FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

 

LAKE RESTORATION INITIATIVE (LRI)

“Our lake, our property, our responsibility”

 

·       WHY DO PAW PAW LAKE PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE TO PAY…WHY NOT THE GOVERNMENT?

o      Federal and State grants are virtually nonexistent. Coloma and Watervliet Townships have limited funding. Berrien County has agreed to look into cleaning and repairing the Branch Darby Drain, a major source of increased sediment and nutrients, but not in the near future. The drain repair will help long-term, but weed control and dredging are needed now.

 

·       WHY DON’T WE MAKE EVERYONE WHO USES PAW PAW LAKE, INCLUDING FISHERMEN AND DAY-BOATERS, PAY FOR THIS?

o      The State of Michigan declares that all inland lakes are property of the State and are to be used by their residents at their will. The State will not allow any fees to be charged for use of the lake.

 

·       I UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO FIX THE WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS OF THE LAKE, BUT WHY DO WE NEED A SPECIAL ASSESSMENT TO DO IT?

o      The cost estimate to clean up the lake is more than $3.5M. There are no available sources of Federal, State or local funding. In order to make it affordable to the people who will benefit most from lake improvement, riparian property owners, the costs need to be shared by all of the approximately 850 riparian property owners. If all who benefit share in the cost, it is more affordable for all.

 

·       WHY TO WE HAVE TO DO THIS NOW?

o      We don’t. BUT, the Spicer study indicated that the water quality deterioration in Paw Paw Lake is accelerating. The longer we wait, the bigger the problem and the more expensive it will become to fix.

 

·       WHY ARE WE SO SURE THAT THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE OUR WEED AND CLARITY PROBLEMS?

o      The Paw Paw Lake Foundation funded a $50,000 lake management study in early 2007. The Spicer Group, a premier aquatic engineering company, published their results early this year. Their top three recommendations for improving the quality of the lake were to: implement an entire lake weed control program, remove the bottom sediments where practical, and reduce nutrient flow into the lake from lawns and county drains.

 

·       WILL THIS ENHANCE MY PROPERTY VALUES?

o      Absolutely!  A weed-free lake with improved water quality will definitely improve everyone’s property value.

 

·       WILL IT RESULT IN RAISED PROPERTY TAXES?

o      Over time, if your property value increases so will your assessed valuation. But, in Michigan, your taxable valuation can only increase as much as the Consumer Price Index.

 

·       IS CHEMICAL TREATMENT SAFE?

o      Any chemical that is put into the lake must be approved by the Michigan Department of Environment Quality (MDEQ). The chemical being explored is called SONAR. It has been tested for over 20 years, used in hundreds of lakes, is approved by the MDEQ, and is safe for fish, aquatic fowl and humans. Other options are also being explored.

 

  • WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO BEGIN SEEING RESULTS?

o      In other lakes that were treated with SONAR, 95% of the Eurasian milfoil (EM) (the weed that floats to the top of the water and is all over the lake) was 95% eliminated the first year. By the second year the EM was completely eliminated. After bottom sediment dredging has been completed, water clarity improvement should be seen immediately.

 

  • I DON’T HAVE WEEDS, WHY SHOULD I PAY?

o      A few properties may not have weeds, but as everyone knows, there are weeds across most of the shoreline and in many other locations throughout the entire lake. AND, the condition is getting worse every year. The proposed weed control program will eliminate weeds from the entire lake.

 

  • WHY WILL THIS TAKE FIVE TREATMENTS OR MORE?

o      If Sonar or a similar treatment is determined to be the best solution, then each year after the initial treatment, a “booster” or “mini” treatment is required to keep the chemical parameters at the required level to control new weed growth.

 

  • WILL THIS GET RID OF THE WEEDS FOREVER?

o      Yes, as long as the mini treatments are continued.

  

  • WILL THE CHEMICALS WE USE KILL ALL THE VEGETATION?

o      One of the chemicals under consideration is SONAR, it targets Eurasian milfoil but it also kills some other weeds the first year. However, in other lakes that were treated the “good” weeds were healthy and growing back in the second year.

  

·       HOW LONG AFTER TREATMENT CAN I USE LAKE WATER TO IRRIGATE?

o      When treatment is done, notices will be mailed to all property owners and signs will be posted notifying every one of details for irrigation.

 

·       WILL THE NEW CHEMICALS IMPACT MY WELL?

o      No. The treatment is approved by the MDEQ

  

·       WHY DO WE HAVE TO DREDGE?

o      We don’t. BUT, bottom sediments are loaded with nutrients. Nutrients contribute to the accelerated weed growth, and sediments cloud the water contributing to the poor water clarity.

