NILES TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS: Update

"I live in Niles Township: They will not listen to me becasue we don't vote or elect the council"      Public pressure and sentiment knows no district or ward.   If the dam and river run anywhere near your home, your property, and its near the ecology of a  watershed running right past your back-yard??? Then you ABSOLUTELY have a voice in this process.  I assure you. If  37 of you walk into the meeting that night to address the board, they are NOT going to ask what side of the invisible line you live on.   Think about it:  How can you live next to the dam, along the river  or along  what could  become a flooded impoundment--and NOT have a say in it !   If you still feel that you can't make a difference? Pick up the phone and call 1 person in Niles City who can speak your opinion for you. OR, have your Township work for you: They represent you to Niles--- and to Berrien county. Some Thoughts:  1.   Your township supervisor and trustees interface with the Mayor of Niles and the board frequently on matters that impact both areas. (See below) 2.  You are also a resident of Berrien County. The county has a  "planning commission" that reviews any changes to things like roads, bridges, water, sewer, etc. They can transect several or many towns, cities, and townships, but they also have input and a degree of oversight. The county's finance committee (oddly,) handles issues pertaining to soil erosion and sedimentation issues.  Niles Charter Township Board of Trustees Supervisor Jim Kidwell Bio Information: Jim was born and raised in Niles.  He is a 1969 graduate of Niles High School.  After graduation he married Sandy Wolf and they have two daughters, Amy and Tammy.  Jim has been involved in Police work for over 25 years.  He attended Lake Michigan College where he received an associate degree in Law Enforcement after which he attended the Michigan Police Academy.  Jim has been a patrolman with the City of Niles for over 20 years.  He and his wife also own and operate Galaxy Roller Rink which they built in December of 1980.  Jim’s life has revolved around the Niles community.  Besides his family’s efforts to maintain a place for the youth of the township to have a safe place to enjoy healthy recreation, he has also coach softball teams at fireman’s park and hosted numerous charity events at his business.  Serving as the Niles Township Supervisor has been a great honor to Jim.  He enjoys helping the residents of the township as well as serving on the finance and administration committee, roads and drains committee, and public works committee.  Outside of the township committees Jim also serves on the Landfill Authority board and NATS committee. Contact the Niles Charter Township Supervisor Office: 269-684-0870 ext. 21 email: jkidwell@nilestwpmi.gov Treasurer Jim Ringler Bio Information: Jim Ringler, Township Treasurer, is serving his third term.  Jim was appointed to the Township Park Board in 1990 and served as Chairman until he was elected Treasurer in 1996.  Jim also serves as Chairman for the Berrien County Treasurer’s Association, an organization that promotes best practices in treasury administration and management.  Contact the Niles Charter Township Treasurer Office: 269-684-0870ext. 16 email: jringler@nilestwpmi.gov Trustee Richard Noble Bio Information: Dick is serving in his 5th term as Trustee for the Township.  Prior to his election to the Board, he served on the Township’s Civil Service Commission for 5 years.  As a Trustee he is Chairman of the roads, drains & street lights committee and also serves on the building & planning committee.  He is also served as Chairman for the Southeast Berrien County Landfill committee, the Parks & Recreation committee, the Safety committee and the SMCAS ambulance committee.  Contact the Niles Charter Township Trustee Office: 269-684-0870 ext. 23 (clerk will fwd you thru) email: rnoble@nilestwpmi.gov Trustee Richard Cooper Bio Information: Residing in Niles Charter Township since 1959, Richard, born in 1941, has made it his mission to serve his community and family with diligence, dedication, and reliability.  Since November of 2000 he has served as one of your Township Trustees.  As a Trustee he serves as Building Safety committee chairperson and committee member, Roads and Drains committee member, Public Facilities committee member, Township representative on the Niles-Buchanan-Cass Area Transportation Study (NATS) and as a planning commissioner with the Niles Charter Township Planning Commission.  Contact the Niles Charter Township Trustee Office: 269-684-0870 ext. 23 (clerk will fwd you thru) email: rcooper@nilestwpmi.gov Trustee Gary Conover Bio Information: Gary was born and raised in Niles, graduating from Niles High School in 1967. After serving four years in the U.S. Navy, he attended Southwestern Michigan College, graduating with an Associates degree in Applied Science. Gary and his wife Linda have four grown children; Brian, Katie, Kellie & Keith. He previously served on the Township board as a Trustee from 1992 to 1996. During this term he served on the SMCAS ambulance, Landfill and Safety committees. He enjoys hunting, fishing, woodworking and tinkering with old cars, time permitting. Contact the Niles Charter Township Trustee Office: 269-684-0870 ext. 23 (clerk will fwd. you thru) email:  gconover@nilestwpmi.gov      BERRIEN COUNTY RESOURCES The County Administrator is appointed by the Berrien County Board of Commissioners to implement board policies; to oversee the daily activities of the County, to serve as the Chief Administrative Officer and as the Chief FinancialOfficer, and to supervise the appointed department heads within the County. The central staff within County Administration is responsible to assisting the board in meeting identified goals; developing agenda items for the Board of Commissioners; writing procedures to accompany board policies; providing legal counsel in all county matters; providing Human Resource functions to include recruiting, collective bargaining, health care and compensation issues; Financial Service functions; Purchasing functions; and other general administrative support activities. William A. Wolf became the County Administrator in January 2005. The Administrator is responsible for directing the Central Administrative functions of County government and acting as a conduit on behalf of the Board of Commissioners between County Officers, department heads, and the general public.
Bill Wolf, County Administrator Berrien County Administration Center 701 Main Street St. Joseph, MI 49085 Office hours: 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday Phone: (269) 983-7111, ext. 8601 Fax: (269) 983-5788  E-Mail: Bill Wolf
.. . . . .

