Saving Lake St

Saving Lake St. Clair A Water Quality Webquest PURPLE

by Chris Geerer

Introduction

It’s the year 2025. Lake St. Clair beaches are closed to swimmers. Fish is unsafe to eat. A foul smell wafts over Grosse Pointe when winds blow off the lake. Boaters no longer boat. Marinas have gone out of business. Restaurants are closed. Unable to drink tap water, residents are forced to buy drinking water imported from northern Canada at a high cost. Incidents of various cancers have increased 200% in Macomb and Wayne counties.

The Task

While this hasn’t happened yet, this scenario is the future of Lake St. Clair if YOU and other members of the imaginary Lake St. Clair Watershed Management Committee don’t come up with a plan to reduce pollution in the lake. It is up to your group to present a plan, using Google Slides, to your classmates. You’ll describe the watershed, sources of pollution, monitoring methods, and recommendations to prevent the lake from becoming a big pond of wastewater. Your presentation should include:

1. Whole Group: Introduction: Who are you, and what is the purpose of your presentation? What do you want your audience to learn from your presentation? List at least three things.

2. Geographer/Historian:

a. What are some of the indicators that we still have problems with the lake? Include info on fish consumption advisories, which come from contaminated sediments, as well as pathogens, which come from sewage and farm runoff. What are some of the things we can’t do now with Lake St. Clair, that we could do if it was really clean?

b. Land usage – what is the land in the Lake St. Clair watershed used for? Why is it so hard to keep Lake St. Clair clean? (How do population, cities, and farming contribute to water pollution?)

c. What is the Clean Water Act? How has the CWA and other Great Lakes agreements impacted the lakes? What were the lakes like before 1972? How have they improved? What do we have left to fix? (Be brief.)

3. Ecologist:

a. What are contaminated sediments? How did they get there, and why should we care? How do they affect human health? What can be done to clean up contaminated sediments? Why isn’t it being done? Focus on mercury and PCBs.

b. Have we lost wetlands in Michigan? How does that affect water quality? What current regulations are in place for Michigan wetlands? Do you think they are enough?

c. How do invasive species affect the Great Lakes ecosystem? How do they affect people? What is currently being done to control invasive species? Give several examples.

4. Environmental Scientist:

a. How can we test, scientifically, to see if the water is clean? Describe: 1. dissolved oxygen 2. fecal coliform (e. coli) 3. turbidity 4. Nitrates and phosphates

Tell what they measure, and what it means to the health of the lake, if the results aren’t good.

b. Tell about Lake St. Clair’s biggest pollution problems: 1. Polluted run-off 2. Sewage overflows Where do they come from? Are they point or nonpoint? Describe how each of these sources of pollution gets into the lake and describe the problems they cause for people and organisms in the lake.

5. Whole Group: Describe what is currently being done to improve water quality in Lake St. Clair. Make at least four clear, detailed recommendations to reduce or prevent pollution.

6. Whole Group: What good results will we see from your recommendations? Some of the recommendations will cost money. Tell why individuals, governments, or businesses should spend this money.

7. Whole Group: Include a list of all the internet sites you used.

The Process

1. You will be part of a team of three professionals. The geographer should research watershed location, land use, and how Lake St. Clair impacts our lives. The ecologist should research water quality monitoring tests, wetland loss and invasive species. The environmental scientist should explain the biggest pollution threats. Each professional must keep a list of internet sites used.

2. Complete your research and your slides. Merge.

3. Together, decide on four recommendations. Explain exactly how you would go about putting them into action. Then discuss why these ideas are good for everyone. Explain why it will be worth spending the money.

