As of this date we may not need to develop a Lake Board.... will post an update soon.
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To: Lake Margrethe Property Owners & Friends of the Lake The Lake Margrethe Property Owners Association’s board of directors have voted unanimously to work cooperatively with the Grayling Charter Township to establish a Lake Margrethe Improvement Board because without this board, Eurasian milfoil could not be treated chemically. This board will be empowered to act in support of the environmental stability of Lake Margrethe, will become responsible for the treatment of Eurasian milfoil and will effectively confront other environmental problems encountered in Lake Margrethe. This lake board provides a mechanism for collaborative lake management which includes Grayling Charter Township, Crawford County, the county road commission, and a representative from our riparian property owners. Questions and comments will be addressed at our LMPOA membership meeting on Saturday, May 18, 2019 and at the Grayling Township Informational meeting also in May of 2019. For now we would like to answer some of our members and friends basic questions in the Q&A shown below. Additionally the attached document from the North American Lake Management Society provides important information. Specifically, we would draw your attention to pages 30-56 on the subject of lake boards in Michigan. Sincerely, Chuck Spencer President LMPOA Q 1. Do other communities have lake improvement boards? A. There are many lake improvement boards fully operational in Michigan. Most have the same issues we are experiencing and from whom we can learn best practices. Q 2. What affect will the lake board have on our lake association? A. We expect the LMPOA to continue to support the interests of lake-area property owners and to partner with Camp Grayling in efforts to assure our beautiful lake remains a.recreational jewel. This includes investigating new methods of milfoil control that do not require chemicals. Q 3. How have environmental and invasive species issues like milfoil been re-mediated in the past? A. Through the generous financial support of property owners and the Camp Grayling National Guard the association has tracked the development of invasive milfoil and employed licensed professional lake management suppliers to chemically treat an average of 20 acres of lake bottom most years. We are satisfied with our remediation efforts. However, the state has issued new regulations that prevent local property associations, like ours, from managing this type chemical treatment to public waterways or lakes. Q 4. Will the lake board have the authority to establish a special tax district to help fund needed lake improvements and invasive species controls? A. The simple answer to this question is yes. However, you will note from the attachment that spending approval for lake projects or treatments are subjected to a number of statutory requirements. We hope most property owners will agree with the rigor of this process. Q 5. If we have additional question prior to the public meetings where can we go for more information? A. We suggest you check our web site or the LMPOA Facebook page for information as it becomes available to us. You also might Google "Michigan Lake Improvement Boards" see what other lake boards are doing. 
The Army National Guard outlined its continued commitment to the health of the Grayling community. Accordingly the ARNG is following the procedures required under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. That being; Preliminary Assessment, Site Inspection, Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study, Proposed Plan, Decision Document, Remedial Design, and Remedial Action. The ARNG is currently soliciting interested persons to sit on a “Restoration Advisory Board” which will be formed this upcoming summer. Anyone interested in being a part of this board is asked to contact Captain Pam Hess at 703-601-6818 or Bonnie Packer at 703-607-7977. To date, 447 residential wells around Lake Margrethe have been tested with 384 non-detects, 61 below 70 ppt (FFOA plus PFOS) and 2 above 70 ppt. Late last summer, the DEQ had 14 monitoring wells drilled off Borchers Way in the Southeast corner of the Lake. To date 14 samples from those wells have been analyzed. Of the 14 samples, 4 were non-detect, 7 were below the 70 ppt criteria, and 3 were above 70 ppt. The DEQ is following up with more analysis and sampling of these monitoring wells and additional information will be provided at the next community meeting, sometime in the spring of 2019. Lake Margrethe surface water and foam were tested by the MDEQ in 2018. There were 15 surface water samples analyzed with 0 non-detect, 11 below 12 ppt, and 4 above 12 ppt. The Army National Guard outlined its continued commitment to the health of the Grayling community. Accordingly the ARNG is following the procedures required under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. That being; Preliminary Assessment, Site Inspection, Remedial Investigation, Feasibility Study, Proposed Plan, Decision Document, Remedial Design, and Remedial Action. The ARNG is currently soliciting interested persons to sit on a “Restoration Advisory Board” which will be formed this upcoming summer. Anyone interested in being a part of this board is asked to contact Captain Pam Hess at 703-601-6818 or Bonnie Packer at 703-607-7977. To date, 447 residential wells around Lake Margrethe have been tested with 384 non-detects, 61 below 70 ppt (FFOA plus PFOS) and 2 above 70 ppt. Late last summer, the DEQ had 14 monitoring wells drilled off Borchers Way in the Southeast corner of the Lake. To date 14 samples from those wells have been analyzed. Of the 14 samples, 4 were non-detect, 7 were below the 70 ppt criteria, and 