Feb. 28th Meeting: City Council Committee-of-the-Whole

*****                      PLEASE JOIN US.                  THIS MEANS YOU   ******

Niles City Council              "Committee-of-the-Whole"     meeting


6 P.M.
Niles City Meeting Room @ Niles Fire Department (north entrance)
1350 E. Main Street, Niles, MI 49120


There will be a quick normal city council meeting beginning promptly at 6 p.m.  After what is expected to be a brief meeting and light agenda, the Committee of the Whole portion will begin.  The beginning portion of the meeting starts with 'open mic' opportunities to briefly address the council and express your views and perspective. Then, each of the options for the dam will make a presentation for all.

(Below is content added from 2/19 meeting):
Even if you do not have voting rights in Niles, your presence and living near the river DO have impact. If you know anyone living in Niles 'proper' tell them to participate. This is a major decision and the council will be watching for what kind of interest there is on this matter. Whether you own a home or not. Whether you are a voter--or not. Anyone can speak to the council and voice their opinion. We have, Ken doesn't even live in Michigan--yet we have gotten the city to open doors.

To have your comments perceived respectfully, follow appropriate meeting decorum.

1.) To the city clerk, clearly state your name and address.
2.) Formally greet the Mayor, and then the council group in that order.
3.) Explain to them what you want to talk about.
4.)Then, talk about what you want to talk about. Try and limit your viewpoint to 1 minute; unless questions      are asked of you and a 2-way dialogue begins.


After the open session, there will be presentations by the MDNR, Paterson, Falling Waters, LLC and Hope Energy explaining their view of the Dam's future and what is best for the city and public at-large.

Remember, KEEP it CIVIL and CALM. There is nothing that ruins credibility faster than emotional "hot heads" who do not respect the rules of the game.  There is a LONG way to go, and this is only the third of many, many steps to come. When running a marathon, it isn't wise to trip on your way out the front door the day of the race !!

Afterward, an informal, gathering will be held at Nuggets, at 202 Main St. in downtown Niles for the discussion to continue. Arguing and fist-fights are not part of the agenda.




Thanks!

2/19 Meeting Summary / Recap / Corrections

Thanks to all that attended the community information meeting. Thank You.

We hope it educated and informed you on the benefits of dam removal.
Whatever side of the issue you decide on, we stress that participating has tremendous influence.

Regarding the film, the discussion, the presentation?  We tried to collect the relevant info, but we don't  expect perfection. Our main goal was that it was a productive use of peoples time.


