agent was terminated. Many of the utilization features reported below are derived from the KU logs.
An early task was to compile a comprehensive listing of some 300
potential users of natural resources information at all levels — village, township, city, reg.ion, and state. From this list a committee of three dozen persons was assembled—originally called a "Users Committee" and later a "Community Leaders Group"--including: Township officers Personnel in Michigan Department County commissioners of Natural Resources: Planning commissioners forestry, game, fisheries, Planning and zoning administrators soil conservation District sanitarians Lake association officers Extension directors Influential citizens Water resource managers Concerned environmentalists Regional planners
During the pilot phase of the project, two all-day meetings of this committee were held at the Biological Station — the first one in October 1972. These provided ample time for "feedback" to project scientists from people concerned with practical resource management. One unforeseen but signifi- B. Utilization Activities -19-
cant spin-off from these meetings was interaction among personnel of the two counties and respective regional commissions, who often had had little prior communication. Those in attendance quickly realized that environ• mental problems do not follow political boundaries.
Out of these contacts there developed eventually a mailing list of some 400 names. These people periodically received mailings of the series of "Lakeland Reports" described below--one of the program's main vehicles for transmitting its ecological information.
2. Information packages about the Northern Michigan environment
Lake 1 and Reports. As a major means of communicating with its stake• holders, the staff prepared a series of nine Lakeland Reports during the life of the project and disseminated these in various ways — copies were mailed to the Station's mailing list; lake associations bought or reproduced copies for distribution to their memberships; copies were handed out at meet• ings of local groups; portions were incorporated in newspaper or magazine articles, or in documents prepared for local decision-makers.
The full set of Lakeland Reports is reproduced in Appendix I; a summary of each is given below. A simple .principle underlay the series —that non-technical stake• holders are more likely to absorb and use information if It appears in small, digestible chunks. Each Lakeland Report, therefore, came as a separate brochure of 4 to 8 pages and focused on a small set of facts about one or two topics. B. Uti1i zat ion Act ivities -20-
The reports presented both hard and soft information. An illustra• tion is Report No. 3 dealing with the concept of Shoreline Development Factor (SDF) which descri.bes the ratio of shoreline length to lake area. The principle (soft information) is that the more irregular a lake's shore• line, the greater is the potential for development and for environmental degredation. The report also gave hard information on the ranking of 30 Northern Michigan lakes in order of their respective SDFs.
Various techniques were used to increase readabi1i ty--photographs, maps, charts, and brief quizzes with immediate answers for self-testing.
1 - NORTHERN MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROGRAM .... August 1974 (revised September 1975) Objectives of the project. Phenomena of "soapsuds" and "algae bloom" (2 pages).
2 - PROGRESS REPORT ON SOCIAL SCIENCE SURVEY January 1975 (revised September 1975) A few facts (hard information) about the 1974 sample of 800 water front residents. Concept of "fall overturn" or temperature mixing of a lake (soft information); map of lake watersheds (hard informa• tion) (4 pages).
3 - SHORELINE DEVELOPMENT FACTOR (SDF) April 1975 (revised September 1975) Content is described in text above (soft and hard information). (3 pages. 300 copies sent to mailing list, 300 handed out in othe rs ways.)
4 - LAKE STRUCTURE July 1975
The size and depth of a lake affect its sensitivity, to human development,(soft plus hard information). A map of lake water• sheds shows two lakes with watersheds extending over four counties --hence lake protection requires cooperation across political boundaries; lakes with large watersheds are more vulnerable to human use (soft and hard information). (Report prepared by Donald C. Pelz based on work by John E. Gannon, 01e Lundin.and Richard Stemberger. 6 pages;)
5 - WETLANDS AND WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT August 1975 Entirely soft information about four types of wetlands and wildlife. (Prepared by Jan Nagel based on research by Christa Schwintzer. 6 pages.) B. Ut i 11zat i on Act i vi t ies -21-
6 - ATTITUDES ABOUT GROWTH September 1975 Mostly hard information from waterfront residents on amount of growth desired; perception of past and future changes; types of development favored or opposed; differences among year-round residents, second home-owners, and vacationers. (Prepared by Donald C. Pelz from research by Robert W. Marans and Sandra J. Newman. 8 pages.)
7 - SEASONAL CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE AND OXYGEN IN EMMET AND CHEBOYGAN COUNTY LAKES October 1975
Seasonal cycles in temperature stratification, and the meaning for oxygen content and fish. Mostly soft information. (Pre• pared by John E. Gannon and William L. Foster. 6 pages.)
8 - NUTRIENTS FROM HUMAN USE January 1976 Soft information on how human nutrients affect lake eutrophica- tion, and hard information on septic tank inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus on 14 lakes. (Prepared by Donald C. Pelz from research by Curtis J. Richardson, D.S. Nichols, and J.R. Boyle. 6 pages.)
9 - THE FUTURE OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN August 1976 Results from the social science studies on 800 water-oriented res i dents (summe r 1974) and 600 1and-oriented res i dents (summer 1975) on expectations about future changes for better or worse, personal plans for the future, and assessment of Northern Michi• gan on a 100-point scale. Hard information. (Prepared by William L. Foster based on research by Robert W. Marans and J. Douglas WeiIman. 6 pages.)
Lake profiles. Under sponsorship of the Walloon Lake Association (which paid for reproduction costs and distributed copies to its membership), project staff prepared Walloon Lake Profile (summer 1976, reproduced in Appendix Ml). Beg i nn i ng with notes on the early history of Walloon Lake and its geology, the profile presents a variety of hard information on Walloon residents (from the social survey) and on water quality and sensitivity to change (from the aquatic research), and soft information about protective s teps. Information has been compiled for a second profile on Burt Lake, and discussed with the Burt Township Association, but with the termina• tion of project funds the production of this profile was shelved. B. Utilization Activities -22-
Informationa 1 booklets. To provide a framework of concepts and principles for interpreting factual Information about Northern Michigan lakes, the NMERP staff authorized preparation of a handbook, InLviJ U:^c Protection in Northern Michigan (by E.W. Say, M.W. Paddock, J.E. Gannon, and W.L. Foster; kO pages, 1975, three colors), which was made available to residents at a nominal charge. Costs of preparation were assisted by a small grant from the U-M Institute for Environmental Quality. The Hand• book was adapted from an earlier publication, Inland Lakes—Analysis and Action, by Jerome K. Fulton, E. Wayne Say, and others, Huron River Water• shed Council, Ann Arbor; Extension Bulletin E-718» Cooperative Extension Se rvi ce, Mi chIgan State Uni versi ty , Novembe r 1971.
Colorfully illustrated and set in large type, the handbook strives for easy reading by lay persons. A half-dozen sample pages are reproduced in black-and-white in Appendix II. The booklet presents soft information on working of inland lake ecosystems, lake eutrophication (aging) and its causes, importance of watersheds, effects of human use on lakes, and ends with suggestions on what citizen groups can do to protect inland lakes. About 1500 copies had been distributed as of February 1977.
Another booklet, Natural Features of the Inland Water Route of
Northern Lower Michigan3 by William L. Foster (Informational Report No. 2, February 1976, 33 pages) describes the geography and geological history of the area, vegetation, climate, and soils (hard information). A unique feature is a road log with a mile-by-mile guide to geological features during a 40-mile trip between Cheboygan and Petoskey. The Cheboygan Daily Tribune published this in its entirety in several installments during July 1976. »
Articles by staff In mass media. Another form of condensed reports were articles prepared by Biological Station staff for publication in local newspapers. (See section B-5~c, and Appendix III.) Illustrations are articles by Jan Nagel on the pros and cons of sewer systems which ap-. peared in, the North Woods Cal1 (June 1976) and the Cheboygan News (October 1975), and a periodic column by Nagel which appeared in the Cheboygan News (November-December 1975) . B. Utilization Activities -23-
3- Specific cases of instrumental and conceptual use
In this paper we assume that knowledge is "used" not only when it affects identifiable action or decision--what we have called an "instru• mental" use, but also when it affects how people think about an issue— what we have called a "conceptual" use.
In the Northern Michigan area, a number of specific actions can be identified where it appears that inputs from NMERP or the U-M Biological Station have had some instrumental influence. Many other instances can be cited in which these inputs have had a conceptual influence. The rest of this section documents a series of cases in which project knowledge— both hard and soft i nformat i on — has had either instrumental or conceptual impact. A summary of these oases was given in Section B above.
Wetlands ordinances and zoning. The inland lakes in Northern Michi• gan are bounded in many places by wet lands —adjacent areas with a high water table (and sometimes but not necessarily marshy or swampy). Wetlands bordering a lake serve to protect it in two ways. (l) They contain a variety of trees and other vegetation whose roots serve to trap nutrients in water seeping into the lake, and to prevent erosion of nutrient-rich • sediments into the lake. Disturbance of this vegetation through cutting, dredging, or filling tends to destroy these filters and opens the way to erosion. (2) Sanitary regulations prohibit installation of septic systems without proper drainage—generally the case with a high water table. These regulations inhibit development on wetlands and their attendant pressures on the lake. The latter protection disappears, however, if a sewage system Is installed so that septic permits are no longer needed.
To retain the benefits of wetlands for lake protection, zoning or• dinances at township or county levels are needed to restrict excessive removal or disturbance, of natural vegetation, or excessive development.
An ordinance in itself is no sure guarantee. Without the reinforc• ing weight of pub 1ic- opinion, an appeals board can overturn a ruling by a zoning administrator or health officer. A violator who cannot be persuaded to adhere must be taken to court —a long and expensive process. Given the B. Uti1i zat i on Acti vi t ies
traditional protection of property rights, a wealthy developer might succeed in having the ordinance voided in court.
To be effective, therefore, environmental knowledge must achieve not only instrumental use in adoption of a suitable ordinance, but also conceptual use in public understanding and endorsement. If a protective ordinance can be adopted and affirmed through local hearings or referenda, the latter can be an important safeguard.
Crawford County. In April 1974 John Gannon was guest speaker at an annual Soil Conservation District meeting in Antrim County (including Torch Lake north of Traverse City, and one county removed from the Northern Michigan area). In his talk he mentioned an ecologically excellent wetlands ordinance adopted several years earlier in the Forest Home Township of that county. Because of a contact at the meeting, the chairman of the Planning Commission of Crawford County (centering on Grayling) had secured a copy of the Forest Home ordinance and had completed a township-by-township survey of soil types to identify wetland areas as recommended by Gannon. The chairman wrote (March 1975) that the Commission had recommended a similar ordinance for Crawford County to take effect in June 1975- Gannon endorsed the proposed ordinance and forwarded it to the principal author of the Forest Home ordinance for comment.
Because of Gannon's long residence in the area and his familiarity with ordinances elsewhere, he has served as a spokesman and resource person to assist similar efforts both within and outside the NMERP area. Wetlands protection owes much to the efforts of John Hodge, first a county extension agent and then regional extension director, who took a personal interest in the Forest Home ordinance and in the efforts described below in Sprlngvale and Burt Townships.
Burt Township wetlands ordinance. Burt Lake is the largest lake in the two-county area in both volume and surface, and has the second-1argest watershed. The northern half of the lake lies within Burt- Township, and the Burt Township Association is one of the most active lake associations in the area (with 250 dues-paying members, mostly near the waterfront). Biolo- B . Uti1i zat i on Acti vi ties -25-
gical Station staff have maintained good rapport with the Association; on
four occasions during the winter of 1975-76, groups of township women visited the Station or used its cross-country ski trails.
An interview in July 1976 with the former chairman of the Land Use Planning and Zoning Commission of the township revealed a long-standing con• cern for controlling population growth and attendant development. Of 22,000 acres in the township,' taxable land is only 7600 acres--the rest being in water, public lands (including several thousand Biological Station acres), and marginal areas such as wetlands. Following development of a land-use plan adopted in 197^, the Planning Commission undertook to write a township zoning ordinance — a permissible alternative to county-wide zoning.
The wetlands portion of the proposed ordinance (see Appendix IV ) was strict, and was modeled closely after the Forest Home Township (Antrim County) ordinance. Defining a wetland as an area with surface within 4 feet of adjacent high-water lake level or ground water level, the ordinance limited use of such land to fishing, hunting, trapping, timber harvesting, or nature enjoyment; prohibited construction of roads; and prohibited fil• ling, development, or subdivision except where explicitly authorized by the Zoning Commission.
The rationale of wetlands is explicitly incorporated in the ordin• ance (general principles or soft knowledge for a conceptual use—cell D of information/use matrix):
"Natural wetland areas" (as defined) "are grown over with grass, and other vegetation which: --remove nutrients from the waters entering Burt Lake — retard the flow of sediment into Burt Lake --maintain the established shoreline of Burt Lake --encourage the growth of wild plants and animals.
"These areas are not suited for general use or habitation by people because preparation for such use requires that the land be dredged, filled, cleared, excavated and drained. These operations destroy the character of natural wetlands and their functions of removing nutrients, retarding sediments, maintaining shoreline, and foster• ing wildlife, and consequently they lower the quality of the waters,"
The Biological Station assisted this effort in several ways. They had supplied a copy of the Forest Home wetlands ordinance in Antrim County, and copies of Lakeland Report No. 5 dealing with wetlands. "We had the B. Utilization Activities -26-
strong impression, mainly from your people [Biological Station]," said the former planning chairman, "that if you destroy all wetlands you hasten the eutrophication process" (conceptual use). "Your people advised and coun• seled us on several aspects of the zoning ordinance" (instrumental use). Help was also acknowledged from the extension service regional director plus Cheboygan County agent, and from a former member of the U-M Sea Grant Program
Involvement of Biological Station staff with Burt Township began much earlier. As a result of earlier meetings concerning Station property (several thousand acres lie within the Township), Foster was regu lar 1 y ,i nvi ted to attend Burt Township Board meetings beginning December 1974. At successive meetings (February, March, April, August 1975) Foster presented preliminary findings from the NMERP results including views of Burt Lake respondents, and made arrangements to have one of the Lakeland Reports reprinted in the Association's newsletter--Report No. 2, with watershed of Burt Lake outlined. The latter is an illustration of cell C in the information/use matrix-- hard information used for a conceptual purpose--membership appreciation of the wide extent of their lake's watershed.
In August the Township Board president wrote to David Gates, Biologi• cal Station director, formally inviting Station attendance at Board meetings: "We have learned much from [Foster] and it is evident that we can learn much more. We also believe the work of the Biological Station is invaluable, and we are anxious to support your effort."
In a mailing to its membership, September 1975, the Burt Township Association reported discussions on a proposed Tip-of-the-Mit Watershed Council; the Board has endorsed its formation and designated an official representative. The mailing reproduced three pages from Lakeland Report No. 4
On 8 November 1975 Foster attended a public hearing on the proposed ordinance and noted in the KU log that "surprising little comment was made about this rather strict ordinance; no one really spoke against it." Foster attended further meetings in February 1976, March, and June.
The Burt Township zoning ordinance was the culmination of years of dedicated leadership and cultivation of local opinion. According to the former planning chairman, the antecedent land-use plan resulted from many -27- B. Utilization Activities
public meetings, with incorporation of "over 90%" of the public's opinions. The zoning ordinance was provisionally approved by the Township Board in May 1976, but to assure public backing it was submitted to referendum in August 1976. To generate wide understanding and interest, the entire draft was published in an area newspaper, the Strai tsland Resorter, May 27,
1976- In a letter sent to every registered voter in the township, the former planning and zoning chairman personally urged approval in order to "control the future in regard to the quality of life in Burt regarding den• sity of population, unpolluted water and land, commercial development, and other situations... rather than letting state and county government make the
rules for you..." The ordinance was approved—an illustration of cell B in the information/use matrix.
Springvale Township greenbelt ordinance. This township adjoins Pickerel and Crooked Lakes and the channel connecting these lakes. Crooked Lake is the most heavily impacted by human use of the 38 lakes in the NMERP two-county area. One of the earliest lakes in the area to be developed, many of its septic systems were primitive, deteriorated, or overloaded. Its beaches had been closed on several occasions by the health department for excessive coliform bacteria counts. As a result, the residents of Crooked Lake had recently installed (fall, 1975) a sewer system along the north shore that connected to the technically advanced system in Harbor Springs on Little Traverse Bay.
The Pickerel and Crooked Lakes Improvement Association is one of the most vigorous of the area's lake associations, and for several years has welcomed assistance from the Biological Station. In November 1973, the Association prepared for its membership a brochure, "Will We Save Our Lakes? The Time for Decision is Now," which addressed the question:
"Since it is known that nutrients and other materials from septic tanks flow into lakes, the health authorities have stopped any further residential construction until a central sewer system is available...But if sewers bring a surge of
new development which violates ecological principles, will more permanent damage be done to the quality of both the water and the human community than has been done during the last quarter century?" B. Utilization Activities -28-
The brochure included 15 pages of material provided by the Biologi• cal Station with both hard and soft information about water quality in the two lakes, wetlands and shoreline vegetation, and surrounding soils in order to stimulate public awareness (conceptual use). Among action steps suggested at the end of the brochure was: "Supporting... 1aws restricting distance of buildings from the lakeshore and laws prohibiting removal of natural vegetation in wetland areas." (This material represents a concept• ual use of. hard and soft information — eel Is C and D of the matrix.)
Because of their experience with lake degradation, residents of this area have been receptive to steps for water quality protection. Despite the sewer, Springvale Township residents were concerned that if the land were overused the local streams—particularly the channel between Pickerel and Crooked Lakes--would become polluted, with no net gain. In an interview (July 1976) the chairman of the township Planning and Zoning Commission de• scribed the township's activities in zoning going back 15 years. Initial interest was stimulated by John Hodge, then county extension agent. Spring• vale was the first township in the county to adopt its own zoning (permitted under state regulations as an alternative to county zoning), and one of the first to do so in the northern 15 counties in Michigan's lower peninsula (the county has had zoning for about five years).
Accordingly, other local and state regulations on riverfront develop• ment were examined, and an ordinance was drafted that would protect vegeta• tion along the river banks--through maintaining a 40-foot wide strip of nati vegetation, permitting lumbering under the DNR-recommended (Department of Natural Resources) standard of retaining 90 basal feet of timber per acre, leaving root structures undisturbed, no filling into the grade of the river, no construction within 60 feet, etc.
Biological Station activity relative to this ordinance included the following. Foster was invited (July 1975) to attend a hearing by the Spring vale Township Zoning Commission to consider a draft of the proposal. An audience of 50 commented for two hours — the commission standing for a strict ordinance and many large landowners (some of them non-resident) opposed to any controls. Foster spoke as a former township taxpayer, told of UMBS in- B. Utilization Activities -29-
terest in wetlands, and offered to bring a wetlands scientist to the next meeting. At the next meeting (August 75) Foster brought Dr. Christa Schwintzer who presented information and answered questions on wetlands (Lakeland Report No. 5 is based on her work). This presentation illustrates cell D of the i,n format i on/use matrix. Later that month, Foster was invited by the county extension agent to meet with the head of the zoning commission and regional extension director John Hodge to develop compromises to meet needs of large landowners (mainly on size of trees to be harvested) while re• taining the greenbelt concept.
On 18 May 1976, the Springvale Zoning Commission submitted a revised riverbank ordinance covering Minnehaha, Mud, and Silver Creeks, and the Piekerel-Crooked Lake channel (see clipping in Appendix IV )--i11 ustrating cell B of the information/use matrix. In September 197b the Emmet County Planning Commission reviewed this proposed amendment to the Springvale Township zoning ordinance, found it to be generally in accordance with the land-use objectives of the county's comprehensive plan, and suggested minor revisions. It must still be adopted by the Township Board; this step is expected in the spring of 1977-
Oden Fish Hatchery. For many years the Fisheries Division of the De• partment of Natural Resources (DNR) has operated a hatchery at Oden whose effluent is discharged into Crooked Lake via a small stream. In an interview Gannon stated that for the past five years the Station has been using Hatchery Creek to illustrate the only "truly organically polluted stream in the Northern Michigan area." Bacterial action on fish feces and uneaten food releases large amounts of nutrients.
In February 1975 the Pickerel and Crooked Lakes Improvement Association contacted Foster regarding an application by DNR for a permit under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to discharge the Oden hatchery effluent into Crooked Lake. Many issues were raised which the Assoc• iation did not understand. On behalf of the Biological Station, Foster wrote to the Permit Coordinator, Michigan Water Resources Commission (also a divi• sion of DNR) stating that "We have identified Crooked Lake as the most ser• iously affected by human impact of the 38 lakes in Emmet and Cheboygan B. Utilization Activities -30-
Counties," and urged that a public hearing on the proposed permit be held
in the Petoskey area. In August 1975 a hearing was held at Alanson, at which Gannon presented a statement that the stream below the hatchery was nut r i ent-en ri ched. *
In January 1976 the Water Resources Commission (according to news• paper releases — see Appendix iv ), issued a directive for an 80% reduc• tion in the current discharge of 0.2 parts per million of phosphorus by
J July 1977- According to the chief of the DNR Water Quality Control Divi• sion, this amount of discharge releases five pounds of phosphorus per day into Crooked Lake, or 1500-2000 pounds per year, equivalent to four tons of 20% commercial phosphorus fertilizer per year. The decision also establish•
ed a deadline of 31 July 1976 for the DNR's Fisheries Division to complete an analysis of available alternatives for handling outflows. The hatchery had already constructed sedimentation ponds to remove settleable solids from fish by-products and wasted food. Another option was that the hatchery link into the newly installed Crooked Lake-Harbor Springs sewer system. Residents questioned why the hatchery should be allowed to by-pass the sewer when they had to pay for a connection. The Fisheries Division estimated that it would cost $100,000 to connect to the sewer, and could not justify this expenditure.
Use of knowledge is often controversial, and the Oden Hatchery is a
good illustration. At the August 1975 hearing Gannon had stated that the hatchery creek was highly organically enriched. The Fisheries Division head, however, denied that phosphorus outflow was seriously affecting the lake, and in response to the WRC directive he called the phosphorus outflow so low that an 80% reduction was "not technologically feasible."
In February 1976, Gannon gave information to radio station WV0Y, Charlevoix, for a report on the Oden Fish Hatchery controversy. In March he was invited to attend the annual meeting of the Fisheries Division, where he repeated his findings on nutrient loading in the creek.
In early June, a report on nutrient discharge into Crooked Lake" was
John E. Gannon and Daniel J. Mazur, "Sources of Nutrients (Phosphorus and Nitrogen) for' Crooked Lake, Emmet County, Michigan, 1975-76." Special re• port to Fish Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, University of Michigan Biological Station, 8 June 1976, 14 pp. B'. Utilization Activities -31-
released to the Water Resources Commission, indicating that the Oden Fish Hatchery Creek accounted for 60-80% of the phosphorus from all streams en• tering the lake, and of the phosphorus from all sources. In late June 1976 the Fisheries Division reached a decision to change the Oden facility from fish hatching (fry and fingerling production) to maintenance of brood stock. This will reduce nutrient output substantially.
The resolution of the Oden Fish Hatchery case is a clear case of cell A in the information/use matrix—where factual (hard) information, despite denial by the affected agency, entered into.a specific decision (instrumental use).
Preliminary planning for sewer systems. A sewer system is a double- edged instrument. On the one hand, as in the case of Crooked Lake, it can remedy the defects of aging and overloaded septic tanks. On the other hand, the presence of a sewer system can make available for development land that was previously ruled unsuitable for septic tanks—with the result of increas• ing rather than decreasing the ecological pressure on the lake.
Two years ago, Gannon had spoken to the Pickerel and Crooked Lakes Improvement Association advising that it might not be necessary to sewer the rest of the' lake, especially later-developed segments with more adequate sep• tic tanks; he pointed out that lawn fertilizers could discharge as much nut• rient content as septic tanks. At a hearing in June 1976, however, on extend• ing the north-shore sewer to the rest of Crooked Lake, only he and one other resident spoke in opposition to extending the sewer.
In the spring of 1976, Jan Nagel of the Station staff contributed articles to local newspapers and magazines on the pro's and con's--"to sewer or not to sewer" (see Appendix III). In early July she arranged an environ• mental talk show on this topic over station WPBN, Petoskey, with Gannon as the first speaker. His conclusion was that in general you sewer when septic tank output is an important source of lake contamination, but not otherwise.
Under the Water Pollution Control Act PL 92-500 of 1972, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, Section 201 provides for Federal matching fund support
(80%-20%) in three steps: (l) facilities planning and evaluation, (2) con- B. Utilization Activities -32-
struction plans and specifications, (3) building of treatment works. These provisions apply only to areas which were two-thirds developed as of 1972-- i.e., they are designed to correct existing problems, not *to support new development. Impounded funds were, recently released, but authorization would expire September 1977; applications for preliminary steps had a deadline of September 1976.
A sanitary engineering firm in Grand Rapids, which had installed the Crooked Lake sewer, had been contacting communities throughout the area urg• ing them to take advantage of these planning funds. During the summer of 1976, Biological Station staff attended several township hearings and pre• sented evidence relevant to these decisions. Engineers from the Grand Repids firm have talked with Gannon and other Station personnel on several occasions, and as a result have modified their recommendations. They ob• tained Lakeland Reports and other material which they incorporated in plan• ning documents (see Melrose Township, below).
Under the federal legislation, public hearings were required for each of the steps, and the extent of of public participation had to be documented. Station personnel attended a series of public hearings in 1976 which con• cerned step (l) and focused on the questions: Was there a problem? Would sewers alleviate the problem? If so, in what areas? These meetings repre• sented mainly cell D of the information/use matr\x--soft information used to develop understanding of issues by residents and planners—when and where sewers were needed or inadvisable.
Tuscarora Township. This township covers the southern half of Burt Lake including the village of Indian River, situated on the marshy channel which drains Burt into Mullett Lake. In July 1976 Station staff attended a township hearing on step (l) and presented information on soil types around the lake, current water quality (good), the lake's flushing rate (1 1/2 years), and the protective value of wetlands.
In preparation for this hearing, members of the Grand Rapids engineer• ing firm spent several hours with Station personnel going over soil maps. Originally proposing to sewer the entire southern end of the lake shore and extending to part of Mullett Lake to the east., they now appeared to favor a B. Ut i1i zat ion Act!vi ties -33-
'plan serving the Indian River village area only.
Also in advance of the hearing, two representatives from the Burt Lake Cottagers Association visited the Station and obtained information on the value of wetlands and social survey data from Burt Lake residents en• dorsing the value of wildlife. Tuscarora Township has had less public sup• port for ecological concepts than Burt Township on the northern half of the lake. The township had prepared a land-use plan three or four years ago, but this was defeated by interests in Indian River village.
In the fall and winter of 1976, several more meetings were held in which the Station supported the need for a sewer serving the village of Indian River and adjacent areas around the mouth of the river, but not ex- tending up the Burt Lake shoreline. At present it seems likely that this position may be adopted. If so, this case would illustrate the use of hard and soft information for an instrumental use (cells A and B of the informa- ti on/use matrix).
Melrose Township. In early August 1976 a similar hearing was held in this township which includes the eastern end of Walloon Lake and part of its North Arm. Also attending were representatives from Bear Creek and Resort Townships which adjoin the northern shores, and Springvale Township bordering Crooked and Pickerel Lakes. Previous contact with the Station in• cludes an invited visit by Foster to the Melrose Township Board, June 1975,
where he spoke and distributed Lakeland Report No. 3-
In a series of background documents compiled for these hearings by the Grand Rapids firm, in consultation with township planning boards, Lake• land Reports 1-8 plus the Walloon Lake Profile were reproduced in an appen- dix--a form of conceptual use (cells C and D in informational/use matrix). Biological Station representatives spoke on nutrient loading from sources other than septic tanks, the need to protect wetlands, and the higher sensi• tivity of the lake's North Arm. Representatives from the Walloon Lake Asso• ciation, with which the Station has maintained cordial relations (see sec• tion C-h below), spoke on the danger of a sewer system attracting large-
scale development with further ecological pressure. *
Subsequently the Walloon Lake Association adopted an official state- B. Utilization Activities -34-
ment opposing a sewer for the lake. The sewer proposal was dropped for 197°, but the issue may be raised again in 1977- To the extent that Biological Station inputs influenced the Association statement, this would illustrate a conceptual use of hard and soft information (cells C and D of the matrix).
Mullett Lake. Early in the project (about 1973), a sewage system was proposed for the city of Cheboygan and four adjacent townships, includ• ing the northern shore of Mullett Lake. At that time no hard information on nutrient inputs was available, and it was not clear whether a sewer was needed along the lake. Biofogical Station input was therefore limited to soft information on potential sources of nutrients and the pros and cons of sewers. As a result of many considerations, the townships withdrew, and the sewer is proceeding for the city alone. This example illustrates the in• strumental use of soft information (cell B).
Alternatives to sewers. In January 1977 Gannon spoke to the Little Traverse Sierra Club on systems other than sewers and septic tanks. Sweden in particular, faced with rocky soils that are unsuitable to water-based systems, has developed alternatives including incinerators and chemical de• vices. Another promising version is a composting technique called Clivus Multrum--1itera11y "inclining compost room"—accepting toilet and kitchen wastes. Waterless, odorless, and sanitary, with an exhaust fan providing good air circulation, it uses efficient aerobic decomposition in a set of inclined chambers, and after 4 or 5 years produces clean odorless compost which may be used safely on gardens. (Drain water from washing and laundry must be handled separately.) Some 500 units have been installed in the U.S., including one in the Bay View area near Petoskey. Because of Biological Sta• tion endorsement, this unit was approved by the local sanitarian despite ob• jections from district and state health authorities--an illustration of pri• marily soft information for instrumental use (cell B of the matrix).
Listed below in section C-5-b are two articles by a sanitarian and DNR biologists on alternatives to sewers including the Clivus Multrum-- topics on which Gannon has long been communicating with these people.
Bear River proposals. In April 1975, Foster was invited to a meeting of the Petoskey Water Resources Commission to consider three possible actions B. Utilization Activities -35-
affecting the Bear River, an 18-mile creek which drains Walloon Lake water through Petoskey into Little Traverse Bay. 0) What would be the effect of removing a dam near Petoskey and constructing a fish ladder? (2) Should the DNR install a deep (hypolimnetic) pipe draining cold water from the bottom of Walloon Lake into Bear River, to create better conditions for trout? (3) Is management of the river best directed toward trout fishing, game hunting, wildlife refuge, or other purposes? The Station agreed that a summer class in limnology directed by John Gannon and Win Fairchild would undertake a study of Bear River to obtain data on these issues.
In early August 1975 a report of the class study was presented to the Commission, concluding that (a) the stream was at best a marginal habitat for trout, because of high temperatures and sluggish current, (b) the construction of a hypolimnetic water source would be difficult and ex• pensive, and of questionable value in improving Bear River as trout habi• tat, (c) the removal of Mitchell dam and creation of a fish ladder would have minimal effect on the upstream portion of the river, and would help restore the river to its natural state. The report urged steps to prevent further replacement of the natural river-bank vegetation.
For the present, the DNR has apparently shelved the idea of construc• ting a hypolimnetic pipe--an example of cell A in the information/use matrix. The Petoskey Water Resources Commission is seeking funds to remove the dam—another example of cell A. Freeway planning in Emmet County. For several weeks in late 1975 the Emmet County Planning Commission had been debating the merits of a four- lane limited access freeway through Emmet County, proposed by the Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation to replace the current arteries US 131 and US 31. Following a public hearing in January 1976 at which sentiment was generally opposed, the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce interviewed 100 local businessmen on this issue and on whether existing roads should be improved or left alone. At its February meeting the Commission was given the results — somewhat more than half of the busi• nessmen opposed the freeway, and a large majority favored improvement of current routes. B. Utilization Activities -36-
At this meeting Foster also presented results from the NMERP social survey in the summer of 1975 from a representative sample of inland resi• dents (excluding waterfront residents surveyed in 197*0. On a similar question, only 25% favored a freeway, 35£ favored widening of existing roads, and b0% wanted no changes (see memorandum plus clipping from Petoskey News Review, Feb. 13, 1976, Appendix IV ).
The parallels between NMERP data from residents and1 those from local businessmen provided support for the Planning Commission's recommendation that US 131 and US 31 be improved and widened, but not turned into a freeway. At their March meeting the commissioners voted to send a resolution to the Michigan highway department presenting this position and the county's needs for highway improvement. This sequence represents a clear case of cell A in the information/use mat r I x—whe re a small amount of hard information directly influenced (along with other input) an instrumental decision to oppose the freeway.