3 were above 70 ppt. The DEQ is following up with more analysis and sampling of these monitoring wells and additional information will be provided at the next community meeting, sometime in the spring of 2019. Lake Margrethe surface water and foam were tested by the MDEQ in 2018. There were 15 surface water samples analyzed with 0 non-detect , 11 below 12 ppt, and 4 above 12 ppt. (PFOS greater than 12 ppt is MDEQ criteria). They also analyzed 15 foam samples, with 0 non-detect. All 15 foam samples had varying levels of PFOS however the MDEQ has not yet developed a detection criteria level for foam. With regards to the Grayling Airfield, 677 samples have been tested, 445 were non-detect, 215 were below 70 ppt and 7 were above 70 ppt. More information can be obtained by contacting Randy Rothe, District Supervisor for the MDEQ at 989-705-3416. They also analyzed 15 foam samples, with 0 non-detect. All 15 foam samples had varying levels of PFOS however the MDEQ has not yet developed a detection criteria level for foam. With regards to the Grayling Airfield, 677 samples have been tested, 445 were non-detect, 215 were below 70 ppt and 7 were above 70 ppt. More information can be obtained by contacting Randy Rothe, District Supervisor for the MDEQ at 989-705-3416. Thanks to John Alef for submitting this report!!!! This is an email that was just sent out to members who have given us their email addresses: Our property owners' association (LMPOA) has over 50 years of experience representing the interests of property owners and friends of Lake Margrethe. It has helped maintain water quality, managed the Portage Creek dam and its impact on water levels, promoted safe boating, liaised with the military and governmental offices regarding the lake and its environs, and in the last few years, mounted a major effort to counteract the effects of invasive species (mainly Eurasian Water Milfoil) with the annual approval of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Has Something Changed? Yes. The DEQ now requires all waterfront property owners to provide written approval for any group, association, or individual to add chemicals, of any kind, to lakes and streams in Michigan. This new rule may be long overdue given our recent experience with fire retardants and the like. However, your property owners' association is faced with the mostly impossible task of securing the written approval of more than 300 lakefront owners as well as those with deeded access to the lake each time it is necessary to treat a new patch of milfoil. Then too, there are other projects undertaken by the association involving the upkeep of the dam and water levels, so important to all of us. What Options Do We Have?
What Should I Do?
Below is a document provided to LMPOA by PLM (the lake management company we have worked with for years). It outlines the steps that we are following. All questions/ concerns will be addressed during the process. Beginning the week of October 8, 2018, DEQ will fly a drone to verify locations of potential seeps/springs identified during the drone flight in September 2018. Once the locations are verified, GPS coordinates will be taken, and samples collected. There will be two boats; one flying the drone and the second actually sampling. We are using bicycle flags to mark locations to sample so if you see these in the water please leave them alone. They are removed by sampling team as the collect the sample at the marked locations. We expect this to take 2-4 days, weather dependent.
This data will be used to provide “layers” to maps, which will allow us to compare data from residential wells, surface water and foam data, samples from 14-monitoring wells in 5-different locations along Borcher’s Way, and the seep/spring data. This will help us identify areas on land where to focus future sampling efforts. We have notified local officials, law enforcement including the DNR, Camp Grayling and the Grayling Air Traffic Control Tower, whom we will be in contact with during flight operations. We anticipate 6-8 weeks to get results back. Thanks for all the help! Best Randy Rothe, DEQ D: 989-705-3416 C: 989-217-0083 Please follow the procedures for reporting foam outlined by Randy Rothe, DEQ below:
FOAM REPORTING – LAKE MARGRETHE Please email pictures of foam to rother@michigan.gov and macdonaldL1@michigan.gov Please provide date, time and location (address is easiest or major land mark, road end, etc.) Also, if on private property, please provide permission to come onto the property and look for foam and sample if it is there. AECOM, our contractor, will sample. It takes six 1-gallon zip lock baggies to gather enough foam so when it condenses back into water there is enough to analyze. The specific baggies, gloves, and all equipment have been sampled and verified PFAS free. AECOM tries to eliminate any possible source of PFAS cross-contamination while sampling. Also, if any lake water is collected with the foam, it significantly dilutes the foam sample, so we do not get a good test result. AECOM also collects a water sample near the foam, so we can see if there is any correlation of PFAS in the water with PFAS in foam. We do not encourage people to gather foam since the collection and testing protocol is very specific and sensitive. We are dealing with parts-per-trillion (ppt). 1 ppt = 0.000000001. We typically do not sample the same location twice, unless the foam appears to be different than what was previously collected and sampled. While there are currently no criteria to compare foam too, we want to gather as much information and at as many different locations as we can. Appreciate everyone’s help with this. From: Rothe, Randy (DEQ) <ROTHER@michigan.gov> D: 989-705-3416 C: 989-217-0083 Received these results last week from Randy Rothe, DEQ. THANK you Randy!!!