Now, some housekeeping and corrections to note on topic-points:

1.)  There was an answer the speaker made that during the '08 flooding episode, that all 5 gates of the dam were open at the time the river was really up and snortin'.

He based his answer by viewing some film: and seeing  the 5 streams of water coming down from the dam in some aerial footage we got from Jessica.

BUT, We were told by people at the meeting who were on-site that day that there were 3 gates open.  The reason: The other 2 gates were inoperable.  OK, our bad. Also note:  If you check out the film in the link below at 1:02, it seems like there are actually only 2 gates open. Am I right on this or wrong?  Is this a "grassy-knoll"  moment? Not a major deal. Water under the bridge.

Click here for the 5-chutes vs. 3-gates matter

We'll say 'our bad' on answering that pop quiz wrong. We will always seek to find facts and correct

. And if only 3 out of 5 gates were open? Then,  SHAME on the city for not having it able to be open with 5.
If the gates are broken, they should be repaired. Not for hydro-generating purposes, either. Its a major safety issue.  Or not. Then just get another team of volunteers and pay them overtime to help with even more sand-bagging.

Moving On........

2. )   We have corrected/re-worded the claim he made of an increase of  river cfs of 5% if the dam were removed.  The author (me) had confused cfs with speed when inquiring on the DNR made this prediction.

So...here's the Clarification:   The SPEED of the river will increase 5% if the dam is removed. verified by DNR.

3.)  At one point, there were words which may have been mis-spoken (by accident, the speaker was quite nervous) that conflicted about Dams and Flooding.

So, The 4 points on flooding that are verifiable facts, available in provided data on the site,  are re-asserted here:

• Most Dams are not built for flood control purposes.
• The Pucker Street Dam was not built for flood control purposes.
• Dams that are not built for flood control purposes INCREASE the risk of flood.
• Dams that are not built for flood control purposes and are impounded for purposes of power    generation---and have raised water levels (for use in hydro-power generation)   SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE the risk of flood.

So sorry if the presenter flubbed up on his words; it appears he got de-railed a bit.

Moving On.......

4.)   In our demonstrating the difference in property values on a blue ribbon river vs. a river like the Dowagiac....while we have shown the large price difference gap, we will verify what the tax rates are on the home, and whether the home on the Pere Marquette butts-up against federal land. More to follow, and we will update it right here when the Berrien and Lake counties call us back.

5.)   There was a concern that people who don't vote, those not living in Niles proper have "no leverage, no power" to influence the council. This is a point that could be argued; and it will:

Editorializing:

Here's a thought for all :   If the 37(?)  people who showed up to this meeting ---show up on the meeting on the 28th? This will have a tremendous impact on the importance of this issue. The newspaper will be sure to dedicate a chunk of this in the following weeks news. Gauranteed.

I have been to 4 city council meetings in Niles.  There is usually 2-3 businesses trying to get a some approval on zoning on something, 2-3 police or firefighters sor of hanging out, a couple people upset about the garbage service or their tax bill. Also, a reporter from the paper who hangs back and takes notes. Thats about it.   


IF YOU LIVE ALONG THE BANKS OF THE RIVER, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT and RELEVANT TO MAJOR VOTES THAT AFFECT THE RIVER AND YOUR HOME. If you attended our meeting, don't think for a moment that its all for 'naught'.  Giving up? Not gonna show on the 28th? Then how bout this:   Do you know any Niles residents who DO have voting rights? Tell THEM to show up and speak on your behalf. There........problem solved.


Whether you are from Niles, Niles Township, or Bolingbrook, IL.  There is a direct relationship between influence on a community decision ....and butts-in-seats filled with people who step to the mic.


No, I cant give you data, but when people show up and speak up, even without a formal procedure and vote----things can change.  Don't belive us? Please Google:  
" Mubarek resigns as President of Egypt" Dramatic? yes. 
But  involvment, participation, and speaking up can and does happen in local politics, folks. And it works.


Henry Ford said it best:

"Whether you think you can or you cant?   Either way, you're Right".


See you on the 28th.     With  questions prepared.

.....



Andy

How Many Dams Removed in 2010?