Land development, lake dredging, and campgrounds. In September 1973, a hearing was held by the Bear Creek Township Board on a "Tamarack Develop• ment" proposed by the NESCO group in Detroit, which would occupy 55 acres having 520 feet of shoreline along the North Arm of Walloon Lake. With 20% of the area in swampland to be reclaimed, 96 units in cluster formation would be built wfth a sewer system that could serve additional homes nearby. Gannon described the greater sensitivity of the lake's North Arm, and the po• tential damage to water quality of further development. Members of the Wal• loon Lake Association questioned the ability of Walloon Lake, especially the North Arm, to withstand increased use (see clipping in Appendix IV). To the extent that information from the Biological Station helped to develop under• standing of ecological issues, cells C and D of the information/use matrix are i11ustrated. Despite this opposition, the township board later approved the pro• posal, and a few units have been constructed. A possible lawsuit is impend• ing to enjoin further construction. If Station information were to be in• troduced in evidence, this would be an illustration of cells A and B.
In October 1974 Gannon testified at a Department of Natural Resources hearing at Indian River, Tuscarora Township, that dredging of Mud Lake--an open area in the Indian River Spreads, an extensive cattail marsh — could B. Uti 1i zation Activi11es -37"
have an undesirable effect on Mullett Lake. The local fishery biologist stated that he had no objections except for placement of the dredging spoils.
Despite local concern and evidence on the detrimental effects of dredging,
the Hydrological Survey Division of DNR authorized a permit contingent on
the owner's plans for depositing spoils. Although the outcome is still un•
certain, thus far no further dredging has occurred. Subsequent to these hearings the Michigan Sediment Control Act was passed (1975), strengthening
the obstacles to dredging. This example illustrates the use mainly of soft
information for an instrumental purpose (cell B of the matrix).
In June 1974, Gannon became concerned about a series of state forest
campgrounds on Twin Lakes (actually a chain of interconnecting basins) and
prepared a report." A campground on sandy slopes had become badly eroded,
and was abandoned for a similar campground farther down the shoreline. This
suffered the same fate and was abandoned for a third campground. These de•
cisions were apparently made by the local state forester, and permits were
obtained from the Hydrological Survey Division of DNR. In place of succes•
sive abandonment, the paper urged a policy followed on Weber Lake when a
campground there had similar erosion. The forester closed the campground
for one season, took erosion control and abatement measures and rearranged
campsites, and re-opened the ecologically protected campground.
In a letter to a staff member of the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources, March 1975, Gannon questioned current DNR administration of the
Michigan Inland Lakes and Streams Act. He pointed out that both the Mud
Lake and the Twin Lakes problems arose from the fact that the DNR Hydrologi•
cal Survey Division appeared to base decisions on opinions of local person•
nel (fishery biologist and forester, respectively) without consulting limno-
logists in the Water Quality Appraisal Section of the DNR Water Resources
Commission. The latter are knowledgeable about adverse effects of human
impact, but are often called in only after environmental damage has occurred.
Recent reorganization within the DNR (1976) appears to have alleviat•
ed this problem-considerably. If input from the Biological Station helped
"J.E. Gannon. Report on the Water Quality Status of Twin Lakes... with Special Reference to the Impact of Campgrounds. University of Mi ch i gan Biologi cal Stat i on, June 1974, 9 pages. B. Utilization Activities -38-
to influence the reorganization, it would represent an instrumental use (cell B of the matrix).
Inquiries from realtors and prospective buyers. Increasingly, in• quiries by phone and by letter are arriving from persons interested in lake property, concerning lake quality. Hard or soft information has entered
into specific decisions about purchases, or has increased conceptual aware- t ness. Two i11 us t rat i ve letters are rep roduced i n Appendi x |v. (a) A potential buyer is able to clarify opinions about buying on a particular lake, and the option of building on low land on another lake after a potential sewer has come through (cells A and B of information/use mat ri x).
(b) A letter from Gannon to real estate dealer gives factual and soft information comparing Walloon and Crooked Lakes (cells C and D of information/use matrix). Formation of lake associations. In the summer of 1976 the Munro Lake Association was formed, a vigorous group which has issued several news• letters. Residents "on the lake have been in contact with the Station since 1973, and there is little doubt that these discussions have served to assist the formation of the association and to focus its attention on ecological concerns (mainly illustrating cell D of the matrix). Gannon prepared a brief report on physical features of Munro Lake and sources of the silty bottom of the lake (derived from decomposed vegetation and marl) about which residents are much concerned." This was reproduced in the "Munro Riparian,"
newsletter of the association, January 1977. During 1975 another association was formed on Paradise Lake, again following informal contacts with the Station. A third association was formed on Long Lake following telephone contacts with the Station. Foster spoke to this group in May 1976.
A recent development is that several associations surrounding Burt Lake have taken steps toward forming a consolidated association for the en• tire lake (Burt Township Association, Sturgeon Island Shores Association,
J.E. Gannon. "Notes on the Ecology of Munro Lake, Cheboygan County, Michigan," 1976, U pages. B. Utilization Activities -39-
Columbus Beach Association, East Burt Lake Association, Plymouth Beach As• sociation, and Burt Lake Cottagers Association). By-laws toward this end have been drafted, and talks will resume in the summer of 1977- (See re• port above on adoption of a wetlands ordinance as a result of activity by the Burt Township Association on the northern half of the lake, and parti• cipation by the Burt Lake Cottagers Association sewer hearings In Tuscarora Township on the southern half of the lake.) Because of frequent contacts with the Station, there is little doubt that the latter's input has helped to stimulate this development (cell D of the matrix).
During 1975-76 a series of discussions was held on the possible formation of an area-wide Ttp-of-the Mit Watershed Council embracing the entire Inland Water Route connecting Pickerel, Crooked, Douglas, Burt, Mullett, Black, and other lakes. Biological Station staff hosted four meetings for this purpose. Approval of the Department of Natural Resources was secured, and council by-laws and an organizational statement were pre• pared. Future steps now rest in the hands of interested citizens. Al• though this concept may be premature, the proposed Burt Lake consolidation is a move in the same direction, and the Idea remains potentially viable.
Background documents for decision-makers. Th i s head i ng refe rs to an intermediate use, in which information is compiled in a review to assist decision-makers in preparing action proposals. A good illustration is the
Cheboygan County Recreation Plan, june 1976, prepared under auspices of the Northeast Michigan Regional Planning and Development Commission by Lorraine A. Brackelman, Planning Assistant, Gaylord, Michigan, in consultation with the Cheboygan County Planning Commission and the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments. The report reproduced data from the NMERP social survey on participation in various recreational activities by year-round residents and non-residents, Tables 1 and 2, pp. 128-135- This represents cell C in the informational/use matrix.
Scientific methodology. Two illustrations may be given which involve the use of methodology rather than findings from the NMERP.
Indices of trophic state. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
has given the Biological Station a small contract to examine a number of B. Utilization Activities -40-
simple indices for trophic state determination, to test these indices on a variety of lakes from northern and southern Michigan which differ on the euthrophication spectrum, and to determine which indices are most suitable The Michigan Department of Natural Resources intends to apply the selected indices regularly in its work on lake quality throughout the state. This case illustrates an instrumental use not of hard or soft information as such, but rather of scientific methodology.
Environmental monitoring. An important aspect of the NMERP is to provide baseline data on environmental conditions, particularly lake quality. Such studies have proved of critical importance In other regions and the value of the data is certain to grow with time. A proposal has been developed under which several community colleges in the area would conduct periodic monitoring of the quality of nearby lakes, under techni• cal guidance and coordination by the Biological Station. Despite active interest by several community colleges, lack of funding has prevented the launching of such periodic monitoring. If it were to be adopted, it would constitute another instrumental use of scientific methodology.
Other examples of the development of scientific methodology include (a) use of zooplankton community structure as an indicator of water quality (see Gannon and Stemberger, 1977); (b) use of bedrock topography and depth to the first impervious layer of soil, to determine direction of groundwater movement (Haag, 1976); (c) nutrient budget model developed by Richardson (used in Gannon and Mazur's report on Crooked Lake, 1976). . B. Utilization Activities -41-
4. Personal contacts with local decision-makers and civic groups
The cases of knowledge utilization described above were not (for the most part) isolated cases of hard facts influencing a -decision. Rather, they grew out of a broader process in which local opinion was increasingly aware of ecological issues. The U-M Biological Station helped to shape this process by maintaining personal contacts with surrounding stakeholders. Sometimes these contacts involved formal presentations of hard or soft in• formation. Some of the lake associations re-transmitted Lakeland Reports or other informational packages to their membership. Often the contacts simply emphasized the presence of the Station and its concern with en-
vi ronmental concepts.
During the utilization segment of the NMERP (roughly summer 1974- summer 1976, as recorded in, the KU logs and summarized in sections 3 and 4), personnel of the Biological Station made one or more contacts or visits wi th at least:
24 public bodies (e.g., planning commissions), 14 lake associations,
18 civic groups other than lake associations, plus a sanitary engineering firm and numerous individuals.
The process of ecological awareness was assisted by frequent items appearing in local news media, as detailed in section 5.
Meetings with community leaders. As indicated earlier, an essential feature of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program was main• taining contact with a nucleus of formal and informal leaders within the study area. Under the pilot grant, a first meeting with a "Users' Committee" of 36 people was held in October 1972. Current research objectives were formulated substantially on the basis of suggestions and criticisms receiv• ed at this first meeting. A second meeting was held in 1973» where prelim• inary plans and methods were discussed. A third meeting took place on 1 March 1974. In a morning session, Foster and Paddock reviewed overall objectives; Gannon, Richardson, and
Marans respectively described the aims and methods for the aquatic, terrres- B. Utilization Activities -42-
trial, and social aspects of the research. Small groups in the afternoon raised numerous questions and concerns about water quality problems and potential actions to protect lakes.
The fourth meeting, on 24 January 1975, was attended by 50 persons from Emmet and Cheboygan Counties and elsewhere. Project staff presented preliminary material from the social, aquatic, and terrestrial studies. Articles and columns about the meeting appeared in Cheboygan and Petoskey newspape rs.
The fifth meeting on 30 July 1975 sought to focus project information in a concrete manner. Staff members compared specific facts about one large lake in Emmet and Cheboygan Counties (Walloon and Black, respectively): limnology, watersheds, and waterfront residents. This meeting produced a wealth of newspaper coverage, including one controversial article in the Detroit Free Press. Cheboygan County Planning Commission. As an outgrowth of early parti• cipation by commissioners in the community leaders meetings held at the Sta• tion, Foster was invited to the January 1975 Commission meeting to report on some social science findings, and beginning with the March meeting received a regular invitation. He and Gannon were also members of a Cheboygan County Tedhnioal Advisory Committee which met monthly. Foster attended Commission meetings in April, May (discussed the Shoreline Development Factor in Lake• land Report No. 3 and handed out copies of LR No. 4), June (secured Invita• tion to Dr. Christa Schwintzer to talk on wetlands), July (Schwintzer made presentation), September (meeting held at the Station, with handout of LR No. 5), October (Foster presented copies of the Handbook on Inland Lake Pro• tection in Northern Michigan), and November.
At the January 1976 meeting Foster commented on the Pigeon River con• troversy on various options on oil drilling, described the Biological Sta• tion's proposal to- co11aborate with community colleges for continued moni• toring of lake quality, and presented copies of Lakeland Report No. 8. The following resolution was adopted: "The [Cheboygan] County Planning Commis• sion recommends to the County Board of Commissioners that they draft a letter to the Upper Great Lakes Commission supporting a grant to the U-M Biological B. Utilization Activities -43-
Station for continued water quality management." Foster attended meetings in February on shoreline management, and in May (described the Clivus Mul- trum waste treatment system from Sweden, being tested at the Station as an alternative to septic tanks—handles toilet and kitchen wastes, but requires a separate system for bath and baundry water; described impending termina• tion of NMERP funds).
Emmet County Planning Commission. This body has maintained an active interest in environmental protection (see notes in section 3 on highway plan• ning—Emmet County). Foster and other Station personnel attended meetings in April 1975 (location of a high-voltage power line was debated; rezoning of a real estate parcel denied after opposition by local residents), May (Foster presented Lakeland Report No. 3 on Shoreline Development Factor), October (gave each commissioner updated packet of Lakeland Reports), February 1976 (presented social survey data on inland residents' opinions on freeway --see section 3), and June (Foster accompanied NMERP scientists Robert Marans and Douglas Wellman who presented an overview of the social science work to date).
In the past decade Emmet County has been the scene of several ecolo• gical controversies. The first of these involved a lawsuit against the De• partment of Natural Resources on its granting of a permit to build a dam on Monroe Creek, a first-class trout stream in Charlevoix County, in con• nection with a housing development. The court ruling upheld the permit, but no development has yet occurred. In a second case, a group of environ• mentalists around Little Traverse Bay brought suit agsint Birchwood Farms, which wanted to create a development with septic tanks over a layer of shale where the effluent would run into the bay. The court ruled in favor of the claimants, but permitted construction of a few untis with a central sewer. In a third case, after a sewer was installed in Harbor Springs the Cedar Cove development bought a tract of land for three times its pre-sewer price. The Little Traverse group took the developer to court over several ecological issues, and were able to delay the project and reduce the number of un i ts .
These actions are symptomatic of vigorous environmental defense by a B. Utilization Activities -44-
few residents of Emmet County, and publicity about them has undoubtedly contributed to environmental awareness within the county. Out of these efforts grew the Little Traverse Conservancy, Inc., Petoskey, founded in 1972 to acquire and protect natural lands which are then made available for appropriate use by the public.
Walloon Lake Association. According to social survey data, resi• dents on this lake have higher income and educational levels than elsewhere This association is a strong and we 11 -inf1uenced group with an active in• terest in environmental protection and the work of the Station. Gannon made a keynote talk at the annual meeting in summer of 1974.
Because of these cordial re 1 ationships,_in March 1975 a wealthy resi
dent who had heard Gannon's presentation the previous summer paid his ex• penses to visit the resident's winter home in Florida and comment on eutro- phication problems of Lake Wales there. Gannon observed that the expensive sewer system was unneeded since the problem was not due to septic effluent but to over-fertilizing and to nutrients from a deep well which had been installed to raise the lake level.
In November 1975 the Walloon Lake Association agreed to buy several hundred copies of Inland Lake Protection in Northern Michigan for distribu• tion to members. In April 1976 the Association paid costs of reprinting Lakeland Report No. 6 adding an Association logo, and distributed it to members. In July they paid $500 to cover costs of the Inland Lake Protec• tion handbook and printing of Walloon Lake Profile. At the annual meeting in August 1976, Gannon gave keynote talk with hard and soft information on Walloon Lake—its fishing, sources of eutrophication, soils, flushing rate (over 3 years, relatively long), sensitivity of the North Arm, advantages and disadvantages of sewers, the Bear River study (see section 3), and re• minded audience of public hearing that evening at Melrose Township on the question of a sewer for Walloon Lake (see section 3; several members of the Association attended and spoke).
Black Lake Association. In December 1974, the Station supplied on request an article on NMERP for the official program of the Black Lake Sturgeon Shivaree held each February. Following the community leaders meet B. Utilization Activities
ing in July 1975 presenting comparative data on Walloon and Black Lakes, an article on the social data appeared in the Detroi t Free Press giving a "blue collar" image of Black Lake residents which some resented. As a re• sult Foster was invited in August to speak to the Grant Township Board meet• ing and to the annual banquet of the Black Lake Association (attendance of 250; feelings of strain alleviated). He subsequently attended association board meetings in September and October; a dozen officers visited the Station in early October for a tour and discussion, as they had a year earlier.
Lake Charlevoix contacts. Although this nearby lake was not among the 38 covered in the NMERP (it was not in the two-county study area) it is eco• logically comparable, and its residents contacted the Station on several oc•
casions. In July 1975 the public beaches were closed by the Charlevoix city manager because of a white residue found on the skin of swimmers. When the director of the Emmet-Charlevoix health department brought samples to the Station, a microscopic analysis suggested marl floe. (Marl is calcium carbonate or lime; when water plants absorb carbon dioxide and remove car• bonic acid, marl is preclpited by a natural process. The reaction might be triggered by an increase in nutrient loading and plant growth, or by preci• pitation from a cement plant near the lake.) On this opinion, the beaches were re-opened—a simple example of cell A in the information/use matrix.
In February 1976 the Lake Charlevoix Property Owners Association bought 110 copies of Lakeland Report No. 8 to distribute to members. In April the Mi ch igan Rj pari an noted that the Association wanted to have Lake Charlevoix included in studies by the Biological Station.
Wildwood Valley Club. As an outgrowth of contacts with this associa• tion concerning serious water quality problems of Wildwood Lake, Gannon sent in March 1975 a three-page plan for handling the flooded swamp at the north end of the lake. This can be considered an example of cell B in the information/use mat ri x--app 1 i ca t i on of general principles for specific in- s t rumental acti on.
Michigan Lake and Stream Associations, Inc. Biological Station staff have attended several annual meetings of this Michigan-wide organization: B. Utilization Activities -46-
September 1973» Tustin, Ml—Gannon gives seminar on water quality problems in northern Michigan September 1974, Tustin, MI--Gannon gives keynote speech, "Get Involved--Now!"'
September J975( Tustin, MI--Foster attends meeting and distributes NMERP reports,
September 1976, UAW Center, Black Lake—Sharp gives seminar on water quality and leads tour of Biological Station. Other contacts with lake associations. July 1975—Gannon spoke at the annual meeting of the East Mullett Lake Association. August — East Burt Lake Association (Indian River) requested 50 copies of Lakeland Report No. 4 to send to members. Septembei—the Station supplied the Douglas Lake Improvement Association with an invited "Message from the Biological Sta• tion" which was included in the fall newsletter to members. May 1976— Foster spoke to 50 members of the Long Lake Improvements Association on quality of the lake. August--Gannon spoke to Long Lake Improvement Associa• tion (Alpena-Presque Isle Counties). Miscellaneous contacts. Personnel of the Biological Station spoke to a variety of other civic groups, including: July 1974 - March 1975
Hubbard Lake Sportsmen's Club Petoskey Rotary CI ub
Little Traverse Travelers Club (bicycle club)
Boyne Ci ty Rotary Petoskey Kiwanis Emmet County Engineers Society Little Traverse Group, Sierra Club Petoskey Regional Audubon Society (55 copies of Lakeland Report) Presque Isle County Sportsman Club
Northeast Michigan Regional Planning and Development Commission, Gaylord Apri I - December 1975
Pel Is ton Planning and Zoning Group Northwest Michigan Regional Planning and Development Commission
MSU Conference on "Integrating Land-Use Planning and Environmental Impact Analys i s" B. Utilization Activities
North Cent ral Mi ch i gan Col lege — Nat i onal Issues Day
Grant Township Board Emmet County Conservation Commission Monroe Township Board Indian River Methodist Church
Environmental department of UAW Reuther Family Education Center,
Black Lake
January - May 1976 Petoskey Kiwan is C1ub
Littlefield Township (Emmet County) Planning Group Petoskey High School Envi ronmental Class Planning Director, Wexford County Planning Commission
MSU workshop on land use, Gaylord
Petoskey Breakfast Kiwanis Club North Central Michigan, Petoskey, class on "Environment and Man" Petoskey Rotary
Teachers in environmental education taking an MSU course based in Gaylord
Benton Township hearing on shore 1ands--findings on Cheboygan marsh area B. Utilization Activities -48-
5. Information transmitted by mass media
Throughout the duration of the Northern Michigan project, information appeared periodically through mass media in the area--principally newspapers, the radio-TV in Cheboygan and Petoskey, and occasionally magazines serving the region and newspapers in Detroit and Ann Arbor.
These items'fell into four overlapping categories: ' a. General articles about objectives of the NMERP, activities of the Biological Station, interviews with staff, and events such as community leaders meetings. b. News articles about local actions affected by information from the Station--cases of utilization as described in section 3.
c. Articles authored by Station staff and published in newspapers or magaziries--one form of condensed report (section 2).
d. Summaries based on reports from NMERP—one form of informational re-transmission; some of this also appeared in category a_. Listed below are selected examples of mass media items in each of these categories. Some items in category b are reproduced in Appendix iV; illustrations in category c are given in Appendix III.
Although the impact, would be hard to document, these mass media releases undoubtedly augmented a public awareness of environmental factors and the importance of preserving lake quality. Some indirect evidence of impact is given in section 3: attendance at public hearings on the issue of sewer construction, and increasing inquiries from realtors and potential buyers about lake quality.
a. General articles about the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program. Selected news releases were the following: Cheboygan Daily Tribune - July 5, 1972, p. 1 "Biology Station Studies Impact of People on Area Environment." Objectives of pilot NMERP grant (17 inches)." Ann Arbor News - August 13, 1972, p. 33 "U of M Biological Station to Investigate Man vs. Nature." Inter• view with Prof. David Gates on occasion of pilot grant for NMERP
from NSF (26 i nches).
"Number of column-inches including equivalent for headlines and i11 us trat ions. B. Utilization Activities -49-
Detroit Free Press - August 27, 1972, p. 8E
"Prof Hunts a Way to Save Northland." Similar story (72 inches). North Woods Call - October 18, 1972, pp. 1,8
"Scientist Finds Sickness in Many Northern Lakes." General description of work of Dr. John Gannon and Prof. David Gates
on studies of area lakes (63 inches). North Woods Call - October 25, 1972, p. ? "U of M's Environmental Relevance Needed." Editorial on Importance
of environmental program at Biological Station for protection of
ecosys terns (21 i nches). Petoskey News-Review - March 14, 1973, p. 12
"Study 33 North Lakes for Degradation, Zoning Needs." General
description of project (39 inches). North Woods Call - March 14, 1973, p.? "Winter Research Shows Threat as North's Lakes Developed." Gannon proposes differential zoning for "strong" vs. "weak" lakes, categorized according to capacity to handle man (29 inches). Cheboygan Daily Tribune - August 21 1973, p."?
"Federally Funded Project Guides Officials on Protecting Lake
Quality." Objectives and methods of project (40 inches). Petoskey News-Review - June 12, 1974, p. 10
"North Inland Lakes to Get U-M Research." General description
(19 inches). Cheboygan Daily Tribune - June 15, 1974, p. 3
"Why Do Folks Build on Water?" Plans for social survey (l8 inches). Grand Rapids Press - June 16, 1974, p.?
"U-M Researchers Will Analyze Lake Dwellers' Attitudes and Behavior."
Objectives of social survey portion of project (13 inches). Straitsland Resorter - June 20, 1974, p.2
"U of M to Study Land Use Planning around Lakes." General description (21 inches). Cheboygan Daily Tribune - July 12, 1974, p. 9
"U of M Biological Station Handles Environmental Problems...
for Cheboygan and Emmet Counties." Objectives of NMERP (36 inches).
The Alpena News - July 13, 1974, p. 2A
"Discuss Lake Pollution." Gannon talks to Hubbard Lake Sportsmen's Club (12 inches). B. Utilization Activities -50-
Petoskey News-Review - August 14, 1974, p. 10 "U-M Study Tapping Resources of Area 'Amateur' Historians." An appeal for historical facts to prepare a background document (25 inches).
Petoskey News-Review - September 23. 1974, p. ? "U-M Researchers Shaping Up Data from Emmet-Cheboygan Lake Survey." Study objectives plus material from Lakeland Report No. 1 (24 inches).
Petoskey News-Review - September 23, 1974, p. 18 "Scientist Tells Rotary of Man's Threat to Water." Gannon talks
to Petoskey Rotary (6 inches).
Cheboygan News - December 30, 1974, p. 3 "U of M Scientists Seeking Answers to Water Quality Problems." General descri ption (9 tnches). Radio Stations WMBN and WJML, Petoskey - January 27, 1975 At request of Keith Lamkin, Emmet County Extension Director, Foster tapes two radio programs (7 and 15 mintues respectively) concerning progress on NMERP, broadcast on above date.
Cheboygan News - January 27, 1975, p. 3,11 (22 inches) ^
North Woods Call - January 29, 1975, p. 4 (22 inches) I Cheboygan Daily Tribune - January 24, 1975, P- 8 (11 inches) I Straitsland Resorter - January 30, 1975, p. 3 (16 inches)
Series of articles on results of the social survey of lake and river resi• dents, as reported at the community leaders meeting at the Station in January.
Petoskey News-Review - January 29, 1975, p. 8 "Jack Pine Journal, " by Reg Sharkey, reports on his visit to the
community leaders meeting at the Station (13 inches).
Petoskey News-Review - January 29, 1975, p. 8 "North Lakes, Rivers—What Do They Hold for Future?" News report on
preliminary aquatic, social, and terrestrial findings (39 inches). Cheboygan News - Cheboygan Soil Conservation District Supplement - March 20, 1975, pp. 5, 11 "University of Michigan Biological Station." Description of NMERP (50 inches). Petoskey News-Review - Emmet Soil Conservation District Annual Report, scheduled for release April 2, 1975 Jan Nagel prepares news release with photograph on ground water seepage study, aspen clear-cutting study, and land-use classifi• cation using remote sensing techniques. B, Utilization Activities -51"
Charlevoix County Press - June 26, 1975, pp. 1, 3 "Deep Water Study Reveals Pollution in Area Lakes." The Biological Station is repeating experiments done 20 years ago on eight of the state's deepest lakes, in four counties, to measure presence of deep- water organisms such as "opossum shrimp" which supply food for deep- water fish. Pollution can destroy these species. "Only Torch Lake and Elk Lake have the full complement of organisms found 20 years ago," Gannon stated (50 inches).
ISR Newsletter, Institute for Social Research, Univ. of Michigan - Soring 1975 "Research Teams Tackle Environmental Problems." Description of the social survey component of NMERP (25 Inches). Petoskey News-Review - July 30, 1975, p. 12 "U of M Scientists Test Quality of Rear River." Study by Biological Station class at the request of the Petoskey Water and Development Commi ss i on (36 i nches).
Radio Stations WMBN and WJML, Petoskey - July 30, 31, 1975
Emmet County Extension Director Keith Lamkin interviews Foster for two taped session (7 and 15 minutes respectively), aired on above dates.
Petoskey News-Review - August 1, 1975, p. 14
"Community Chiefs Mull Future of Area Lakes.' Article about community leaders' meeting with resumes of contrasts between Black and Walloon Lakes (55 inches). Cheboygan News - August 7, 1975, Pp. 1, 8
'"Bug Camp1 Takes a Close Look at Black Lake," Report on community leaders' meeting July 30, comparing Walloon and Black Lakes (52 inches)
Detroit Free Press - August 11, 1975, pp. 3A, 5A "U-M Studies Lakes and Lake People." Further data comparing Walloon and Black Lakes, particularly residents (32 inches).
Cheboygan Daily Tribune - August 12, 1975, P- 2 "Biological Station Reports on Families Survey Made at Black and Walloon Lakes." Results of social survey comparing two lakes, presented at 30 July 75 meeting of community leaders (7 inches).
The Saginaw News - August 17, 1975, p. ? "Great Lakes Face 'People Problems.'" Includes data un
Walloon and Black Lakes (16 inches). B. Utilization Activities -52-
Cheboygan News - October 20, 1.975, p. ? Photograph and caption on Foster describing Inland Lakes Pro• tection booklet to Cheboygan County Board of Commissioners at October meeting (8 inches).
Cheboygan- News - November 27, 1975, p. 11 "Speaking of You and Me," column by Jim Cohoe, editor, mentions Biological Station booklet on Inland Lake Protection in Northern Mi chigan; offers copies for distribution. TV Channel WBKV, Alpena - December 10, 1975 Foster and Gannon appear on a 30-minute afternoon talk show, answering questions about the project.
TV Channels 9-10, Cadillac-Traverse City - December 22 and 29, 1975 Foster tapes a 30-minute interview for the "Eye on Michigan" show, shown twice.
Petoskey News-Review - June 4, 1976, p. 6 "U-M Funds Running Out for Area Lake Survey, Monitor." Report on pending NMERP termination- (32 inches).
b. News articles about cases of use—actions affected by information from the Biological Station. These are cases of knowledge utilization as described in section 3. Several of these items are repro• duced in Appendix IV. Springvale Township zoning ordinance Petoskey News-Review - July 29, 1975, p. 2
"Green Belt Draws Criticism." At a public hearing objections are raised; Foster supports green belt concept (14 inches). Petoskey News-Review - May 18, 1976, p. 18
"Zoners Approve Green Belt." Zoning Commission of Springvale Township approves green belt ordinance, and forwards to Township Board (7 inches). Oden Fish Hatchery
Petosky News-Review - September 18, 197**, p. 13 "Jack Pine Journal," column by Reg Sharkey, cites problem of nutrient pollution from the Oden Fish Hatchery, and statement on Crooked Lake quality by Gannon (22 inches). B. Utilization Activities "53-
Petoskey News-Review - September 10, 1975, p. ? "Jack Pine Journal," by Reg Sharkey. "Cleaner Water for Crooked Lake?" Describes conversion of former rearing ponds to a settl• ing basin, in the hope of removing 80-90% of the solids (12 inches).
Petoskey News-Review - January 30, 197°, p. 12 . "DNR to Fix Oden Discharge But Challenge U-M Findings." DNR Water Resources Commission sets requirements for hatchery; DNR Fisheries Division denies Gannon statement on outflow of phosphorus (28 inches).
Unidentified source, undated - January 1976 "DNR Faces Phosphorus Problem." Further evidence and rebuttal on Oden Fish Hatchery (33 inches).
Radio Station WVOY, Charlevoix - February 11, 1976 Gannon gives information for a story on the Oden Fish Hatchery cont rove rsy.
Petoskey News-Review - February 16, 1976, p. ? "Recycle Hatchery Pollution on Crops Rather Than Lake." Solid wastes from a temporary sedimentation basin are pumped into a tanker truck and transported to a cornfield (50 inches).
Ann Arbor News - March 7, 1976, p. 55 "DNR Hatchery Violates Its Own State Water Laws." Crooked Lake residents who pay for sewer connections are rankled by the fact that the hatchery continues to run its waste into Crooked Lake (23 inches).
Petoskey News-Review - June 23, 1976, p. 15 "Oden Hatchery to Lose Fish Production Role." Announcement by DNR Fisheries Division that the Oden Hatchery will be phased out of fish production and converted to broodstock (36 inches). Sewer planning Unidentified source - August, 1976 "Begin Public Meetings to Study Tuscarora Sewer Areas." Report on Tuscarora Township meeting including information by Biological Stat i on (17 inches). B. Utilization Activities
Alternatives to sewers Cheboygan County Soil Conservation News - March 30, 1976, p. ?
"A Look at the Different Methods of Sewage Disposal." Michael Kavanaugh, County Sanitarian, describes different methods of sewage treatment and alternatives such as incinerating toilets and the "Clivus Multrum" (18 inches).
Michigan Riparian - July 1976, pp. 15~l6 "New Alternative for Waste Disposal." Article by Inland Lakes Management Unit, Michigan DNR, describffig waterless composting toilets (27 i nches).
Bear River proposals Petoskey News-Review - July 30, 1975, p. 11 "U of M Scientists Test Quality of Bear River." Report about the Biological Station's study of the river (42 inches). Petoskey News-Review - August 14, 1975, p. I "Study Shows Bear is High Quality River." Petoskey Water Resources Development Commission cites findings from Biological Station study (9 inches).