4. Make your list of internet sites used.

5. Practice your presentation.

6. Present it to the class. Resources

Why Care About Lake St. Clair? http://www.great-lakes.net/lakes/stclairReport/summary_00.pdf scroll down to page 8 and 9 for good descriptions of Lake St. Clair and its pollution problems

Watershed Maps/Land Usage http://www.crwc.org/watershed/ What is a watershed? http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module01/whatiswatershed.htm What is a watershed? http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/whatis.cfm What is a watershed? http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/rivers/shed.htm What is a watershed? http://www.glc.org/stclair/map.html map of entire Lake St. Clair watershed, including Canada http://www.crwc.org/watershed/subwatersheds/index.html map of the subwatersheds draining into Lake St. Clair http://www.crwc.org/watershed/subwatersheds/lakestclair.html map of our subwatershed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Saint_Clair_%28North_America%29 Lake St. Clair facts and figures http://www.great-lakes.net/lakes/ref/stclfact.html Lake St. Clair facts and figures http://www.crwc.org/watershed/whatiscrwc.html Clinton River watershed map http://cfpub1.epa.gov/surf/huc.cfm?huc_code=04090003 -map of Clinton River watershed http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/images/big07.gif land usage http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-027-01/index.html how do people affect water quality http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/images/big12.gif population map http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/urbanpop.html how an increase in population affects water quality http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/urbanquality.html Effects of urbanization (cities) on water quality http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/urbanrun.html how urban (city) land usage affects water quality http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/consumption/index.html fish consumption advisories http://www.michigan.gov/documents/FishAdvisory03_67354_7.pdf fish consumption advisory http://www.great-lakes.net/humanhealth/fish/index.html Fish consumption advisories http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module21/Cost.htm Clean Water Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Water_Act Clean Water Act http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-1640-52115--,00.html Clean Water Act http://www.hillsdalecounty.info/planningeduc0122.asp Clean Water Act http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water4.html Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and International Joint Commission (hint: POP means persistent organic pollutant, like contaminated sediments!) http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/atlas/glat-ch5.html Great Lakes agreements http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water5.html Improvements in Lake Erie since 1960’s http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/08/30/lake-erie-algae_n_3838574.html Lake Erie’s Dead Zone 2013

Types of Pollution

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module02/Pathogens.htm What are pathogens? http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/waterq3/WQpollution1.html definition of point and nonpoint http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/aoc/aoc2.html – where water pollution comes from http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/pollution/04nonpointsource.html nonpoint source pollution http://wwwga.usgs.gov/edu/urbanrun.html polluted runoff http://www.ncstormwater.org/pages/stormwater_faqspage.html#stormrunoff storm water runoff pollution http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/waterq3/WQpollution3.html farm runoff http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/waterq3/WQpollution4.html sewage http://www.cityofbremerton.com/content/cso_csos.html combined sewage overflow animation http://www.deq.state.mi.us/csosso/events_by_county.asp? lstCounty=50&cmdSubmit=Submit Recent sewage overflows in Macomb County (Clinton River Watershed) http://www.deq.state.mi.us/csosso/events_by_rw.asp?lstRW=18&cmdSubmit=Submit Recent sewage overflows into the Milk River http://www.great-lakes.net/beachcast/faq.html what is e. coli? http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module02/MaterialsthatEnhanceBiologicalActivity.htm Too much nutrients (fertilizers) in runoff http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module21/WWTreatmentProcess.htm Wastewater treatment process http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module21/title.htm Tech Alive module; describes wastewater treatment process (sewage) http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module21/CombinedSeparateSewers.htm Combined sewage overflow http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module21/RuralTreatment-Lagoons.htm septic tank description

Contaminated Sediments http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module02/title.htm Tech Alive module, explains heavy metals and POPs http://www.great-lakes.net/humanhealth/fish/critical.html contaminated sediments (focus on mercury and PCBs) http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water3.html info on heavy metals (mercury) and Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPs) like PCBs http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/cs/aboutcs/manage.html how to “fix” contaminated sediments (POPs)