You can see for youself:
 



DOWNLOAD THE REMOVED DAMS SUMMARY 
here, which lists them alphabetically, by state.







(By the way, the answer is   60.    3  of which occured in Michigan.  The Watervliet dam removal project is not 'quite' finished---so wasn't included in the 2010 tally)




Thanks!
.

What about the Fishery? How will Removal Impact It?

This post is trying to give you the facts about how the existing fish  upstream of the dam and visiting, migratory fish downstream would respond to the dam being removed and the river being restored to its original state.  This is based on scientific and geo-morphologial studies, surveys, and samplings over many years by many experts in their field.

Click HERE to read an excellent summary of the ecological benefit/impact of dam removal.




RIVER FISHERY  'CLIFF NOTES' :

When a dam is removed in a high-quality river system like the Dowagiac, here's what experts expect to occur:

• The average annual temperature will reduce by an average of 2 degrees F.

• The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water will increase year over year throughout the entire main stem.

• The rivers speed, is estimated to increase increase  5%*           (*edited 2/19 from a prior assertion of cfs velocity; Ken's mistake)

• The sediment layer above and below the dam site will begin a constant, daily progression out of the river.

• The accumulated arsenic in the sediment from agricultural runoff will safely disperse and move out, and levels can consistently drop into safe ranges (assuming there are no increases in chemical input, of course).

• As the sediment is allowed to transport as it had prior to the dam construction, oxygen storing gravel will be exposed in increasing quantities each year.

• The river will get deeper on average, especially in areas that used to hold sediment for 83 years.

So What?    What does this all mean? 

It means water that is cooler, cleaner, faster, and  healthier for fish. It means that habitat will be created through restoration--naturally---with gravel and increased biomass and food chain that encourages them to reproduce and grow naturally; with less artificial stocking and plants that utilize state fish hatcheries.


Upstream Fish:

There are native species that live upriver of the dam today, most notably brown trout; which are naturally reproduced to a small extent, but more typically artificially stocked.  By experiencing the above changes, natural reproduction will increase. The upstream fishery will improve.
Those same "upriver" trout will also have the ability to spread throughout the system, unimpeded and have more habitat to roam. (Kinda like "free range" fish, if you will.)

Downstream Fish: 

There are migratory species that visit the downriver portion below the dam. The Dowagiac has never received supplemental stocking of steelhead and salmon. However, the quality of the water, in spite of the dam, is irresistible to them.  Anglers from as far away as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin understand this, and visit every year.

Most notably, the predominant migratory species that migrate in from the St. Joseph river are salmon, steelhead trout, walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, catfish, and once upon a time, sturgeon !! 

During their annual spawning migrations, each specie will once again be able to transit to the ideal spawning and rearing habitats that the river offers, which will increase in available area as flow volumes begin to remove the sediment blanket, and expose the spawning gravel used to deposit eggs and rear newly hatched fry.  

Rivers of a similar quality have seen the above occurences over and over consistently across the U.S.  More locally, restored rivers have documented  fish populations (in this case, rainbow and brown trout) before and 4 years after-- dam removal and documented a 4x-6x increase in trout and salmonid populations.   There is a post in this blog referencing an MDNR study which sites this research from a removal and restoration that occured in Stronach, Michigan on the Pine river. Another similar result is summarized in the film posted here entitled "Preparing for the Future"

TRUE OR FALSE ?

"Trout and salmon cant live together. Salmon invade, and compete for habitat and the salmon cannibalize the trout. The population will get ruined."

Answer:    FALSE.    FALSE.   FALSE.     FALSE.
Contrary to popular angler belief, which to date is unsupported by any data--trout and salmon can and do co-exist successfully. There are  hundreds of rivers in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions that point to this; which thrive and have inter-mingling salmonid species. Right in our own area, there are numerous destination fisheries in Michigan that receive thousands of visiting anglers who pursue them with flyrods, bait, plugs, spoons, and spinners.One well known river that contains trophy populations of all species is the Pere Marquette.  We should also recall that brown trout, a specie of concern for many supporting this argument, are an artificially planted species (just like salmon) that were dumped put into Michigan waters after being shipped over from Germany.  