Freeway planning Petoskey News-Review - February 13, 1976, p. 1 "Planners Hear More on Emmet X-Way Row." Emmet County Planning Commission receives information from NMERP social survey in which inland residents oppose freeway construction (10 inches). Proposals for land development and lake dredging Petoskey News-Review - September 28, 1973, PP • 1, 18
"Tamarack Developers Answer Objections at Public Meet." Testimony by Walloon Lake Association and Biological Station staff question• ing ability of the lake to withstand increased use (35 inches). Cheboygan News - October 7, 1974, p. 1 (9 inches)
North Woods Call - October 23, 1974, p. ? (8 inches) I Straitsland Resorter - October 10, 1974, pp. I, 12 (16 inches) ( Unidentified clipping (22 inches) J Series of articles about hearing on proposal to dredge Mud Lake, including testimony by Gannon. B. Utilization Activities -55"
Background documents
Petoskey News-Review - October 1, 1975, p. 8 "Water, Water Everywhere in Charlevoix County," by Dave Pitt. Quotes Bill Mercer, Charlevoix County planner, who applied the Biologication Station's shoreline development factor (SDF) to lakes in the county, and cites soft information from Lakeland Reports No. 3 and 4 (7 inches). Other uses Charlevoix Courier - August 20, 1975, p. ? "Mar 1 Closes Local Beaches." Bi ologIcal S tat i on i dent i fi es white deposit in Lake Charlevoix as marl (16 inches). Charlevoix County Press - August 12, 1976, p. 9 "Marl Not Harmful, But a Sign of Pollution, U.M. Limnologist Tells Walloon Association." Gannon explains white residue as by-product of increase in nutrients and photosynthesis (14 inches)
c. Articles authored by Station staff and published in mass media. These represent another form of condensed reports, equivalent to those described in section 2, but reaching a larger audience (see Appendix III) Cheboygan News - October 10, 1975, p. 11 "Sewers:' A Crucial Question Facing Lakeland Residents," by Jan Nagel. "To sewer...or not to sewer...these are the questions." (17 i nches).
Cheboygan News - November 24, 1975, p. 3 "Lakeland Views," by Jan Nagel. "Introducing..." First entry in a periodic column on quality of water resources in the local area (10 i nches).
Cheboygan News - November 27, 1975, p. 9 "Lakeland Views," by Jan Nagel. "Ah, A Sewer is A..." Follow-up about different types of sewers (18 inches). Cheboygan News - updated (late November 1975?) "Lakeland Views," by Jan Nagel. "A Look at the 'Primary'." Com•
parison of primary and secondary phases in sewage treatment (11 inches). B. Utilization Activities -56-
Cheboygan News - December 11, 1975, p. 7 "Lakeland Views," by Jan Nagel. "Other Waste Disposal Alterna• tives." Diagram and description of Clivus Multrum (21 inches). North Woods Call - June 16, 1976, p. 1
"Alternative to Sewers Slows Growth, Saves Land." Article by Jan Nagel discusses the pros and cons of sewers in lake protection, and diagrams the Clivus Multrum as a waterless alternative (33 inches).
d. Summari.es based on reports from NMERP. These are one form of informational re-transmission. They are simply information about'the lakes or the region, although some of this also appears in news releases in category a_ (see Appendix III for illustrations). Petoskey News-Review - January 24, 1975, p. 5
"Cottagers Tell Why They Picked North Area." Report of some find• ings from the social survey of waterfront residents (30 inches). Cheboygan News - January 27, 1975, p. 3 "U of M Study Shows Attitudes of Lake and River Residents."
Further factual data from social science study (22 inches). Harbor Light - August 14-20, 1975, p. 9
"Wetlands Research Continuing Project at Biological Station." Full page on interview with Dr. Christa Schwintzer, with much
hard and soft information similar to that in Lakeland Report No. 5 (45 inches). Cheboygan News - October 2, 1975, p. 11 "Speaking of You and Me," column by Jim Cohoe, cites information
from Lakeland Report No. 5 on wetlands. North Woods Call - February 25, 1976, p. 10 "Septic Flow Into Lakes Is Studied." Summary plus chart from Lakeland Report No. 8 (20 inches). Shoppers Fair - March 30, 1976, p. ?
"Wetlands and Why They Are Important." Article by Jan Nagel summarizing Lakeland Report N. 5 (20 inches). B . ' Uti1ization Activities -57-
Petoskey News-Review - August 4, 197°, p. 12 "Survey Turns Up Startling Facts about Quality of Life in Northwoods. Reproduces a quiz with which residents can test their knowledge about lake front residents against facts from the social survey, as a means of stimulating interest (30 inches).
North Woods Call - August 25, 1976, p. 11 "Walloon Lake Vulnerable to Pollution, Study Finds." Data from social and aquatic research on Walloon (19 inches). Harbor Light - November 25-December 1, 1976, pp. 3, 14 "Northern Michigan Residents and Visitors Express Views on the Area." Direct condensation and quotation from Lakeland Report No. 9 (48 inches). -58- -59-
C. SURVEY ON "LAKELAND REPORTS"
By January 197° the staff of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program had produced eight Lakeland Reports and sent these to a mailing list of about 400 persons. Each of the eight reports (the last was added in August 1976) was described in section B-2 above, and the full set is reproduced in Appendix I . The list began with some 300 names and was gradually augmented. Because of this expansion, each person may not have received all issues. The staff wanted to find out how effective these reports were felt to be by the people receiving them. Therefore in February 1976 a representative sample of 172 persons from the list were sent a 3"page questionnaire asking for their opinions (reproduced in Appendix V). In the cover letter, David M. Gates, director of the Biological Station, asked for their feelings about the Lakeland Reports series since "If we're missing the mark in any way, we would like to know it in order to do a better job in the future."
The introduction listed the eight reports and their topics:
Number 1. An overview of the research program, plus information on "soap suds" and "algae bloom" 2. Selected findings from the 1974 survey of water-oriented residents, plus information on lake overturn
3. Shoreli ne Deve1opment Factor 4. Lake structure and sensitivity, watershed area
5. Wetlands 6. Atti tudes about growth 7- Seasonal changes in lake temperature and oxygen conditions 8. Nutrients from human use The questionnaire then asked which reports were received and read, how interesting each was, how useful It was to the individual, how useful it might be to public officials, whether the reports were passed along or dis• cussed with other people, etc., and invited the reader's comments.
Nature of sample The full mailing list was screened to remove persons who were no longer active in the area (moved away, no longer employed at the office addressed, -60- C. Survey
hospitalized, etc.), and members of the University of Michigan. The rem.lin• ing 359 names were divided into six categories or "strata" as shown in Table C-l:
Pub 1 i c rep resent a t i ves' E.g., county commissioners, Cheboygan County township officers, employees of local government, members Pub 1i c representat i ves of county planning boards Emmet County
Private persons — E.g., officers of lake associa Cheboygan County tions or other civic groups, newspaper staff, influential Private persons ci t i zens , concerned i nd i vi dua1 Emmet County
Regional personnel E.g., staff of Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources-, regional p1ann i ng commi ss i ons
Michigan Lake and Stream Association Members
TABLE C-l
The sample for survey of Lakeland Reports
Number in Sample Numbe r N of ma i I i ng frac- i h respon' % re• We Ig h t• • list tion sample dents sponse Weight ed N
Public: Cheboygan 52 1/2 27 14 52% 28 Emme 11 53 1/2 27 13 48% 26 Private:
Cheboygan 105 1/3 33 21 64% 63 Emmett 95 1/3 31 16 52% 48 Reg i ona I 27 1/1 27 20 74% 20 Mich. Lake £ Streams 27 1/1 27 ii 52% 14 359 172 98 57% 199 C. Survey -61-
The numbers in each category varied widely, as shown in Table C-l. In order to obtain about 25'30 people from each, we sampled every second person in the two "public" categories, every third person in the two "private1 categories, and each person in the remaining strata.- To compensate for the different sampling fractions when the data were analyzed-, the replies were multiplied by an inverse weight of 2, 3, and 1 respectively. All percentages in the remaining tables are based on the weighted replies.
To increase the rate of response, each person who did not reply within ten days was sent a reminder, and if necessary another questionnaire. To permit sending reminders and to locate each respondent in his stratum for weighting, a mailing number was placed in the lower right-hand corner; this was cut off as soon as the questionnaire was recorded. As shown in the table among the sample of 172 persons replies were received from 98 or 57%. This was a reasonably good response for a mailed questionnaire, considering that the survey was done in the winter when lake activity was low and seasonal residents were gone.
Some facts about those who answered are shown in Table C-2. Note that three-quarters (73%) were year-round residents in northern Michigan, and half (49%) owned lakeside or river property in the area. One-third (36%) belonged to a lake association or conservation group, one-quarter {21%) were officials in local government, and one in seven (14%) were state or fede ra1 employees.
TABLE C-2 HERE
These facts differed, of course, among the various sampling strata. In the two "public" categories, nearly six in ten (53%) were employed by local government, and half (48%) served on planning boards. It is interest• ing, however, that even among the two "private" categories about one-fifth (19%) were local government employees and one-quarter (24%) served on plan• ning commissions. Furthermore, both in the public and the private strata about one-third (35% " 38%) belonged to a lake association or conservation group in northern Michigan. Hence there was not a sharp contrast between these two sets: each had both "public" and "private" involvements. -62- C. Survey
TABLE C-2
Facts about respondents—weighted percentages who reported each characteristic. Since respondents may have several characteristics, percentages may total to more than 100%.
Al 1 Public P ri vate Mich respondents respond respond. Reg ion a LSS
In northern Michigan: Seasonal resident 16% 7% 24% 7% Year-round res i dent 73 89 73 55 43 Property owner on i n land 1ake or ri ver 49 37 62 5 50
In northern Michigan: Member of lake assoc. or conservation group 36 34 38 15 64 Member of planning or zoning board 27 48 24 7 Local gov11 offi cial 28 59 19 15
State or federal official 14 11 75
(Unweighted number)A (98) (27) (37) (20) (14)
In this and subsequent tables, percentages are based on weighted N's as shown in Table C-1. C. Survey -63-
Feelings about the series as a whole UsefuIness. The survey asked two questions about the Lakeland Report
series as a whole: how useful it might be "to you in your activities,"
and how useful to "public officials in making decisions . . ." The answers were predominantly favorable.
TABLES C-3 AND C-k HERE
Three-quarters (76%) of all respondents judged the series at least moderately useful in their own activities (Table t>3) , and over nine in ten (93%) viewed it as moderately or very useful to public officials in making environmental decisions (Table C-k). Hence it was felt to be somewhat more useful to other people ("public officials") than to the respondents themselves.
How realistic was this estimate of usefulness to "public officials?" We compared the answers from public and private representatives (see right- hand columns in Tables C-3 and C-4) - With minor discrepancies, both of these sets agreed that the series was more useful to public officials in general (rated useful by nine in ten) than to respondents themselves (seven i n ten).
An interesting contrast appears if we look only at the answers for "very useful." The public respondents rated the series about the same for their own activities {52%) and for public officials (56%). But private re• spondents showed a large difference--twice as many rated the series "very useful" for public officials (78%) as for themselves (38%). Hence although everyone agreed that the Lakeland Reports were more useful for public of• ficials then for private representatives, the latter tended to exaggerate this di fference.
Reade rsh i p. On questions about which of the eight issues had been received and which ones had been read, as summarized in Table C~5, we found that well over half of the recipinets said they had received and read each of the reports. This again was a favorable indicator. More individuals did not remember receiving the first three reports--possib1y these were
people added to the mailing list later. The most widely read reports were No. 5 on wetlands, and No. 7 on seasonal changes. As can be seen from in• specting the reports in Appendix I , these two were less technical and had interesting illustrations. But even for the somewhat technical reports No. 4 on lake structure, No. 6 on growth attitudes, and No. 8 on nutrients, readership stayed at two-thirds or more. -64- C. Survey
TABLE C-3
How useful do you think the Lakeland Report series, taken as a whole, might be to you in your activities?
Al 1 Public Pri vate Mi ch. respondents respond. respond. Reg i on a 1 L£S
Very useful 43^| 52 50^ 43\ "1>70 % 75% ^85% >86* Moderately useful 33 J I8j 37 J 35J 43J
Slightly or not useful 21 26 22 10 7
Did not answer 3 4 3 5 7 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
(Unweighted N) (98) (27) (37) (20) (14)
TABLE C-4
How useful do you think this series as a whole might be to public officials in making decisions about the environment in northern Michigan?
All Public Pri vate Mi ch. respondents respond. respond Reg i onal L&S
Very useful 56^ 79^1 >93% >89% >90% >93% Moderately useful 22j 33 J 16J 25J I4j
Slightly or not useful 5 11 3 5 -
Did not answer 2 - 3 5 7 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% C. Survey -CI•
TABLE C-5
Percentage of all respondents who have received and read each Lakeland Report
01 >- *-> i- 4) C O > 4) ft) -M 4) (/) i/l 3 L-TJCU L. io *-> 0)0) O rt) w 4J O — L. -Tl- l_ 4)3 .— J — i/iC 1- d) r-- o > u O rot) 4-i > y- JZ a) i_4-< a) _c 3 O — O tO"D J in 3 tOO z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Recei ved and read 68% 60% V% 75% 70% 80% 65% Recei ved, did not read or doesn't remembe r 3 1 7 3 4 7 3 9 Did not receive 38 31 33 26 21 23 17 26 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
% received and read among: Pub 1i c respondents 81 93 81 78 93 74 81 78
Pri vate respondents 54 62 51 68 68 68 78 57
Di fference 27 31 30 10 25 6 3 21
Readership by public and private respondents is compared at the bottom of the table. One of the reports most often read by public respondents was No. 5 on wetlands. That topic is of increasing concern in public decisions about sewers and wetlands ordinances, as described in part B above. The re• port most often read by private respondents was No. 7 on seasonal changes in the lakes. This topic had perhaps the most direct meaning for lakeside res i dents,
Note also that on every report, more of the public than private re• spondents said they had read it. This difference confirms what appears in
Tables C-2 and C-3--that the Lakeland Report series was even more relevant to public representatives than to private citizens.
Multiplier effects. It is hoped that copies of Lakeland Reports will do more than inform their direct recipients. Ideally each report will sti• mulate the recipient to discuss the contents with other people, or to pass on the copy to someone else. Therefore we asked two questiona as shown in Table C^6. C. Survey -66-
TABLE C-6
Question 7' Have you passed along any of the reports to others not in your immediate family?
Question 8: Have you discussed any of the information in these reports with anyone not in your immediate family?
Responses are shown for those who received and read Lakeland Report No. 5 on wetlands. Similar answers were given for other issues.
Al 1 Public Pr i vate Mich respondents respond. respond. Reg i onal L&S
Passed along?
Yes" 44% 52% 40% 36% 45% No hi 40 48 57 56 Don 1t remember, d i d not answe r 9 8 12 7 - 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Di scussed?
Yes** 67% 80% 64% 43% 55% No 25 22 24 43 36 Don 1t remembe r, did not answer 8 - 12 14 9 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
(Unweighted N who received and read) • (75) (25) (25) (14) (11)
Percent "yes" varied from 46% - 39% on other reports.
""Percent "yes" " 11 73% " 61% n II 11 C. Survey -67-
Since results were similar for all reports, only the data for No. 5 on wetlands are shown. Close to half of all respondents said they had pas• sed along their copy to other persons outside their immediate family, and two-thirds said they had discussed the information in the report with some• one outside their family. This result confirms the usefulness of the series to a majority of recipients.
The stimulation of personal discussion and word-of-mouth transmission is one of the "intermediate forms" of knowledge that were listed in section A-3 above.
Public respondents were even more likely than private to use the knowledge in these ways, as shown in the right-hand columns of the table. Four public recipients out of five (80%) had discussed the wetlands report with someone else.
General comments
The predominantly favorable evaluation of the Lakeland Reports is further documented in the volunteered response to Question 9 which invited the respondent to give any opinions about the reports, such as "type of in• formation included, style of presentation, or depth of coverage."
Favorable comments. Most respondents who answered this question gave favorable remarks. Public representatives in either Emmet or Cheboygan counties said:
The format and style are very good. Depth of coverage for me is about right.
The format is exce11ent in terms of readab i1i ty. The i nformat ion is of good quality and important for planning purposes.
I find them very educational and informative. Believe you should continue the reports and expand on them.
I cam away from each of your meetings for public officials with the realization that I have been exposed to the academic community, and the information is invaluable. tt is very stimulating to know that such programs are being carried out at UMBS and that such a resource is available so nearby.
I think that the type of information presented in these reports is very pertinent and important to everyone as we face problems directly re• lated' to these subjects. The style of presentation is exceptionally interesting to me; it keeps my attention. I also feel that the depth of cove rage i s adequa te. C. Survey -68-
Carrying capacity of area lakes will be of increasing importance. The Lakeland studies are'most helpful in this regard.
Other favorable views were given by private representatives:
As a newspaper reporter working with Emmet County's only daily, I find this to be probably the most useful publication in terms of high in• terest that I receive as a matter of course. i have used the reports as the basis for stories.
Dear Dr, Gates: I want to add my personal thanks to you and Dr. John Gannon and the rest of your colleagues for the vast amount of informa• tion that you have transmitted to me and our group at Wildwood Lake. Due to the fact that most of us are city dwellers and have no prior knowledge of any ecological development, many times we have found our• selves in a quandary and have asked the people at the Biological Station for assistance, and they have come through with flying colors. I per• sonally have been singing their praises throughout the Chrysler Corpora• tion, the city of Detroit, and the surrounding areas. All I can say is thanks once again. [s] John Castiglione
All well researched and presented in a manner that is easily under• stood by all education levels.
Fine illustrations to visualize complex material.
Since we are property owners and year-around residents, it makes a great deal of difference what kind of lake we live on. This is the only information we can refer to in order to inform us of changes, etc. that could affect property values. Keep up the good work.
The material presented is interesting to us as property owners. Many things we didn't know before, but are interested in learning all we can to protect and preserve "our" lake. Also, it is written and ex• plained so that non-experts can understand the material.
Further favorable remarks were given by regional officials or members of the Michigan Lake and Stream Association:
As a past president of the Michigan Lake and Stream Association, it is my personal opinion, and that of MLS-SA, that the work being con• ducted at the Biological Station, Douglas Lake, is very important so that man may live in closer harmony with his environment. The research being done is vital for proper planning to keep a balance between economy and ecology.[s] Wayne W. Clark
Would like to have similar studies and reports for lakes throughout M i ch i gan.
Excellent. Good, complete information for a total report. C. Survey -69-
... I have kept all reports I received, and have used them many times as a member of MLSSA, a well as a planner in our township and county. I would like to receive all reports of the lakeland issues.
I think the Biological_Station has done a very good job of putting fairly technical procedures into common language for the residents of northern lower Michigan.
So far, so good--keep it up!
Mixed comments. A number of responses were both positive and negative. Some wanted more technical depth or detail:
The style is easy to read and effectively communicates your message. Personally f think the depth of coverage could be better—more inclusive. I am anticipating your report on the adjacent upland areas and how they affect watersheds and lakes. The "people & nutrients" was informative, but as a biologist I would like more facts on other aspects of upland uses as we 11!
The reports would be more interesting to me with a little more technical i n f o rma t i on .
The depth of the detail for the unknowledgable person is adequate and appropriate. For myself, there was nothing new, nothing I was not al• ready familiar with. However, I have used portions or some of the illus• trations in newsletters, etc., to pass on the knowledge. [As an officer in the Michigan Lake and Stream Assoc. and president of a lake associa• tion], I am into deeper material than your lakeland reports, so for me, it is of limited use, but for the average lake resident t believe it is wel1 sui ted.
Generally, t think you do a great job. . . I personally would prefer somewhat greater depth of coverage with perhaps some more interpreta• tion, but really believe most of your other readers wouldn't. You perform a valuable function and I, as an officer of the Lake Cottagers Association, appreciate it.
On the opposite side, a few thought the reports were too technical or wordy:
Lots of words —reading —for the meat of subject matter.
Most of the people who should be interested are not technically minded enough to pay attention to your reports.
Still others were favorable but felt overloaded with information, or could not recall specific reports: C. Survey -70-
The whole concept is constructive and informative. I would encourage its continuance and distribution. However, it is one of approximately 19 publications and 3 newspapers that we receive on a regular basis, and it does not receive the thorough attention it deserves. Even• tually it gets a recond reading so there is a prolonged effect.
I think it is a good booklet. It is, however, not very relevant to me and my interests. I Your reports are fine. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time to "digest" them as completely as I would like to.
Action orientation, pro and con. A few readers wanted the reports to take a more definite stand on protecting the environment:
Be more specific on how planners should use the information, i.e., what should and should not be done on Lake "X". Be careful (politi• cally) how you do this!
The reports serve a function only to the extent of information being disseminated. Who is going to help our already dying Munro Lake? We need more than students taking polls! Everyone passes the buck!! Save the stationary and stamps and he!p the lake!
I feel that the presentation and content of the Lakeland Reports are excellent. However, I would like to see you take a stronger position against developing shorelines and wetlands. Your research has shown that this kind of development is detrimental to the lakes, and your reports are very objective. In my opinion, a moratorium on develop• ment of shoreline and wetland areas is justified.
The objective, as I understand it, is to motivate people to make en• vironmental commitments and decisions. I question whether this is being accomplished due to type of presentation. I find most of them too technical and narrow for the much broader, much more environ• mentally concerned and informed, North Woods Call readership. [Staff member of this paper]
On the other hand, a few readers thought the reports were too one-sided:
I do not think public monies should be used to sponsor a political point of view. n Distribution to such varied readers might cause misinterpretation of some of the technical data. There have been comments by normally re• sponsible observers that the reports are perhaps aimed at providing ammunition for no-growth advocates. Obviously this oversimplification is misleading and unfair, but may tell you something about the tone of the reports. C. Survey -71-
Sugges t i ons. A number of the respondents suggested other topics that should be covered, or persons to whom they should be sent:
Would it be possible to do a report or series of reports on what can be done to preserve water resources? Such as: state laws, local laws, education, etc. Also: how effective, or how ineffective, are these tools?
Need more information about present status of lakes, such as level, pol1ution, etc.
Would you consider printing an instructional guide giving methods of measuring a lake — size, average depth, volume, etc.? Also, how to arrive at an estimated nutrient input into a lake, and to figure pro• jected aging for a lake. What types of soil retain nutrients? What types do not? How is the nutrient output per average septic tank calculated?
Would like to see something on options to lawns, fertilizers, etc. Extent of problems here as opposed to septic systems. Also erosion.
Would like something on extent to which the road commission is draining directly into lakes via ditches, pipes, etc. Is this trend continuing, even with the Inland Lakes and Streams Bill? Extent of nutrient en• richment from this source.
Would like to see more on reports of contents of fish in lakes, and re• commendations on control of fish.
Would be interested in pollution from ducks, muskrats, etc., also horses, dogs, etc.
Perhaps an article on fish management, weed control program, seawall construction. When are you going to research a lower Michigan lake? The data, no doubt, would be quite different.
Should get information in the hands of local public officials.
It would be wise to include all members of the state legislature on your mailing list. This information could be helpful also to all local zoning boards and planning commissions.
Further detai1 on each report
Four more questions were asked about each of the Lakeland Reports. The data will be summarized verbally and not shown in tables.
Question 3 inquired: "How carefully have you read each issue?" Among those who had received and read each report, roughly one-third said they had done a "very careful study" of the report. The typical reader had gone "once through fairly carefully," and only one-fifth had gone "once through casually. Hence the reports were read with moderate care. C. Survey -72-
It is interesting that the three reports receiving the most "very care ful study" were No. 4 on lake structure, No. 6 on growth attitudes, and No. 8 on nutrients from human use (responses ranged from 34% to 38%). These three had the most technical detail, and so called for more careful study than the others.
Question 4 asked: "How interesting has each issue been to you?" Gen• erally, among those who had read each report, six out of ten respondents called it "very interesting," and nearly nine in ten rated them at least "moderately interesting," Again the impression among a majority of readers was favorable. The level of interest was rather constant across the series For the later reports (No.'s 4 through 8), "very interesting" was reported by 58% to 62%.
Reported above were data on usefulness of the series as a whole to the respondent and to public officials. Identical questions were asked about each report separate1y--"How useful do you think the information in each Lakeland Report might be to you in your activities? (question 5) , and "How useful do you think this information might be to public officials in making decisions about the environment in northern Michigan?" (question 6). Percentages were comparable to those for the whole series in Tables t>3 and C-4. For the person's own activities, the last six reports were rated as moderately or very useful by three-quarters of the persons who had read them {70% - 79%)- Usefulness to public officials was judged even higher; five of the six were rated moderately to very useful by about nine persons in ten (87% - 92%). Only No. 7 on seasonal changes was not rated this high (78%). The seasons cannot be altered by public decisions!
Summary of Lakeland Reports evaluation In conclusion, a modest survey using mailed questionnaires to a strati fied sample of Lakeland Report recipients gave the following picture: —The series was favorably regarded. Well over half of the re• cipients had received and read each report, and a third of these had given each issue "very careful study." Even the reports with technical content were read by two-thirds of the recipients.
--Interest was high. A majority of readers rated each issue as "very interesting," and two-thirds said they had discussed each report with someone outside their family. Survey -73-
--The Lakeland Reports were seen as useful. The series as a whole, as well as most of the separate issues, were judged by three- quarters of the respondents to be at least moderately useful for their own activities.
--There was general agreement, both among "public" representatives as well as "private," that the Lakeland Report series might be even more useful to public officials in decisions about the environment, than to individuals in their own activities. Readership of each re• port was also higher by public respondents than by private.
--Volunteered comments gave the same favorable impression. Most readers found the reports informative and important, and written in a readable style. Some wanted more detail, and a few wanted a stronger stand on action. -Ik- -75-
D. PRINCIPLES FOR UTILIZATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
The utilization activities of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program have been guided by a series of relatively simple principles. This section wi11 seek to distill these principles and i1 lustrate them wi th events described earlier. The aim here is to set forth guidelines which could be applied in any similar program. For the most part, these guidelines contain nothing novel; the basic ideas are well-known to practitioners of planned change.
1. Multiple techniques
Perhaps the broadest generalization is the obvious one that a muVti- plioity of mutually reinforcing techniques will be needed. Environmental decisions will not be much affected by the single method of disseminating reports to decision-makers. Rather, many types and channels of communica• tion must be employed, over an extended period of time, so that a "climate" of support for needed decisions can be established. Among other techniques, the NMERP used the following:
a. Identified a population of local "stakeholders" and maintained a regular contact with them by repeated mailings (see section B-l ). b. Through periodic meetings, consulted with community leaders on the design and progress of the research program. Five such meetings were held during 1972-75 (see section B-4, pp. 41-42).
c. Prepared a series of non-technical information packages about the northern Michigan environment, including Lakeland Reports, informa• tional booklets, etc. (see section B-2) . d. Maintained regular contact with local decision-making bodies, such as the planning commissions of both counties. In addition, during the utilization segment of NMERP, 1974-76, Biological Station personnel made contacts or visits with at least 24 public bodies (section B-4). e. Established and strengthened relationships with lake associations and other civic groups (described in section B-4, pp. 44-46, and in B-3, pp. 24-29), and assisted formation of new association (B~3, pp. 38-39)- D. Principles -76-
During the utilization segment, Biological Station personnel made contacts
with at least 14 lake associations and 18 other civic groups.
f. Made direct inputs into local decisions by several means--public
testimony at hearings, written documents, personal consultation, and pre•
paration of background documents. Numerous cases are described in section
B-3).
g. Maintained regular contact with mass media and secured publication
of numerous newspaper articles and several radio and TV programs (section
B-5).
2. Multiple types of knowledge and modes of use A companion principle emphasized throughout is that effective utiliza• tion will require both "hard" and "soft" knowledge, in both "instrumental" and "conceptual" modes.
As described in section A-l, the Northern Michigan Program made use not only of "hard" knowledge (such as factual information about the inland lakes, the surrounding land, and the behavior and opinions of area resi• dents) but also of "soft" knowledge (concepts such as "eutrophication" and "wetlands," and principles such as the relationship between nutrients and lake aging). The program also recognized that information is used not only in an "instrumental" mode (affecting a specific decision or action) but also in a "conceptual" mode (bringing a change in awareness or understanding)
It often appears that conceptual use must precede instrumental use (e.g. public concern over nutrients in Crooked Lake preceded the decision to stop fish production in the Oden Hatchery).
Some of the foregoing topics will now be amplified, and further guide-
1i nes stated.
3. Preparation of information packages
a. Each package should be, brief and self-contained. Non-techni cal
readers are more likely to absorb information in small, digestible chunks. Each Lakeland Report and lake profile, therefore, came as a separate bro- D. Principles -77-
chure of 4.to 8 pages, and focused on a small set of facts about one or two topics.
b. Each report should permit personal identification. A reader wants more than general truths; he likes to "see himself" in the material. Thus, the last seven Lakeland Reports showed infomation for each of several northern Michigan lakes; readers could see how "their" lake compared with others. Two reports compared data for year-round residents, second home• owners, and vacationers; the reader could identify with one group. c. General principles are easier to grasp than factual details. Most of the reports contained a few broad principles--for example, that large lakes have a greater capacity to tolerate development than do small lakes (an illustration of "soft" knowledge). d. Principles or facts are better grasped if the individual can see some implication for action. Therefore, most of the Lakeland Reports end• ed wi th suggestions for lake protection--e.g. , to minimize input of nutrients, leave a "green belt" of natural vegetation or wetlands along shore 1i nes.
e. Following an obvious guideline, the information packages made liberal use of illustrations--photographs , maps, charts--to contrast with words and numbers.
f. Readers learn more if they are active rather than passive. To stimulate active involvement, several of the Lakeland Reports had brief quizzes with which readers could test their understanding. A similar device which was successful in arousing interest at meetings was a multiple- choice quiz of a dozen items. Before his talk the speaker asks each audience member to write down the guessed answers, and then gives the right
answers based on research evidence (see Appendix III, p. 156).
h. Working through local associations and leadership
One can hardly overemphasize the importance of working through local associations and their leadership. Many of the cases of utilization re• ported in section B-3 were accomplished by local groups with the aid of information and support supplied by the Biological Station. Public offi• cials ostensibly make decisions, but they are always sensitive to what their constituents will endorse. Private bodies can play a significant role in bui1di ng pub 1i c support. D. P ri nciples -78-
For example, the decision to stop fish breeding at the Oden Hatchery was made by the Fisheries Division after receiving the Biological Station report on nutrient loadings for Crooked Lake, but it was the Pickerel and Crooked Lakes Improvement Association which was disturbed by the applica• tion for a discharge permit for the hatchery; a public hearing was subsequently held (pp. 29-30). The wetlands ordinance approved by referendum in Burt Township was the culmination of several years of preparation by the Burt Township Association (pp. 26-27).
From these experiences some further guidelines may be formulated. a. Effective action by local groups is usually a cumulative process over several years. This is seen in the Burt Township case, and also in the Springvale Township greenbelt ordinance, where the township's activities in zoning went back 15 years (p. 28). Accordingly, a scientific facility such as the Biological Station must be prepared to invest a long period in cultivating such action.
b. Both of these efforts made use of wide public participation and compromise. The Burt Township ordinance was preceded by several years in preparation of a land-use plan. This was aired at many public hearings,
and according to the former planning chairman it incorporated "over S0%n of the public's suggestions. The entire draft of the ordinance itself was published in an area newspaper to generate wide understanding. In a similar fashion, the Springvale greenbelt ordinance was debated at controversial public hearings, and compromises were subsequently made to meet objections of large landowners. A political process of negotiation and compromise is tio be expected.
c. The Biological Station and the lake associations offered each
other mutual benefits. On request of the associations, Station personnel supplied material for association newsletters (see illustrations for Black Lake, Douglas Lake, Munro Lake associations), and supplied speakers for association meetings (Walloon Lake, Mullett Lake, Long Lake). In turn, the association accepted or reprinted Lakeland Reports and re-transmitted them to their memberships (Walloon Lake, Burt Township).
d. For the Biological Station, the fact that both John Gannon and
William Foster were long-term residents of the area helped to build local confidence in them. One cannot judge how essential that condition is, but it was undeniably helpful. -79- D. Principles
5. Preparation of direct inputs into locai decisions From time to time, local policy bodies will face specific decisions, and it is here that environmental information can have the most direct use in an instrumental sense. Section B~3 above contains many examples. Existing reports may be insufficient for the purpose. The facility may have to generate a special report or communication tailored to the deci• sion. Several forms of such input may be illustrated. a. In the Oden Fish Hatchery controversy, the Biological Station prepared a special report on sources of nutrients into Crooked Lake, and this was an essential factor in the decision to halt fish production (p. 30). Another example was that of Bear River, in which a separate study on the
river was conducted as a class project (p. 35)*
b. In other cases it may be possible to retrieve existing information to fit a given decision. One illustration is that of freeway planninq in Emmet County where data on residents' views on a new freeway were presented in support of the Planning Commission's opposition to the freeway (p. 3D).
c. On several occasions, Station personnel gave public testimony at hearings about land development (pp. 36-37 ).
d. Another form of input in through personal conversations. In the preparation of materials for sewer hearings (pp. 32-33), personnel from the Grand Rapids sanitary engineering firm consulted with Biological Station
personnel on several occasions1, and as a result they gained new perspectives and modified their approach.
