06-11-2005, 09:42 PM
As warm weather begins to emerge in southeast Michigan, staff members at the Clinton River Watershed Council are holding a series of public meetings to increase awareness about how to maintain healthy water quality on and off the water during the summer.
Lakes area residents are invited to attend a meeting on May 4, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Independence Oaks County Park, located at 9501 Sashabaw Road. Those interested in attending can call 248-625-6437 to register.
A May 21 meeting is also scheduled to take place from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Drayton Plains Nature Center, located at 2125 Denby in Waterford Township. Individuals can call 248-674-2119 to register.
The meetings will include discussions about how everyday actions, such as landscaping, gardening, septic maintenance and other off-water activities influence the health of the watershed. The council will discuss past local water quality problems and highlight current efforts to restore and protect the watershed.
The council also kicked off its second annual Clean Boating Campaign earlier this spring. The campaign is a partnership between the Anchor Bay Yachting Association, the Marine Environmental Education Foundation (MEEF) and the Clinton River Watershed Council.
Although the campaign focused chiefly on Lake St. Clair boaters, there are also over 80,000 registered watercraft in Oakland County.
"Protecting our water quality is up to each of us," said Dave Staudt, chairman of the MEEF's Dockwalkers program. "Boaters like to boat, fish and swim in clean water."
The campaign aims to keep local rivers and lakes free of garbage, trash and other debris and contaminants during the boating season.
Tips for boaters include keeping gas and oil out of local lakes by following proper boat fueling procedures and maintenance.
According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), one pint of used oil can cover one acre of surface water and kill sensitive marine creatures. The same pint may also be highly toxic, and contain heavy metals and chemicals.
The DEQ suggests filling fuel tanks slowly when at a marina, and to leave the tank at least 5 percent empty, since fuel expands at warmer temperatures.
Boaters should also avoid using solvents or toxic chemicals to clean engine parts. Products such as degreasers may dry the natural oil fish need for their gills to take in oxygen.
When cleaning watercraft, the DEQ suggests using phosphate-free, chlorine-free products that are biodegradable, in order to keep lakes and rivers healthy.
A watershed is the area of land that captures rain or snowmelt and eventually drains it into a lake, river or stream. There are five major river watersheds in Oakland County, including the Clinton, Huron, Flint, Shiawassee and Rouge. Each is made up of several smaller subwatersheds.
The Clinton River watershed covers 760 square miles, with the Clinton Main Subwatershed covering approximately 70 square miles, including Pontiac Creek, Galloway Creek and a portion of the Clinton River. The Clinton Main Subwatershed includes the communities of Auburn Hills, Bloomfield Township, Keego Harbor, Lake Angelus, Oakland Township, Orchard Lake Village, Waterford Township and West Bloomfield Township.
[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Kevin%20Elliott&-nothing"]Kevin Elliott[/url]
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Lakes area residents are invited to attend a meeting on May 4, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Independence Oaks County Park, located at 9501 Sashabaw Road. Those interested in attending can call 248-625-6437 to register.
A May 21 meeting is also scheduled to take place from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Drayton Plains Nature Center, located at 2125 Denby in Waterford Township. Individuals can call 248-674-2119 to register.
The meetings will include discussions about how everyday actions, such as landscaping, gardening, septic maintenance and other off-water activities influence the health of the watershed. The council will discuss past local water quality problems and highlight current efforts to restore and protect the watershed.
The council also kicked off its second annual Clean Boating Campaign earlier this spring. The campaign is a partnership between the Anchor Bay Yachting Association, the Marine Environmental Education Foundation (MEEF) and the Clinton River Watershed Council.
Although the campaign focused chiefly on Lake St. Clair boaters, there are also over 80,000 registered watercraft in Oakland County.
"Protecting our water quality is up to each of us," said Dave Staudt, chairman of the MEEF's Dockwalkers program. "Boaters like to boat, fish and swim in clean water."
The campaign aims to keep local rivers and lakes free of garbage, trash and other debris and contaminants during the boating season.
Tips for boaters include keeping gas and oil out of local lakes by following proper boat fueling procedures and maintenance.
According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), one pint of used oil can cover one acre of surface water and kill sensitive marine creatures. The same pint may also be highly toxic, and contain heavy metals and chemicals.
The DEQ suggests filling fuel tanks slowly when at a marina, and to leave the tank at least 5 percent empty, since fuel expands at warmer temperatures.
Boaters should also avoid using solvents or toxic chemicals to clean engine parts. Products such as degreasers may dry the natural oil fish need for their gills to take in oxygen.
When cleaning watercraft, the DEQ suggests using phosphate-free, chlorine-free products that are biodegradable, in order to keep lakes and rivers healthy.
A watershed is the area of land that captures rain or snowmelt and eventually drains it into a lake, river or stream. There are five major river watersheds in Oakland County, including the Clinton, Huron, Flint, Shiawassee and Rouge. Each is made up of several smaller subwatersheds.
The Clinton River watershed covers 760 square miles, with the Clinton Main Subwatershed covering approximately 70 square miles, including Pontiac Creek, Galloway Creek and a portion of the Clinton River. The Clinton Main Subwatershed includes the communities of Auburn Hills, Bloomfield Township, Keego Harbor, Lake Angelus, Oakland Township, Orchard Lake Village, Waterford Township and West Bloomfield Township.
[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Kevin%20Elliott&-nothing"]Kevin Elliott[/url]
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