In fact, a club you may have heard of, Trout Unlimited, is one of the largest, best organized proponents of dam removal to improve trout habitat and water quality in general.

(The below 2 pp. added on 2/19)
Hear us out:   You may not "want" the trout and salmon to mix. Thats OK. That is a preference of seeing species separated. But it is UNTRUE to say they can't live together and that salmon or steelhead are invaders that ruin populations. For roughly 10 weeks out of the year, salmon show up, drop eggs, and die.

People who make these contentions have either not observed the other flourishing fisheries in Michigan, or have ignored obvious, visual evidence.  By the way: the hundreds of thousands of salmon eggs and thousands of parr provide a new and extremely valuabe and easy-to-catch food source for trout. Trout in some river systems put on 50% of their weight gain from gorging on these new sources.

The rotting carcasses of salmon are excellent sources of material eaten by various nymphs and crustaceans like crayfish; another vital food source for trout.  This, as you may be concluding is something known as the "food chain". And it works pretty well, we think.

Show us the studies that conflict with documented fisheries management practices by expert in biology--and we will publish them.

Don't believe it?    GOOD!
 
Click here to verify that TU loves dam removal to improve trout ecosystems.


In summary, the fishery stands to derive immediate and measurable benefit to a great degree by river restoration and dam removal. More fish, more naturally reproducing fish, fish that can withstand the extreme high and low temperatures of Michigan's weather, and less dependence on state-sponsored planting of hatchery-reared fish.

TRUE OR FALSE:

 "Sediment is BAD. Gravel is GOOD. Sediment is horrible, its awful. It needs to be removed from the river to expose gravel and let the water be crystal clear and let natural vegetation grow. Sediment robs carbon dioxide and creates a hostile substrate. The river needs to flush all the sediment downstream and out of the river"

Answer?    FALSE.

Too much sediment in one place can be harmful. Too little sediment in one place can also be harmful.  Optimal river health seeks a balance of sediment across the entire length, and will release 'some' un-needed sediment naturally.

Think of a river-bed  like a brick wall that lays at a 20 degree angle. Wood, rocks, shells, and other substrate are the bricks. Sediment is like the mortar.  If you remove too much mortar, the rain and water will move across the bottom with less resistance and will wash away other underlying materials that are supposed help support the wall and keep it up. The wall, with no mortar --settles and shifts very rapidly. This process eliminates what is more commonly known as "  riffles"".



DID YOU KNOW:  In dams that are removed, the sediment that is trapped and collected, is sometimes loaded into dump-trucks and brought to DOWNSTREAM river areas to help repair/reinforce areas that have been 'sediment-starved,' and eroding too rapidly.

  In those areas, there wasn't enough mortar in the brick wall, and things beneath and to the sides of it were getting washed away (eroded) too quickly. So you see, the proper balance of sediment prevents, not causes the problems.




Still don't believe us?    Whatever.

Take the challenge:   Pick up the phone, contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to confirm anything above, or to ask  further questions. They have been recommending dam removal and river restoration to improve the fishery.

They are expecting your call !


Jay K. Wesley
Southern Lake Michigan Unit Manager
DNRE
621 N. 10th Street
Plainwell, MI 49080
269-685-6851  Ext.  117













Thanks!

What about Sediment?

Pucker Street Puddin'.

One of the concerns regarding dam removal is that the years of accumulated silt and debris at the upper base portion of the dam will come crashing down into the river, making horrible mud slides of everything downstream "for years and years".  Make no mistake, the river will want to cleanse itself. Why don't we consider allowing it to this time around?

**(inserted 2/19)  Here's how one expert at the DNR OPINED how he might handle sediment  if the dam is removed. Not the offical strategy; as it isn't an official project yet:

"The process of dam removal can help manage the sediment for the long-term life of the river. To deal with accumulations over the years, The DNR would install a sheet pile dam above the existing dam, which would have stop logs that could be pulled to control the draw down. Perhaps drawing it down at one foot per week.  They would also  maintain a sand trap to remove sediment as it came down." --  J.Wesley, MDNR

Consider this analogy for a moment:  When a pipe is clogged in your sink, and you wish to cleanse it, you must flush out the offending material. Rivers that are un-dammed do this naturally and constantly. Dammed rivers do not, and are robbed of this dynamic. The photo above shows what a great job human engineering does trying to duplicate a free-flowing river. We conclude that its a little cheaper to let it happen naturally.

