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The Kalamazoo River Watershed drains 2020 square miles of land in Allegan, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Barry, Eaton, Hillsdale and Jackson counties. Over the years the Kalamazoo River and many of the streams, lakes and wetlands flowing to it have had water quality problems. Because of a variety of pollution reduction programs, policies and efforts some of these water quality problems have been eliminated or greatly reduced. However, our work isn't done yet.

One of the water quality problems in the Kalamazoo River Watershed is the nutrient enrichment of Lake Allegan. Symptoms are: algal blooms, low oxygen levels, poor water clarity, and a fish community so heavily dominated by carp that it is not considered a diverse or balanced fisheries. Lake Allegan is an impoundment of the Kalamazoo River, created by the installation of the Caulkins Dam for generation of hydroelectric power. Therefore, most of the water and pollutants flowing through the River and its tributaries eventually reach Lake Allegan.

Although a variety of factors like flow, nitrogen, and temperature can affect the symptoms noted above, scientists know that phosphorus is usually the primary cause of eutrophication, or nutrient enrichment, in lakes. For this reason, beginning in 1997, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality undertook a study focussed mostly on phosphorus (although other factors are included) in the Kalamazoo River Watershed upstream of and in Lake Allegan. 1998 seasonal (May through October) loadings from most tributaries and from many regulated industries and waste water treatment facilities were estimated from data collected 2 or 3 times per month at 29 tributary mouths, and from 27 point source effluents. Three automatic samplers provided flow and phosphorus data for storm water runoff events (many pollutants are washed into rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands when it rains) in the Kalamazoo River at Comstock, and at the mouths of the Gun River and Portage Creek. Water quality monitoring was also conducted at several different lake depths at 5 stations in Lake Allegan, as well as at the inlet and outlet.

All samples from the River and the Lake were analyzed for total phosphorus, ortho-phosphorus, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, suspended solids and total dissolved solids. Average daily flows have been provided by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Industrial and municipal point source discharges that monitor phosphorus in their discharges, account for about 51,661 pounds during this six month period, or 35% of the total load. The remaining 65% comes from storm water runoff from roads, parking lots, lawns, farms, industry, and commercial activities; from regulated discharges that do not monitor for phosphorus; from stream bank erosion; from poorly functioning septic systems; from livestock, pets and wildlife; and from illicit discharges.

	Kalamazoo River	Immediate Drainage	Allegan WWTP	Precipitation	Monthly Total
April	37,153	522	130	42	37,947
May	32,691	216	173	42	33,122
June	24,723	210	146	41	25,121
July	21,055	216	160	42	21,473
Aug.	17,343	206	206	42	17,797
Sep.	12,191	158	136	41	12,527
Total	145,156	1528	951	250	147,885
%	98.2	1.0	0.6	0.2	100
1998 Lake Allegan total phosphorus loads, lbs.

Because other factors may also be playing a role, there is now consideration of studies to examine:

1. phosphorus flux from sediments, and
2. how significantly Lake Allegan algal communities are limited by phosphorus (vs. nitrogen).

A comparison study of Morrow Pond, another shallow impoundment of the Kalamazoo River, is underway this summer. This study should provide some information on the links between ph

osphorus and other variables like fish communities and clarity.

Since phosphorus is only one variable (albeit acritical one) affecting lake ecology, proposed water quality goals for Lake Allegan also include water clarity, chlorophyll a (a measure of the amount of algae in the water), fish community composition, dissolved oxygen levels, and the absence of significant blue-green algae blooms.

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) processes are mandated by the federal Clean Water Act for all water bodies with water quality impairments. In Michigan, the Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) is charged with ensuring that TMDLs are developed.

In the Kalamazoo River/ Lake Allegan TMDL process, MDEQ has been joined by a number of watershed partners to develop the TMDL. This committee consists of representatives and individuals from regulated point sources, environmental groups, local government, agriculture, extension, and others. This group is by no means entirely representative of all watershed perspectives. This is an open process, and anyone is welcome to participate. Since reductions will quite possibly affect you, make sure your knowledge and experience are part of the planning process.

The next step is for technical experts to synthesize these data and provide estimates of the "capacity" of Lake Allegan to utilize phosphorus, and maintain a healthy, balanced system.

Based on these estimates, the Kalamazoo River/Lake Allegan TMDL committee must:

• set water quality goals
• decide from which sources reductions must come
• develop a reduction strategy
• determine what monitoring and additional study is necessary to refine plans, document reductions, and track the responses of the Lake Allegan ecosystem

The TMDL Committee is on the fast-track to have a draft report by Fall 1999. Most of the issues listed above, must be addressed in this draft. The TMDL report is due to U.S. EPA by early 2000 for their review and comment. However, planning and implementing reductions is a long-term proposition. The TMDL process is an iterative one where we will be regularly revisiting our numbers, our goals, our progress, our partners, and most importantly the Kalamazoo River and Lake Allegan.

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Click here to download a printable brochure version of the overview presented above.

If you would like more information please contact:

MDEQ, Kalamazoo District Office (269) 692-6970