Learning Opportunities - Land and Water Facts

News Flash: Emerald Ash Borer

Dr. Dave Roberts calls ash trees in SE Michigan "an endangered species." February 23, 2003 quotes in the Detroit News/Oakland Section: Glen Goldberg, Four Seasons Garden Center: "I am telling my clients not to invest or spend the money on treatment at this point. The reality is they should be turning their attention to getting rid of dead trees."

Tim Bannister, Birmingham homeowner - just removed 4 trees from his property and plans to remove 12 more. "residents should move beyond thoughts of saving the trees - and think instead about replacing them."

Trunk injection treatments cost $100 - $200 per tree and must be repeated each year -- and no pesticide has been proven effective. Trees need to be chopped into pieces less than an inch in diameter to make sure the beetles are killed. All of Oakland County is in the quarantine area - ash firewood cannot be removed.

Currently, tree species within the genus Fraxinus are considered threatened by the Emerald Ash Borer. Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and white ash (Fraxinus americana) seem to be affected most quickly, but infestation has also been confired in black ash (Fraxinus nigra). Mountain ash are not within the Fraxinus genus and are not listed as potential hosts. (info from Greening of Detroit).

There is much to learn and share with others. The costs to our county (residents, businesses, and public organizations) are already huge and are growing. This is a sad time for our forest resource in SE Michigan.

Resources:

Michigan Emerald Ash Borer Site
Michigan Dept. of Agriculture
Michigan Ash Borer Hotline - to report diseased ash: 866-325-0023

Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) and Conservation
(With material excerpted with permission from the 2002 Oakland County Potential Conservation/Natural Areas Report)

As the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy seeks to protect high-quality natural areas in Northwest Oakland County, a useful tool for prioritizing properties for preservation has been the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI). The MNFI has revealed over 700 high quality natural resource areas in Oakland County that still look and function the way they did 200 years ago. With the high rate of development and its associated stresses on the natural environment, conservation of these remaining areas is vital if the County’s diverse natural heritage is to be maintained.

These potential conservation areas are places on the landscape dominated by native vegetation. They may provide critical ecological services such as maintaining water quality and quantity, soil development and stabilization, pollination of cropland, wildlife travel corridors, stopover sites for migratory birds, sources of genetic diversity, and floodwater retention.

In 1987 the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI)1 was contracted by Oakland County to conduct the first inclusive natural area survey of Oakland County. Then, in 1997, a more comprehensive study, the Shiawassee & Huron Headwaters Resource Preservation Project (S&H Project) was initiated by six Oakland County municipalities2, in partnership with Oakland County Planning and Economic Development Services and with participation from NOHLC. From that project, a ranking system was developed. In 2001, MNFI was again contracted by Oakland County to make comparable data available for the entire county.

Depending on geographic location, the following criteria were used for the ranking of natural areas:

Size
Intactness
Upland/Wetland Complex
Core Area
Stream Corridor
Landscape Connectivity
Restorability
Element Occurrences (known quality natural communities & rare species)


Each site was ranked a Priority One or top priority, Priority Two, or Priority three.


Of the ranked sites in Oakland County, 37% were ranked Priority One; 20% were ranked Priority Two; and 42% were ranked Priority Three.

Many high-ranking areas are within the six northern tier townships served by the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy, (Brandon, Groveland, Holly, Independence, Rose and Springfield).

This data is being used by local units of government in land-use planning, by developers, and by conservancies such as NOHLC, as we seek to work together to maintain the County’s diverse natural heritage and water quality.

Based on findings from the S&H project, Springfield Township has developed a Native Vegetation Enhancement Project to help property owners make wise landscaping decisions that will help to maintain the natural diversity in their area. Information from the Project can be accessed through the EPA, at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/ecopage/springfieldtwp/index.html

Information about Michigan Native Plant Producers can be accessed at http://64.63.205.159/MNPPA.htm

Municipalities and interest groups using MNFI information should consult the Shiawassee & Huron Headwaters Resource Preservation Project study, where they will find tools and techniques for conserving natural resources while allowing for economically viable development. For additional information, go to http://www.co.oakland.mi.us/peds/program_service/ess.html

1 The Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) originated with a partnership between The Nature Conservancy and the Wildlife Division of the Department of Natural Resources. It is now under the auspices of Michigan State University’s Extension Service and the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division.

2 S&H Project Area: Highland, Milford, Rose, Springfield, and White Lake Townships, and the Village of Milford.

Watershed Information:
Watershed: A watershed is the geographic area of land that drains to a particular lake or pond or a particular river or stream. Watersheds, also called drainage basins or catchments, are defined by the natural topography of the landscape.

Subwatersheds: Like Chinese boxes, a watershed can be hierarchically organized into sub- watersheds, depending on scale.

Headwaters: Headwaters is where a creek or river starts. A headwaters can be a spring, a lake or a wetland.

The Shiawassee River Task Force (SRTF) has a stewardship plaque for residents who meet Home*A*Syst requirements. Call (248) 634-3513 for information.

Click here for information on Brandon Township headwaters and watersheds.

From Lake Watershed Management, Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources

Why Should I Be Concerned About the Watershed?
We all drink water and all water is interconnected. Surface water and groundwater are linked and both are drinking water sources in our area. Although there are organisms living in the soil that filter out some contaminants, they cannot do it all. If widespread contamination occurs, wildlife, plant life, and eventually we are affected. Poor land-use and lack of planning limit our water-related recreational opportunities.

A watershed’s ‘drainage system’ includes storm drains from urban areas. These additional man-made outlets quickly add pollution from parking lots, streets, and neighborhood yards to the natural bodies of water in our watershed.

From the Flint River Watershed Coalition’s Membership Brochure

Sources of pollution or water quality degradation in a Watershed
There are two routes whereby pollutant sources reach surface water. These are c1assified as point or non-point sources. Point sources are those that are discharge through a pipe, such as sanitary or storm sewer outlets. Non-point sources are those that flow into surface waters over land or through groundwater and are not concentrated at a single point, such as fertilizers or sediment.

Some of the primary sources that degrade water quality include:

• Fertilizer (mostly phosphorus) application on farms, golf courses and lawns

• Sedimentation from agricultural practices and building sites that leave soil exposed to wind and water erosion. Sediment not only reduces the clarity of water, but nutrients are attached to the sediment particles. Therefore, with erosion and deposition of sediment comes the influx of nutrients that impair surface water quality.

• Nutrients from septic systems that leach into groundwater and then discharge into surface waters.

• Runoff from commercial or industrial sites that contain sediments, nutrient loaded dusts, salts and petrochemical products.