6. Some major end results: institutional changes The foregoing parts of this section presented guidelines on a variety of methods whereby environmental information can be utilized. To conclude this section, let us shift attention to the end results of utilization. Among these end results are those which bring enduring changes in social institutions--what might be called social "infrastructure." Such changes are likely to affect many short-term actions. As an obvious principle: use of knowledge to accomplish institutional changes will have more per• vasive and enduring effects than utilization which accomplishes a single action. Several changes of this sort may be illustrated. r80- D. P ri nci p les
a. Adoption of ordinances. To retain the benefits of wetlands for lake protection, zoning ordinances are needed to restrict excessive dis• turbance of natural vegetation or excessive development. One example is the adoption of the wetlands ordinance by the voters of Burt Township in
August 1976 (p- 27)- Another example is the Springvale Township green• belt ordinance adopted by the township zoning commission and now awaiting action by the township board (p. 29).
An ordinance in itself is not a sure guarantee, however. An appeals board can overturn a ruling by a zoning administrator. A violator who cannot be persuaded must be taken to court — a lengthy process. A weal thy developer might succeed in having the ordinance voided in court. To be effective, therefore, environmental knowledge must achieve not only instrumental use in adoption of an ordinance, but also conceptual use in public understanding. b. Sewer planning. A sewage system will have long term effects, and perhaps contradictory ones, on the lake it serves. As in the case of Crooked Lake, it can remedy the defects of aging septic tanks. On the other hand, its presence can make available for development land that was previously ruled unsuitable for septic tanks, with the result of increasing ecological pressure on the lake. Under the Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, Federal matching funds for sewers require planning for a 20-year period. Use of environmental information in such planning represents one of its more perva- si ve applications.
c. Court decisions. The report .cited several lawsuits in which court rulings had environmental implications (p. 43). Although these actions preceded the NMERP and hence could not use its information, future lawsuits might do so (note a possible case on Walloon Lake, p. 36). With their es• tablishment of legal precedents, court decisions can imply enduring effects on environmental protection.
d. Departmental reorganization. The report cites certain actions on
Mud Lake and Twin Lakes (pp. 36-37) 'n which one division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources appeared to base decisions on the opinions of local personnel without consulting limnologists in another branch of the Department. The latter are knowledgeable about the effects of human impact but may be called in only after environmental damage has occurred. A recent D. Principles -81-
reorganization with DNR (1976) appears to have alleviated this problem. Such an institutional change is likely to have a pervasive effect on subsequent deci s i ons.
In conclusion
In this final section to our report, we have sought to distill general guidelines which could be applied by environmental programs in the utiliza• tion of ecological knowledge. To repeat the broadest generalization: en• vironmental decisions will not be much affected if environmental reports are simply disseminated. Rather, many mutually reinforcing channels of communication must be employed, to develop a climate of understanding for needed decisions. -82- -83-
E. LISTING OF NMERP REPORTS RELEVANT TO UTILIZATION
For convenient reference, we reproduce below a consolidated listing of various reports and papers by staff of the northern Michigan project which are relevant to utilization. This listing does not include technical reports on the research i tself.
P rog ress Report University of Michigan Biological Station. Investigations into Ecological and Sociological Determinants of Land-Use Decisions. Progress report to National Science Foundation, RANN Program GI-34898, by UM Biologi• cal Stat ion in cooperat ion wi th Survey Research Center, Ins t itute for Social Research, December 1974, 314 pp.
Lakeland Reports University of Michigan Biological Station, Lakeland Report No.: 1. Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program, August 1974, 2 pp. 2. Progress Report on Social Science Survey, January 1975, 4 pp.
3. Shoreline Development Factor (SDF), April 1975, 3 pp. 4. Lake Structure, July 1975, 6 pp. 5. Wetlands and Why They Are Important, August 1975, 6 Pp. 6. Attitudes About Growth, September 1975, 8 pp. 7. Seasonal Changes of Temperature and Oxygen in Emmet and Cheboygan County Lakes, October 1975, 6 pp. 8. Nutrients from Human Use, January 1976, 6 pp. 9. The Future of Northern Michigan, August 1976, 6 pp.
Informational booklets Say, W.E., Paddock, M.W., Gannon, J.E., and Foster, W.L. Inland Lake Pro• tection in Northern Michigan. University of Michigan Biological Station, September 1974, 40 pp.
Foster, W.L. Natural Features of the Inland Water Route of Northern Lower Michigan. University of Michigan Biological Station, February 1976,
33 pp. Reprinted in installments, Cheboygan Daily Tribune, July 1976. _8Z,-
Reports' on specific lakes and rivers Gannon, J.E. Report on the Water Quality Status of Twin Lakes (Grant Twp. , Cheboygan Co., Mich,) with Special Reference to the Impact of Camp• grounds. University of Michigan Biological Station, June 1974, 9 pp.
University of Michigan Biological Station. An Assessment of Environmental Quality on the Bear River, Charlevoix and Emmet Counties, Michigan. Report by 16 members of limnology class under J.E. Gannon and G.W. Fai rchiId, July 1975 , 22 pp.
University of Michigan Biological Station. Walloon Lake Profile, Summer 1976, 8 pp. plus 2-page inset on Walloon Lake features.
Gannon, J.E. and Mazur, D.J. Sources of Nutrients (Phosphorus and Nitrogen) for Crooked Lake, Emmet County, Michigan, 1975-76. Special report to Fish Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources. University of Michigan Biological Station, 8 June 1976, 14 pp.
Gannon, J.E. Notes on Ecology of Munro Lake, Cheboygan County, Michigan. Prepared for Munro Lake Association. University of Michigan Biological Station, [November 1976], 4 pp.
Technical papers relevant to utilization
Gannon, J.E. and Stemberger, R. Rotifer and crustacean zooplankton species composition and community structure as water quality indicators. In: Symposium on Plankton and Periphyton as Indicators of Water Quality. EPA, Cincinnati, 1977 (in press).
Haag, R.D., Jr. Bedrock topography and glacial drift thickness in Cheboygan County. J_n_: R.V. Kesling, A.M. Johnson and H.O. Sorensen, Devon i an Strata of the Afton-Onaway Area, Michigan, Papers on Pa 1 eontology, 1976, No. 17, PP- 110-120, University of Michigan. -85-
F. APPENDICES
Page I. Lake 1 and Reports • Qy
Full reproduction of nine issues
I I. Inland Lake Protection in Northern Michigan 135
From the 40-page booklet in color, a few illustrative pages have been reproduced in black-and-white.
111. Other condensed reports
Walloon Lake Profile
Articles by staff published in mass media (p, 153)
Summaries in mass media based on NMERP reports (p# 156)
IV. Clippings and other documents illustrating knowledge use . . . 159
Identification of marl Burt Township wetlands ordinance (selected portion) (p. 160) Oden Fish Hatchery (p. 162) Freeway planning - Emmet Planning Commission (p. 164) Land development and lake dredging (p. 166) Inquiries from realtors and prospective buyers (p. 167)
V. Survey questionnaire on Lakeland Reports 171 -86- "87~ . '\ I Al(tl AMR DTDflDT - •<""' -"V'^-A^gLa,, I August 30, 1974 LAIVlLMiiU KliUKi - %~.-«--.
Prepared for res/dents of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties *) . . . £^V.%i .Jf^*"' 6y the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake . . . sponsored by the National Science Foundation -- Research Applied to National Needs {RANNJ'M^'
NORTHERN MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
In 1972, the Biological Station embarked on a long-range problem-oriented NORTHERN MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROGRAM, focusing on 38 lakes in Emmet and Cheboygan counties. The following phases of this research project are in progress this summer:
Quarterly water sampling of 38 Emmet and Cheboygan County lakes to determine present water quality.
Collection and analysis of residential water-faucet samples from over 200 sites to determine present ground water quality.
Wetland analysis-mapping and water-quality testing to determine the importance of area wetlands.
A survey of 800 inland lake and river residents by social scientists affiliated with the university's Institute for Social Research to answer unanswered questions about local residents on lakes. . . who they are, how do they feel, what do they do., . to aid in instituting better more representative planning programs in inland iake communities.
Research on historical land-use in the two counties to aid in understanding past land- use patterns which have led to present land-use patterns.
* Meetings with local decision-makers in the two-county communities to guide our project results into the hands of the people-at-large for more sensible, balanced, and profitable land usage and preservation.
LAKES BEING SAMPLED QUARTERLY FOR WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS (Lakes starred are also a part of the social science survey)
Cheboygan County Alverno * Douglas * Mullett Vincent * Black Hoop * Munro Wildwood Bryant's Bog Kleber Osmun * Burt Lancaster Roberts Cochran * Lance Silver-Wilmot Twp. Cornwall Livingston Bog Silver-Koehler Twp. * Devereaux * Long Stoney Dog McLavey 1 Twin Emmet County Arnott French Farm * Pickerel # Walloon * Carp Larks • * Round Wycamp * Crooked Mud Lake Spring
In continuing lakeland reports of this nature, the Station would like to "discuss" and provide information to area water-oriented residents on subjects such as the following:
"SOAP SUDS" Often after strong winds, lake shores will be lined with what appears to be soap suds. This is a natural condition caused by organic proteins dissolved in the lake water and whipped up by the wave action on shore. . very similar to whipping egg whites. What appears to be soap pollution is a natural condition which has occurred on the lakes for thousands of years.
"ALGAE BLOOM" In the past several weeks some Emmet and Cheboygan county lakes (including our own Douglas Lake) turned bright green for several days. Such an algal bloom (rapid growth of miscroscopic green plants) is a natural occurrence. One possible cause of the recent bloom in Douglas Lake was strong, continuous north winds. These winds created strong currents which stirred up nutrients normally trapped in the lower reaches of the lake, the extra enrichment was enough to trigger the massive algal growth. After several days, the nutrients were used up, the algae died, and the water returned to its normal color. +**•#**•***»****«**» THE BIOLOGICAL This summer, 130 students from over the world studied various subjects in 19 different STATION courses offered at the Station. Since T909,a summer session of field biology has been held at Douglas Lake. Recently, we have also instituted winter biology courses, making the station a year-round educative facility.
PROJECT For more information about our on-going research project involving the Emmet and INFORMATION Cheboygan'county areas, call William Foster, Public Information Scientist. He wiil be glad to discuss your questions and send you a complete project summary. Phone: (616) 539-8406. . . mailing address: U of M Biological Station, Pellston, Michigan 49769.
LAKELAND REPORT Nn. 1 2 August, 1974 -89-
'NUMBE R 2 January, 1975 LAKELAND REPORT — (Revised September, 197 5)
Prepared for residents of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties .f. . . ,• ' \ ' by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake . . . sponsored by the National Science Foundation -- Research Applied to National Needs (RANN) /
PROGRESS REPORT ON SOCIAL SCIENCE SURVEY
OVERVIEW The long-range, problem-oriented Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program, focusing on 38 lakes in Emmet and Cheboygan Counties, is continuing at the Biological Station.
Inland lake water quality studies in the two-county area are proceeding and another sampling of the 38 study lakes will again be conducted this winter. The results of our lake quality research will be discussed in a future Lakeland Report. Ground water quality is also being checked as more samples are taken from over 200 residential water faucets.
SOCIAL The social survey, conducted as part of our research program, has been of particular SCIENCE interest to people living in Emmet and Cheboygan counties. This survey was carried out SURVEY by our colleagues at the University's Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor. The Institute and its Survey Research Center have been collaborating with us for over a year and are an important component of our program. The staff has its background in social sciences and planning, and has been directing much of its research in recent years to environmental and planning issues. Their involvement in the Northern Michigan Environ• mental Research Program is indicative of policy-related research they are undertaking on several fronts.
During the summer of 1974, a sample section of over eight hundred (800) residents along inland lakes and rivers in Emmet and Cheboygan counties were interviewed. This survey was conducted by locally-based interviewers who were hired and trained by the Survey Research Center's permanent staff. An hour-long interview was conducted in each of the sampled households, and will provide a valuable and interesting body of information for citizens and government officials alike. To whet your appetite, we are including an example of some of the preliminary findings from the survey in this issue of the Lakeland Report.
REASONS PEOPLE LIKE TO BE IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN One of the social survey questions asked was "What do you like most about your being here in this part of Northern Michigan?" Of 2011 reasons given percentages were deter• mined as follows: Peace and quiet of area, solitude, not crowded; away from city problems, crime, traffic, noise 24% Water and lakes, inland waterway, Great Lakes 13% Natural setting; outdoors, trees and animals, the country 11% -90-
Recreation opportunities, skiing, sailing, hunting, fishing, etc . 11% Climate, weather . 10%
Clean air and water 8% Familiarity with area; lived here all my life, have visited here frequently 7% The people; friends, family 3%
Some other statistics determined from our social survey are as follows:
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
Of those surveyed, 31% were year-round residents 69% were seasonal residents
Of the 572 seasonal residents, 71% were second-home owners 29% were vacationers
PRIMARY RESIDENCE OF SEASONAL VISITORS
Michigan 68% Ohio 14% Indiana 8% Florida 3% Other states 7%.
IMPACT OF THE ENERGY CRISIS
When second-home owners and vacationers were asked the question "Would you say that the cost and availibility of gasoline influenced your vacation plans this summer quite a bit, somewhat, or not at all?" . . .
22% answered "Quite a bit." or "Somewhat." 78% answered "Not at all."
ATTITUDES TOWARD GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
When asked the question "How much growth and development would you personally like to'see in this area?" . . . 4% answered "A great deal." 71% answered "Some." or "A little." 25% answered "None at all."
Answers to these and many other similar questions will aid county planners, sanitarians, potential developers and others in planning for sound land-use programs as Emmet and Cheboygan counties experience growth and change.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 2 2 January, 1975 (Revised September, 1975) FALL Did your lake "turn over?" It might have this fall! With declining air temperatures, a OVERTURN process called "fall overturn" occurs in some of our deeper lakes. In the fall, a lake is cooled at the surface by the dropping air temperature. Circulation by wind and the descent of heavier surface water through the warmer water beneath it thoroughly mixes the upper layers. Soon the entire lake, from top to bottom, is the same temperature.
The fall overturn phenomenon occurred unusually early this year in lakes of this region, as late September brought cold temperatures and high north winds. For example, the overturn occurred in Douglas Lake during the third week of September. In a matter of days, the temperature was about 55° F, from top to bottom. Before the overturn, the temperature had been 65" F. at the surface and 48" F. at the bottom. The fall overturn in Douglas Lake was three to four weeks earlier than normal.
WATERSHED MAP
0«F
r V
ft
\
\
V 1
\
\ \ \
The heavy lines irace the watershed boundaries lor itie inland lakes of northern lower Michigan. The thin lines trace ihe course of major streams.
LAKELAND REPORT No.2 3 January, 1975 (Revised September, 1975) -92-
BI0L0G1CAL Winter activity at the Biological Station is at an all time high. Now functioning as a STATION IN year-round facility, the Station has several scientists-in-residence and employs 15 people WINTER in various research and administrative positions.
WINTER In addition to the summer classes that have been heid at the Biological Station since 1909, ECOLOGY our newly instituted Winter Ecology course will be offered for the third season. This
course has been one of the more unique ecology courses offered by any college or university. This February, a group of National Park Service rangers, naturalists, and biol• ogists from across the country will gather at the Biological Station to participate in an intensive two-week look at natural history in the winter.
WATERSHEDS Since the nature of its watershed or drainage area determines the amount and purity of the water that reaches a lake, it might be of interest to know the watershed of your near• est lake.The map on page 3 is a reduction of the map we used early in our National Science
Foundation project to determine watershed boundaries. From this map we are able to see how land-use in certain areas affects corresponding bodies of water.
INFORMATION For additional information or a copy of the first Lakeland Report, call or write William L. Foster, Public Information Scientist, University of Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, Michigan 49769. Telephone: (616) 539-8406.
U.S. Postage THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PAID BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE Pellston, Mi. 49769
PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 49769 Permit No. 200
LAKELAND REPORT No. 2 4 January, 1975 -93- • NUMBER 3 April. 1975 (Revision September, 1975)
LAKELAND REPORT - 'i. ) * Prepared for residents of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties . . . . by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake . . , sponsored by the National Science Foundation - Research Applied to National Needs (RA NN)
SHORELINE DEVELOPEMENT FACTOR (SDF)
The University of Michigan Biological Station has computed the Shoreline Development Factor (SDF) for all Emmet and Cheboygan County lakes, as part of our on-going Northern Michigan Enviro- mental Research Program involving the water quality of local lakes. For example, the Shoreline Develop• ment Factor for Walloon Lake is 3.00, and the SDF rating of Mullett Lake is 1.60.
WHAT DOES THIS SHORELINE DEVELOPMENT FACTOR MEAN? The Shoreline Development Factor (SDF) is an index to expiess the regularity or irregularity of a lake's shoreline. A lake with a shore• line in the form of a ciicle would have a SDF of 1.00. If a lake's shoreline winds in and out, creating numer• ous bays and points, shoreline footage increases, and the SDF factor becomes closer to 4.00.
WHY IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SHORELINE DEVELOPMENT FACTOR OF INTEREST TO LAKELAND RESIDENTS7 When we discuss the capacity of a lake, or its ability to withstand develop• ment and associated activity, we often use surface area or size as the most important criteria. One tends to forget, however, that shoreline length in relation to surface area is just as important. Although two lakes may have close to equal surface areas, the lake with the irregular shoreline has more space (shoreline foot• age) and consequently more potential for development than does a lake with a "regular" shoreline [Figure 1).
In our research, we have identified northern Michigan lakes that have long shorelines relative to their surface areas (Table 1). The lakes with higher shoreline development factors (closer to 4.00) can be recog• nized as having a greater amount of waterfront property. Such lakes have a greater potential for over-devel• opment and heavy recreational use than do lakes with a lower (closer to 1.00) SDF, simply because more dwelling units can fit on the shores of a lake with a high SDF.
In many areas of the country, developers artifically increase the irregularity of shoreline (and there• by shoreline length) by dredging canals and filling. While they do create more area for development, such activities almost invariably have direct and indirect detrimental impacts upon a lake's water quality. Fortu• nately, we see very little of these kinds of landscape manipulations along northern Michigan lakes.
The Shoreline Development Factor is one of many parameters being used by the Biological Station Staff to determine the relative sensitivity of individual northern Michigan lakes to adverse change by hu• man impact. Along with the SDF, factors such as soil type and ground water character istics within a lake's watershed must be considered before drawing specific conclusions as to a lake's human carrying capacity. In general, however, the higher the SDF, the greater the possibility for human development and possible environmental degradation. 9^
LONG L
HYPOTHETICAL LONG AND ROUND LAKE
FIGURE 1 THE RELATION OF LAKE SHAPE TO POTENTIAL USER PRESSURE
Note that although Long unci Round lakes urn identical in sue, Long Lake has 60% more shoreline, and is subject to much greater developmental and recreational user pressure (FROM: Understanding Lakes and Lake Problems- Steven M. Born and Douglas A. Yanggen; John W. Folstad, Editor. University of Wisconsin • Madison. Upper Great Lakes Regional Commission - Inland Lake Demonstration Project. May, 1972.)
TABLE / RANKING OF SOME EMMET AND CHEBOYGAN COUNTY LAKES BASED ON SHORE• LINE DEVELOPMENT FACTOR .... HIGHEST TO LOWEST *>
Twin 4.30 Pickerel 1.40 Walloon 3.00 Black \ 1.30 Crooked 2.96 French Farm 1.30 Wildwood 2.78 Sixteen 1.28 Mud (Cheboygan Co.) 1.93 Lance 1.27 Long 1.92 Round 1.26 Spring 1.91 Arnott 1.20 Wycamp 1.90 Munro 1.20 Douglas 1.82 Weher 1.20 Burt 1.80 Larks 1.13 Osmun 1.66 Devereaux 1.10 Mullett 1.60 Lancaster 1.10 Carp 1.50 McLavey 1.10 Mud (Emmet Co.) 1.43 Vincent 1.10 Silver (Koehler Twp.) 1.43 Silver (Wilmot Twp.I 1.00
LAKELAND REPORT No. 3 2 April. 1975 -95- For those interested in the mathematics of the shoreline development factor, the formula is
Shoreline Development • length of shoreline Factor 2 V" area of the lake x 7t
WI NTER During the first two weeks of February,nine National Park Service naturalists from across the coun- ECOLOGY try and several University of Michigan students met at the Biological Station to participate in the third Winter Ecology course to be offered at UMBS.
Fourteen continuous days were spent studying and observing ecological activities in winter, with particular emphasis on how organisms adapt to severe conditions. Dr. John E. Gannon, limnologist and year round researcher at the Station, and Prof. Arlan Edgar, an invertebrate zoologist from Alma College directed this intensive study program. Guest lecturers included William O. Pruitt, Jr., professor of zoology at the University of Manitoba, Canada.Dr. Pruitt is an authority on winter ecology of northern regions and, in 1950, was the fust student to spend an entire winter at the Biological Station.
INFORMATION For additional information or a copy of the first and second Lakeland Reports, call or write William L. Foster, Public Information Scientist, University of Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, 49769. Phone (616) 539-8545.
S'*Jr .- r-~> -1 91
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Photograph by Gary R. Williams
The Alfred H. Stockard Lakeside Laboratory on the shore of Douglas Lake is the water quality research center at the Biological Station. It has un interior boat bay, a computer terminal, and large blocks of office, lab and conference space.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 3 3 April, 1975 -96- NUMBER 4 July, 1975 LAKELAND REPORI \
Prepared for residents of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties'"-. . . . ' \ e.'tfr^ by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas lake . . . sponsoredpy the National Science Foundation -- Research Applied to National Needs (RA NN)y*
In its Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program, the Biological Station in cooperation with the Institute for Social Research is obtaining information about the lakes and the people in order to help in sound planning of land use. This Lakeland Report is a research brief and is more technical than previous reports. It deals with:
LAKE STRUCTURE
How much human development a lake can tolerate depends on many factors, among them the lake's size and shape. These are some of its"morphometric" features from "morpho" meaning structure, and "metric" meaning measurement literally, measurements of the lake's structure.
WHAT BEARING DOES A LAKE'S SIZE HAVE ON EFFECTS OF LAND USE? In general, large lakes have a greater capacity to withstand human development than do small lakes • simply because the effects of human use are diluted in a greater volume of water. Among northern Michigan lakes, the greatest volume of water is found in Burt Lake. (Table 1 on the next page shows how 25 other lakes rank in total volume.)
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Photographed liy Norman Andresen
Long Lake, shown in this aerial photo, has less surface area than several other northern Michigan lakes like Round or Munro, but is is considerably deeper and therefore has a greater volume; effects of human use on Long Lake are diluted in a larger quantity of water. -97-
Burt Lake is also largest in surface area. (Table 2 on Page 5 gives surface areas for the 14 largest
lakes.! In general, volume and surface area go together, but there are exceptions. Deep lakes like Long,
Twin, and Silver have more water but less surface than shallow lakes like Munro, Round, and French Farm.
HOW DOES THE DEPTH OF A LAKE AFFECT ITS ABILITY TO WITHSTAND HUMAN DE•
VELOPMENT? It is somewhat surprising that - because of a combination of chemical and structural fac•
tors -• a shallow lake is often less affected by human development than is a deep lake of thesame volume.
A deep lake may develop distinct temperature layers of "thermal stratification," without mixing between
surface and bottom water. Where this happens, oxygen in the deepest layer can become depleted, and as a
result phosphorus is released from the bottom sediments, and becomes available as a nutrient for plant life.
Too much phosphorus will encourage the growth of algae and weeds'. In shallow lakes, where water mixes
from top to bottom and oxygen is not used up, phosphorus may precipitate into sediments on the lake
bottom where it is not available to the plant life in the water.
Question: Among the four largest lakes in the study area -- Black, Burt, Mullett, and Walloon -- which one: a. has the deepest depression or maximum depth? b. has the greatest average depth?
Answer; As shown in Table 1, Mullett Lake has the deepest depression, but Burt Lake has the greatest overall average depth.
TABLE 1 - NORTHERN MICHIGAN LAKES ARE ARRANGED IN DECREASING ORDER OF SIZE (VOLUME); OEPTH IS SHOWN IN FEET.
Mean Max Mean Max. Bigger lakes depth depth Smaller lakes depth depth Burt 39 73 Larks 3 8 Mullett 37 140 Wildwood 6 8 Black 25 50 Silver (Koehler Twp.) 11 32 Walloon . 29 100 Wycamp 1 7 Douglas 18 89 Weber 20 40 Crooked 10 61 Lancaster 10 57 Pickerel 13 70 Lance 17 80 Long 23 64 Devereaux 10 20 Paradise/Carp 4 15 Vincent 10 28 Twin Lakes 18 73 Sixteen 2 6 Silver (Wilmot Twp.) 37 90 McLavey 4 12 Munro 3 15 Osmun 2 10 Round 5 13 French Farm 3 10
LAKELAND REPORT No. A 2 July, 1975 -98-
Question: The concentration of dissolved oxygen is more likely to depend on which of these features of a take?
(a) Volume (b) Average depth (c Surface area
Answer: Average depth. A deep lake can develop "thermal stratification " with distinct temp- erature layers. When this happens, oxygen can become used up in the deepest layer.
WATER The watershed of a lake refers to the surrounding territory from which water drains into the lake. The map in Figure \ shows the immediate watershed for each take - not including territory of other lakes SHED which drain into that one. Watersheds for the seven larger lakes are shaded. Note that the two largest water• AREA sheds - for Black and Burt Lakes •- each span four counties.
The size of watersheds for the 14 bigger-volume lakes is shown in Table 2 on Page 5. Because of the
rivers connecting lakes in the Inland Waterway, the total watersheds increase in size from Pickerel to Crook•
ed to Burt and then to Mullett, which is the receiving water body for drainage for most of the area's water•
sheds, covering a total area of over 512,000 acres.
Question: Which inland lake in northern Michigan has the largest immediate watershed -- excluding watersheds of other lakes that drain into it?
Answer: Black Lake. Although its surface area is smaller than Burt or Mullett, its immedi• ate watershed is the largest in the entire area and extends into four counties: Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Otsego, and Montmorency.
HOW DOES A LAKE'S WATERSHED AFFECT ITS WATER QUALITY?The larger the watershed, the more chance there is for nutrients and sediments to drain into the lake and alter the quality of its water. The amount of impact will depend on types of soil and characteristics of ground water, and also on the sur• face area of the lake. In general, lakes with large watershed areas relative to their surface area will be more sensitive to impact from human Use.
Of the four largest lakes. Black has the largest ratio of watershed to surface. Among the medium-siz• ed lakes, Pickerel has the largest ratio.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 4 3 July, 1975 -99-
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FIGURE 1. The different shadings show immediate watersheds for seven larger lakes (Walloon, Crooked Pickerel, Burt, Douglas, Mullett, and Black). Watersheds of smaller lakes are outlined by lines. Both the Black Lake and Burt Lake watersheds extend over four counties each.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 4 4 July, 1975 -100-
TABLE 2 - FOURTEEN LARGER LAKES OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN ARE ARRANGED BY SIZE OF WATERSHED-TO-SURFACE RATIO
Surface Watershed Ratio: Watershed (acres) (acres) to surface Black 10,000 337,400 33.7 Pickerel 1,100 33,800 32.0 SilverfWilmot Twp.) 100 1,300 17.0 Burt 16,900 250,500 14.8 French Farm 600 7,600 13.1 Croaked 2,400 27,700 11.7 Round 300 3,800 11.6 Mullett 16,400 160,000 9.7 Paradise/ Carp 1,900 16,700 8.9 Twin Lakes 200 1,100 5.5 Walloon 4,300 22,700 5.3 Douglas 3,700 14,000 3.7 Munro 700 2,300 3.3 Long 400 1,100 2.6
LAKE WHAT MAKES A LAKE SENSITIVE TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT? Many factors govern how SENSI - fragile or resistant a lake is to human use, including:
TIVITY • Morphometric features such as Shoreline Development Factor (discussed in third Lakeland Re• port, April 1975); size, depth, and watershed (discussed above); and flushing rate or water re• newal time.
• Physical and chemical properties of the water such as temperature, transparency, hardness, dis• solved oxygen, and nutrient chemicals
Each of these will be explained in future Lakeland Reports.
The aquatic section of the Northern Michigan Research Program is directed by John E. Gannon. Morphometric data were compiled by Ole Lundin and Richard Stemberger; the former also handled data storage, retrieval, and calculation. This research brief was prepared by Donald C. Pelz, of the Institute of Social Research, with assistance of Frances Eliot, on the basis of Progress Report to NSF-RANN, December 1974, pp. 63-87.
INFORMATION For additional information call or write William L. Foster, Public Information Scientist, University of
Michigan Biological Station, Peltston, 49769. Phone (616) 539-8406 or 539-8407.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 4 5 July, 1975 -101-
... . -. .
Photographed by Norman Andresen
Pickerel Lake, shown in this aerial photo, has one of the largest ratios of watershed to surface but is pro• tected by the fact that much of its watershed lies in state forest land. Crooked Lake is beyond near the horizon.
U.S. Postage THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PAID BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE Pellston. Mi. 49769 PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 49769 Permit No. 200
LAKELAND REPORT No. 4 6 July, 1975 -102-
NUMBER 5 August, 1975 LAKELAND REPORT
Prepared for residents of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties .... by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake . . . sponsored by the National Science Foundation -- Research Applied to National Needs (RANN)
WETLANDS AND WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT
What are wetlands? Where are they found? What part do they play in the balance of nature?
Dr. Christa Schwintzer, professor of biology and ecology at the University of Wis consin-Green Bay and research scientist with the Biological Station's Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program, explains wetlands this way:
Wetlands are areas of poorly drained, uncultivated ground. Rather than simply referring to wetlands with the all inclusive terms of marsh or swamp, it should be noted that there are four distinct types. Each has its own unique set of characteristics, wildlife, and plants. The four major kinds of wetlands are: marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens.
Photograph t>v Hooert S. Lea
MARSHES Marshes are usually directly associated with ponds, streams, or lakes . .some• J times merely being a very shallow end of these waters. They are wet areas which are periodically covered by stand• ing or slow-moving neutral to slightly alkaline water. Rushes, grass-like vegetation, reeds, sedges, and cattails are the pri• mary plants found in marshy areas. Marsh soils are often nutrient rich and usually con• tain large amounts of organic matter (plant remains in var• 00 ious stages of decomposition). Marshes are breeding and spawning grounds for water birds, wild game, and fishes. These Least Bittern young were found in the Cheboygan Marsh, a large lakeside marsh in Northern Michigan. -103-
Marshes are excellent habitats and breeding grounds for many water birds (ducks, geese, swans, bitterns, herons, etc.) and muskrats, and are also important spawning grounds for some species of fish (e.g., northern pike and perch).
LOCAL MARSH EXAMPLES: The Cheboygan Marsh, the marsh at the mouth of the Indian River Spreads, the mouth of the Pigeon and Minnehaha River, the end of Spring Lake, the mouth of the channel from Pickerel Lake lo Crooked Lake, and elsewhere.
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Mallards in the Cheboygan Marsh. Photograph by Olin Sewall Pettingill, Jr.
SWAMPS Swamps aie wooded wetlands which are usually covered by standing or slow-moving neutral to lightly acidic waters during part of the year (usually the spring). They may be associated with rivers or lakes, but they also occur in poorly drained, low-lying areas.Swamp soil, like that of marshes, is usually rich in nutrients and organic matter.
Based on vegetation, swamps can be divided into three different types:
A. a CONIFER SWAMP with tamarack, cedar, balsam-fir, and/or black spruce trees;
B. a HARDWOOD SWAMP with red maple, black ash, quaking aspen (popple), while hirch, American elm, and/or balsam - poplar; or C. a THICKET SWAMP with tag alders, a variety of willows and/or red osier dog• wood.
Swamps are habitats for deer, bears, raccoons, bobcats, eagles, song birds, and other small animals.
