Informational Meeting

January 28, 2020

7:00pm

Agenda of Informational Meeting

Opening Remarks & Introductions,

History of Hiland Lake Management

Improvement Board Process for Establishing a Project

Preliminary Costs

Feasibility Study

Selection of Consultant for Study

Kieser & Associates Presentation, Mark Kieser and Representative

Next steps in 2020

Opening Remarks and Introductions-Dennis Brennan

Hiland Lake Improvement Board (HLIB)

Dennis Brennan, Putnam Township (Chair)

Valerie Niemiec, Putnam Township (Secretary)

Doug Helzerman, County Commissioner

Brian Jonckheere*, Livingston County Drain Commissioner (Treasurer)

Rob Mickovic, Lake Resident

*Mitch Dempsey, Livingston County Drain Commissioner Designee

History of Hiland Lake Management-Rob Mickovic

Historical HLPOA Management

Weed Treatments and Water Quality Testing

Association issues with collection of dues

Petition for Weed Control and Sediment Issues to be managed by Lake Improvement Board rather than association

Establishment of Hiland Lake Improvement Board The Hiland Lake Improvement Board (HTIB) is able to be established under Part 309 of the public Acts of 1995, the

Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA).

This statute provides a mechanism by which Hiland Lake riparian residents petitioned to construct and/or fund a wide array of improvements to their lake.

Once the petition was received, the Township verified signatures and set up the Lake Improvement Board which occurred in April 2019.

The Lake Board elects a chairperson, secretary, and treasurer.

Per the statute, the HTIB is comprised of a member of the county board of commissioners, 1 representative of each local unit of government, other than a county (Putnam Township (2)), the county drain commissioner, and an elected member that holds interest in the lake by property (lakefront property owner).

Consultant appointed to perform lake study

Focus on prevention rather than treating symptoms only

Complexity of permitting process

Current Status

Chronological Summary of Lake Board Procedures

Receipt of petition, or motion of governing body

(within 60 days)

Lake Improvement Board established by resolution of local governing body

Lake Board

(a) elects property owner representative

(b) elects chairperson, secretary, and treasurer

(c ) retains engineer to prepare feasibility reports

(within 60 days)

Lake Board accepts reports(public notice published at least 20 days prior)

Public hearing on feasibility of project(within 10 days)

Lake Board determines practicability of project; if determined to be practicable, publishes resolution to that effect

Legal objections must be made within 30 days

Lake Board establishes special assessment district and prepares special assessment roll(public notice mailed and published at least 10 days prior

Public hearing on special assessment roll

Special assessment roll confirmed, and notice of confirmation published

Legal objections must be made within 30 days

Lake Board accepts bids; contract let

Lake Board computes entire costs of project

Lake Characteristics 123 acres of surface water

Lake averages 5 feet with a maximum water depth of 12 feet.

This lake is part of the Portage Creek watershed that is comprised of a 6 lake chain. Watershed is approx. 77 square miles (rather large)

Hiland Lake is the last lake in this chain where it is technically an impoundment of the Portage River with a dam located on the northeast side of the lake. First established in 1882.

Lake level is maintained by the Livingston County Drain Commissioner’s Office in accordance with a court order.

Hiland Lake’s most common aquatic invasive species include Starry Stonewort, Eurasian milfoil, and Curly Leaf Pond Weed, where Starry Stonewort has been the primary nuisance species for residents.

Woodburn/Patterson

Hiland Half Moon

BlindBruin

North

Petition for Lake Improvements

Landowners petitioned for improvements

Petition for lake improvement was circulated:

Improvement will need to determine what residents wish to pursue

Township passed resolution to act on petition

Lake Improvement Board was established

April, 2019

https://www.michigan.gov/invasives/0,5664,7-324-68002_71240_73848-368746--,00.html

Hiland Lake Improvement Board Purpose The improvement board is created out of a petition by riparian residents to undertake

a project/projects associated with improvements to the lake.

The improvement project is intended as a fixed project with a beginning and end point, and while a lake improvement project can be re-initiated, it is intended to fulfill a specified purpose or outcome

Authorize actions to complete the project objectives based on lake conditions and recommendations of the lake management consultant

Funds collected through special assessment district.

Preliminary Costs

Feasibility Study Required prior to implementation of project

Defines project and estimates of overall cost of implementation

Looks into multiple aspects for most beneficial method to improve lake

Initial costs can be covered by County Lake Revolving Fund and paid back through assessment

Why is a consultant required by statute (check/balance, informed opinion)

Study Costs (Kieser & Associates) Weed control Study $18,050.00

Sediment Removal/Solutions $18,150.00

Draft Assessment District Hiland Lake

Professional Aquatic Consulting and Sediment Solutions:

Lake Management for HiLand LakePresentation to the HiLand Improvement Lake Board

Mark Kieser, Senior ScientistJosh Kieser, Field Manager

January 28, 2020

• Water Resources Engineering• Lake & Watershed Management

Planning• Water Quality Studies• Innovative Water Quality

Monitoring• Watershed Modeling• Water Quality Modeling• Agricultural Runoff Management

• Streambank/Shoreline Bioengineering

• Invasive Species Control• Aquatic Plant Management• Wetland Delineation• Stream Habitat Restoration• Sediment Management• Lake Level Augmentation• Grant-writing Assistance

Lake & Watershed Management Across the Globe since 1992…

Why Hire a Consultant?• Lakes are complex systems• Source of diversified knowledge and broad

planning experience• Assessment and management of multiple issues • Targeted and effective monitoring to understand

current conditions• Ability to forecast short-term and long-term

outcomes• Pragmatic and meaningful solutions• Third party expertise • No vested interest in contracted solutions• At the end of the day…

Aquatic Plant Management…

• Managing near-term nuisances, focusing on the long-term ecological condition

• Using Metrics that accommodate lake resident goals

• Focusing on treatment success and succession

• Real-time access to data• Long-term tracking of successes

and failures

Sediment Management…• Lake resident concerns

• Muck accumulation• Shallow passage• Beach conditions• Boat access

• Defining solutions around expressed needs• Testing sediment conditions necessary to permit solutions• Feasibility of sediment management options

• Implementability• Costs• Longevity

• Designing, permitting, bidding, monitoring and reporting on implemented solution

Water Quality Management…

• Spatial and temporal conditions• How does HiLand compare to other lakes?• How does it compare to established lake quality standards?• Are there problems?• Are problems related to a source, or are they a symptom?• What can be done to manage the problem?• Does it require management?

