Restoring the Macatawa Watershed

Goal One: Land Acquisition

Lumir & MDOT

Goal Two:Wetland and Streambank Restoration Projects

• 150 acre project, 70 acres donated, restored into a 4 cell vegetated wetland with 100 acre-feet of water storage

• Remaining 80 acres farmed under BMP contract

• DEQ permit approved Sept, once property title is transferred and wetland mitigation is approved work will begin – targeted for spring 2015

• PC will monitor wildlife activity near airport for USDA Wildlife Division – ODCMG and Hope College partnership

Haworth Property

Pre Haworthpicture

Haworth property before restoration

Haworth property after restoration November 2015

Middle Macatawa South Project (Zeeland Township)

Middle Macatawa wetland restoration Finished berm

Middle Macatawa wetland restoration Inlet structure

Middle Macatawa property before restoration

Middle Macatawa property after restorationNovember 2015

Noordeloos Stream

Restoration

Restoration Highlights

• 350 acres have been purchased or donated for remediation.

• A total of 5 restoration projects are completed.

• 2 major wetland projects were completed this fall for a total of 91 acres.

• 162.5 acre-feet of water storage was created.

• 450 feet of streambank has been restored.

Goal Three: Best Management PracticesAgriculture and Urban

Agricultural Committee

• Allison Brink, Brink Consulting• Bob Dykhuis, Dykhuis Farms• Bryan Kleinheksel, Kleinheksel Farms• Jeff Hoeve, Hoeve Farms• Cal Schipper, Schipper Eggs• Ross Timmerman, QuarterLine Farms• Bob Fenton, CHS• John Christian, GreenValley Agriculture Inc.• Cliff Meeuwsen, Zeeland Farm Services

Typical drainage ditch

Completed two-stage ditch

WASCOBWater and Sediment Control Basin

WASCOBWater and Sediment Control Basin

Cover Crops

No till farming

Cover Crop InterSeeder

Cover Crop

Agricultural BMP Highlights• 13 farms committed to implement water quality best

management practices (BMP’s) on 7,856 acres of land.

• 15 agriculture projects were completed in 2015 and 7more are in process.

• Gypsum was applied to 1,982 acres of farmland.

• 7.7 acre-feet of water storage was created by farm projects.

• 1,476 acres of cover crop were planted.

• 1.5 miles of two stage ditches were created.

Trout Pond Fishing

Educational Activities

Learning about the our lake and watershed

Tours on the Voyager Canoe the “Gabagouache”

Kayaking

Education Highlights

• Since August 2013 54 Project Claritypresentations were given to over 2,700 guests; lake owners, businesses, churches, schools and municipalities.

• Over 1,500 attended the Macatawa Waters Festival, held on Windmill Island July 25, 2015. The 2016 Macatawa Water Festival is scheduled for Saturday, July 9th on Windmill Island

• 9 schools adopted Project Clarity into their curriculum.

• 13 short videos were produced and shared with the community on the website and at presentations.

Maintenance Fund

• A Maintenance Fund is being established to support the Long-Term Watershed care

• Wayne Elhart Memorial Fund - $201,000

• Fund Balance currently - $278.478.92