 

·       WHERE WILL YOU DREDGE?

o      If dredging is approved as part of the assessment, spot dredging will be done at the most critical areas of the lake.  Six locations on the lake that are critical and need dredging have been identified: the east end of  Sherwood Bay and the east end of the bay near the Paw Paw River, Ellinee Bay, areas near the Yacht Club and the Branch Darby drain and an area on the northern side of the south part of the lake.

 

  • WHY ARE THESE AREAS THE WORST?
    • These are the places where weeds and other suspended solids get carried by prevailing winds and water flow.

 

  • MY PLACE IS NOT AT ONE OF THESE AREAS. WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR THIS DREDGING?
    • The sediment material in these areas comes from all over the lake. Just like weeds it’s all our responsibility to improve our lake, wherever it is needed.

 

  • WILL DREDGING ELIMINATE WEEDS?
    • Nothing will entirely eliminate weeds. In fact, there are many good weeds that we do not want to eliminate. However, dredging will remove most of the nutrients that promote fast, dense weed growth.

 

  • THERE ARE THICK WEEDS ELSEWHERE IN THE LAKE. WHY NOT DREDGE THERE?
    • Weeds will grow in shallow areas even when there is no thick sediment, when sufficient nutrients exist. This is why we need a comprehensive solution that includes weed control, dredging and drain improvement.
    • In many areas of the Lake the bottom is sand, clay or some other firm material and cannot be dredged.

  

  • ARE THESE CONDITIONS NEW? I WAS AWARE OF THE WEEDS BUT NOT THE SEDIMENT PROBLEMS. WHY HAVE WE NOT BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THIS EARLIER?
    • The Lake Association and Lake Foundation have been concerned about the sediment issue for several years. However, until the 2007 Spicer Study, we did not have specific data regarding the scope and locations of the major problems. With this data we can begin to reduce and better manage the sediment/nutrient problem.

 

  • HOW LONG WILL THE EFFECTS OF THIS DREDGING LAST?
    • It has taken many, many years to get the Lake to where it is today. We have not dredged to any appreciable extent before. We believe that we should not have to re-dredge these areas again for many generations to come.

 

·       WHY IS DREDGING SO EXPENSIVE?

o      It is an extensive process. Large volumes of sediments need to be vacuumed from the lake bottom hydraulically and pumped miles away to be dumped at a collection site.

  

·       WILL CLEANING UP THE LAKE LEAD TO BETTER FISHING AND FISH HABITAT?

o      Yes, we believe so. Fewer dead weeds on the bottom of the lake should increase the dissolved oxygen level at the bottom of the lake. Higher oxygen levels are good for the fish.

 

·       I DON’T OWN A BOAT OR FISH, HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT ME?

o      Swimming conditions will improve. The lake will have a better overall appearance and your property value will increase.        

 

·        WILL THIS PROJECT ELIMINATE “TRASH” FISH SUCH AS CARP?

o      No.

 

·       WILL THE WATER CLARITY IMPROVE?

o      Yes.

  

·       WHAT IS MY COST?

o     Each single family and commercial property will be assessed $255 per year and multiple family properties or properties that have shared riparian access to the lake will be assessed $130 per year. The assessment will be for 20 year.  Those property owners who have paid for weed treatment by the Paw Paw Lake Association will no longer have that expense.  The average amount paid has been $150.

 

·       IF THE PETITION REQUEST REQUIRES APPROVAL FROM THE TOWNSHIPS, CAN IT CAUSE POLITICAL ISSUES FOR OFFICIALS THAT ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE?

o      The petition requests will not be submitted to the Townships for their approval until after the primary election.

 

·       HOW CAN BE SURE THE TOWNSHIPS WILL USE THE FUNDS FOR LAKE IMPROVEMENTS?

o    By state law, the Townships must use the funds as designated in the petitions submitted requesting the establishment of the assessment districts. The petitions will designate the funds to be used for specific Paw Paw Lake improvements such as a permanent whole lake weed control program, bottom sediment dredging, and other lake improvements.

 

  • WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

o      More that thirty years ago our lake was saved by the installation of a sewer system. If this has not been done, none of us would be living on the lake today. Back then, as now, our lake was in serious trouble. The sewer helped to improve the lake quality and raise property values. Adopting the LRI plan will clean up the lake for generations to come. This is important to all of us…our families, our friends… everyone who loves Paw Paw Lake.

 

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