• Cost and magnitude of potential fixes• Who would be involved with these?• Likely outcomes? • Time to achieve goals?• Ongoing operation & maintenance of solutions?

• Implementation

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Dept

h (ft

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D.O. (mg/L) and Temp. (oC)

Morrow Lake Station S-5

D.O. (mg/L) Temp (deg C)

August 24, 2015

Fisheries Management…

• Fish habitat closely linked to plant ecology

• Management approaches should reflect lake resident desires

• Setting expectations, biologically and temporally

• Collaborative interests and opportunities with MI DNR

• Monitoring • Grants

Proposed Aquatic Consulting ServicesProposed Scope of Work for Hiland Lake:Task # Description RFP Topics being Addressed

1 Pre-season vegetation survey for treatment needs & water quality sampling

A. Lake Evaluation for Water QualityB. Weed Control

2 Early Summer vegetation survey & water quality sampling A. Lake Evaluation for Water QualityB. Weed Control

3 Mid-season vegetation report B. Weed Control

4 Late Summer vegetation survey & water quality sampling A. Lake Evaluation for Water QualityB. Weed Control

5 Fisheries evaluation C. Fisheries Evaluation 6 Resident survey on goals/project interests D. Resident Survey7 Final 2020 report/recommendations E. Lake Improvement Feasibility Report8 Attendance at Fall 2020 HLIB meeting F. Meetings 9 Attendance at Public Hearing F. Meetings

10 Additional Activity: Compilation and assessment of available vegetation information

Supportive of: A. Lake Evaluation for Water QualityB. Weed Control

11 Additional Activity: Conference call with HLIB representatives for project introductions/alignment

Supportive of: All of the above

LakeScan™ Metrics• Species Richness – the number of

species present in the lake• Native Species Biodiversity Index – a

measure of the health of the plant community in your lake

• Morphological Richness – the number of morphology types present in the lake

• Morphological Diversity Index – reflects the habitat value of vegetation for fish and other aquatic animals

• Vegetation Quality Index – examines the lake coverage of desirable versus undesirable species

Annual/Year-to-Year Vegetation Tracking

(Red scores indicate improvements are needed; yellow indicate marginal conditions; green are desirable)

Getting into theWeeds…

Eurasian Watermilfoil DensityPre (Early Season) & Post (Late Season) Herbicide Treatment 2019

2019 Early Season Survey 2019 Late Season Survey

Proposed Work PlanTask # Description RFP Topics being Addressed

1 Project Start-up A. Sediment Solutions/Removal2 Field Data Collection A. Sediment Solutions/Removal3 Dredging Feasibility Assessment A. Sediment Solutions/Removal4 Assessment of External Sediment Controls B. Sediment Solutions/Prevention 5 Resident Survey E. Resident Survey

6 Lake Improvement Feasibility Report for Targeted Sediment Management

F. Lake Improvement Feasibility Report

7 Required Meetings G. Meetings

Sediment Solution Services for HiLand Lake

Approach for HiLand Lake Sediment Management• Assess both areas in tandem• Conduct initial concept meeting on project

objectives with the HLIB and EGLE • Assess likelihood of sediment

removal/disposal opportunities, expectations and/or constraints on the front end of project

• Include strategic check-ins with the HLIB • Recognize and respond to lake resident

desires for addressing targeted areas through an Improvement Board assessment

So Why K&A for HiLand Lake?

• Understanding and managing multiple needs and interests

• Integration of lake management efforts• What’s a problem and what’s not• Assessing potential solutions

• Pros & Cons of each option• Define likely outcomes and costs to set expectations• Engage stakeholders to garner support for practical solutions• Plan, design, permit, bid, implement, oversee & monitor outcomes

• Environmental science & engineering for a reason…

Questions?

Mark Kieser mkieser@kieser-associates.comJosh Kieser jkieser@kieser-associates.comGabby Metzner-Gustafeson gmetzner@kieser-associates.com

1/1/2020 12/31/2020February March April May June July August September October November December

9/30/2020Estimate Feasibility Completion

2/4/2020Hiland Lake Improvement Meeting

1/28/2020Informational Meeting

2020 Timeline Estimate

10/20/2020Lake Board Accepts Report

10/30/2020Public Hearing on Project Feasibility and Special Assessment Roll

11/30/2020Objection Period End

1/1/2021 12/31/2021February March April May June July August September October November December

2021 Timeline EstimateJanuary

Board Meeting Develop RFP/ Bids For

Improvement Project

MayAssessment Roll Due to Townships

MarchBoard Meeting to determine

contracts for project

AprilProject Start

April - SeptemberLake Weed Treatments/Management

October - DecemberPossible prep for dredging, sampling, desgin, permitting

AprilFeasibility Study Starts

Questions for

Lake Improvement Board

Additional Contact Information

Livingston County Drain Commissioner’s Office

517-546-0040

2300 E. Grand River, Suite 105

Howell, MI 48843-7581

Web Site: www.livgov.com/drain