Print

[SidecarFlip]

Without pointing fingers directly, a particular farmer who farms a slice of land adjacent to our property decided to literally spread a thick layer of cow dung on his slice.  That slice borders a drain that drains into the Raisin and of course the Raisin drains into LE.  Under Michigan GAMP, when you spread manure, it has to be incorporated into the soil within 48 hours from the time it's spread and it cannot be spread within 150 feet of any waterway (drains are considered waterways).

This idiot (I use that term lightly) let the crap lay on the surface for over a week and spread it not only right up against the drain, but flung it IN the water and flung it in my hayfield (I don't want or need cow crap in my alfalfa). 

I called the State of Michigan and they came out and explained to this idiot the proper way to incorporate manure and the rules governing it's incorporation.  However, the GAMP guidelines are entirely voluntary so this idiot can do it again next year.

That stuff has to stop and farmers have to take responsibility for their actions, if they don't, users of LE water will be consuming who knows what in the future.

People are so stupid and regulations are so lax.  Amazing.

[BigRedDog]

Without pointing fingers directly, a particular farmer who farms a slice of land adjacent to our property decided to literally spread a thick layer of cow dung on his slice.  That slice borders a drain that drains into the Raisin and of course the Raisin drains into LE.  Under Michigan GAMP, when you spread manure, it has to be incorporated into the soil within 48 hours from the time it's spread and it cannot be spread within 150 feet of any waterway (drains are considered waterways).

This idiot (I use that term lightly) let the crap lay on the surface for over a week and spread it not only right up against the drain, but flung it IN the water and flung it in my hayfield (I don't want or need cow crap in my alfalfa). 

I called the State of Michigan and they came out and explained to this idiot the proper way to incorporate manure and the rules governing it's incorporation.  However, the GAMP guidelines are entirely voluntary so this idiot can do it again next year.

That stuff has to stop and farmers have to take responsibility for their actions, if they don't, users of LE water will be consuming who knows what in the future.

People are so stupid and regulations are so lax.  Amazing.

Obviously voluntary compliance is not working and isn't going to work.  Everyone thinks it's a great idea for their neighbors to comply with 'the rules' while they squeeze out a few extra dollars by actions like you mention above. 

The rules need some bite and they need to be applied to a few before the rest will all fall into compliance.  They can have all the campaigns and requests for 'voluntary' compliance they want but it's not going to change things. 

[SidecarFlip]

I saw video of the Maumee flowing through Toledo a few nights ago.  Nasty and green!!!

Not just the Maumee.  Take a drive down M50 and when you get by the fairgrounds, cross the raisin and take a look at it.  All that pretty green stuff growing in it is a direct result of leachate from farm fields and it's all going out in the lake.

People need to quit using the Great Lakes as their sewer.

[BigRedDog]

Toledo water plant is going to make some changes in the water dashboard and how it works.

http://www.13abc.com/content/news/Changes-coming-to-Toledos-water-quality-dashboard-488132091.html

[blue2]

I would guess it might be easy to determine if farmers are using more fertlizer than in years past.  And it seems like more fields are being tiled every year. I would think running drain tiles to ditches would carry more nitrites more quickly to ditches than allowed to filter thru the soil.
And as mentioned before most municipalities dump raw sewage directly into streams at times.

[SidecarFlip]

I would guess it might be easy to determine if farmers are using more fertlizer than in years past.  And it seems like more fields are being tiled every year. I would think running drain tiles to ditches would carry more nitrites more quickly to ditches than allowed to filter thru the soil.
And as mentioned before most municipalities dump raw sewage directly into streams at times.

I don't see how it would be easy to gauge the fertilizer run off. but I do agree that tiling fields and running the outlets to streams and drains aggrivates the issue.

One thing you need to understand.  The Federal Government ended the CREPS program last year.  When it was in effect, farmers were paid an amount to plant and maintain filter strips.  That is all gone so now they plant to the edges of every waterway.  I used to mow a couple 'set asides'.  You can/could mow and bale them once yearly, in August.

Farmers don't do anything out of the goodness of their hearts and are not really 'stewards of the land'.  In reality, it's a for profit business and unless compensated, they won't do it.  Most of them don't give 2 shilts about fertilizer runoff and the impact on the lakes. Its out of sight, out of mind philosophy.

They need to be forced into compliance through comprehensive regulations.

Same applies to sewage outflows from municipalities.  Until the government goes from hand slapping to monetary fines, nothing will change.

Bottom line is, get in their pockets and they do something about it.

Until that happens you'll be drinking green stink water every summer.

People in the Great Lakes don't realize the wonderful natural resource they have and continue to use it as a sewer.

[SidecarFlip]

If you really knew half the chemical farmers used on crops today, you'd faint and all that, that gets sloughed off winds up in the water and eventually in the lakes.

It's like 2-4-D.  Worked well in 'Nam  as a defoliant and made a lot of servicemen sick and killed a bunch but we all use it on broadleaf around here, every year. and don't think for a minute that the good farmers are using it correctly and allowing the proper 'set' time because they aren't.  Just one example of many, all wind up in your drinking water eventually.

[BigRedDog]

If you really knew half the chemical farmers used on crops today, you'd faint and all that, that gets sloughed off winds up in the water and eventually in the lakes.

It's like 2-4-D.  Worked well in 'Nam  as a defoliant and made a lot of servicemen sick and killed a bunch but we all use it on broadleaf around here, every year. and don't think for a minute that the good farmers are using it correctly and allowing the proper 'set' time because they aren't.  Just one example of many, all wind up in your drinking water eventually.

For those not familiar with Agent Orange here's some background.

https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/agent-orange

As SCF mentions the 2-4-D was made by Dow Chemical in Midland and it made them a lot of money. 

In our high shcool days we would hit McDonalds for 'cruise night' and then head out Saginaw Road to where the Agent Orange plant was just inside the fence.  There were frequently protesters set up in the parking lot and doing their thing.  Lots of young 'hippie girls' so therefore a popular place to cruise. 

[BigRedDog]

I saw an article in The Blade over the weekend but I can't find it online. 

Several of the Toledo suburbs are now considering drilling wells for their future water supply so they're not tied to Toledo. 

But one of the other local suburbs  already has a well down in the particular aquifer and they don't like the idea of more big wells going in to compete for whatever water is there.  May be plenty now but who knows in the future.  The same aquifer is under parts of Indiana and Michigan as well as that corner of Ohio. 

[blue2]

I read that too.  I think the town was Bryon ohio..

[BigRedDog]

Everything in Lake Erie is growing faster because the surface water temperature is above normal already.

[BigRedDog]

More on changes to Toledo's water dashboard reports.

http://www.13abc.com/content/news/Changes-coming-to-Toledos-water-quality-dashboard-488132091.html

[SidecarFlip]

I see them outlying communities are considering pulling out of the Toledo water system and drill wells.  We will see how that works.

Bottom line is, Toledo water sucks in the summer.

[BigRedDog]

I see them outlying communities are considering pulling out of the Toledo water system and drill wells.  We will see how that works.

Bottom line is, Toledo water sucks in the summer.

Some of the towns that have been getting their water from the aquifer are putting up a fuss that if all these other wells go down into 'their' aquifer then they may lose some of their capacity.  I don't know much about Ohio 'water rights' but it may turn into a fight. 

[blue2]

From everything i've read lately is the aquifer is huge and covers a couple of states.  Just because Bryan Oh might have been the first to tap into it i don't see how they own all the water.