LOCAL SWAMP EXAMPLES: The Pleasant view Swamp, the west end of Douglas Lake, along Levering Road near Lancaster (Bessie) Creek, the Little Carp River as it enters Burt Lake, and elsewhere.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 5 2 August, 1975 -10^-
BOGS Bogs are areas with peat soils (accumulations of partly decomposed plant remains), a high water table, and a surface carpet of mosses, especially Sphagnum (peat moss). This springy soil and moss cover might be likened to a water-soaked sponge, due to the capacity of peat moss to hold up to 20 times its own weight in water.
Bog soils are entirely organic in make-up, highly acidic,oxygen deficient, and miner• al poor because of the thick mat of peat soil that prevents nutrients in richer soils under• neath from percolating upward. Although bog conditions are the least nutrient-rich of the four wetland types (most nutrients for plant growth in bogs are derived from rain water or limited decay), they sustain a variety of unique vegetation, including shrubs in the blue• berry family (leather-leaf, blueberries, cranberries, and others); sedges and cotton grasses; peat moss; orchids (including the grass pink, pogonia, and white-fringed orchis); and plants such as the pitcher plant and sundew which supplement their mineral-poor diet by catching and "digesting" insects. Occasional birds and other animals may be seen in a bog, but it is generally not an abundant wiidlife habitat.
LOCAL BOG EXAMPLES: West ofDingman Flooding, near Mud Lake in Inverness Town• ship, near Galloway Lake nortii ol Levering, at the golf course at Boyne Highlands, and elsewhere.
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Photograph t>v Stuart Abbey Dr. Christa Schwintzer stands among leather-leaf shrubs in Bryant's Bog near Douglas Lake on the University of Michigan Biological Station tract.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 5 3 August, 1975 -105-
FENS Fens, like bogs, have peat soils and a high water table. Unlike bogs, however, fens have some slow, restricted drainage; are only moderately acid or even alkaline; and have a restricted mineral supply. Fens are therefore slightly richer than bogs and can sustain a vegetation dominated by sweet gale and several kinds of sedges. Fens also support many of the plant species in the blueberry family,as well as sundew and pitcher plant.The vegetation profile is low, so that looking out over a fen from afar is much like looking over a meadow. Though fens are relatively lacking in wildlife population, an occasional deer may be seen feeding there, frogs and snails live in the shallow pools that are often found in fens, and raccoons feed at the edges of fens along streams and lakes.
LOCAL FEN EXAMPLES; Associated with the Crooked River, the Indian River Spreads, ' Dow and Twin Lakes near Carp Lake, Mud Lake in Hebron Township, and others.
IMPORTANCE Wetlands have several important functions in the balance of nature: OF WETLANDS DIVERSITY Wetlands add to the diversity of environments. Diversity is impor• tant in regard to the environmental "health" of an area ... for example, disease or insect predation of a tree species may not spread over a wetland to similar trees on the other side because the wetland does not offer a suitable host on which to live. Diversity of land types is also more pleasing to the people of an area. More satisfaction can be derived from having the choice of being able to forage for wild fruits and berries, hunting, fishing or photograph• ing a variety of wildlife species and habitats than can be had by having to limit activities to one because diverse environments and their plant and animal life have been destroyed or are not available.
WILDLIFE HABITATS One of the more important known functions ol wetlands is that they are irreplacable as breeding and spawning grounds for waterfowl, wild game, and fishes. Marshes and swamps are especially notable in this respect.
FLOOD PLAINS Spring flood waters carry with them many nutrient-rich particles in their tumultuous rush to a lake.If deposited directly into the lake, these particles fill in the lake and their nutrients encourage the growth of pond weeds, cause algal blooms, and generally contribute to the accelerated growth and aging {eutrophication) of a lake. However, nature has provided its own filtering and purifying system in the form of wet• lands. Wetlands slow down the force of the flood waters, permit nutrient rich particles to settle out, and hold the water for release into the lake at slower intervals.
If such a wetland is filled for development or its flood-plain function is otherwise
impaired, flooding of buildings at the site or other property damage may occur.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 5 4 August, 1975 -ICS-
BUFFERS Wetlands are also valuable in that their filtering ability allows them to precipitate out and hold nutrients from septic tank, agricultural, or lawn fertilizer run• off. This protects a lake from being rapidly polluted by man-made wastes.
Wetlands are unique and important environments.lt is necessary to fully understand their place in the natural balance before considering filling, dredging, or otherwise altering them. Growth and development can still occur, but it should proceed in harmony with the natural "lay of the land".
TEST WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT WETLANDS TEST Of the four kinds of wetlands-marsh, swamp, bog and fen YOURSELF
1. Which two kinds are richest in nutrients?
2. Which kind contains large amounts of peat moss soaked with water?
3. Which kind is covered with trees and supports deer, bear and other wildlife?
4. Which kind is wet, with reeds, rushes and cattails, and supports water birds and muskrats?
5. TRUE OR FALSE. If wetlands near a take are drained this will help prevent nutrients from reaching the lake.
ANSWERS: 1. Manh ana iwdmp 2. Bog 3. Swamp A. Marsh S. FALSE. Wetlands serve to filter out and absorb nutrients that flow toward a lake from its watershed. This filter is weakened bv draining and oxidation releases additional nutrients,
The wetlands portion of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program is directed by Christa R. Schwintzer. This Lakeland Report was prepared by Jan Nagel.
INFORMATION For additional information call or write William L. Foster, Public Information Scientist, University of
Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, 49769. Phone (616) 539-8406.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 5 5 August, 1975 -107-
SCENES FROM THE 1975 BIOLOGICAL STATION SUMMER SESSION
Over 140 students and professors from around the world participated in the 67th summer session. Fifteen courses covering a wide variety of natural history subjects were offered
Below: Dr. Arlan Edgar,Chairman of the Alma College Biology Department, works with graduate student Polly Yocum of Ann Arbor. Dr. Edgar teaches a course i Bioecology of Invertebrates in the Biological Station summer session.
at Photographs by Gary R. Williams
n i 4 Above: John Evashevski, student in Stream Biology, measures stream flow. John is a science teacher at LaSalle High School in St. Ignace.
U.S. Postage THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PAID BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE Pellston, Mi. 49769 Permit No. 200 PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 49769
LAKELAND REPORT No. 5 6 August, 1975 -108- NUMBER 6 September. 1975 LAKELAND REPORT
Prepared for residents of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties. . . by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake, in collaboration with U-M Institute for Social Research. . .sponsored by the National Science Foundation--Research Applied to National Needs (RANN)
The Biological Station's Northern Michigan Enviromental Research Program is obtaining information about the lakes and the people in order to help in sound land-use planning. This RESEARCH BRIEF is moderately technical, and deals with:
ATTITUDES ABOUT GROWTH
Between 1960 and 1970 both Emmet and Cheboygan Counties grew substantially -each with a population increase of about 15%, according to the U.S. Census. Much of this growth has been centered around the lakes and rivers.
HOW DO WATERFRONT RESIDENTS FEEL ABOUT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT? Do they want more or less growth? What kinds of development do they favor, and what types do they oppose? The agencies that influence land decisions-such as planning and zoning boards, health and conservation departments, development commissions, and lake associations- want to know these opinions, in order to help in their planning.
SAMPLE OF WATERFRONT RESIDENTS
During the summer of 1974, the Survey Research Center (a part of the U-M Institute for Social Research) selected a representative sample of dwellings located within about one-quarter mile of the waterfront on four large lakes, ten smaller lakes, and the five major rivers in the two counties. Inter- viewers-mostly local residents trained by the Center- conducted 829 interviews with one person in each dwelling (either husband or wife).
V This research brief tells some of the findings. Re• member that it deals only with waterfront residents. Dur• ing the summer of 1975 another set of interviews is being taken with residents not living on inland lakes or rivers- those in towns, villages, and farm areas, and those living along the Great Lakes.Their opinions will be reported later, and might differ.
Interviewer talking to a waterfront resident. -109-
OVERALL ATTITUDES ABOUT GROWTH The interviewers asked: As in many parts of the country, northern Michigan has changed in recent years because of growth and new development. Some people think the area should remain pretty much as it is while others think that further growth and development are good.
How much growth and development would you personally like to see in this area-a great deal, some, a little or none at all?
Among the persons who answered this question (see Chart 1), opinions were about evenly split between those who favored some growth, and those who wanted little or none. About one out of four residents wanted no growth at all.
CHART 1. AMOUNT OF GROWTH DESIRED BY WATERFRONT RESIDENTS
GREAT DEAL SOME A LITTLE NONE AT ALL NUMBER ANSWERING ALL RESIDENTS cr 43%; 807
WALLOON 34 II2
BURT I0O
MULLETT 160
BLACK 94
MEDIUM-SIZED 178 LAKES
SMALL LAKES 78
RIVERS 85
HOW DID OPINIONS VARY BY TYPE OF LOCATION? Chart 1 shows that residents on Walloon and Burt Lake were least favorable to growth: those on Mullett, Black, and medium-sized lakes were in the middle; and those on small lakes and rivers were most favorable.to some or much growth.*
*The sample of medium-sized lakes included Paradise, Crooked, and Douglas; the sample of smaller lakes included Pickerel, Devereaux, Twin, Munro, Round, Long, and Lance. Rivers included Indian, Cheboygan, Crooked, Black, and Sturgeon.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 6 2 September, 1975 -110-
WHY DO WATERFRONT RESIDENTS EITHER WELCOME GROWTH OR OPPOSE IT? One fact that helps to explain attitudes about future growth is the amount oi past growth. With some exceptions, in townships that had a large population increase from 1960 to 1970, lake and river residents were more opposed to future growth. Also, residents who reported "conflict between water- skiers and sailors," "too many homes around lake," "too many motorboats," and "noise" were more likely to oppose additional growth.
The survey team found that growth attitudes did not depend on feelings about the respondents'
own neighborhood-such as distance between houses or amount of privacy. But growth attitudes did depend on feelings about the natural environment. People who disliked future growth tended to agree that: Residential lots should be kept wooded to protect the natural scenic character of northern Michigan.
Power boating increases water pollution.
Cottages located close to the shoreline are likely to increase water pollution.
QUESTION: At which of the following locations were waterfront residents most'favorable to growth? -
O Walloon • Black • Medium- • Rivers Lake Lake sized lakes
ANSWER: Rivers, where six out of ten residents favored at least some growth.
PAST AND FUTURE CHANGES The interview also asked about the recent past and the near future:
In general, would you say that the area around this lake j river has improved over the past two years, stayed about the same or gotten worse? i
Now tell me what you think about the area around here in the future, say the next five years, would you say it will get better stay about the same, or get worse?
On both questions, one-half or more of the residents gave a middle position-they felt the area had stayed about the sume and would remain so. But for some, the future looked worse than the past; in
Chart 2 only 12% thought the area had gotten worse, but in Chart 3 twice as many (28%) were afraid it would get worse in the next five years.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 6 3 September, 1975 -Ill-
CHART 2. Most Residents Thought Their Waterfront Area Had Stayed About
The Same In The Past Two Years
IMPROVED STAYED ABOUT THE SAME GOTTEN WORSE NUMBER BS Bt£ ANSWERING 25% 63 % 1 § rai 782
CHART 3. Some Residents Were Worried About The Next Five Years,
Especially On Walloon And Burt Lakes.
WILL GET BETTER WILL STAY ABOUT THE SAME WILL GET WORSE NUMBER ANSWERING ALL RESIDENTS 23% 49 "A 28% 772
WALLOON 16 112
BURT 7 fttrtte 40 96
MULLETT 22 50 28 157
BLACK 25 49 26 87
MEDIUM-SIZED 25 53 159 LAKES
SMALL LAKES 23 49 28 72
RIVERS 50 20 89
HOW DID HOPES AND DOUBTS VARY BY LOCATION? as shown in Chart 3, residents on Walloon and Burt Lakes were most concerned; those who thought the area would "get worse" were twice those who thought the area would "get better." Most hopeful were the people living on rivers, where optimism outweighed pessimism.
If planners wish to concentrate development in areas favored by current residents, the-most receptive locations would be riverfronts, and the least receptive would be Walloon and Burt Lake.
TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT THAT ARE FAVORED AND OPPOSED The interviewers asked: What kind of new development would you be in favor of? Why are you in favor of that?
What kinds of new development would you be against? Why are you against that?
LAKELAND REPORT No. 6 4 September, 1975 -1 12-
TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT FAVORED. Among the persons who answered the first question. Chart 4 shows that the largest number (31%) favored industry and business. The reasons they gave for this answer were mainly for economic benefits of employment and income.
Among the different types of househould, year-round residents were most strongly in favor of industrial or business development. Not surprisingly, vacationers were mainly in favor of recreational development, whereas year-round residents were least interested in recreational growth. They did not want more people using their lakes. (Answers that did not fit any of these types, such as better roads, were classified as "other.")
CHART 4. Among The Types Of Development Favored, Residents Mainly
Wanted Industry And Business.
INDUSTRY AND RESIDEN- RECREA- NUMBER TYPES FAVORED BY 8 BUSINESS TIAL TI0NAL OTHER NONE ANSWERING
ALL RESIDENTS 31 % • 19% 682
YEAR-ROUND RESIDENT 43 218
SECOND HOMEOWNER 26 330
VACATIONER 22 19 30 l"34
TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT OPPOSED. Chart 5 shows that although industry and business was favored by many residents, it was opposed by even more (40% of those answering). The reasons given were partly concern for crowding, but mainly for damage to the environment (water or,air pollution, etc.) Vacationers were most opposed to this type of development.
Further study showed that opposition to business and industry was mainly directed against heavy industry, while opposition to residential growth was mainly against multiple-family apartments. Those persons who favored industrial development were thinking of a balance between business and light industry, and those who favored residential growth were thinking of single-family homes.
QUESTION: Among the following types of development, which kind is: (a) most favored by waterfront residents? (b) most opposed by waterfont residents?
ANSWER: (a) More residents wanted industry and business than the other two types of development. (b) But more residents also opposed industry and business.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 6 5 September, 1975 -113-
CHART 5. Among Types Of Development Opposed, Residents Were Mainly
Against Industry And Business.
R EC RE A- NUMBER INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS RESIDENTIAL TIONAL OTHER NONE ANSWERING TYPES OPPOSED BY 8 40% ALL RESIDENTS 'MWM 35% liiiiijiin; 72
YEAR ROUND RESIDENT 38 35 223
SECOND HOMEOWNER 36 35 354
VACATIONER 48 27 144
WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THESE DIFFERENCES?
We have seen that year-round residents, second homeowners, and vacationers had different views about growth. What might account for these differences? The survey scientists looked at other facts about them, such as their age and income.
Chart 6 shows that vacationers were distinctly younger-one half of their household heads were under age 45. Perhaps this is one reason why they favored recreational development.
CHART 6. Age Of Head Of Household Vacationers Were Youngest
NUMBER OF 18-44 YEARS 45-65 YEARS 65 AND OVER HOUSEHOLDS
YEAR-ROUND 34% 34%: ESQ RESIDENTS 253
SECOND 20 52 HOMEOWNERS ..3.1 0? ' • ?; :•-.!< < • 402
VACATIONERS 52 163
QUEST/ON: Which type of household has the lowest family income?
• Year-round O Second • Vacationers residents homeowners
ANSWER: Year-round residents; their median family income before taxes was about half of the income of second homeowners.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 6 6 September, 1975 As shown in Chart7 .year-round residents had less money-theirfamily income was only half that of second homeowners. This may be a major reason why they wanted the economic benefits of bus• iness and industrial development.
CHART 7. Median Family Income Before Taxes In 1973 Was Lowest
For Year—Round Residents
FAMILY INCOME IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS NUMBER OF 5 10 15 20 25 HOUSEHOLDS
YEAR-ROUND 246 RESIDENTS
SECOND 402 HOMEOWNERS
VACATIONERS 150
IN CONCLUSION
Residents on Northern Michigan's inland lakes and rivers have mixed feeling about growth and development. Much descussion may be needed to resolve the different viewpoints. Attitudes differ by location-residents on Walloon and Burt Lakes are least favorable to growth, and residents on rivers are more favorable.
Waterfront residents would like more business and light industry because of the economic benefits this will bring, but they question over-crowding and possible damage to the lakes. Residents who oppose future growth were mainly concerned with harm to the natural environment.
Year-round residents have lowest incomes and would like more business growth. Second home• owners favor residential growth, and vacationers want more recreational facilities.
The social survey section of the Northern Michigan Research Program is being directed by Robert W. Marans of the University's Institute for Social Research. In a forthcoming technical report, Sandra J. Newman wrote the section on growth attitudes which served as the basis for this research brief, which was prepared by Donald C. Pelz of ISR with assistance from Frances S. Eliot.
For additional information call or write William L. Foster, Public Information Scientist, University of Michigan Biological Station, Pellston, 49769. Phone (616) 539-8406.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 6 7 September, 1975 -115- COMMUNITY LEADERS MEETING Throughout our Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program we have met with community leaders from Emmet and Cheboygan Counties. Our current research was formulated largely upon comments and criticisms received at earlier meetings. Pictured below are scenes from our most recent (August 1) meeting. BE* ! II 'T
Below: Biological Station Director, Dr. David M.Gates (left) and assistant to the director, Mark W. Paddock, developers of the research program, confer during the coffee break.
Above: Bill Foster,Public Information Scientist,leads a discussion following a presentation by a project scientist. Meetings are held in the modern Lakeside Laboratory.
U.S. Postage THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PAID BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE Pellston, Mi. 49769
PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 49769 Permit No. ZOO
LAKELAND REPORT No. 6 S September, 1975 -116- IMUMBER 7 OCTOBER, 1975 LAKELAND REPORT
Prepared for residents of Lmmet and Cheboygan Counties .... by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake . . . sponsored by the National Science Foundation ~ Research Applied to National Needs (RA NN) CHfK Of TfllKBUM in urn flno HBoyGAn cm LUKES....
The march of the seasons is a phenomenon not just confined to the land. Our inland lakes change seasonally, too! Just as our environment and our activities are profoundly influenced by seasonal patterns of temperature change, so are all organisms living in lakes.
Sudden algae blooms, increased weed growths, movements and behavior of fish are all due, in part, to the physical properties of water itself-the relationship of the density of water to its tempera• ture.
Density (heaviness) of water is greatest when the temperature is 39.2° F (4.0° C).Water becomes less dense as it warms and also less dense as it cools to freezing at 32° F(0° O.Then it changes to ice which floats because its density is only 0.917 (see Figure 1). If ice was not less dense than water, then our lakes would freeze to the bottom and aquatic life as we know it would not be able to survive (see cartoon). Only the most shallow ponds ever freeze solid. TEMPERATURE (°F) Boy/ IOOO m we MAXIMUM DENSITY
.996 -
DENSITY
996 - n
TEMPERATURE (°C) Figure 1, Variations in density of water with tem• Cartoon by Oz^ Warbach of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. perature. Summer and winter thermal Reprinted with permission from the January-February 1963 issue of MICHIGAN layering in lakes and the fact that ice CONSERVATION Inow MICHIGAN NATURAL RESOURCES), page 8. floats are due to the relationship be• tween density and temperature. We shall begin our discussion of the annual temperature cycle in lakes in spring after the ice has melted. Since the water is uniformly cold from top to bottom, wind action on the lake surface gener• ates currents that circulate water throughout the lake. In essence, water in the lake "turns over". As the water warms, it becomes less dense-lighter-and "floats" on top of the colder, more dense water. These thermal layers inhibit circulation into the bottom waters (see Figure 2 below).
STRATIFIED NOT STRATIFIED
COLD SUMMER AUTUMN
COLDER BUT LESS DENSE
MIX POSSIBLE OXYGEN WINTER DEPLETION SPRING
Figure 2. Seasonal changes in stratification and circulation of water in lakes. In general, northern Michigan lakes deep• er than 30 feet stratify during summer and winter, whereas, shallow lakes remain unstratified. Exceptions are small, shallow bog lakes that often stratify because they are nestled in wetland areas protected from wind action. (Figure adapted from "Inland Lake Protection in Northern Michigan" by E. W. Say, and others; illustrated by Bill Thauer. University of Michigan Biological Station, Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program, Educational Series: No. 1. 1975.) This begins the summer stratification period which lasts throughout late spring, summer, and fall. In such a stratified lake, dissolved oxygen near the surface cannot mix with the bottom waters. Decomposition of organic matter and respiration of organisms often result in these bottom waters becoming oxygen-poor and nutrient rich. As temperatures become uniformly cool during late fall, the lake "turns over" again, reoxygenating bottom waters and distributing nutrients throughout the the lake. Stratification is reestablished under ice cover during winter. Therefore, our deeper inland lakes have two turnover periods, in spring and fall, separated by two stratification periods in summer and winter. Shallow lakes mix thoroughly from top to bottom during the ice-free season. Complete circula• tion keeps dissolved oxygen and nutrients uniformly distributed. These lakes are only susceptible to oxygen depletion during winter ice cover. Decomposition and respiration by organisms can use up all the oxygen resulting in "winter kill" of fish and other organisms.
WHAT GOES ON BELOW THE SURFACE?
E
Boaters and other surface users of north• ern Michigan lakes should realize the consider• • able variation in temperature and oxygen that occur season by season. THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATIONS TAKE ONE DEEP LAKE 3* & (DOUGLAS) SEASON BY SEASON.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 7 2 October, 1975 -118-
SPRING TEMPERATURE °F OXYGEN %
o 3 105 0
• 100 03
20
v 101 30 FEET 00 40
49 50
49 0 GO
46 89 ro
Douglas Lake, May 1973. Ice break-up on Douglas Lake normally happens around mid-April but was unusually early (30th of March) in 1973. By early May, the lake is in the spring overturn period with surface waters begin• ning to warm up. Oxygen concentrations are high throughout the lake. Nutrients previously confined to the bottom waters during winter stratification are now distributed throughout the water column and stimulate the spring "bloom" of algae in the upper waters. Temperature layering or stratification will begin to take place as the spring warming trend continues.
SUMMER TEMPERATURE °F OXYGEN % 7 89 c
70
70 V 20 8 64 30 FEET 56 39 40
50 EPILIMNION 60 THERMOCLINE 3 HYPOLIMNION 70
mm ... Douglas Lake, July 1973
Summer stratification is now well established with currents principally confined to the warm upper waters. The uniformly warm, less dense upper layer (epilimnion) is separated from the uniform• ly cold, more dense lower waters (hypolimnion) by a region of rapid temperature decline (thermocline). Fish are "in tune" to the different temperature layers and distribute themselves accordingly to their optimum temperature preference. Warm water species such as perch, bass and pike, locate themselves in the warm, epilimnetic waters. Note that oxygen content has fallen to zero near the bottom. Cold water species such as trout and cisco must move up to more oxygenated waters. In some larger, deeper lakes like Mullett and Walloon, the volume of the hypolimnetic water is sufficiently large that oxygen depletion does not occur during the summer.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 7 3 October, 1975 AUTUMN
TEMPERATURE °F OXYGEN % 81 54 O
54 0
54 20
54 S3 30 FEET 54 40
54 50
54 83 60
54 84 70
Douglas Lake, October 1973. A dramatic change from the summer! The lake has "turned over" . . . surface water cooled by falling air temperatures has become more dense,sinking to the bottom and carrying with it high oxygen from the surface waters. Note the same temperatures from top to bottom. Fish can now move back down in the bottom waters as the oxygen content has increased. Fishermen will probably note changes in fishing during the weeks of fall overturn. In addition, nutrients previously confined to hypolim- netic waters during summer stratification are now distributed throughout the water column often stimulating a fall algae bloom.
WINTER
TEMPERATURE °F OXYGEN %
32 90 0 88 35
35 20
35 82 30 FEET 35 40
36 77 50
36 67 60 36 70
Douglas Lake, February, 1973. Under 18 inches of ice cover, the lake is slightly stratified with temperatures warmest near bot• tom and coldest near the surface. Although these temperatures are very similar, most aquatic organisms respond to this temperature distribution by moving deeper toward warmer waters. Oxygen depletion and nutrient regeneration occurs in the bottom waters but normally at a slower rate than summer due to lower rates of metabolism in the cold wintertime waters.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 7 4 October, 1975 -120-
CLASSIFICATION OF EMMET AND CHEBOYGAN COUNTY LAKES
STRATIFY DO NOT STRATIFY Alverno Carp (Paradise) *Arnott Cochran Black Cornwall **Bryant's Bog Devereaux Burt **Dog *Crooked French Farm *Douglas ** Larks *Hoop McLavey Kleber **Mud Bog (Inverness Twp.) * Lancaster Mud (Bear Creek Twp.) * Lance **Munro **Livingston Bog Osmun Long ** Roberts Mullett Round Pickerel Spring Silver {Koehler Twp.) Stoney Silver (Wilmot Twp.) Vincent Twin (Chain 0' Lakes) **Wildwood Walloon Wycamp *Weber Twin (isolated basin)
" Those lakes ihat normally exhibit oxygen depletion in the bottom waters during summer stratification.
• • Those lakes that occasionally exhibit "winterkill" conditions. -
LAKE TEMPERATURES AND YOU
The progression of seasonal temperature change varies from lake to lake.Water bodies larger than Douglas Lake generally take longer to warm up in spring and also take longer to cool down in fall be• cause of their larger water volume.The thermocline in water bodies larger than Douglas Lake is general• ly deeper because of greater wind action and,therefore, deeper circulation by water currents.
Conversely, the thermocline in lakes smaller than Douglas Lake is normally found closer to the surface. The fisherman and swimmer should be aware of lake temperatures for enjoyment of their recreational pursuits.
From a water quality viewpoint, scientists at the University of Michigan Biological Station, are interested in the annual temperature cycle in northern Michigan lakes because it profoundly influences all aspects of lake metabolism, especially the distribution in space and time of dissolved oxygen and nutrients - important indicators of lake health.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 7 5 October, 1975 ANNOUNCING A NEW PUBLICATION
We are pleased to announce a new publication from our Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program. Inland Lake Protection In Northern Michigan is a 40 page, three color handbook, which is an in- depth ecological look at the area of northern Michigan known as the Inland Water Route region. This handbook explores the workings of inland lake ecosystems and the aquatic, terrestrial, and social interrelationships in• volved.Many Inland Water Route lake associations have plans for distribu• tion to members in the summer of 1976. Single copies may be obtained for one dollar each from William L. Foster, Public Information Scientist (address below).
The aquatic section of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program is directed by John E. Gannon, who is also co-director of the total project. This Lakeland Report was written by John E. Gannon and William L. Foster, Public Information Scientist. Jan Nagel assisted with prepara• tion and Michael Price drafted the figures.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION'CALL OR WRITE WILLIAM L. FOSTER, PUBLIC IN• FORM A TION SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION, PELLSTON 49769. Phone (676) 539-8406.
U.S. Postage THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PAID BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE Pellston, Mi. 49769
PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 49769 Permit No. 200
LAKELAND REPORT No. 7 6 October, 1975 -122- NUMBER 8 JANUARY, 1976 LAKELAND REPORI s.. '•:-*>f y 7 Prepared for residents of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties. . .' ; 6y the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake. .[. "'y" in collaboration with U-M Institute for Social Research. . .sponsored by the National Science Foundation-Research Applied to National Needs (RANN)
The Biological Station's Northern Michigan Enviromental Research Program is obtaining information about the lakes and the people in order to help in making sound decisions about the environment. This RESEARCH BRIEF deals with:
rams ffii Humnn USE
WHAT ARE NUTRIENTS AND WHAT DO THEY DO? By "nutrients" are meant dissolved chemicals which act like fertilizer to nourish plant life in lake waters. The most important are com• pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus (nitrates and phosphates). These stimulate the growth of algae and weeds. Algae are microscopic plants which make the water cloudy or turbid. A sudden population explosion of algae may create a bluish or greenish cloud in the water called a "plankton bloom." Weeds are normally desirable habitat for fish and other aquatic life, but excessive weed growths are detrimental to the lake's health.
EFFECTS OF NUTRIENTS
LAKE AGING. Normally, the amount of plant life in a lake will increase very slowly over a long period of time, a process known as "eutrophication" or aging of the lake. Human activities often accelerate the input of nutrients, and speed up the process of lake aging. Fortunately, most of the lakes in northern Michigan are far from old age, although a few are in danger of accelerated aging.
NUTRIENTS AND FISH. Algae and weeds are not the only components of aquatic life affected by increased inputs of nutrients. There are repercussions up the food chain. Our most favored species of fish are often crowded out by less desirable species as lake aging progresses. Chart 1 shows what has happened in commercial fishing catches in Lake Erie over 50 years. The lake has become polluted with industrial and urban chemicals, and with nutrients from agriculture and sewage. Algae have flourished and the fish population has changed. In 1920 the most numerous species were high-value fish such as whitefish, cisco, and walleye, but in 1969 commercial catches con• tained less desirable species like smelt, carp and sheepshead.
QUESTION- Which of these Northern Michigan lakes has installed a sewage system? Walloon Crooked Mullett Black All four
ANSWER: Crooked Lake - along the north shore -123-
CHART 1. (showing change in commercial fishing catches in Lake Erie, 1920 - 1969)*
ABUNDANCE
YELLOW . HIGHEST PERCH
BLUE PIKE SMELT
CARP C In 1920, the commercial catch from Lake Erie was dominated by five high- SAUGtR SHtErSHEAD value fishes—cisco, blue pike, sauger, whitefish, and walleye. Now only the wall• YELLOW eye is left and it is in serious WHITE BASS decline The pressures of rapid environmental degra• dation and heavy exploita• WALLEYE tion have left us with a WHITEFISH li'shery resource composed Only ol medium and low- value fishes. CHANNEL SHEEPSHEAD CATFISH CODE:
HIGH-VALUE SUCKER SUCKER ^w?3
MFD-VALUE WALLEYE GOLDFISH eg
CHANNEL LOW-VALUE LOWEST CATFISH BULLHEAD
'From article by Wilbur L. Hariman in Explore'. Vol. 12, No. 1. Cleveland Natural Science Museum. Reproduced by permission of Explorer Magazine, Cleveland Museum ol Natural History.
PEOPLE AND NUTRIENTS
HOW DOES MAN AFFECT NUTRIENT INPUTS? Almost every form of human activity tends to increase the nutrients which enter the lakesand streams. Agriculture or recreation (such as camping) can increase erosion and soils containing nutrients are then washed into the lakes. Fertilizers on lawns and farmlands, as well as livestock manure, are loaded with nitrogen and phosphorus.
Urban development releases nutrients in many ways.Septic tanks are rich in nitrates and phos• phates from excreta and from detergents in washing machines. Industrial wastes contain nitrates and phosphates. Even storm sewers contribute more than is realized; the nutrients contained in rain and dust fall onto rooftops and paved streets, and are washed into rivers and lakes.
Drainage and development of wetlands is another source. Wetlands tend to block nutrients from seeping into lakes. When their organic soils are drained and exposed to oxygen, the organic matter is rapidly oxidized, releasing nutrient compounds.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 8 2 January, 1976 -124-
NUTRKENTS FROM SEPTIC TANKS Currently, most residences on the inland lakes and streams of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties are served by septic tanks. Because of previous septic tank problems, only the north shore of Crooked Lake is now connected to a sewage system.
HOW CAN NUTRIENTS FROM SEPTIC TANKS BE CALCULATED?Bio!ogical Station scientists assumed that each lakeshore residence was occupied, on the average, for half of the year by a family of four, and that half of these residences had a washing machine. From fact about the nitrogen and phosphorus in human excreta and detergents, the nutrient output from an average septic tank was calculated.
Using aerial photos and preliminary counts of lakeshore residences from the social survey, the project staff estimated the number of residences within 150 feet of each lakeshore and river. Multiply• ing the number of residences on each lake by average nutrient output from each residence, the staff calculated the total potential output of nitrogen and phosphorus from septic tanks on each lake each year.
TYPES OF SOIL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Not all of the septic tank output wilt reach the lakes- depending on the ability of different types of soil to retain nutrients, and on the level of ground water. The scientific staff did a series of calculations taking all these factors into account(details are given in a progress report to NSF-RANN, December 1974), and estimated what percentage of poten• tial septic tank nutrients on each lake would actually reach the lake per year. {True figures may be even higher.In older septic systems the drainage fields become saturated; nutrients are then discharged directly into the lake waters.)
