Restoration project taking place on the KBIC Reservation at a recreational area known as Sand Point Where is Sand Point What is stamp sand and where did it come from? How are we restoring the site?
36 Acres of Barren, Contaminated Beach 2 Miles Long
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Sand Point is a small peninsula which juts out into Lake Superior on the western shore of Keweenaw Bay. It is a sacred place to the Ojibwa of Keweenaw Bay historically as well as spiritually. It was the site of a historic Ojibwa village, burial mounds, and is the location of the tribe’s present-day Pow-wow grounds. The site is quite large, approx. 95 acres, with about 40 of those acres being stamp sands.
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…these beautiful wetlands, ponds and a hidden lake. The tribal-owned marina & historic lighthouse are also nearby. (not shown are the campground, pow-wow grounds, and traditional healing clinic)
Copper mining thrived from 1860-1930 Stamp mills needed water for steam so they were
established near lakes, rivers & streams Rock was crushed and the copper was separated by
a floatation process Stamp sands are the leftover finely-crushed rock From 1901-1919 the Mass Mill disposed of roughly
six billion pounds of stamp sands into Lake Superior, 4 miles north
Coastal currents transported the sands to their present-day location at Sand Point
WHY IS STAMP SAND HAZARDOUS?A collection of HEAVY METALS:
Cancer, kidney damage, autoimmune diseases that cause arthritis, potentially fibromyalgia
Year Activity
1990’s KBIC purchased the land from the State of Michigan
2000-2005 KBIC forms Sand Point Task Force; KBIC seeks Brownfields Pilot Project Assessment Grant to address Sand Point; Phase II Environmental Assessment completed; “Cleanup” funds secured; Alternatives Analysis; Decision to cap stamp sands made
2006 33.6 acres of stand sand capped and planted with short grasses and legumes (USDA, USFWS, and EPA)
2010 GLRI grant awarded for wildlife habitat restoration
2012 Final year of GLRI grant: final plantings of trees and shrubs, irrigation, boulder placement and final trail installation
2013-current Continue to maintain area. Partnerships to monitor and maintain growth, survey wildlife usage, etc.
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Purchased the land knowing there was a stamp sand issue we needed to address. Rigorous soil sampling and test plots of plants were conducted through the NRCS and EPA funding (2003 – 2005) Where will the sand go if we try to stop the continued deposit? Ultimately, beachfront & littoral zone sand is destined to settle in the deep lake canyon within Keweenaw Bay…. Options presented shore armoring, dredging and soil capping the area.
current impacts NoneNo change in current conditions
Soil Cover
Effective with reduction of stamp sand erosion into
Lake, increase in biodiversity, increase in vegetation growth and aesthetics.
Can be implemented with
standard technology
$530,000 Moderate to high
Minimal impact; Standard erosion control measures
will suffice to prevent impacts
during implementation.
Likely some ongoing future
cost; considered likely to be minimal
Does not address
beach front stamp sands
Soil Cover and Shore Armoring
Effective with reduction of stamp sand erosion into
Lake, increase in biodiversity, increase in vegetation growth and aesthetics
Specialized equipment and
techniques necessary. Multi-
year project.
$4+ million Very high
Likely impact to Lake Superior
through erosion and suspension of
stamp sands
Potentially high
Administrative burdens
and costs are prohibitive
Excavation and
DisposalEffective
Generally standard excavation techniques.
Possibly some specialized equipment.
$70+ million Very high
Likely impact to Lake Superior
through erosion and suspension of
stamp sands
Likely low
Administrative burdens
and costs are prohibitive
Soil cap consists of 6-10” of sandy-loam soil
Red clover, alfalfa, trefoil, ryegrass and fescue
KBIC offset costs by providing soil for the cap
2005
Post 2006 cap and planting 2011 before phase II
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NRCS
2011Stamp Sand continues to influence the area…
Is there a more longterm solution to protect thecap and wetlands?
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Wind and topography combined make it almost impossible to stop the stamp sand from re-settling over the cap. We need relief in the topography in the form of soil mounds, boulders, trees, shrubs and tall beach grasses Local office of NRCS (Bruce Petersen) sought to secure funds to improve the area for wildlife (also considered plants that uptake copper concentrations in the design) following the capping to avoid this problem but could not secure the funding through NRCS…their portion of the project was considered “complete”.
Species Present:Clover speciesBirdsfoot TrefoilAlfalfaRough-fringed cinquefoilEnglish plantainAster speciesGarden tansySpotted knapweed (parking lot)Forget me notSpotted cat’s ear
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These are species that resulted from original cap plantings. Not very dense or protective covering, not a lot for wildlife. 26 pre-treatment plots (1 meter square) were surveyed for percent cover of herbaceous species in October 2011 while mounds and garden were being installed. Only 10 species were identified on the entire site. The area was also being mowed by KBIC parks and recreation department which prevented the natural seeding of necessary to improve vegetative cover.
