Info meeting set on phosphorus load in lake

The Belleville Yacht Club is hosting an informational public meeting to discuss the phosphorus levels in Ford Lake and Belleville Lake at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 13.
Peter Creal of the BYC said he and other lakeside property owners hope the public will attend this important meeting to discuss the phosphorus that encouraged the green algae growth on Belleville Lake last summer. The BYC is located at 831 E. Huron River Dr., Van Buren Township.
The meeting is being put on by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) – the former MDEQ.
EGLE is developing a new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for phosphorus in Ford and Belleville lakes, which was originally written in 1996 and updated in 2004.
When a lake or stream does not meet Water Quality Standards (WQS), a study must be completed to determine the amount of a pollutant that can be put in a water body from point sources and nonpoint sources and still meet WQS, including a margin of safety. A TMDL is a document that describes the process used to determine how much pollutant load a lake or stream can assimilate.
The purpose of the TMDL is to analyze data, identify problems, and develop appropriate goals and reasonable assurance that will work toward restoring the designated uses to the water bodies.
The residents of this area have been identified as important stakeholders in this watershed.
Elevated levels of phosphorus contribute to excessive plant growth, including algae blooms, and thereby impairs the Other Indigenous Aquatic Life and Wildlife designed use for these lakes.
At the meeting, the TMDL process and associated activities will be discussed with the public.
Following development of a draft, a TMDL is noticed for public comment, such as the Aug. 13 meeting at the BYC. After making any appropriate modifications in response to the public comment, the TMDL is sent to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Required pollutant load reductions from point source discharges in a TMDL watershed are implemented through existing programs, such as NPDES permits. Nonpoint sources of pollution are reduced mainly through voluntary programs and the work of local stakeholders. Nonpoint source work in TMDL watersheds can be funded by grants such as Federal 319. The efforts to clean-up nonpoint sources of pollution are often led by local agencies (such as conservation districts) or watershed councils.
A copy of the draft TMDL for Ford and Belleville lakes that will be presented on Aug. 13 is available on the EGLE web site at http://www.michigan.gov/waterquality or can be obtained by contacting Denise Page at (517) 284-5523 or [email protected] .