QUESTION: When septic tanks around Northern Michigan lakes drain into the soil, what proportion of their nutrients will reach the lakes each year, on the average? (a) Less than 20% will reach the lakes (b) Between 30% and 80% (c) More than 90%
ANSWER: (b) Between 30% and 80% of the nutrients will reach the lakes, depending on soil conditions.on a specific lake
For all of the Northern Michigan lakes studied, the staff concluded that at least half of the nitro• gen output would reach the lake each year -- the figure was close-to 80% for Walloon, Paradise,Twin Lakes, and Silver (Wilmot Twp.). The lake soils were somewhat better in retaining phosphorus, but varied widely. Over 30% was released on Paradise, Twin Lakes, and Silver, and around 60% was re• leased each year by soils on Burt, Mullett, Round, and Munro.
From these data the staff obtained rough estimates of the total amounts of nitrogen and phos• phorus draining into 14 lakes each year from septic systems, as shown in Table 1. (The estimates include input to Burt Lake from septic systems along Sturgeon and Crooked Rivers, and to Mullett Lake from residences on Indian River.) These are rough approximations and may change as more exact data are obtained. However, the rank order of the different lakes is not likely to change.
u J -\ m-,, LAKELAND REPORT No*. 8° JanuaryT , 1976 -125-
TABLE 1. YEARLY INPUTS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FROM SEPTIC TANKS. The 14 lakes are arranged in decreasing order of their water volume. Water Nitrogen Phosphorus volume * (lbs. /yr.l (lbs. /yr.) Burt 1,081 17,000 3,300 Mullett 989 22,000 3,500 Black 411 11,900 1,800 Walloon 202 14,800 1,600 Douglas 108 3,700 600 Croaked 39 6,500 800 Pickerel 22 1,800 300 Long 15 1,900 200 Paradise/Carp 14 5,900 500 Twin Lakes 6.0 1,570 130 Silver (Wilmot Twp.) 4.4 880 60 Munro 3.9 880 190 Round 2.8 590 130 Larks 2.4 530 80
• Millions of cubic yards Among the four biggest lakes, Mullett had the largest inputs from septic tanks -- about 11 tons of nitrogen per year (over 22,000 pounds), and 1 1/2 tons of phosphorus (3,500 pounds).Among the next five medium-sized lakes. Crooked and Paradise each received 3 tons of nitrogen and 1/2 ton of phosphorus.
QUESTION: Among the four largest Northern Michigan Lakes -- Burt, Mullett, Black, Walloon -- which one receives: (1) the largest amounts of nufients each year from septic tank systems? (2) the largest amounts of nutrients relative to the lake's volume of water?
ANSWER: (1) Mullett Lake. Its nurrient input from septic tanks is about twice that of Black (2) Walloon Lake, which has less water to dilute its input
NUTRIENT DILUTION. Although the four largest lakes receive many times more nutrients each year than smaller lakes, they contain vastly more, water, so that their nutrients are diluted. A better picture of the actual impact is seen if we calculate the ratio between the amount of each nutrient per year and the total water volume, as shown in Chart 2. A high ratio means that the nutrients are more concentrated, and therefore are more likely to affect future water quality. Among the four largest lakes, the ratios were highest for Walloon. Although the quality of water in Walloon is still excellent, the seepage from septic systems is more likely to affect its future water quality than in the three bigger lakes. Among the next five lakes of medium size, the nutrient ratios were highest for Paradise and next for Crooked. It was already known that Crooked Lake had a septic tank problem - and that is why a sewage system was recently installed. The high ratios for Paradise suggest that residents of this lake might face future difficulties. Among the five smaller lakes, the soils around Munro and Round lakes are not able to absorb as much of the phosphates as elsewhere, so that the phosphorus ratios were unusually high.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 8 4 January, 1976 -126-
CHART 2. SEPTIC TANK INPUTS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS, AS A RATIO TO WATER VOLUME. Lakes are listed in decreasing order of size. Relative to amount of water, Paradise received most nitrogen, and Munro and Round received most phosphorus.
RATIO * 0 10 20 30 40 50
BURT
MULLETT fTnTTTTl NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS BLACK
WALLOON
DOUGLAS
CROOKED
PICKEREL
LONG
PARADISE/CARP
TWIN LAKES
SILVER (WILMOT TWP)
MUNRO
ROUND
LARKS
• For nitrogen, ratio = pounds per vear/100,000 cubic yards of water
For phosphorus, ratio = pounds per vear/1 million cubic yards of water
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO MINIMIZE THE INPUT OF NUTRIENTS?
• Properly maintain septic systems or replace with alternate methods of sewage disposal.
• Prevent erosion and soil compaction, especially near lakeshores and streams. • Along shorelines, leave a "green belt" of natural vegetation and wetlands, which act to prevent erosion and absorb nutrients. • Avoid fertilizing lawns near lakeshores and streams.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 8 January, 1976 -127-
IN CONCLUSION: Man's activities can greatly speed up the natural process of lake aging.Urban development and agriculture will release quantities of nutrients - nitrates and phosphates -- into lake waters, where they will nourish vegetation and especially microscopic algae.This will tend to turn the water tur• bid and eventually will alter the fish populations. Calculations by Biological Station scientists indicate that septic tank systems are releasing up to three tons of nutrients each year on some medium-sized lakes. These data deal only with the nutrients which flow into the lakes each year - not with the amounts already there (to be reported in future LAKELAND REPORTS).Although the nutrient ratios do not measure the present water quality, they warn about possible future changes in water quality - what we call lake "sensitivity."
The terrestrial (land) section of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program is being directed by Curtis J. Richardson, who co-authored with D. S. Nichols the section on nutrient inputs in the progress report to NSF-RANN, December 1974, pp. 181-202. j. R. Boyle wrote the section on lake shorelines soils in the progress report, pp. 176- 78 7. This research brief was prepared by Donald C. Pelz, in the U-M Institute for Social Research, with assistance of Frances S. Eliot. Michael Price drafted Chart 2.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL OR WRITE WILLIAM L. FOSTER, PUBLIC IN• FORMATION SCIENTIST, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION, PELLSTON, 49769. Phone (676) 539-8406.
U.S. Postage THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PAID BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE Pellston, Mi.'49769
PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 49769 Petmil No. 200
LAKELAND REPORT No. 8 6 January, 1976 -128-
NUMBER W AUGUST, 1976 LAKELAND REPORT Prepared for residents of Lmmet and Cheboygan Counties by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake. . . sponsored by the National Science Foundation - Research Applied to National Needs (RANN)
The Biological Station's Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program is obtaining information about area lakes and people in order to help in making sound decisions about the environment. This RESEARCH BRIEF deals with: THE fUTUflf Of nORTHERD fTHCHIGflTl *5 •
During the summer of 1974, the Survey Research Center(a part of U of M's Institute for Social Research) selected a representative sample of dwellings located within about one-quarter mile of the waterfront onfour large lakes, ten smaller lakes, and five major rivers in Emmet and Cheboygan coun• ties. Interviewers - comprised of local residents trained by the Center - conducted 826 interviews with one adult in each dwelling.
During the summer of 1975, the Center conducted 608 interviews with residents living inland (over one-quarter of a mile away from an inland lake or river) in towns, villages, and farm areas as well as with households along the Great Lakes shoreline.
Every head - of - household and spouse living in Emmet and Cheboygan Counties had an equal chance of being selected for an hour-long interview. For this reason, the results are representative of the entire Emmet and Cheboygan County population. There were
826 "water" interviews in 1974 608 "land" interviews in 1975 1,434 TOTAL interviews
To gain some insight into prospects for northern Michigan in the next half-decade, a series of ques• tions were asked of respondents concerning their expectations about the future of the area...will it get better, or worse, or will it stay about the same? The following pages will examine data on:
• Expectations of future change for different household groups and for residents of various lake and river groups • Personal plans for the future
• Assessment of northern Michigan on a 100 point scale -129-
EXPECTAT10NS OF FUTURE CHANGE By Household Type
In an earlier Lakeland Report (No. 6, pg. 4), we showed that in the 1974 survey, twice as many people said the area around their lake or river had improved over the past two years as compared to those who said the area had gotten worse (figure 1).
IMPROVED STAYED ABOUT THE SAME GOTTEN WORSE NUMBER ANSWERING 25% 63 % 782
FIG. 1 "In your opinion, in the past two years has this area stayed about the same, gotten better, or gotten worse?"
To determine whether this relatively favorable view of the present would hold'for the future, we asked our respondents, "Now tell me what you think about the area around here in the future, say the next five years. Would you say it will get better, stay about the same, or get worse?" Figure 2 shows that the outlook for the future as seen by northern Michigan residents is not as promising. About the same number of people say the area will get worse as those who say the area will improve during the next five years.
YEAR-ROUND SECOND-HOME ALL RESIDENTS OWNERS VACATIONERS IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS, THIS AREA WILL:
Get Better 23% 34% 18% 16% Stay-the Same 49 38 53 55 Get Worse 28 28 29 29
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% Number of Respondents 766 245 375 146 PESSIMISM INDEX 1.2 0.8 1.6 1.8
FIG. 2 "Do you think that in the next five (51 years this area will stay the same, get better, or get worse?'
The figure also shows that people's expectations about the future differ according to household types. Whereas 1/3 of the year-round residents feel that the area will get better in the next five years, only 1 out of 6 seasonal residents feel this way. At the same time, nearly 1/3 of the people in each household type think the prospects for the future aren't particularly bright.
Another way of looking at responses to the question is to consider a Pessimism I ndex, or the ratio of the number of people who feel the area will get worse to the number who feel it will get better. The higher the Index number (closer to 2.0), the more pessimistic a group tends to be about the area's future. Year-round residents tend to view the future more optimistically than second-home owners or vacationers.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 9 2 August, 1976 -130-
By Lake and River The same question was evaluated and a Pessimism Index constructed for people living along differ• ent lakes and rivers within the study area. Figure 3 shows that the most pessimistic views come from Walloon and Burt Lake residents. The most optimistic residents, with regard to the area's future, tend to be situated on the medium and small-sized lakes and on the rivers. In order to see if these differ• ences were attributable to the particular part of the region people lived in, the expectations of both Emmet and Cheboygan County residents were examined separately. In both counties, the Pessimism Index was found to be identical.
Large Lakes Medium IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS Sized Small THIS AREA WILL: Mullett Walloon Burt Black Lakes Lakes Rivers
Get Better 22% 15% 17% 19% 27% 23% 33% Stay the Same 51 43 44 55 52 49 48 Get Worse 27 42 39 26 21 28 19
TOTA L 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Number of Respondents 154 110 94 86 169 71 82 PESSIMISM INDEX 1.2 2.8 2.3 1.4 0.8 1.2 0.6
FIG. 3
PERSONAL PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Another way to look at the prospects for northern Michigan is to examine people's residency plans. Second-home owners in both the 1974 and 1975 surveys were asked about their plans to change their permanent residence, and whether they intended to move to their northern Michigan home. Figure 4 shows the shape of second-home owners residency plans for the near future. Seven out of 10 said they had no plans to change the location of their primary residence. Of the 29 percent who said they did have moving plans, about 6 out of 10 indicated they planned to move to their northern Michigan home. Over half of the second-home owners who plan to move to northern Michigan expect to do so within 5 years.
PLANS OF SECOND-HOME OWNERS TO MOVE FROM PRIMARY RESIDENCE (percent distribution)
PLANS PERCENT OF SECOND-HOME OWNERS
Move to northern Michigan home 17 %
Within one year [FIG. 4) Within five years Longer than five years "NEARLY THREE-FOURTHS OF THE Move elsewhere 12 SEASONAL RESIDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY HAD NO PLANS TO MOVE No plans to move from FROM THEIR PERMANENT PLACE OF primary residence 71 RESIDENCE"
TOTAL 100 %
Number of Respondents 441
LAKELAND REPORT No. 9 3 August, 1976 -131-
In order to get another perspective on the likely future of northern Michigan, year-round as well as seasonal property owners were asked whether they had plans to sell their property within the next five years. As shown in Figure 5, nearly three-quarters of all owners had no pfans to sell their property, 16 percent had definite plans and 12 percent were uncertain. Year-round owners, on the average, were twice as likely as second-home owners to have definite plans to sell. When those who indicated a poss• ibility of property sale were asked why they might sell, most of the reasons given were associated with changes in health, family composition, and other personal matters. It was particularly interesting to find that only three percent of the reasons given were explicitly growth-related: "The area is too built up; there isn't enough privacy." If the residents of the region are dissatisfied with area growth and development, this feeling has not yet been translated into plans to move.
PLANS OF YEAR-ROUND AND SEASONAL OWNERS TO SELL PROPERTY WITHIN FIVE YEARS (percent distribution distribution) (FIG. 5) YEAR-ROUND SECOND-HOME PLANS TO SELL PROPERTY OWNERS OWNERS ALL "TWICE AS MANY YEAR- ROUND RESIDENTS AS Yes 20% 10% 16% SECOND-HOME OWNERS Don't Know or Depends 12 12 12 SAID THEY DEFINITELY No 68 78 72 PLANNED TO SELL THEIR TOTAL 100% 100% 100% PROPERTY WITHIN THE Number of Respondents 639 481 1120 NEXT FIVE YEARS"
An additional indication of prospects for growth and further development in northern Michigan is the interest of short-term vacationers and year-round renters in purchasing a home or land in north• ern Michigan. Non-owners in both surveys were asked two questions about their plans. The question was, "Have you given any thought to buying a house or land around here in the future7" People re• sponding affirmatively were asked, "How likely is it that you will be buying a home or land'here in this county within the next 5 years - is it very likely, somewhat likely, or not very likely?" The re• sponses to these two questions are combined and shown in Figure 6. Nearly a quarter of all non- owners said they were "very likely" to purchase a home or property in the area within 5 years. An additional fifth of this group considered becoming owners as "somewhat likely." Together, the pro proportion of prospective buyers is about the same as that for non-owners who said they hadn't consid ered buying property. PLANS OF NON-PROPERTY OWNERS TO PURCHASE HOWIE OR LAND IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN (percent distribution)
LIKELIHOOD OF BUYING PROPERTY PROPORTION OF YEAR-ROUND AND (FIG. 6) SEASONAL RENTERS Very likely 23% "ONE IN FOUR NON-OWNERS Somewhat likely 20 Not very likely 16 REPORT THEY ARE VERY Haven't given it any thought 40 LIKELY", WITHIN FIVE YEARS, TO BUY A HOUSE OR LAND IN TOTAL 100% THE COUNTY IN WHICH THEY Number of Respondents 309 WERE INTERVIEWED"
Using only data from the 1974 survey of water-oriented residents, we find that there is little diff• erence among households at various stages in the family life cycle in their expressions of interest in buying property in northern Michigan. However, expressions of intent differ among people according to their family incomes and the particular lake or river they live on. People with incomes of less than $10,000 are more likely to express interest in becoming property owners than those with incomes a- bove that amount. At the same time, residents of the large lakes consider themselves more likely to buy property in northern Michigan than residents living on the medium-size and small lakes and the rivers. Whether these short-term vacationers and year-round residents who rent will, in fact, purchase land for a home in Emmet and Cheboygan Counties remains to be seen.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 9 4 August, 1976 -132-
5 YEARS AGO PRESENT 5 YEARS IN THE FUTURE 100 —i
90 —\
81.2 80 I 90 -\ 79.3 J3.6 79.0 SECOND HOMEOWNERS 78T 76 5- 75.7 YEAR ROUND RENTERS 74.4 YEAR ROUND OWNERS
70 H
60 H 7
24.5 SECOND HOMEOWNERS 30 - DETROIT AND 19.2 YEAR ROUND OWNERS WAYNE COUNTY 17 6 YEAR ROUND RENTERS 20 -
10 -
FIG. 7
Figure 7, which applies only to the 1975 sample, shows how second-home owners, year-round rent• ers and year-round owners on the average assess their northern Michigan county on a 100 point scale from the "worst imaginable" to the "perfect" county. For further reference, we have shown how our respondents feel about Detroit and Wayne county. It is immediately obvious that people are quite positive about northern Michigan.
With respect to their assessment of present conditions, there is very little difference in the evalua• tions of the three resident types. As to perceived trends, the second-home owners(most of the 75 we interviewed lived along the Great Lakes coastlines) see virtually no change. The year-round renters perceive a steady decline in the quality of country life, while year-round owners feel that from 1970- 1975 things got better, but are apprehensive about the future (1975-1980). We did not ask the 1975 respondents why they responded as they did. Finally, it is interesting to note the differences in the ratings of the Detroit area by the different groups; the most positive (yet still pretty negative) average ratings are by second-home owners, many of who hail from the Motor City. Note: Since there were only 17 vacationers (seasonal non-owners) in the '75 sample, data based on their responses would be unreliable and thus were excluded.
LAKELAND REPORT No. 9 5 August , 1976 -133-
In terms of actual plans, we found that one out of six second-home owners indicate they definite• ly will move to northern Michigan, one in 10 within a five year period. At the same time, one out of every six year-round residents owning property say they will sell within the same period. Finally, a- mong the non-property owning group, one out of three say it is likely they will buy property in north• ern Michigan at some time in the future. The net effect of what people in the sample say they will do points to continued growth in the region.
In conclusion, we find that the views of northern Michigan residents regarding the area around them are mixed. Whereas half think there will be no change during the next five years, theother half are split between those who are optimistic and those who are pessimistic about the future. A pessimistic view is most likely to be associated with people who are in northern Michigan seasonally, while people who are optimistic about the future are more likely to live there on a year-round basis.
The social section of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program is being directed by Robert W. Marans of the U of M institute for Social Research, with assistance from John Douglas We/iman. This report was prepared by William L. Foster with assistance from Jan Nagel and Mike Price.
PERMISSION GIVEN TO REPRINT WITH CREDIT TO THE LAKELAND REPORT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STA TION
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CALL OR WRITE THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION, PELLSTON, MICHIGAN 49769 PHONE (616)539-8406.
U.S. Postage THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PAID BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE Pension, Mi. 49769
PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 49769 Peimit No. 200
LAKELAND REPORT No. 9 6 August, 1976 ~\3h-
i -135-
in
C
E W SAY w PADDOC K J E ANNON
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION PELLSTON & ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN
NORTHERN MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROGRAM EDUCATION ERIES: PUBLICATION NO. 1
SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. RESEARCH APPLIED TO NATIONAL NEEDS (RANN) PROGRAM
SEPTEMBER, 1975 -136- contents
the lakes of the inland water route region 2 it's up to you 3 about this book i 4 environmental concepts and terms __6 the ecosystem/inputs/photosynthesis and res• piration/the food web/a balanced community/ stratification/hard/soft water lakes/succession water lake origins 1S glacial lakes in the inland water route region/ m'3n-made lakes/farm ponds lake settlement 18 iand use and development in the past/future land use challenges watersheds „ 20 watershed management environmental quality 22 lake problems . 23 water pollution/pollution types and effects/ local sources of pollution/low water and flcoding/algae and aquatic weeds/wild life/ surface use conflicts/ action 32 citizen involvement/how to get government to act/what: to do glossary 37 the northern michigan environmental research program o9 references 40
agencies and organizations inside back cover -137- S
This section is included to provide background the problems exist in their earliest stages and information on the more common lake prob- some have not yet occurred at all. Actions lems which can develop. The discussion is which can be taken to correct or prevent descriptive of these problems in general. In these problems are discussed beginning on the Cheboygan River Watershed some of Pa9e 32. water pollution There is no precise, scientific definition of type are not these substances, but the result water pollution. Nor is there any one test of their addition to the lake: the growth of that can be made of water to determine excessive algae and aquatic weeds, which may whether it is polluted. Generally, we say be stimulated by the presence of the nutrients that water is polluted when the properties of in the water. water, physical, chemical, or biological, are changed in such a way that either the quality In some cases, the undesirable conditions of the water is no longer acceptable for uses which people object to and call water pollu• which people want to make of it, or the quali• tion are natural processes which would occur ty is changed in such a way that the natural even if there were no sewage, industrial waste, ecological processes are disturbed. Anything or other harmful man-caused substances enter• which gets into a lake or river and either ing the lake. changes the natural processes occurring in the water or keeps us from using the water as we There are three general types of damage that would like is a polluting substance. can be caused by pollution: ecological damage (harmful changes to the aquatic life and to It is sometimes difficult for someone who is related terrestrial life, such as birds and mam• not a scientist to detect the presence of a pol• mals, as the result of substances introduced luting substance. In some cases, such as into the lake); economic damage (either the oil spills which float on top of the water or costs to clean up the water, or the uses of chemical dyes from a paper mill which change water which cannot be continued because the the color of the water, we can sense—see, taste, water is too polluted); and aesthetic damage smell or feel—the actual polluting substances. (changes in the natural lake which make the In many other cases, though, we become a- lake less pleasing to look at, swim in, or use ware not of the polluting substances itself, in some other ways, even though the effects but of the results of the chemical or biologi• on the natural environment or the pocket- cal effects of the polluting substance on the books of those concerned may not be mea• animals or plants in the lake. An example of surable). this is when excessive nutrients—phosphates, nitrates, or ammonia—get into the lake. These The following pages illustrate some of the substances themselves are the polluting sub• more common types of pollution which are stances which have to be controlled or treat• caused by people and their uses of land and ed; yet the conditions which we sense as in• water. dicating that there is water pollution of this -138- poliytion types and effects
i.
•
u*2
\
X nutrients organic matter mainly phosphates, nitrates, and ammonia such as garbage, domestic sewage, some fertil• which may cause increased algae and weed izers, and animal wastes (manure). production.
poisons
N. mm
S sediment 1 pesticides and other toxic chemicals which mainly sand and clay resulting from erosion kilt or adversely affect both man, in some which fills lakes, clouds water, and hampers cases, and the organisms present in the aquatic photosynthesis as well as the repro• water-not only fish but also smaller orga• duction of desirable fish. nisms that fish eat.
ittef
a
• i
• /
,- V4 bacteria and viruses can cause dysentery, cans, bottles, paper, and other rubbish. polio, typhoid, and other diseases. -139-
While pollution of a lake may be caused in part by harmful substances coming from other communities or areas, many of the sources of water pollution are found in the lake com• munity itself. septic tank/drain fieSd operation Faulty septic tank/drain field operation is common because:
drain fields may be too close to the clay soils are not effective filters of water table or to surface drains—the septic tank/drain field effluents because effluent or outflow is not filtered through they absorb water very slowly, if at all, soil to remove nutrients which stimu• resulting in surface flows. late algae production or to remove or• ganic material which uses up oxygen sand absorbs outflows quickly but un• dissolved in the water. fortunately may not filter out all im• purities. organic soils (muck) are common on the shores of many lakes. These soils often bedrock at or near the land surface does are saturated with water so that little or not absorb drain field effluent, resulting no purification of effluent takes place. in surface flows.
PROBLEM SITUATIONS SEPHC TAHKa CONTAI N
IBEDROCK;
, 10 SEWAGE TRtATMENT SOLUTION 0LANT
TO SEWAGE TREATMENT ffLANT
BH(KJSES SET BACK FROM
Generally soils that are a mixture of sand and filters if too many septic tank-drain field sys• clay work best if not overloaded. Although tems are located in the same area. Also drain soil and water table factors are very important fields of homes built back from the water on to the efficient operation of the septic tank/ sloping ground may contaminate the water drain field system, the ideal soil-water table table of homes down the slope from them. situation can become saturated, ineffective -HO- Waste water from the house is flushed to the septic tank where most solids settle out. Bacterial action in the tank breaks down some materials before the liquid flows out to the drain field where it seeps into the soil.
• rARPAPEH 5 ok < HOUSE • ! 1 I! HOUSE SFWFR I iicAnTH 1 • 1 'I 1 I; • INSPECTION PIPfc 1 > : DRAIN SVAl i ,-,AP SEPTIC ! Ul AY T LE DRAIN TILE TANK
1 DETAIL EFFLUENT i Si v. - i. SEWAGE FROM HOUSE ,.-„a.:- • A^JSJU, DISTRIBUTION :!l IX c AR7H D i' A , *J BACKFILL TILFS X*TRENCHE 1 iAhlll II'.' •
DKAIN TILL P
A- , DRAIN CRAVFL FIELD J •
1 ; DRAIN TILE SEPTIC TANK IP TRENCH SECTION I SEPTIC SYSTEM
iizers and pesticides The way individual property owners manage their lawns and gardens also can contribute to URBAN FARM the supply of nutrients in the lake. Lawn and garden fertilizers applied to slopes facing the lake or to slopes draining into the lake can stimulate algae production in the lake as well as the growth of a lawn. Persistent pesticides (lin• 0 dane, DDT, etc.) washed into the lake kill (RATI some beneficial organisms outright, inhibit re• TYPES OF FERTILIZERS: production of animals, and are accumulated in the fatty tissues of animals, including man. • i. • erosion Development around a lake can contribute in BuffBlNC^iTls many ways to the load of sediment being in• ROADS troduced into the lake. Erosion at the con• struction sites of new homes, road erosion and - shore erosion are major sources of this kind of pollution. Hillsides or shore slopes are the • most likely spots. Normally vegetation will prevent erosion. But where banks are steep, construction of artificial drainage channels or FARMS bank stabilization with railroad ties or steel i SHORE sea walls may be necessary. A band of na• tural vegetation left near the shore not only can help curtail sediment reaching the lake but may more effectively prevent nutrients and pesticides from reaching the lake. what to do i Listed below are some suggestions for action to solve both general and specific lake prob• lems. Before you urge action on any of them, though, make sure you understand what the problem really is. Nothing can be more dis• couraging to a community or harmful to a RESEARCH lake ecosystem than spending money to "cor• rect" a "problem", only to discover after• Support research in environmental and com• wards either that the wrong thing was done, or munity affairs to help prevent or solve per• that the solution caused other, more serious plexing lake problems. In the Inland Water problems. Route Region many lake problems can be prevented with research, the results of which are then used to guide development regula• tions. Research expenditures are appropriate and necessary at every level of government. Sponsor research on unique local problems. LAND USE PLANNING AND CONTROL EDUCATION AND INFORMATION Determine what the residents of the commun• ity need; assess the current situation and com• People knowledgeable of land and water use pare it to the stated desires of the people; pre• problems and their own relation to them pare a general plan with professional assistance are more likely to take preventive action and and in cooperation with the governmental support governmental programs needed to pro• units involved; develop and enforce zoning tect and improve the environment. Support and subdivision control ordinances to control the development or extension of the schools land use; check to see if your state or local in your community. Make sure that environ• governmental unit has shoreline, green belt mental education, especially about lakes, is and flood plain zoning; do not allow over• included in the school curriculum. Also, sup• crowding but at the same time do not en• port informational programs such as news• courage sprawl; encourage planned unit de• letters, public meetings and slide talks by pri• velopment and cluster development; make a vate organizations and citizen groups. En• wide range of housing opportunities available courage governmental agencies to undertake both in cost and in type. specialized informational services as well as regulatory and administrative activities.
LAKE POLLUTION INCORPORATE RANN RESEARCH DATA Test septic tank/drain field systems to see if they are operating properly. If they are found Much very valuable technical information to be inadequate, build a sewer system and an about the lakes has been collected and effective waste treatment plant. Check the analyzed during this project. No other system operation of existing sewage treatment plants. of lakes in the state has as good a data base on Curtail erosion of streapi banks, construction their environmental "health." This source of sites, roads, drains, ditches and the lake shore data can be used as a benchmark or standard, itself. Stop fertilizing lakeside lawns; use pest• against which to compare conditions in the icides—including herbicides—sparingly if at all. future. The information can also help to guide Buy boat motors that do not pollute. Help lake protection efforts by suggesting, for in• identify local sources of industrial and agri• dividual lakes, which facets of that lake's cultural pollution; urge the responsible local, ecosystem- are more severely threatened and county, state and federal agencies to control ought to be protected on a priority basis. pollution; support appropriations for water Other publications produced by this research pollution enforcement and management pro• project will explain in detail what the data grams that will help solve the problems. Sue mean and how it can be applied. polluters if necessary. -142-
PEST CONTROL BOATING CONTROL Take extreme care in programs to eliminate Support the development, enactment and ade• insect pests and other organisms such as leeches quate enforcement of boating control regula• and snails (swimmer's itch). Avoid the use of tions; on very small lakes and in some critical broad spectrum and persistent pesticides that portions of larger lakes it may be advisable to might create more serious problems by upset• forbid the use of high speed boating or all ting the natural balance. motor boats. Boat crowding and control problems often are related to the high inten• sity of shoreline development, particularly marinas. NUISANCE WEED AND ALGAE GROWTH Undertake an environmental monitoring and FISH AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION analysis program; curtail the flow of nutrients Limit or forbid filling of shore areas for which may cause the nuisance growth, includ• homes, beaches, boathouses or piers to pre• ing septic tank effluent, inadequately treated serve swamps, bogs and shorelines for wildlife municipal wastes, agricultural and feedlot run• habitat; support the enactment and the strict off; curtail or stop the use of lawn fertilizers enforcement of soil erosion and dredging con• around the lake; enact a soil erosion control trols; support laws that protect fish and other ordinance; preserve the natural vegetation on wildlife from depletion or extinction; protect the shore of the lake to serve as a nutrient vegetative cover including weed beds. filter; cut and harvest nuisance aquatic weeds.
PRESERVATION OF NATURAL BEAUTY PUBLIC HEALTH AND OPEN SPACE Check the operation of septic tanks to elimi• Undertake a long range program of neighbor• nate the possibility of disease spreading from hood and community park and open space ac• this source; make sure that your water sup• quisition; purchase outright and obtain ease• ply is safe to drink; check the quality of water ments to protect the shoreline; promote ade• coming into the lake as well as swimming areas quate zoning controls. for poisons and disease-causing organisms.
WATER QUALITY MONITORING LAKE LEVELS One of the most valuable efforts a lake com• Prevent building in areas subject to flooding. munity can make is to establish and conduct Where extreme natural fluctuations occur, a monitoring program for their lake. The permit building only on high ground if lake water samples must be carefully collected and level control would harm wildlife habitat. analyzed in order for the results to be mean• Undertake a continuing program of lake level ingful, but assistance and advice is available monitoring aimed at identifying all water from The University of Michigan's Biological sources and predicting lake level changes in Station. advance. If lake level stabilization is nec• essary and desirable, use a professionally eng• ineered control device with adequate capacity WA TERSHED MANAGEMENT and controllability. Insist on proper con• AND REGIONAL PLANNING trols of upstream development which might otherwise change the inflow of water. Recognize that not all lake problems can be solved by local action alone, since many prob• lems have their origin outside the community. Cooperate with the local soil conservation PUBLIC ACCESS district, join an existing or form a new water• Assemble the facts of the situation where there shed association to help solve watershed prob• is an existing access site or where one is pro• lems including flooding, erosion, and water posed; make provision for public access in a supply. Support special planning and develop• general community development plan that ment districts, if needed to solve special area- does not infringe on private rights. wide problems. SUMMER, 1976 -143- WALLOON LAKE PROFILE Prepared for residents of the Walloon Lake watershed by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Douglas Lake . . . sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Research Applied to National Needs program (RANN).
Although northern Michigan's inland lakes are often interconnected and interdependent, each lake is unique in its own right. . . an individual personality, you might say, with its own set of water quality characteristics and survivial requirements. For this reason, the University of Michigan Biological Station's Lake Profile Series is designed to highlight specific lakes in the Inland Water Route region. . . to discuss their unique characteristics. . . and to examine the impact of social and political factors within the lake's watershed. By putting a lake in profile in this manner, residents and recreational ists may gain a better perception of the water resource they value, and at the same time learn how to keep it in a healthy and enjoyable condition for years to come.