Goals1. Stabilization and add relief in the topography2. Enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity
2005
$360,960Project Period:9/30/2010 to
9/30/2012
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$361,000 to plant native species on Sand Point 2 Goals: Protects the cap and coastal wetlands behind the tree line; provide microclimate for plants to establish; introduce native plants that will eventually outcompete or in the very least add diversity to the dominant clover and trefoil; increase biomass Red Oak, beaked hazelnut, thimbleberry, red pine, nannyberry, red osier dogwood, blue vervain, big blue stem, common milkweed, beebalm, and black eye susan
Wild columbineBig bluestemThimbleweedCommon milkweedBonesetTickseedBeebalmEvening PrimroseBlack eyed susan
Silky dogwoodNanny berryBeaked hazelnutNinebarkRed Oak
TreesBouldersMoundsTop Soil
Biomass
Biodiversity
Wildlife Habitat
Prevent Erosion
Native Species
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Forest Service/Borealis Seed Company/Contract Botanists/Tribal Environmentalists Relief in the topography to provide 1) microclimate for natural regeneration 2) block blowing sand, 3) lift the wind (prevent further erosion) Plants that take up copper and other chemicals were part of the original design; soon to be more closely examined for actual uptake by MTU pending grant funding
Live Stakes 662 stakes 6 NABeach grass 442 sq yds 1 NATrees/Shrubs 13,380 seedlings 21 3 – 6 Boulders 98 boulders NA NA
*223 total lbs of native seed, 56 total species
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Project outputs as required by the Quality Assurance Project Plan Exceeded the requirement for Trees/shrubs from 200-320/acre to 398/acre Boulders were placed for erosion control and microclimate
• % overall herbaceous cover has not significantly increase
• Biodiversity has increased for plant and animal use
• More appealing for recreational use
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89.8% survival rate for trees and shrubs No per acre target; plantings of trees/shrubs dependent on soil conditions and to prevent erosion Bird surveys, camera surveys, frog/toad surveys
Tree and Shrub Species Planted May 2012
Northern Red OakQuaking Aspen
Red MapleWhite BirchBalsam FirWhite Pine
Silky DogwoodBeaked Hazelnut
WinterberryNannyberryPin Cherry
ChokecherrySandbar Willow
CranberryBlueberryElderberryNinebark
ServiceberryMountain Ash
89.8% survival
Chokecherry
Beaked Hazel
Ninebark Serviceberry
Nannyberry
Red Oak
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13,380 total (640 live stakes around the pond) Ninebark good pollinator species; other soft mast and hard mast species for wildlife 19 spp – most common detected (highlighted) Approx 398 per acre
Survey Plots DateTotal
SpeciesAve # Spp/
plot Common spp. Present (50% +)
Seed
August 2013 37 6.5 Birds-foot trefoil, Blue Fescue, UI Grass
Austust 2014 37 6.3 Birds-foot trefoil, Blue fescue. Clover
August 2015 44 7.1Birds-foot trefoil, Blue fescue, clover, grass sp.
August 2016 46 7.1 Birds-foot trefoil, Blue fescue, grass sp.
Mound
August 2013 47 12.6
Bent Grass, Birds-foot trefoil, Black eyed susan, Canada Goldenrod, Clover, Oxeye Daisy
Over $300,000 to restore this area of 3 years (even more if you consider initial efforts back in 2006) Sand Point had great potential for recreational activities and wildlife, however its natural resources were negatively impacted by industrial copper mining sand (known locally as “stamp sands” discharged by an early 20th century stamp mill. The stamp sands were disposed of into Lake Superior and over time were deposited by lake currents onto the Sand Point property. Stamp sands contain a collection of toxic heavy metals including mercury, copper, zinc, arsenic, nickel, selenium, cadmium, chromium and uranium. The Sand Point property was listed as a brown field site and assessment and clean-up work was conducted with assistance from US EPA and other agencies from 2002-2006. In 2006 a 6”-10” cap of sandy-loam soil was distributed over 33.6 acres of stamp sands and seeded with a short grass mixture to protect vulnerable coastal wetlands that border the brown field property. While the cleanup solution was successful in stabilizing the existing stamp sands and reducing impact to the surrounding environment, additional steps to add relief and topography and native plant species to reduce erosion potential and restore and enhance wildlife habitat were taken from 2010-2013 with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The two goals of the 3-year GLRI funded project were to 1) stabilize and add relief in topography, and 2) restore and enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Lake Superior Tree Farms KBIC Public Works KBIC Nat. Res. Dept.
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Upper right shows a section where no seeding was done and it is thick with clover and trefoil. These sections will hopefully evolve as seeds from the surrounding planted areas establish. It is the first time the trefoil and clover have ever had any competition. We are doing experimental plots to see what it takes to grow native plants and remove all clover and trefoi (photo of newly worked area in next slide) Microhabitat is working; lush growth around rocks and under young trees.
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Planted shrubs in areas where sand continues to blow along with the largest boulders. Beach grass is visible and beach pea will be planted in the coming years. Experimental seed plot being establishes this year…must try it on a small scale to see how it goes. More examples where boulders provide microclimate.
Nigig
Makade makwa
Ma’iingan
Makade waagoshGidagaabizhiw
Migisi
(Otter)
(Wolf)
(Pickerel Frog)
(Black Bear)(Sora rail)
(Gray fox)
(Bald eagle)
(Bobcat)
(Wood duck)
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We continue to monitor wildlife including waterfowl index surveys, duck box maintenance, frog call surveys and mammal survey. These species have all been detected on the sand point property over the past few years and may utilize the area more often as the plants and trees mature. Song birds and insects have definitely benefited already. Formal inventories are being designed to compare with baseline data from 2007-09.
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It is the people that make it happen! Youth crew, summer interns, technicians, volunteers. Excellent sharing opportunity for groups such as invasive species groups, mining groups and college classes.