Wetlands

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module12/title.htm Tech Alive module; describes the importance of wetlands, lists wetland loss in Michigan and describes wetland laws http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/vital/people.html#quality - How wetlands affect water quality http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/wqhydrology.html wetlands and water quality http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/wetlands/index.htm why are wetlands important http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_22664-61132--,00.html#Threats loss of wetlands in Michigan http://www.michiganltap.org/sites/ltap/files/workshops/materials/8%20Losee%20- %20Wetland%20Requirements.pdf Download this PowerPoint for information on Michigan wetlands

Invasive Species http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module08/ExoticSpecies_b.htm Tech Alive series on Great Lakes ecosystems http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/flora-fauna/invasive/invasive.html Great Lakes invasives http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/invasive Great Lakes invasive species http://www.great-lakes.org/exotics.html More Great Lakes invasive species info

Monitoring/Plans http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/FS/fs-027-01/index.html why monitor for water quality? http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module05/title.htm Tech Alive module; describes how to monitor stream health http://eeweek.org/assets/files/Water%20Quality%20Testing/Water%20Quality %20Parameters.pdf water quality tests – dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, turbidity, and e. coli http://www.fivecreeks.org/monitor/do.html dissolved oxygen info http://pathfinderscience.net/stream/cp4do.cfm dissolved oxygen http://pathfinderscience.net/stream/cp4turb.cfm turbidity http://www.fivecreeks.org/monitor/turbidity.html turbidity info http://pathfinderscience.net/stream/cp4fc.cfm fecal coliform http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/waterq3/WQassess3g.html fecal coliform (e. coli) info http://www.state.ky.us/nrepc/water/wcpfcol.htm what is fecal coliform and why do we test for it? http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/water/swimwater.aspx e. coli testing http://www.macombdaily.com/government-and-politics/20131129/macomb-county-gets- bulk-of-state-money-for-beach-testing New e. coli test gives immediate results – to be tested in Lake St. Clair this year http://www.great-lakes.net/lakes/stclairReport/summary_00.pdf scroll down to page 9 and 10 for what’s being done to save Lake St. Clair http://www.glc.org/stclair/index.html#comprehensive Lake St. Clair management plan http://www.glc.org/stclair/documents/mpudate1.pdf Lake St. Clair plan update

Recommendations http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/nps_edu/pdf/stop.pdf ideas to prevent nonpoint pollution http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/whatudo.cfm ways to prevent nonpoint pollution http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/pollution/016youcando.html what you can do to prevent nonpoint pollution http://www.in.gov/idem/nps/2487.htm ideas to prevent nonpoint pollution http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/ how/why to protect wetlands http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/wetlands.htm why protect wetlands http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/nps_edu/pdf/boat.pdf how boaters can keep the lake clean http://extension.usu.edu/waterquality/htm/bmps Best management practices for houses and farms

Evaluation

Omitted or Below Expectations (10Meets Expectations (12 Exceeds Expectations (14 Plagiarized (0 points) points) points) points)

Introduction None or text Most requirements Some requirements Explains the purpose of is obviously missing. missing. your presentation and lists cut and pasted at least three things the audience will learn

Geographer None or text Some requirements All requirements met. All requirements met and is obviously missing or incorrect. are clear, concise, and cut and pasted complete.

Ecologist None or text Some requirements All requirements met. All requirements met and is obviously missing or incorrect. are clear, concise, and cut and pasted complete.

Environmental Scientist None or text Some requirements All requirements met. All requirements met and is obviously missing or incorrect. are clear, concise, and cut and pasted complete.

Recommendations and None or text Some requirements All requirements met. All requirements met and Results is obviously missing or incorrect. are clear, concise, and cut and pasted complete.

List of Sources None Too few sources listed Most sources seem to be List appears complete listed Power Point Presentation Presentation Presentation lacked Presentation was Presentation was Skills not made to photos, too much text, interesting. Pictures, thoroughly enjoyable. the class or read from slides. diagrams, and photos Audience participation used for each slide. Readencouraged. from notes.

Conclusion

You are now an expert on local water quality issues! It is now your duty, as a citizen, to communicate your knowledge to your family, friends, and local governments when the opportunity arises. You can make a difference!