WALLOON LAKE YESTERDAY EARLY HISTORY
•.
mm**
1
Water-oriented recreation drew people to Walloon Lake even in the late 1800's. Steam-powered passenger boats like the "Tourist" and the "Outing" (left) and one and two-cylinder gasoline launches (right) cruised Walloon Lake around the turn of the century. (Photos from the Alfred J. Hass Collection)
For the adventuresome, early access to the Indian lands of Muh-qua Se-bing ("where the bear walks") was basicaily limited to water travel until the advent of the railroad in 1872. At that time, most of the people coming to Bear Lake (now Walloon Lake) were lumbermen who arrived at the Melrose Station (a mile south of the present village of Clarion) and then hauled their baggage in a two-wheeled pushcart over a mile of trail to the foot of the lake. They first journeyed here to develop the logging industry. The natural beauty of the area, the healthful climate, and wonderful fishing were of secondary importance to their woodsmen's tasks. Soon, however, word spread about the beneficial effects of the north's climate for hay fever sufferers (as well as those with other ills), and included descriptions of the beauty of the lake and its surroundings. Many of the settlers who arrived during that first decade after the railroad reached Melrose were families whose names we recognize as those who played an important part in the development of the area.
The resort business on Walloon Lake is considered to have begun in the summer of 1879 when officials of » the Grand Rapids and Indiana railroad established an extensive vacation camp on Indian Garden Point. Their friends, the Henry G. Old- family from Fort Wayne, Indiana, came for a stay and were so impressed that they made arrangements to lease a piece of land on the south shore from John McConnell for the next summer, thus beginning Fort Wayne Camp. The Old's handyman and cook, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Frank respectively, liked the lake so well that in 1898 they opened "The Frank Hotel," which is now known as "The Thomas House." -144-
In 1898, the village on Walloon Lake was quiet, small, and primitive. It consisted of a store, post office, some small GROCERY > boat houses, an abandoned butter bowl factory, a few private homes and four small hotels in or near the village. Just a little more than twelve years later, a 1911 brochure describes the village as a hamlet surrounding the GR & I railroad station and steamboat landing, and consisting of three stores, a bowling alley, bathhouse, boat livery, boat factory, two churches and a post office, in addition to being the access to 14 hotels and boarding houses in the village and around the lake.lt is interesting to note that this brochure also indicated that there were "over three-hundred gasoline launches on the -- V lake ... so large a flotilla of this splendid craft is rarely seen."
Early grocery store in Walloon Lake Village. (Alfred J. Hass photo collection.)
On Walloon Lake today, gasoline launches have been replaced by speedier power boats and float boats.The hotels and boarding houses once servicing early resorters have almost disappeared, the trains to the lake and the passenger steamboats have entirely disappeared, and the amount of uninhabited wild shoreline is rapidly being reduced by the development of individual cottages for both summer and year-round use. This increased popularity of Walloon Lake as well as that of other inland lakes in northern Michigan is bringing with it increasing problems. It is essential that property owners around lakes understand the nature of these problems.Through this understand• ing, a management course can be adopted that will preserve the qualities of serenity,good water, and the natural beauty of the lake, lest such qualities also become only remembered pleasures of the past.
extracted from the notes of Albe E. and Dorothy J. Munson on the history of Walloon Lake
*Certain sections of the following text are annotated by numbers in parentheses (3). These numbers refer to the accompanying Inland Lake Protection booklet, and indicate pages on which you will find related subjects.
EARLY GEOLOGY
Massive glacial movements were responsible for the creation of the lakes found in Michigan's Inland Water Route Region (16). Walloon Lake, however, is somewhat unique in the area, because it differs in the glacial events that created it.
Before the Ice Age and the glaciers, large rivers coursed through the beds of what are now Lake Michigan and the St. Lawrence seaway. These rivers had tributaries that extended into areas which are now the mainland. One such river tributary cut the original basin for Walloon Lake. With the advent of the Ice Age and the Valders glacier, ice block lakes (such as Crooked, Burt, Mullett, and Douglas) were just having their basins formed as Walloon Lake was receiving its finishing touches. From a continuous river bed, Walloon Lake was cut off and filled in certain spots by glacial till, thus creating the four separate basins that are its distinctive features today. Sedimentation processes continue even now, slowly filling the divisions between basins.
Lakes with this kind of early geology are called "finger lakes". Walloon Lake, Torch Lake, Elk Lake, and Lake Charlevoix in northern Michigan are of this origin, as are the Finger Lakes of upstate New York. -145-
WALLOON LAKE TODAY THE LAND Walloon Lake is located in northwestern Michigan, surrounded by the area's gently rolling, rural countryside. When assessing the terrestrial factors in a lake's watershed (drainage area) that affect a lake's water quality, there are three elements to consider: geographical characteristics, physical boundaries of the watershed, and the boundaries of political divisions. •v 'mi'-'.' .1 \ i 7* 1 .- Within the geographic area of Walloon Lake's water• m m i 8 I shed, there occur forests of second-growth northern hard woods, including red maple, beech, and red oak with a L mm® scattering of hemlock, white pine, red pine, white birch, and aspen. Farming is an important activity on adjacent lands. Many of the fertile fields sloping away from the lake are sown in corn, grain, and hay, or used for pasture. However, the predominate activities in the lake's watershed are of receational nature, and the heaviest development occurs Expanses of rolling greenery provide a pastoral setting for ai nd the lake's perimeter. To date, 772 seasonal and year- the inland lakes of northern Michigan a lake and its sur round residences skirt Walloon Lake's shoreline. rounding drainage land is known as the lake s watershed
Physically, the small watershed of Walloon Lake (22,650 acres, compared to 337,288 and 159,974 acres of Black and Mullett Lakes, respectively) is an advantage. This limits the land surface area that might contribute sources of pollution to the lake (25). Although the physical boundaries of the watershed make it one unit in terms of drainage patterns, political boundaries slash across the watershed and divide it into two separate jurisdictions. Looking at the watershed boundaries on the insert map and following the county lines, one can readily see that while residents on the northeast side of the lake are voting for and subject to laws and regulations in Emmet County (Resort and Bear Creek townships), their neighbors across the lake are in a Charlevoix County voting district (Melrose, Bay, and Evangeline townships). Such a situation can potentially make a "lake divided" in terms of zoning and other issues, unless lake residents encourage their political representatives to cooperate county-to- county and township-to-township on legislation affecting the lake's watershed as a whole (21,34,35). Walloon Lake has already taken a step in this direction by forming an active "Walloon Lake Association" which residents can join on a yearly basis.
THE PEOPLE
Once a lake is evaluated in terms of its physical characteristics, there is another important influencing factor that can affect a lake's well-being . . . the human element. So, to determine popular perceptions of and feelings about northern Michigan's inland lakes, the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Project included a house-to-house poll conducted by U of M's Institute for Social Research.
Personal interviews were conducted with people in a probability sample of all Emmet and Cheboygan county homes and cottages during the summers of 1974 and 1975(the Walloon Lake survey included part of Charlevoix County). To insure that the samples over the two years were representative of the entire study area population, a selection procedure was used whereby every head of household and his/her spouse had an equal chance of being interviewed. In 1974, the sample was selected from among homes and cottages along inland lakes and rivers, while the sample in 1975 represented the population in towns, villages, and rural parts of the two-county area.
Recently, Lakeland Report 6 from the Biological Station was reprinted by the Walloon Lake Association for its members, and contains some preliminary results of the 1974 survey.The following information is drawn from this survey and compares responses of Walloon Lake residents with those of the entire lake and river sample. -146- Household Characteristics
By inquiring about people's length-of-stay, their main voting residence, and whether they were owners or renters, it was determined that approximately half of Walloon Lake's residents are second-home owners, while one in every four households was occupied by a short-term vacationer. Unlike seasonal residents on other lakes and rivers in the two-county area, seasonal residents on Walloon Lake are more likely to have a non-Michigan permanent residence. About half of them come from Indiana, Ohio, and an assortment of other states.
\O0°A PROPORTION OF HOMES WALLOON LAKE I 28 BUILT SINCE 1960 ALL
WALLOON TOTAL SAMPLE AVERAGE YEAR PROPERTY OWNERS BOUGHT PROPERTY OR MOVED TO NORTHERN MICHIGAN I900 I940 I950 I960 I970
Development around the shores of Walloon Lake is, on the average, older than development around other lakes in the study area. Nearly 75% of all homes around Walloon were built before 1960, whereas for the sample as a whole only 57% were built before that time. On the average, Walloon Lake residents moved to or purchased their property around 1959; for the sample as a whole the average was four years later.
What are the developmental patterns like around Walloon Lake in comparison with other area lakes? We found that Walloon Lake is somewhat less densely developed than the average of all lakes,
Houses per mile of shoreline Walloon Lake.. . 28
All lakes 35
however, individual homes along Walloon Lake are located slightly closer to the water's edge.
Average distance from house to water Walloon Lake 67 feet All lakes 72 feet
How do Walloon Lake residents feel about present and future growth and development?
GREAT NUMBER AMOUNT OF FUTURE DEAL SOME A LITTE NONE AT ALL ANSWERING GROWTH DESIRED BY ALL RESIDENTS WATERFRONT RESIDENTS WALLOON LAKE K>jf.
PROPORTION OF RESIDENTS WHO FEEL lOO % WALLOON LAKE 7 TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO 59 THEIR COUNTY ALL
Walloon Lake residents differ from the sample as a whole in growth-related attitudes. They favor limited future growth for the area compared to the total response, and are more likely to feel that too many people are moving to their county. -147- Identification of Lake/River problems Proportion of responses indicating problem exists. 100%
WALLOON 32 Algae and Weeds ALL 3a
Fluctuating water WALLOON Levels ALL 35
WALLOON Murky water ALL In their responses to a battery of questions dealing with possible lake Litter WALLOON I7 problems, Walloon residents expressed the ALL 17 feeling that their lake does not have
Flooding of land WALLOON any outstanding water quality problems. around houses ALL 10 In comparison with the sample as a whole, they are more likely to perceive Loss of wildlife WALLOON 19 overcrowding and resultant recreational habitat ALL 18 conflicts as lake problems. Such per• ceptions are likely to influence resident Waierjkier/sailor WALLOON 16 conflic*. ALL attitudes toward growth and develop• ment. Too many nomes WALLOON 20 ALL 13
WALLOON Too many Motor 13 Boats ALL •
WALLOON Poor Fishing 35 ALL
In addition to the human interest aspects of this social survey, resident responses can be helpful to planners, managers, and environmentalists working in a particular region. The popular opinions expressed can be used as a guideline to gauging the degree of services needed, recreational wants, and potential ecological problems. In this way, it is hoped that maintenance, growth, and development of the northern Michigan environment will be en• couraged along the lines of popular needs and perceptions. A lake's individual problems can then receive special attention rather than a blanket policy that may overlook particular areas of citizen concern.
THE LAKE Peoples activities on and attitudes about land and its use ultimately have an effect on water resources. It is therefore important to understand the aquatic ecology of a lake. Once its characteristics are known, they can be compared over a length of time to monitor water quality changes.Understanding the way a lake functions naturally can also aid in maintaining it in a "healthy" state.
Descriptive Features The morphometries (descriptive features of form) of Walloon Lake are charted on the back of the map insert. Walloon Lake's relatively large water surface area of 4,269.9 acres makes it the 26th largest lake in Michigan. The shoreline of the lake is irregular, with long narrow embayments, known locally as "arms". The lake is made up of four distinct depressions or basins. Three of these basins are deep (100, 89, and 80 feet, respectively), two in the west arm and one in the south arm. They are interconnected along the main axis of the lake. The fourth basin in the north arm is shallower (52 feet), and is separated from the rest by a shallow sill (see contour map insert). Walloon Lake is predominately fed by groundwater, and has oniy small inlet streams, such as Schoof's and South Arm Creeks. The lake empties into Lake Michigan by way of its outlet. Bear Creek. -148- Water Quality Watershed characteristics, morphometric features of the lake basin, flux of nutrients in and out of the lake (8, 24, 26), and its dissolved oxygen content (9,12) largely determine the lake's health and longevity. A limnologist or "lake doctor" examines and evaluates such information when looking for indicators of present water quality condition. A trophic state index (TSI) has recently been designed for Minnesota lakes as a reflection of water quality condition, and we have adapted it WEST ARM to the inland lakes of northern Michigan. . . rrr here it shows Walloon Lake's trophic index SOUTH BASIN EUTROPHIC - based on a measure of chlorophyll-a, which is a NORTH ARM test to determine algal abundance or product• ivity which in turn influences water clarity and trophic state. Each trophic state has distinctive character• MESOTROPHIC- istics:
OLIGOTROPHIA A body of water receiving few plant nutrients and supporting little plant growth. The waters are clear, cold and the deep• OLIGOTROPHIC- est layers are well-supplied with oxygen year- round. Oligotrophic lakes tend to be deep, with maximum depths greater than 80 feet.
MESOTROPHIC: A body of water that is inter• CHLORO-a mediate in character between oligotrophic and eutrophic. Mesotrophic lakes have a moderate
Walloon Lake's Trophic Index input of plant nutrients and support moderate plant growth.
EUTROPHIC: A body of water that is heavily supplied with plant nutrients and supports abundant plant growth. As a result, the water can become turbid with dense algal blooms, and can also sustain an abundance of rooted aquatic plants. Deepest waters exhibit oxygen depletion during periods of restricted circulation. A eutrophic lake tends to be shallow, with maximum depths of less than 50 feet.
As can be seen, Walloon Lake is oligotrophic, a desirable and healthy condition for recreational pursuits and aesthetic enjoyment. Because of its lesser depth, however, the north arm is moving more rapidly toward a meso• trophic state and is more sensitive to human impact than the rest of the lake.
Dissolved oxygen content also reflects the oligotrophic character of Walloon Lake. Oxygen is as important to organisms in the water as it is to us in the air. It is especially important to fish. The dissolved oxygen content varies from season to season as the lake undergoes periods of temperature layering or stratification (12). During summer, distinct temperature zones are found in Walloon Lake: the epilimnion (top layer), thermocline (middle layer), and hypol imnion (bottom layer). In the south basin and west arm,oxygen content remains sufficiently high in the cold bottom waters to support fish populations - a distinctive feature of oligotrophic lakes.However, the bottom waters of the north arm become nearly devoid of oxygen and fish must live in shallower waters to survive . .an indication of lesser water quality in this portion of the lake.
Because of its variation in basins, Walloon Lake has a healthy and varied fish population, including warm water species such as perch, bass, and pike, along with cold water species such as lake trout, rainbow trout, and cisco. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has been regularly stocking Walloon Lake with both rainbow and lake trout with good success. Their past studies indicate that the age and growth rate of most of these fish are above the state average. -149- SUMMER SUMMER
OXYGEN % SAT. TEMP. °F DEPTH FT. OXYGEN % SAT. TEMP. °F DEPTH FT
73.4 0 98 72.7 EPILIMNION EPILIMNION 73.2 72.7 10 10 72.7 72.7 15 15 8 2 THERMOCLINE 7| Q 20 72.5 20 25 69.3 25 THERMOCLINE '2.3 4 93 30 30 65.0 65.8 35 35 89 65.3 40 40 HYPOLIMNION 45 SI.I 45 64.4 58 50 50 48.9 55 NORTH 48.2 60 HYPOLIMNION 65 ARM 42. 70 47.3 75 80 SOUTH
Depth to which the seechi disc can be seen. From this.the extent of BASIN light penetration can be determined. Light is essential for photosynthe• sis and stimulates aquatic plant and algae growth. Depth to which "game fish" have sufficient oxygen to survive.
Lake Sensitivity to Change
As can be seen Walloon Lake is presently a healthy lake. What are the factors that influence the lake's sensitivity to future decline in water quality?
Shoreline Length • Walloon Lake's shoreline configuration is irregular and the shoreline development factor (SDF ... a measure of shoreline length relative to lake surface area) is high (3.0). If a lake's shape is nearly circular, its SDF approaches 1.0. Conversely, if a lake has a shoreline that winds in and out, creating numerous bays and points, shoreline footage is long, and the SDF is high (greater than 4.0). Lakes such as Walloon, with a high SDF, have more available shoreline and, therefore, more potential for over-development.
Soils - The susceptibility of a lake to nutrient input is, to a large extent, determined by soil types. Fortunate• ly, most of the homes surrounding Walloon Lake are built upon well-drained, loamy soils (see map insert). This soil type generally supports buildings and septic tank drain fields well. However, there are two other soil types in Walloon Lake's watershed that have limitations to development. The area nestled between the north and west arm is predominately sandy soil that is prone to soil erosion and functions poorly in retention of nutrients. Least suitable for development and most environmentally sensitive are the swampy areas that border the northerly tip of the lake's north arm and the southern portion of the south arm. Soils that are poorly drained , have severe limitations for building and septic drainage due to a high water table, rapid permeability of nutrients into the lake, poor capacity to sustain loads such as the weight of houses and roads, and h igh compressibility.
Water Residence Time Inland lakes are profoundly influenced by the quality and quantity of water flowing in and out of them. Water residence time is the amount of time water remains in the lake's basin before being completely replaced by inflowing water. A short water residence time means that a lake can cycle out pollutive input quickiy. However, Walloon Lake has a relatively long water residence time of 3.2 years. This compares to values of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.9 years for Pickerel,Crooked and Mullett Lakes, respectively. Although Walloon Lake has a large volume of water and therefore a high dilution capacity, its relatively long water residence time renders the lake sensitive to pollutive inputs. -150- Fish Population -It is apparent that large, shallow lakes such as Houghton Lake can receive comparatively high nutrient inputs and still maintain a healthy warm-water fishery. However,large deep lakes such as Walloon Lake, where a two-story cold and warm water fishery exists, are sensitive to an increase in nutrients inputs.Asa deep lake becomes more eutrophic, dissolved oxygen content declines in bottom waters to the detriment of the coldwater fishery. Oxygen depletion, although not serious at this time, is occurring in the bottom waters of all Walloon Lake basins during summer. It becomes most depleted in the north arm.
WALLOON LAKE TOMORROW
Nutrient input from Walloon Lake's watershed is the major source of pollution that can potentially damage Walloon Lake. Specific nutrient enrichment sources which stimulate unwanted algae and weed growth and result in loss of water clarity come from rain and snow, ground water, leakage from septic tank drainfields, excessive lawn fertilization, agricultural run off, and soil erosion. Obviously, there is not much that can be done to control the nutrient content of rain and snow, but all property owners who cherish Walloon Lake and are concerned about its future can help reduce nutrient inputs in many ways:
* Oo not over-fertilize lawns near the lake's edge * Leave a zone of natural vegetation or plant shrubs as a buffer between lawns and the lake * Correct soil Brosion problems * Use low or no-phosphate detergents * Be certain that septic tanks function properly.-Whan considering replacement of septic tanks by a sewer system, it is very important to ask: * Are septic tanks actually the major source of nutrient loading to the lake? * Will the sewor system encourage uncontrolled or unwanted development? * Support enforcement of zoning codes that deal with residence placement and land-use practices. * Protect, through zoning, environmentally sensitive areas within Walloon Lake's watershed. Since the north arm is shallow and nearly isolated from the rest of the lake, it is more sensitive to changes from human impact and should have limited development. Wetlands are also sensitive areas- They are important nursery grounds for fish, irreplaceable wildlife habitat, and natural ground water recharge and cleansing zones. To maintain the ecological integrity of Walloon Lake, these wetlands should remain in their natural state. * Find out about a lake association or watershed council in your area {Walloon Lake Association) that can actively implement lake protect* ion programs. * An excellent publication to consult for further nutrient control information is the "Planning and Management Guidelines for Inland Pro• perty Owners" brochure from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Lakes are in some ways crystal balls that fortell their own future. Whether they offer a clear or muddied view is up to all of us. Once Indians walked my pleasant shores ^ ,. Fished placidly my s, -srkling bays Drifting in their birch cancer,
ITheif homes and cab'ins^nwliiplied., V^i^Pfev: • ^i/i effluents and s^j^^s .r'' _^ ~:5C?S^^£?ffJ invade me now frotn every side. * •owe saw-*-*- ~ i . rJ ,. ^ ^%-tf/e polluted fro\ haif-Fqr^tteKfnemo^ry,^"^ ^-'rhatf ^sin.foirme^daysA igjjjlfijfa -151-
WALLOON LAKE FEATURES
Lake Area: 4270 acres (1,728 ha) Maximum Length: 6.28 miles (10.10 km) Maximum Width: 2.49 miles ( 4.00 km) Mean Depth: 28.9 feet ( 8.8 m) Maximum Depth: West Basin (a) 100 feet ( 31 m) Wildwood Harbor (b) 80 feet ( 24 m) South Basin (c) 90 feet ( 27 m) North Arm (d) 52 feet ( 16 m) Shoreline Length: 27.5 miles I 44.3 km) Shoreline Configuration: Irregular Shoreline Development Factor: 3.0 Number of Lake-Associated Dwellings: 722 Watershed Area: 22,659 acres (9,170 ha) Water Retention Time: 3.2 years
D SCALE FEET ^3000 6000
METERS IO0O 2000
3CP
CONTOUR MAP
Walloon Lake Profile WALLOON l_AKE Inset a. EMMET a CHARLEVOIX COUNTIES -152-
PETOSKEY
Revcraft H Gruler Rd.
A ^Camp vV [Sherwood R I\V> EMMET CO. CITATO^T^
Summe TL Rd.
rickson Ro WALLOON LAKE Bear River GENERALIZED WATERSHED AND SOIL MAP TAKEN FROM SOIL SURVEY OP EMMET AND CHARLEVOIX COUNTIES > USDA SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE S
( | LOAMY EMMET ASSN. ^
MUCK CARBONDALE-TAWAS ASSN. SCALE MILES
YSA SANDY BLUE LAKE-LEELANAU ASSN.
• . WATERSHED BOUNDRY Walloon Lake Profile 10 Inset b. -153-
L'HKnOVGAN \[;\V5 November 10. 1975...Pa^e 11 Sewers: A Crucial Question Facing Lakeland Residents Cr.KOT TO SEV/E2 By Jan NORCI However, Mullett Lake is a big1 Jake (16/.0O acres), Clem water is of concern Lo anyone who loves the the fifth largest lake in the State of Michigan. And, as beautiful lakes, "rivers, and streams of the nonh. do all other lakes, Mullett Lake has what i^ termed a Deciding how to keep those waters healthy and flushing rate. A flushing rate is how rapidly water unpolluted is becoming more and more of a challenge, runs into and then out of a lake basin, thus naiurdly however, .is pressures from increasing growth and renewing tho lake's water. Tho shorter amount of Lima development bring Lo our atLenlion the need for (in terms of months or years) it takes a lake to "Hush", • adequate waste disposal systems. the more pollution it theoretically can cycle out of its The ROW! old-fashioned outhouse used Lo bo an basin. Mullett Lake's flushing rate, as determined by effective and adequate sanitary measure. But as researchers at the University of Michigan's Douglas population ^rows, so does its volume oi wasLc. SepLic Lake Biological Station, is approximately 11 months. • tanks have become a modern, efficient method of So it is conceivable that Mullet Lake may bo able to sewage disposal, but in some situations (such as on efficiently and effectively cycle out a moderate input Crooked L:tk« in lCmmet County) residences and of human pollution on its own. resort homes have become crowded into one area so Also, although sewering a lakeshore may seem to be that even sopLic tanks cannot effectively handle all the the only thing to do to service growth and wastes that arc headed for the water. Consequently, development, there are other viable alternatives for Crooked Lake, a hook-up to the Harbor Springs available, and another side to tho coin. A pre-installcd treatment plant through a direct sewer line was the sower system, besides servicing, can cause unwanted, answer. Waste water will now be carried away from undesirable, and unplanned growth in a community. Crooked Lake, treated, and released through a spray Having an area already sewered often leads to irrigation system. crowded building conditions and a lack of sense of But what about Mullett Lake. Burt Lake, or other personal responsibility for one's waste. All, tho lakes in Cheboygan county. Is there need for concern pollution flushed away from a household or business over water pollution from human waste disposal on through sewer is ofLen not thought of again once the these lakes? Should the shores of these lakes bo plug is pulled. It goes down the drain and becomes sewered, too? someone else's worry. An "out of sight, out of mind" Recently. Cheboygan accepted the opportunity to attitude is dangerous, because lakes arc a closed upgrade its present sewage treatment plant through system. The pollution may not show up in front of tho the Clean Water Restoration Act of 19GG which grants group of houses or business discharging tho waste, but 'federal financial aid to cities to help build or rennovato it will certainly turn up as algae on the beach rocks of waste water treatment plants. The opportunity was other homes across the lako, or eventually in Lako also there for townships bordering the Cheboygan Huron or Michigan. It might also be said that sewers River and the north end of Mullett Lake to bo included encourage wastefulness...a septic tank and well owner in a sewer system into their community. Obviously knows his water resource limit and also the limit his this kind of a decision is a tough one for a community tank can effectively process, but a home owner on a to make, as there aro woighty pro's and con's to bo sewer line is not personally responsible and therefore considered. not forced to be aware of the amount of water he uses and the amount of waste water he correspondingly- TO SEWER puts into the system. Mullett Lake is tho last lako in the Inland Water Route chain. It is also the "clearing house"-for other THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS bodies of water. That is. other lakes, rivers, and Is there really the need to sewer a certain streams run into Mullett Lake and mix with its waters lakeshore? Are homes or businesses on the shore the before flowing into Lake Huron. That means that major source of pollution, or arc there actually other Mullett Lake receives a continual influx of pollutants sources that provide the bulk of the pollution? How' that may have not been taken out of other waters does a community want to grow? Does it want to be A:rc/icr upstream or elsewhere in its watershed. In crowded pr spacious, public or private? To sower, or addition, the lake must withstand the impact of direct not to sewer? These questions must be weighed &orel£» "35 residences and/or businesses along its heavily by lakeland residents now, as their answers shorehne Then there is always tho p-cslinc* will do much to determine future land-use pracLices in Cheboygan and Emmet County. Sewers, in particular, • can directly affect the size, aesthetics, and rate of growth and development in our beautiful north country. -15*- The North Woods Call, June 16, 1976 Alternative to sewers slows growth, saves land ' How did it happen? Dr. John So, not only can sewers service by JAN NAGEL Gannon, resident limnologist at a developed area, they can be the U-M Special Report the University of Michigan Bug' instrument of development, as - Camp on Douglas Lake, has been well! In addition, sewers can i watching this kind of dilemma in open up areas of the environment Gean water is of concern to northern lake communities with,' that are too sensitive to receive anyone who loves the beautiful increasing alarm. / human developmental impact. lakes, rivers, and streams of the -He observes: ./'When sewers For example, buHding on a North. Deciding how to keep are installed, it's often not neces,- • porous soil in a delicate wetland those waters healthy and unpol• sary to make the careful soil area could proceed without ob- luted is becoming more and more evaluations and allowances re• - jection if a sewer were available of a challenge as pressures from quired for septic tanks. It doesn't to take the wastes away. This increasing growth and develop• matter how much the area can encourages dredging and filling ment bring to our attention the handle because all the sewage is • of vital ecological areas that need for adequate waste disposal being slung down the pipes to a shouldn't be tampered with. systems. location five miles away...out of A concerned community can Consequently, "sewer our sight, and out of mind. y see that strong zoning ordinances lakes" has become a recent hue "Instead of positioning houses are the answer to. both well- and cry on Torch, Higgins, at decent distances as they would planned, uncrowded, ecological, Mullett, Burt, Otsego, Crystal, be to accomodate septic tanks, communities and the use of a Crooked, and Pickerel Lakes, as too often on a sewer line the sewer system at the same time. well as other lakes across north• houses end up stacked right next But, here's a second question to ern Michigan. to each other." consider: Why waste waste? Why Before lake-oriented residents rush headlong into what seems to EXHAUST VENT ^:V.!^;!J" " • T be the only solution to tiieir water quality problems, there can be GARBAGE INLET side-effects of sewers that create TOILET _ (KITCHEN) more problems than they solve! (BATHROOM) The most important considera• tion in this regard might be seen : . '.if.;: in a situation like this: Visualize a rural lake, with a number of resort and year-round homes scattered around its shores. The homes have septic tanks, but some of the drain fields are old or HATCH •. ^.-'-^ in disrepair, and some of the TOILET' systems just weren't located in WASTE' the best spots to begin with. • • - KITCHEN AIR INTAKE Soon, high concentrations of BASEMENT FLOOR" - WASTE pollutants begin to show up in the STORAGE lake. The residents, in a well- OR FOUNDATION CHAMBER; . , intentioned effort not.to pollute RT J L , the lake, immediately vote to Mike Price install a sewer, system. Then, THE CLIVUS MULTRUM: quicker than, they can say ' A disposal method J^growth and "development", a . of waste that doesn't real estate entrepreneur builds a ' use water. " small subdivision in the middle of their country solitude. Now there are twice as many people,' not polluting the lake with direct nutrient input,' but with noise, off-lheroad vehicles, overcrowd• ing, too many boats, and litter. -155-
The North Woods Call, June 16, 1976 (cont'd).