FACT:  The Dowagiac is supposed to move between 1 and 5 tons of silt per day.

FACT:  Withholding sediment from depositing naturally will remove riffles, create sediment starved water, and accelerate erosion in downstream portions of the river; grinding away at them much faster than the banks can sustain.  You see, 'too much' sediment is bad for the water above a dam, and TOO LITTLE creates serious erosion problems below the dam.

Don't believe us?    GOOD !  Please refer to pp. 8 and 9 of:

THIS CASE STUDY ON SEDIMENT TRANSPORT.

If the dam is removed, ---starting immediately, there will be a scary looking plume of silty thick water coming down. However, with a head-start and  the above management technique,  the previous sediment removal  won't be anywhere near as bad as it could have been. Why?

The Dowagiac has a major benefit in reducing this components effect, unlike other dams.

The dam was "drawn down" in 1999.  This process allowed a large portion of that collected sediment (not all of it) to rinse its way downstream. The remainder was removed over a period of weeks at cost to the city. When all were agreed that the sediment removal should stop, it was after $50,000 and 14 cleanings by various contractors. Here are the spoils from 1 cleaning to give some perspective.

 Here is just 30 days worth of Pucker Street Sediment after the previous cleaning of the trap.

Don't kid yourself. The sediment will keep coming, even if the dam comes back on-line, all shiny and new. It will damage the dam turbines and affect water quality, and arsenic makes wading the river  kind of a bummer.  Potential dam buyers may not realize the heavy sediment load that makes this river unique among others that have been dammed. Farmers will keep farming, and runoff will keep running.

In less than 3 years after this cleaning operation,  river-users and residents reported that the new, flushed sediment was almost completely gone from the riverbed below this mess.Imagine that.

A level of arsenic in this dam sediment was discovered, and readings were taken that were beyond established tolerances. Arsenic is commonly found in runoff sediment as a by-product of agricultural and farming chemicals.  It is also used in potato farming. Apple orchards with cores, stems, and seeds, all organic--have arsenic in them.  

Natural river flows allow these trace amounts to leave and dissolve in a normal, safe pace.  Dams allow these particulates to gather and collect in a condensed area, making them a conscern.  Those levels of arsenic will likely not occur in the current environment----IF the river is free to flush and distribute those particles naturally, rather than let them concentrate and collect. If a dam operation resumes, and impounding happens; the sediment game will begin all over again.

Remember the reason for the silt and sediment accumulation and resulting arsenic? Its there because a dam was erected to hold it back.

Looking Ahead:

If development increases, as any Mayor would hope to see, rainwater will have  less ground to absorb rain, and more concrete, streets, roofs, and parking lots  rapidly push water somewhere.  If agriculture practices remain the same, the rich, fortified and expensive topsoil , complete with pesticide, fungicide, and fertilizer, will seep down the fields with heavy spring and summer storms, right into the rivers edge. That edge today? is partially stabilized by green strips along the banks to naturally prevent this. However, the topography of the area,  if viewed on mapquest, will show you the depressed veins of land that lead right to the river. Several farmers in Niles Township understand how leaving a 'buffer zone' between their crop and the riverbank helps keep their soil on their land, and prevents excessive river sedimentation.We applaud them. They get to keep thier rich soil on their land, and help the river in the process. For those that dont, they will turn and till their soil, and it will continue to depress lower on their acreage, leaving a horrible mess of ponds when rains come.

Final Conclusion and FACT:

DID YOU KNOW:    There is a FREE, 24 x 7x 365 sediment-moving system available that doesn't need permits or heavy equipment or authorization from government agencies to conduct these systemic operations. Plus, unlike work-crews, it especially works best during heavy rains--and never requires a break.

If any of this was valuable; please pass this site along to Niles Residents or concerned citizens so they can learn more.

Thanks!

.