LimnoTech completed USEPA-approved nine-element watershed management plans for two agriculturally dominated areas in Southeast Michigan: the Upper Wolf Creek and Ottawa-Stony North watersheds.
Blue sky with white clouds in the horizon, a barn in the background with silos. Cows are grazing in a field in the forefront.

Location:
Southeast Michigan

Clients:
River Raisin Watershed Council (RRWC) and Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD)

Partners:
Loch Erin Property Owner’s Association and Monroe Conservation District (MCD)

Service Areas:

Our Expert:

  • Derek Schlea
  • Principal, Senior Agricultural & Ecological Engineer
  • dschlea@limno.com

Collaborating with the River Raisin Watershed Council (RRWC), Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD), and others, LimnoTech completed USEPA-approved nine-element watershed management plans for two agriculturally dominated areas in Southeast Michigan: the Upper Wolf Creek and Ottawa-Stony North watersheds.

The Challenge

Two rural watersheds in Southeast Michigan, the Upper Wolf Creek and Ottawa-Stony North, have experienced water quality impairments. Waterbodies in these basins have several unsupported uses, including fish consumption, partial and total body contact recreation due to high E. coli levels, and other indigenous aquatic life and wildlife (which means support for reproduction of indigenous animals, plants, and insects) because of elevated phosphorus loading leading to algal blooms in an inland lake (for Wolf Creek) and Lake Erie (for Ottawa-Stony North).

How We Helped

LimnoTech completed the development of USEPA-approved nine-element watershed management plans for the Upper Wolf Creek and Ottawa-Stony North watersheds. The project team, led by LimnoTech, included the local watershed council, a lake property owners association, and county conservation districts.

While working on the development of an approvable Section 319 nine-element plan, LimnoTech completed grant administration tasks and performed several technical tasks to help target specific Critical Source Areas (CSAs) that contribute to elevated bacteria and nutrient levels and to identify implementable solutions to improve water quality.

Specific tasks performed included:

  • Developing quality assurance project plans for performing agricultural inventory and water quality monitoring work.
  • Executing an agricultural inventory process developed by the state that included analyzing windshield survey data for patterns in tillage and residue, utilizing output from the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF), analyzing aerial imagery to identify priority livestock operations and areas for implementing riparian buffers, and developing a field prioritization hierarchy for identifying high-priority areas.
  • Supported monitoring for collecting streamflow and water quality data and analyzed datasets.
  • Based on the field prioritization work and mapping, a list of recommended BMPs and implementation strategies was developed to achieve the desired water quality outcomes.
  • Throughout the three-year process, LimnoTech maintained frequent communication with the state regulatory agency, the Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and other project partners, including county health departments, county drain commissioners, other public entities, and members of the farming community.

The watershed management plan serves as a guiding document for identifying stressors, prioritizing locations for restoration and protection, and recommending management actions to improve the water quality within the watershed.

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