contaminate our precious water supplies in the first place when there are alternatives open .to people living in rural areas that use less water, even no water at all? A Clivus Multrum (which literally means "inclining com• post room") decomposes house• hold wastes from both kitchen and bathroom through aerobic (oxygen-using) bacterial action. By using no water in this process, it saves 40-50 percent of that used in an average house• hold, or 10.001) gallons per person per year! It uses no. energy except that supplied by the micro-organisms which do the work. The wastes are converted to safe, useable humus soil for the garden so there is no need for. transportation to remote treat• ment plants.' (Free fertilizer!) There is also a methane di• gester which harnesses the nat• ural gas produced from the digestion of wastes by anerobic bacteria (bacteria not requiring oxygen) to give us a free source of household energyj Even when a sewer is involved, we can use toilets that flush with less water, and make it our concern to see if there isn't some way the community can recylce waste disposal plant sludge into fertilizer instead of throwing it in a land-fill. As Dr. Gannon points out: "Each lake should be assessed in the light of its individual prob• lems. Some, like Crooked Lake in Emmet County, are already so over-developed that they need a fewer system badly. Many resi• dents in other areas can .still "control lake development and have time to consider some of the other solutions available." To sewer-or not to sewer? The answers to that question will determine not only the water quality of this area, but will set land-use precedents, and affect the future of growth and develop• ment in northern Michigan as well. 12-PETOSKEY NEWS-.REVIEW Wednesday, August 4, 1974
Where Do You Fit in? Survey Turns Up Startling f acts About Quality of Life in Northwoods By JAN MORLEY the U-M station, and the results percent; D) 50 percent. form of winter recreation for government and taxes, How do northern Michigan of the study prove interesting, 4. What is the average in• year-round residents? A) ice recreational. behavior and residents feel about their, informative and in some cases, come of seasonal residents? A) fishing; B) snowmobiling; C) preferences toward future surroundings? Who are the surprising. $8,000; B) $11,000; C) $18,000; down-hill skiing; D) cross• growth and development. people living in Emmet and The following questions, D) $21,000; E) $24,000. country skiing. Answers to a number of Cheboygan Counties? Where do asked by Marans at last week's 10. What is the most popular 5. What is the average in• questions similar to the above the seasonal residents come meeting, are offered here to form of winter recreation for come of year-round residents? can be useful in planning from? What is the quality of life test your own knowledge of the second home owners? A) ice A) $8,000; B) $11,000; C) growth, said Marans. Two in northern Michigan? area. Answers can be found at fishing; B) snowmobiling; C) $18,000; D) $21,000; E) $24,000. reports on the social evaluation The answers to these the end of this article. down-hill skiing; D) cross• of Emmet and Cheboygan Vn questions and more were 1. What percentage of 6. What is the average country skiing. amount of time spent in the Counties will be issued by the sought by research scientists at lakefront property is occupied The answers result from an I area between Memorial Day end of this year.. the' University of Michigan by second home owners? A) 10 extensive survey conducted by Biological Station in Pellston as percent; B) 25 percent; C) 33 and Labor Day by seasonal Marans and local interviewers The compilation of social part of a Northern Michigan percent; D) 50 percent. residents? A) 3 weeks; B) 6 during the past two summers. survey research is intended to "Environmental Research 2. What is the most frequently weeks; C) 8 weeks; D) entire Respondents were selected on aid "user groups" in the area, Program which evaluates the given reason people like to be in season. the basis of a "probability said Marans, such as zoning area from three perspeetives- northern Michigan? A) peace 7. What percentage of sample,'* and researchers are administrators, boards of lakefront residents don't want acquatic, terrestrial and social. A and quiet of the area, chance to "fairly confident"* the data is commissioners, lake Robert Marans, from the get away from cities; B) Great to see more growth? A) 10 representative," Marans said. associations and' the state Lakes and inland water; C) percent; B) 25 percent; C) 33 Department of Natural r; Institute of Social Research in Some 1,400 residents in the Ann Arbor, is in charge of natural setting, trees and percent; D) 50 percent. two-county area participated Resources. animals; D) recreational op• .. 8. What is the average compiling information about by responding to a series of Below are the answers to • area residents from the three- portunities. distance a person must drive to questions asked in 70-minute questions about characteristics year study-their charac• 3.., What percentage of get to a public tennis court? A) interviews. Topics ranged from and attitudes of northern teristics and attitudes toward lakefront property owners are 3 miles; B) 7 miles; C) 9 miles; housing and neighborhood Michigan residents: 1-D, 2-A, 3- growth. He relayed some of his from out of state? A) 10 per• evaluations to such things as D) 11 miles. C,4-D>B,e-C,7-B,w:i9-B, lf>. fc findings in a talk last week at cent; B) 25 percent; C) S3 0. What to the most popular attitudes toward-services, B. 8-PETOSKEY NEWS-REVIEW Wednesday, October 1, 1975
" Ew®frywh The North Woods Call, Feb. 25, 1976 Septic flow into lakes is studied Studies by University of Mich-' The chart shows the amount of tgan Douglas Lake Biological - nitrogen and phosphorus relative Station scientists have revealed* to the lakes' total water volume serious enrichment problems in reaching the 14 lakes studied. several Emmet and Cheboygan- Persons familiar with the devel• County lakes.: - - •: opment and soil conditions Due to faulty septic systems or.' around these lakes can get a fair soils mat are not able to hold., idea of what is happening to other nutrients released by the 'septic comparable lakes. .systems, scientists found that as much of 80 percent of this ''fertilizing" matter reaches the lakes within a year. SEPTIC TANK INPUTS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS, Septic systems at Walloon, AS A RATIO TO WATER VOLUME. Lakes are listed in decreasing Carp (Paradise), Twin Lakes and order of site. Relative to amount of water, Paradise rtctived most Silver Lakes are especially in• nitrogen, and Munro and Round received most phosphorus. efficient. . Septic systems at Burt, Mul• RATIO " 10 20 30 40 50 lett, Munro and Round lakes BURT leaked about 80 percent of the phosphorus flushed into them into MULLETT the lake in a year. EilHHl NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS Mullett Lake is estimated to BLACK receive about 11 tons of nitrogen a year from septic systems. The WALLOON lake's relatively rapid flushing rate (one year) helps reduce DOUGLAS enrichment from this pollution. However, the scientists warn, the CROOKED nitrogen flows downstream to PICKEREL eventually pollute Lake Huron. The report said that property LONG owners on Walloon, Paradise, Munro and Round lakes should be PARA0ISE /CARP " - considering immediate measures to reduce pollution.-: TWIN LAKES • The following steps were, SILVER recommended: (WILMOT TWP) • Properly maintain septic sys• MUNRO tems or replace with alternate systems. ROUND • Prevent erosion and soil LARKS compaction near shorelines. • Leave a greenbelt of vegeta• • For nitrogen, ratio= pounds per year/100,000 cubic yardi of waier tion and wetlands which absorb For phosphorus, ratio= pourwiB per year/ 1 million cubic yaxdi of water: and use nutrients. • Do not fertilize lawns." -159- t A-iA^.2JiW76' *he Second Front Page Marl Closes Local Beaches By PEG OHLE "the man from Mars.*' . Water samples showed the material looked like tissue coliform bacteria count to be paper, according to Mikulski. The water culprit turned out Identification ' of the to be harmless. well within accepted stan• Gannon explained that marl material was made by dards for bathing beaches and is formed every year in hard That's what the District 3 microscopic examination and surface water body contact, water lakes ..like Lake Health Department reports chemical analysis by Dr. John so it was decided that the Charlevoix. High water about the foreign matter found Gannon and other research problem had to, be' some temperatures and enrichment' biologists at the Douglas Lake recently in water along' natural phenomenon. materials with carbon dtoxfde Charlevoix's bathing beaches Biological Station at the . • • •- • «•-" ••••• and bicarbonate form'-jnurl and other beaches on the lake. request of the Health After learning that the Top participate through photo- Department. O' Michigan power plant was • synthesis. It was identified as algae having trouble with its lake V.; According to Dean Mikulski, . Marl is riled up by winds, combined with some fungus water intake system, Mikulski Health Department and other lake activity. It can ] iand particles of marl. Marl is and Dan Darnell of the Water Sanitarian, solving the also be blown off rocks aad the white clay-like substance Resources Cojiunission went mystery was a complex other shoreline protrusion*. found many places on the lake there to take samples of the problem with help from the Mikulski . says there is a shore. It is the material that material that was clogging the Department of Natural possibility that dredging in the young children play with to pipes. It was these samples Resources, the Water Pine River Channel, recently mold into cups and plates and that were taken to Douglas Resources Commission, the completed* could have added statues. It is also the material Lake. ; ••>' ^v-.-.^' t$at they like to cover State Health Department and to the problem by oUstorUag themselves with to look like others. In Its dried .'form the vthe"lake 'bottom"' "I- -160- May, 1976 Portions of •TOWNSHIP OF BURT proposed ordinance •ZONING ORDINANCE COUNTY OF CHEBOYGAN STATE OF MICHIGAN TITLE An Ordinance enacted under Act 168, Public Acts of 1959, as amended, and Act 184, Public Acta of 1943, as amended, governing the unincorporated portion of Burt Township, Cheboygan County, Michigan, to regulate and restrict the location and use of buildings, structures, and land by commerce, industry, residential, agricultural, conservational or other specified uses; to regulate the height and bulk of buildings - and other structures; to regulate the, size of lots, setbacks and open spaces; to regulate and limit the density of population and for said purposes to divide the Township into Districts and establish the boundaries thereof; to provide for changes in this Ordinance; to provide for enforcement; to impose penalties for violations; and to establish a Board of Appeals. PREAMBLE Pursuant to the authority conferred by the relevant Public Acts of the State of Michigan for the purpose of promoting and protecting the public health, safety, peace, morals, comfort, convenience and by preserva• tion or development of land in accordance with its adaptability for residential, recreational, agricultural, and conservational purposes; by preservation or development of land in such a way that the ecology of the lake, its watershed and surrounding lands, is a prime consideration; by preservation of agricultural areas, and assuring a low population density of those areas; by assuring residential and commercial developments only in suitable areas; by promoting recreational areas in compatible locations; by preservation of woodlands; by preservation of game and bird habitats; and by preservation of water recharge areas. A A ARTICLE VH - NATURAL WETLAND AREAS 7.1 The following provisions shall apply to all undeveloped areas whose surface is less than four (4) feet above the high water mark of Burt Lake and its tributary waters, and areas adjacent or connected fa> Burt Lake and its tributaries .where the maximum ground water elevations are within four feet of the ground surface. These areas are natural wetlands. 7.2 Purpose; The Township has land areas connected to or adjoining Burt Lake, rivers, and streams which have a high water table or which are wholly or partially submerged. These lands are grown over with grass, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation which: -. — remove nutrients from the waters entering Burt Lake — retard the flow of sediment into Burt Lake . .... — maintain the established shoreline of Burt Lake — encourage the growth of wild plants and animals. These areas are not suited for general use or habitation by people, because preparation for such use requires that the land bejlredged, Filled, cleared, excavated and drained. These operations destroy the character of natural wetlands and their functions of removing nutrients, retarding sediments, maintaining shoreline, and fostering wildlife, and consequently they lower the quality of the waters. -J61- The provisions of this article are intended to prohibit alterations of the natural wetlands areas to prepare for general use and habitation, but they are intended to permit such alterations as will contribute to the overall use and enjoyment of the areas by the people, provided that these uses are not intensive and that the alterations will have no deleterious effect on the environment. 7.3 Primary Uses: The use of the lands in natural wetland areas shall be limited to the following: 1. Primary Uses (Not Subject to Special Approval) a. Access by foot, boat, or non-highway special vehicle to hunt, trap or fish as provided by - • law, or to observe and enjoy the water, vegetation and wildlife in its natural state. b. Construction of, or provision of, footpaths or narrow walkways for access to these areas, provided that the cutting of vegetation shall be a minimum for the purpose intended; and that any materials necessary to such construction shall not pollute or contaminate the ground, water or adjoining lakes or rivers. c. Harvesting of timber under sound conservation practices. 2. : Uses Subject to Approval Any other proposed use of lands in these areas shall be submitted to the Zoning Board, which may approve any such proposed plan to the extent it is consistent with the purpose of this Article, and shall specify any reasonable and necessary condition to safeguard and protect that purpose. 7.4 Natural Wetlands Defined: Any area may be designated as a natural wetland area under either of the following provisions: 1. Any parcel (or connected parcels) or land bordering a lake, river, or stream is a natural wetland if it is generally of a swampy wetland character and if it can be defined under any of the following: a. The major portion of the ground level is less than four (4) feet higher than the known water level of the adjoining lake, river, or stream. b. The maximum ground water elevations are within four (4) feet of the ground surface. c. ' The soil is predominately made up of "somewhat poorly drained" or "poorly drained" organic soils or other soils defined by the Cooperative Soil Survey of the U.S.' Department of Agriculture as natural wetland. _ 2. ' Petition of Owner: Any area of forty (40) acres or more may be designated as a wetland area on petition of the owner of record regardless of the water level, soil condition, soil type or vegetation, if in the opinion of the Zoning Board the purposes of this Article are furthered by such act 3. Any existing lot three hundred (300) feet wide or less and with a ground level less than (4) four feet higher than the known water level of the adjoining lake, river, or stream may be filled in conformance with Public Health Department regulations. -162- 12-PETOSKEY NEWS-REVIEW Friday, January 30, 1976 to Fix Oden Discharge ut Challenge UM Findings LANSING-Ef forts to correct DNR to rectify the hatchery's "The Fisheries Division does charge includes the Fisheries shortcomings in effluent discharges into nearby Crooked not agree with the conclusion Division. discharges at two key Lake. that phosphorus outflow is "We thought the discharge Department of Natural However, new to the DNR's seriously affecting Crooked problem at Oden was corrected Resources fish hatcheries to problems at Oden is a WRC Lake, as phosphorus levels in last fall with construction of the meet current state standards directive for an 80-percent the hatchery outflow are ex• settling pond, so we have little are generally ahead of reduction in discharge of tremely low-so low that an 80 choice at this time other than to schedule, although the DNR phosphorus by July 1, 1977. percent reduction is not wait for Dr Gannon's report says a continuing study needs technologically feasible," and proceed from there," to be completed before it can A recent two-year study by a states Tody. Harris continues. "As far as the answer a new concern over the University of Michigan Platte River hatchery is con• "There are only two-tenths of outflow at one of the facilities. researcher, Dr. John Gannon, cerned, we are far ahead of a part per million of indicates that the nutrients and schedule. Bids were taken on The state's Water Resources phosphorus in the discharges organic' loadings from the January 29 for the construction Conimission, a DNR-related from Oden, meaning that the hatchery "has a strong impact project necessary, with the agency, has set a November 1, hatchery water is like '99 on the eutrophication of completion date established Cor 1976, headline for the Depart• 44/ 100 percent' pure," he Crooked Lake." The DNR's October 15, two weeks ahead of ment to complete design im• adds. "There is no known way Fisheries Division says, the deadline." provements at its multi• however, it views the situation to reduce the phosphorus, level The Commission says DNR million-dollar salmon and trout as being inconclusive until an any lower than it is." hatchery on the Platte River Water Quality Control Division updated analysis of the nutrient The DNR's Charles D. near Honor, which has staff members will continue to balance in the lake is com• Harris, Bureau Chief of discharged a part of its effluent monitor the hatchery pleted. Resources Development, un• without adequate treatment. discharges on a monthly basis, The report, which should derscores Tody's concern, but plus conduct further studies of . The commission also soon be available to the DNR, adds that the Department's nutrient levels ln waters near established another deadline- will be considered in the immediate action is to deter• the facilities to determine how July 3l, 1976-for the DNR's Department's plan to solve the mine how best to meet the WRC much the outflow affects water Fisheries Division to finish an phosphorus discharge problem requirements on schedule. quality of adjacent waters-.. .. analysis of available alter• at Oden, says Fisheries "Despite the obvious dif• In the interim, the Platte natives for handling outflows at Division Chief Wayne Tody. Dr. ficulties, the Department in• River and Oden hatcheries are the Oden State Fish Hatchery Gannon, a research scientist at tends to fully abide by being regulated under in Emmet County. the U of M's Biological Station guidelines as laid down by the provisions of short-term af• That report concerns the in Pellston, is also conducting Water Resources Commission, fluent discharge permits that effectiveness of a primary the latest study of Crooked just as we would expect in• expire after 1977. Normally, sedimentation basin con• Lake and the impact of hat• dustries and municipalities to these permits cover a five-year structed last September by the chery effluent there. do/' states Harris, whose period, i -163- phosphorus problem By FRANK MAINVILLE . "The hatchery discharges Outdoor Editor six. cubic feet per second- from an outlet about 10 feet ' The Department of Na- wide and a foot deep," Tody Outdoors trual Resources ' Fisheries explains. "That adds up to Division is under order ^ to nearly 4 million gallons of make an 80 per cent reduc• water a day. "Our permit because there is no way to "THAT IS the equivalent tion of the 0.2 parts-per-mil- gives us until July 1, 1976 to remove all of the compound of four tons of 20 per cent' lion of phosphorus now being tell the Water Resources from the effluent," he commercial phosphorus ferti• discharged from the Oden Commission how we're going stresses. "However, we're lizer a year going into the State-Fish Hatchery. to make the 80 per cent re• studying -alternatives — in• lake-each year," he says,.' By one vote Water .Re• duction from the 1972 dis• cluding shutting the hatchery "Reducing it to a pound a sources Commissioners'ap• charge of phosphorus." down.'" % day average — a maximum proved a' National Pollutant of a pound and a half — may Discharge Elimination Sys• ' HE STRESSES that Fish• TODY SAYS some states not be adequate." tem (NPDES) permitL'last eries has already converted — not Michigan —".and the However, Courchaine ad• week which gives the Fisher• two raceways into sediment U.SJ pish .and Wildlife Ser• mits the Fisheries Division ies ^Division six months to settling ponds and that settle- vice and private growers are faces a difficult challenge — come up with a plan or ,shut able solids from fish byprod• petitioning the U.S. Environ• it's virtually impossible to re-' the hatchery down. ^ ucts and wasted food can be mental Protection' Agency move 80 per cent of the infin• removed. for a different standard for itesimal amount chemically BR. WAYNE Tody, Fishr "But removing 80 per cent hatcheries. as in municipal waste water, eries chief, says he doesn't" of 0.2 parts-per-mlllion is a treatment. The only obvious know if It is technologically virtual impossibility," • he "There's simply no tech• alternatives are land disposal possible ' or economically says. "And reducing produc• nology to get out 80 per cent or reduction of production, feasible to remove 80 per. tion — the hatchery produces when you start with such a and a combination-of -treat• cent of an already Infinitesi• 10 per cent of our cold water low level,"- he says. ments. . mal amount of phosphorus fish — to meet the federal "Unless," he -quips, j He'admits his staff has not' going. into Antrim County's standards by July 1, 1977, "someone can figure how to yet had an opportunity to ev• Crooked Lake. would probably make it un• feed fish on the land.". aluate effects of the recently - feasible to continue operating However, Bob Courchaine, converted settling ponds. The hatchery, which raises the facility." Water Quality Control Divi• And he explains that a kev 30,000; pounds about • 1.2 "This problem of strict en• sion chief, says the 0.2 parts factor will be the nutrient million brown, rainbow .and vironmental, controls aimed per.million Fisheries is re• budget study for Crooked orook, trout finjgerlings — of at high phosphorus discharge leasing into Crooked Lake Lake now under way by Dr. ffsh a'year; is sitting on some' has become a national prob• averages five pounds a day John Gannon of the Univers• f the best ground, water lem of fish hatcheries — accumulating 1,500 to 2000 ity of Michigan biological re• quifers in'the state.. •. state, private and federal — pounds of phosphorus a year. search station at Pel 1st on. due to be completed April Charles Harris, chief of "yes" votes for the hatchery "How can we as a respon• the DNR Bureau of Resource' permit. sible state agency ten a com• • "DR. GANNON is studying Management and the DNR's munity or industry it has to the' effects of phosphorus dis• representative on the Water THE ODEN hatchery Is a meet standards if we don't charge from the hatchery on Resources Commission, ab• target of the Crooked Lake meet them ourselves?" he Crooked Lake and trying to stained from voting because Property Owners Association asks. "Ford Motor Co. and define the quantity of phos• of a conflict of interest — he because owners were re• the city of Ann Arbor aren't phorus the lake can safely is Tody's immediate supervi• cently forced to abandon sep• meeting standards yet either handle," he explains. "Lakes sor. With the death of Dr. tic systems and tie into a — there's no technology act as sinks for nutrients John Kitche) of Grand Haven new sewer — which the DNR available — but we're not which promote algae and leaving one post on the sev• viewed as too costly for the shutting them down. If we weed growth and are re-re• en-member WRC vacant, the hatchery. There are about have to, we'll ask for an ex• leased when the plants die "no" vote by William Col- 1,000 cottages around the tension.' • and sink to the bottom." burn, University of Michigan lake. However, as Harris "One method might still be professor from Ann Arbor, points out, tying into the tying in with the municipal Ron Willson, biologist in resulted in a minimum four the water quality appraisal municipal sewage system - waste system for Crooked section, says Crooked Lake is might have been less costly Lake," he aay*. "The water already in a stressed state in the long run. source, itself, Justifies a good and nutrients are tied up in- expenditure." algae arid rooted weeds, awuatic insects, bottom sedi• ments. -164- Petoskey News Review, February 13> 197& ers Hear More mm By PAULA HOLMES "Technically, they already have a freeway," Foster said. "I-Tft And the highway 'battle goes on. is their freeway, but the survey showed how they feel about It." The Emmet County Planning Commission received more input Dave Williams of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Com• about county residents' feelings on the proposed construction of a merce, was also at the meeting to present the results of a survey freeway in Northern Michigan Thursday. of area businessmen on the construction of the proposed freeway. Wffliam Foster, information scientist for the University of In the chamber survey, 55 people said they wanted a limited Michigan Biological Station on Douglas Lake, presented the access freeway in Emmet County and 59 people said they did not results of a survey conducted in Emmet County last summer. want the freeway in the county...... The survey, conducted by social scientists from the Institute for However, 100 people did want US 131 improved from Petoskey Social Research in Ann Arbor, included one question about the south while only 14 people did not want the improvements. And 93 highways, Foster said. people indicated that they would like to see U.S. 31 improved the survey found that of the 353 inland people surveyed, 23 north of Petoskey and 20 people said they did not favor Im• percent in the urban areas and 26 percent in the rural areas provements. " ' " V.l ::: ' ';S.;.- favored building a freeway. - - • - The planning commission has gone on record opposing cca- About 37 percent of the urban residents and 35 percent of the struction of a,freeway in the county.-Instead, the planning con>^ rural residents questioned in the survey favored widening the missioners have suggested that the state highway department^ roads and about 39 percent of the urban residents and 38 percent study the county's thoroughfare plan, which is a part of the of the rural residents wanted the roads left alone. county's comprehensive land use plan. . Foster said about one percent of the people in the survey had no The conimissloners have asked the state to pay special at• preference about the road situation. tention to construction of a corridor around Petoskey to the east, The scientist said in Cheboygan County, less than 10 percent of and extending it northerly just west of Coowa y and then the residents favored the building of a freeway. northeasterly to old US 31 bypassing Oden and Alanson. v. -165- THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE PELLSTON. MICHIGAN (61 6) 539 -8406 12 February 1976 MEMO TO: The Emmet County Planning Commission FROM: William L. Foster SUBJECT: Highways During the summer of 1975, social scientists from the Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor, as a part of our Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program, conducted a survey of 608 Emmet and Cheboygan County households. The 1975 survey concentrated on inland residents, those not covered in a 1974 survey of water-oriented residents. Because of sample design, social scientists feel the 353 household interviews conducted in Emmet County represent a cross section of inland resident opinion. Of the many questions asked during the hour-long interview, I thought the one per• taining to highways might be of interest at this time. The question: E10. One way of bringing more tourists to this county is to build a new freeway which makes it faster and easier for people to get here. Would you favor building a new freeway, widening existing roads coming into the region, or just leaving the roads around here as they are? 1. Build Freeway 2. Widen Roads 3. Leave Roads Alone ElOa. Why is that? The preliminary results: EMMET FAVORS: Urban Rural Building Freeway 23% 26$ Widening Roads 37% 35% Leave Roads Alone 39% 38% Number of respondent s 158 195 WLF:fh -166- Opposition to Mud Lake project dominates public hearing Mr. Herbert W. Link's permit request to continue ! Dr. Gannon supported his comments with scientific .dredging operations at Mud Lake met with opposition at a facts from a study he had made on the area. He also ex- "pubJic hearing held Tuesday, October 1, at the Tuscarora plained biological problems that would be created by Ibwnship Hall. . * ' residential growth stating, "The shorelands, even with r,: The public hearing was held at the request of Mr. Carl extensive filling, would be highly unsuitable for Burgtorf, Cheboygan County Zoning Administrator. It placement of a septic tank drainfield. Nutrient loading ?wai",conducted by David J. Haywood, from the Depart- from septic tanks would most probably cause obnoxious fmetit"- of Natural Resources Submerged Lands growths of algae and weeds in the already productive Management Section, Hydrological Survey Division. waters of this lake. Mud Lake would have to be dredged to cjihe purpose of the meeting, as set forth by- Haywood, a depth of 30 feet or more to alleviate obnoxious growth of was to review Mr. Link's plans and permit application, aquatic weeds." — , , ."We have to consider possible affects on surrounding ; During the course of the hearing, other prepared 'waters. If the dredging would impair or destroy the istatemenfs were read by Ole G. Lundio, Wendy O'Neil 'waters, no permit will be issued," Haywood stated. James and Katheryn Bricker, all fromThffTJw^ Mr. Link, of Detroit, spoke first at the hearing and Biological Station. All were opposed to the proposed1 explained that his purpose for dredging Mud Lake would project and recommended denial of the permit. be to beautify the area. Mud Lake is located on the north Mr. Lundin commented that he felt the permit should be ^side of the Indian River Spreads, next to 1-75. It is con- m A JulV( Natural Resources Com-! jiected with the Indian River by a channel. mission policy statement in which the NRC said they1 g... Mr. Link told the audience of about 50 people that he .wouid not 8Upp0rt "any upland development anywhere in! jx>ught, a dredge and got a previous permit to pump out the the State that will threaten the capacity of our land and' lake in 1968. Since that time he has dredged parts of the water resources...In particular, upland channel projects' lake but the original permit expired. on our inland lakes and streams will not be approved if the Link said that he owned 150 acres around, and including, proposed development will cause over-crowding or over-.! the lake. He also explained that he had hoped to deepen use of the adjacent waters." the lake to around eight feet. It is presently two feet deep In addition to statements by the people from the in most areas. Biological Station, other comments were made by' Following Mr. Link's statements, Zoning Administrator representatives of area property owners' associations,' Carl Burgtorf explained that he requested the hearing local sportsmen and also, Mr. Mike Kavanaugh, County ; because he questioned details in the proposed plans. "I Sanitarian, who said he would not issue permits for septic , want to get facts that would support issuance of the systems because the area was, ''unsuitable for ; permit. My purposehere is to get information," Burgtorf development." •, stated. • The DNR officials from Lansing tape recorded the He also explained that a map drawn for the permit hearings for further study to determine their decision on application did not contain any scale nor indication of the the permit application. Their decision is expected to be depth of dredging or where the dredged material would be announced after the first of the year, according to placed. Burgtorf also stated that Link's map showed a Haywood. He did not give away indication of the Q.N.R.'s double row of residential lots around two-thirds of the lake oosition after hearing the.public's comments, and, the name of the area changed to Lake Marina. --^'Because this is one of the finest natural areas in the State of Michigan, a judgement can't be made without jdaga on y$ impact Of the project," Burgtorf stated. •|!Dr. John E. Gannon, a resident scientist at the (University of Michigan Biological Station, at Douglas iLake, expressed his opposition to the project stressing that, "Human development on Mud Lake would not only have adverse effects on the environmental quality in Mud Lake but could have undesirable impact on Mullett Lake by way of the interconnecting channel to Indian River." J &Ucu& TKO^s sorfLt ~AjLd ?*Jt- CX^Z^aaaj 1 -891- -169- TH E UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 4»7» (610) BS0.S4O0 DAVID H. OATEB. DIRECTOR 2 December 1976 Ms. Realtors Petoskey, MI 49770 Dear Ms. I am most interested in the recent increase in phone calls I have received from realtors and prospective buyers of lake-oriented property. I think it must indicate a more acute awareness of and demand for a quality environment by the public. Inland lakes truly are, in a sense, like people with different characteristics and attributes. Some are suited for certain types of recreational activ• ities while others are not. Lakes differ in their susceptibility to change by human development. I received several calls this past summer from prospective buyers who were interested in waterfront property on lakes in northern lower Michigan that were radically different from one another. In these cases, I feel that my comments on the lakes' overall ecological at• tributes weighed more heavily in the buyers1 decisions than the actual pieces of property involved. However, in the case of Walloon vs. Crooked Lakes, water quality and recreational potentials are greatly similar and, therefore, the particular pieces of property will probably most greatly influence the buyer's decision. Enclosed is a copy of our Walloon Lake Profile. This publication was designed to provide information on the ecological characteristics ' of the lake in layman's language. I hope you and your potential buyer find it informative. Unfortunately, we do not have a similar profile completed for Crooked Lake. Consequently, I offer the follow• ing statement concerning the two lakes. Walloon Lake has the highest water quality of all lakes in Emmet and Cheboygan Counties. It has high water clarity, low algal tur• bidity, low abundance of aquatic weeds, and adequate supplies of dissolved oxygen throughout the water column yearround. Walloon Lake is deep and supports what fishery biologists call a "two-story" fishery. Warmwater species such as bass, pike, and perch thrive in the upper shallow,warm waters and coldwater species such as trout and cisco occur in the cold, deep bottom waters. However, the lake is relatively low in aquatic production. Other more productive lakes produce greater numbers of fish per unit area. There is a trade• off here; people generally appreciate the better fishing in a more productive lake but usually do not like the turbid water, weeds, and bottom residues that are associated with higher production. -170- Ms. Page 2 2 December 1976 Crooked Lake also has a good water quality but it is not as high as Walloon Lake. Crooked Lake generally has lower water clarity, higher algal turbidity and more aquatic weeds than Walloon Lake. , Crooked Lake is shallower (maximum depth 61 ft.; average depth 9,8 ft.) than Walloon Lake (maximum depth 100 ft.; mean depth 28.9 ft.). Consequently, oxygen depletion occurs in the bottom waters of Crooked Lake during summer and during some winters. Crooked Lake does not have a "two-story" fishery but its shallow warmwaters support an excellent population of bluegill, bass, pike, walleye, and perch. Crooked Lake had a problem of domestic pollution along the US-31 shoreline. This has been corrected by installation of a sewer in that region. Plans for sewering the rest of the lake are currently progressing. Both lakes are large (Walloon and Crooked Lakes are respectively the 26th and 36th largest inland lakes in Michigan) and offer a variety of quality recreational activities. Beaches and bottom slopes are predominately good for swimming and other shore-oriented activities. Boating (power and sail) and fishing are popular in both lakes. Boaters in Crooked Lake have access to other large and recreationally important inland lakes and the Straits of Mackinac through the Inland Water Route while boaters in Walloon Lake, are "lake-locked". Both lakes have lake property owners associations that are active in preservation of environmental quality and other riparian interests. I hope this information will be of some use to you and your pro• spective client. Sincerely yours, John E. Gannon Research Scientist JEG: jm Enclosure -171- THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN BIOLOGICAL STATION. DOUGLAS LAKE ANN ARBOR. MICHIGAN 48104 I 3 I 3 I 763-44161 . GATES. DIRECTOR ADDRESS. JUNE 15 TO SEPTEMBER t PELLSTON. MICHIGAN 4B74» February 25 » 1976 Dear Friend: As you know, for the past three years the Biological Station and the Institute for Social Research have been conducting a program of environmental research in northern lower Michigan. We are very interested in making the findings available and useful to people in the area. One way we have tried to do this is through the series called the Lakeland Reports which have been sent to you and others interested in this research program. Thus far, eight issues of the report have been sent'out. At this time, we'd like to get some idea of how you feel about the Lakeland Reports. If we're missing the mark in any way, we would like to know it in order to do a better job in the future. We are asking you and a representative cross - section of others on the mailing list to give us your candid opinions - about the Lakeland Reports, using the enclosed, questionnaire. It is very important to receive as many completed question• naires as possible, so we've asked only a few questions and have included a stamped, self-addressed envelope for your convenience. We would appreciate hearing from you soon. If we haven't received your questionnaire within the next week or so, we'll be glad to send you a reminder. The number in the lower right- hand corner of this letter is a mailing number for this purpose. It will be cut off when the completed questionnaire reaches us.. Thank you for your help. Sincerely yours, David M. Gate^ Professor of Botany and Director DMG/kb Enclosures February 25, 1976 LAKELAND REPORI Prepared for residents of Lmmel and Cheboygan Counties . by the University of Michigan Biological Station, Doug/as Lane . . . s, sored by, the National Science Foundation -- Research Applied to National Needs (R 0 LAKELAND REPORT EVALUATION For your use in completing this questionnaire, we have listed below the numbers and topics of each of the Lakeland Reports published to date. The questions will refer to each report by number only. 2 An overview of the research program, plus information on "soap suds11 and "algae bloom" 2 Selected findings from the 197** survey of water-oriented residents, plus information on lake overturn Shoreline Development Factor Lakeland 3 Report L\ Lake structure and sensitivity, watershed area Number 5 Wetlands 6 Attitudes about growth 7 Seasonal changes in lake temperature and oxygen conditions 8 Nutrients from human use Note: To answer questions 1-8, please circle the appropriate answer for each Lakeland Report Lakeland Report Number l 2 3 4 5.6 8 Not every one on our mailing list has received all the issues of the Lakeland Report. Which issues have you received? (circle one answer for each report) (a) have recei ved (b) have not received (c) don 11 remember Which issues have you read? (circle one for each report) (a) have read (b) have not read (c) don11 remember Lakeland Report Evaluation -173- Lakeland Report Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3. How carefully have you read each issue? (a) very careful study (b) once through fairly carefully (c) once through casually (d) don't remember reading How i nterest ing has each issue been to you? (a) very interesting (b) mode rately i nterest i ng (c) slightly interesting (d) not at all interesting (e) don't remember 5. How useful do you think the information in each Lakeland Report might be to you in your activities! (a) very useful (b) moderately useful (c) s 1 ightly usefu1 (d) not at all useful (e) don't know 6. How useful do you think this information might be to public officials in making decisions about the environment in northern Michigan? (a) very useful a (b) moderately useful b (c) si i ght ly useful c (d) not at al1 useful d (e) don't know e 7. Have you passed along any of the reports to others not i n your immediate family? (a) yes (b) no (c) don 11 remember 8. Have you discussed any of the information in these reports with anyone not in your immed' i ate fami ly? (a) yes (b) no (c) don't remember PLEASE CONTINUE ON OTHER SIDE Lakeland Report Evaluation -Mh- P- 3 9- Are there any aspects of the Lakeland Reports on which you have opinions you'd like to express, such as the type of information included, the style of presentation, or the depth of coverage? 10. How useful do you think the Lakeland Report series, taken.as a whole, might be to you in your activities? (check one) [ I very useful moderately useful si ightly useful not at al1 useful don't know 11. How useful do you think this series as a whole might be to public officiate in making decisions about the environment in northern Michigan? • very useful moderately useful siightly useful not at all useful don 11 know 12. In order to make sure our information fits our readership as well as possible, we'd like to know a little about you. (Please check any of the boxes that describe you) • seasonal resident of northern Michigan year-round resident of northern Michigan property owner on inland lake or navigable river in northern Michigan member of lake association or conservation group in northern Michigan member of planning or zoning commission or board in northern Michigan i local government official or employee in northern Michigan state or Federal government official or employee CRUSK