Baldwin Storm Drain Project
For many years those of us who love our rivers have been concerned that what formerly were called “street sewers” dumped their untreated water straight into our rivers. Minutes of the Pere Marquette Watershed Council from July 12, 1982, indicate that PMWC, in cooperation with the Lake County Riverside Property Owners Association (LCRPOA), stated that “Sand and pollutants render rivers sterile”. During the 1990’s the LCRPOA painted all of the village storm drains with the warning “Do Not Dump Waste – Runs Directly to River”. After 27 years of effort, we finally reached a breakthrough to protect the Baldwin River.
Although there is really only one system, it should be explained that there are two separate contributors to storm water drainage. The State of Michigan for many years, under the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), collected water only off Michigan Avenue (M-37) and ran it through a sediment basin at the outflow on the edge of the Baldwin River. MDOT contracted with the Lake County Road Commission (LCRC) to empty this “sand trap” once a year. However, over the years many government and local businesses, some permitted, but most illegally “tapped-in” to the MDOT storm lines. These “village” drains are estimated at 20-30% of the total flow. In 2002 MDOT analysis indicated the flow was nearing or exceeding the limits of the outflow pipe. MDOT proceeded with plans to redesign and enlarge the basin and approached the Village of Baldwin to determine their interest in developing a common system. The pollutants found to be present were sand and sediment, floatables (mainly cigarette filters with their contamination, paper, and Styrofoam), and gasoline/oil hydrocarbons.
Numerous alternatives, at least thirteen, were considered with costs varying widely from $140,000 to $750,000. But several factors influenced the discussion of alternatives.
- The high water table precludes distribution for surface absorption.
- Pumping to settling areas (on the airport or behind the high school) is expensive.
- Vaults could be used to capture sediments and screens could catch the trash.
- Some hydrocarbons are from road runoff, but old abandoned fuel tanks are suspected sources.
- The Clean Water Act exempts only incidental hydrocarbon runoff, not point-source contaminations.
- The drain easement across private property to the river is for MDOT water only (not Village supplements).
- The Village was seeking “city” designation and favored their own separate system.
In June 2004, with negotiations bogged down, PMWC purchased a $6,600 “skimmer” screen to filter out floatables, and had it installed in the sediment basin where the outflow empties into the Baldwin River. It would capture enough cigarette butts and papers to fill a 55 gallon drum monthly and that amount would be collected on each of the Blessing of the Bikes and Troutarama weekends alone.
MDOT proceeded to install a Stormtech® system with separation chambers October 2005 on Norway Street in he Village of Baldwin, between the United States Forest Service (USFS) ranger station and the bowling alley. The Village decided not to be involved and to continue to look into a separate, different system. In 2006 the Village formally proposed their plan; however the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) rejected it as inadequate which delayed the project until 2007. Ongoing discussions between the Village, MDOT, MDEQ, and Nordlund Engineering took place throughout 2007 and 2008. Grants for construction from MDOT and the Clean Michigan Initiative were extended for one last time when they expired September 30, 2008. Following many negotiations, early in 2009 the Village agreed to connect their separate system to the MDOT outflow drain with a compromise agreement on the easement to permit waters from both sets of separators to use the common drain. Construction was completed on September 30, 2009, the final day of the grant contracts. Storm water from the Village, as well as M-37, is now utilizing the new storm drain system. As part of the agreement, MDEQ will conduct water quality analyses on a periodic basis; Troutarama and Blessing weekends will be monitored closely.
PMWC took an active part over the past decades to bring this storm drain situation to a resolution. We can be proud we were a major force in stopping the street debris from dumping straight into the Baldwin River, and we will continue to monitor for contaminants.