Lake Margrethe 438 private wells have been tested for PFOA/PFOS 422 results are in 362 are non-detects 58 PFOA & PFOS detected (1.2 - 68 ppt) 2 samples above MDEQ criteria - PFOA+PFOS 70 ppt (Both south bay area) 60 samples - Concentrations range between Non-Detect and 75.4 PPT September 18, 2018
Michigan first in the nation to deploy drones in search for PFAS contamination In what is thought to be the first-ever use of drones to search for possible locations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) this week will deploy a drone over Lake Margrethe to locate springs that could be carrying PFAS contamination from past firefighting activities at the nearby Camp Grayling military base. The DEQ will fly a DJI 210 drone fitted with both Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) and regular cameras just offshore and at an altitude of 50 to 100 feet above the lake. If cold springs entering the warmer lake are present, they will be visible with the FLIR camera. The entry of cold springs does not confirm the presence of PFAS contamination but discovering the flow of groundwater from the base into surface waters will allow the DEQ to better target sampling efforts. Identifying the flow of groundwater into a surface water body may also assist in effective placement of treatment, if needed. Following the creation of standards and procedures to protect public safety and address privacy concerns, the DEQ has recently expanded the use of drone technologies to assist in environmental investigations throughout the state. Although using drones for thermal imaging is not new, this is believed to be the first time the technology has been used as part of a PFAS investigation. “To the best of our knowledge, this the first time anyone has ever used a FLIR-equipped drone in the hunt for potential PFAS contamination,” said Carol Isaacs director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART). “Like our first-in-the-nation testing of public water systems, this innovative use of technology is another example of MPART’s proactive approach to this emerging contaminant.” PFAS compounds are a group of emerging and potentially harmful contaminants used in thousands of applications globally including firefighting foam, food packaging, and many other consumer products. These compounds also are used by industries such as tanneries, metal platers, and clothing manufacturers. The discovery of PFAS contamination is a nationally growing trend across the United States. In January 2018, the DEQ acted to set a new clean-up standard for PFAS in groundwater used for drinking water of 70 parts per trillion for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) combined. Michigan is one of only a handful of states to establish a clean-up standard. MPART is overseeing the state’s $23 million effort to locate PFAS contamination, identify sources, and oversee remediation activities aimed at protecting the state’s water resources and mitigating risks to the public. For more information visit the MPART website: Michigan.gov/PFASresponse. For More Information: DEQ Media Office, deq-assist@michigan.gov, 517-284-9278 The DEQ’s Remediation and Redevelopment Division will be flying a drone along the entire shoreline of Lake Margrethe, beginning Tuesday Sept 18 through Friday Sept 21. The exact times will be weather dependent (rain, wind, lake conditions, etc.). The drone has a visual camera as well as a thermal imaging camera. The purpose is to look for groundwater seeps and springs where the groundwater enters the lake. This way we can concentrate sampling water coming into the lake. Generally flying between 50-100 feet above the lake (and that can vary based upon conditions.) This drone is a new piece of equipment and we are not certain how “deep” we will be able to “see” so that is another thing we will be looking at. A press release is supposed to be coming out and I will send that to you once I receive it. I didn’t want to wait for that press release to let you know. Attaching a video taken by the drone as a test run we did on the north shore of Higgins Lake a few weeks back. The shore and trees are at the top of the video. The lake is the middle and bottom, and the blue you see is a spring fed creek that dumps into Higgins Lake. The blue is the cold water entering and you can see it mixing with the lake water. Another update, we did complete the installation of 5 monitoring wells along the S.E. area of the lake and these wells were developed last week and will be sampled in the next week or two. Estimating 5-6 weeks before we get those results back. Thanks to LMPOA for all your help with this project. Much appreciation, Randall L. Rothe District Supervisor, Remediation and Redevelopment Division Department of Environmental Quality 2100 West M-32, Gaylord, MI 49735 989-705-3416 (Direct Line) 989-217-0083 (Cell) 989-731-4920 (Office) 989-731-6181 (Fax) rother@michigan.gov |
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