THE SELF HELP PROGRAMS - WHAT ARE THEY?

Date Last Updated: 05/10/2004 by MLSA-SERVICES\gytreeide

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THE SELF-HELP PROGRAM

The first water transparency measuring program in Michigan, using a SECCHI  disk was started by the MDNR (now the DEQ) in 1974. They called it "a Self-Help lake monitoring program ". Since that year, more than 130 ML&SA member associations have participated in the MDNR Self Help Program for one or more years. Corey in St. Joseph County, and  Long Lake in Iosco County, have been in the program each year since 1974. Lakes that have been in the program for 18 of the twenty years are: Beaver (Alpena), Coon (Livingston), Dewey (Cass), Higgins (Roscommon), Hutchins (Allegan), Otsego (Otsego), and Tee (Oscoda).

The original program was designed for lake property owners to monitor water quality by measuring water clarity and the plant pigment chlorophyll a as an indicator of algal productivity. Since 1983, only the Secchi disk transparency element continues to be supported under the basic Self-Help program. This program has grown from 46 lakes participating in 1974 to an annual participation of approximately 125 to 150 lakes.

A new beginning for the Self-Help program occurred in 1992 when the DNR entered into a cooperative agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with the ML&SA to expand the basic program. Under this agreement the ML&SA assumed responsibility for administration of the program while the DNR continued to provide technical support.

THE ADVANCED SELF-HELP PROGRAM

An Advanced Self-Help program was initiated in 1993 which included a monitoring component for the plant nutrient phosphorus. Citizen volunteers are responsible for collecting water samples from their lakes during the spring overturn of the water , and the DEQ's Environmental Laboratory provides the analytical support for the chemical analyses. (The spring overturn occurs about two weeks after the ice leaves a lake).

The Self-Help programs provide a cost-effective process for the DEQ to increase the baseline data available for Michigan's inland lakes as well as to establish a reliable data record for determining water quality trends in lakes. These programs also provide an opportunity for Michigan's citizens to participate in environmental management and learn more about their lakes.

WHY SAMPLE PHOSPHORUS?

Phosphorus is a naturally occurring element that is found in rocks and soil and is rapidly taken up and used by living organisms. Phosphorus is an essential component for plant and animal growth. The total amount of phosphorus in the water is an indicator of the eutrophication of lakes. Eutrophication is the process of lake aging. It results from the gradual accumulation of nutrients (phosphorus) and slow filling in of the lake basin with accumulated sediments, silt and organic matter. How fast this process proceeds is dependent upon many factors: basin shape and depth, origin of the basin (natural vs. manmade), geology and geography of the watershed, size of the watershed, land use of the watershed, etc. Human activities such as residential development, forest clearing, road building, and industrial discharges can shorten the lifespan of a lake by speeding up the process of eutrophication. The amount of nutrients, particularly phosphorus, in the lake and the lake's transparency are used as measures of the lake's eutrophication.

We are having sampling done during spring overturn, because at this time, most lakes are well mixed from top to bottom. However, it should be noted that some small, deep lakes in protected basins may not circulate every spring. Generally at spring overturn, the same amount of phosphorus should be present throughout the water column. As the season progresses, however, phosphorus slowly sinks causing the majority of the phosphorus to be found at the bottom of the lake by mid to late summer. Thus, spring overturn is the best time of the year to get an approximation of the amount of phosphorus in a lake with only surface samples collected. At other times of the year, expensive sampling equipment is needed to gather phosphorus data throughout the lake water column.

To get a reliable (total phosphorus) sample at spring overturn, a water sample should be taken approximately two (2) weeks after ice-out. At this time, most lakes should be well mixed by the winds with uniform distribution of nutrients, temperature and oxygen content from top to bottom.

To learn about the new CLMP (Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program), click on the following link:
Go to the CLMP Page

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