Boats gather off Bay City State Park on Saginaw Bay as swimmers enjoy the beach. Increase in Boating at State Parks Result of Higher Water, Walleye Boom
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Almost daily you can see small fleets of pleasure boats anchored or tied together off the Bay City State Recreation Area (BCSRA).
State Park Manager Mike Evanoff says the activity is perhaps due to the poor economy that keeps boaters closer to home and reports that state park managers statewide all are seeing high boater access numbers.
"We are seeing a definite increase in activity at boating access sites," said Mr. Evanoff, adding: "One reason for the good attendance is the fact that our walleye fishery is one of the best in the country."
There are more than 1,300 public boating access sites and over 80 harbors and marinas throughout Michigan administered by State, county, and local units of government.
Although beach muck remains a long-standing problem, dating to the 1920s, this year algae growth has been lower probably because of cooler temperatures and higher water levels, the park manager said.
Numbers of swimmers have been seen on the 1,200 foot long beach this year, Mr. Evanoff said, reminiscent of the 1960s when higher water was present.
Precise counts are not taken, but the park manager said total attendance of picnickers, campers and swimmers plus other park visitors probably is in the range of 300,000 per year.
He pointed out the algae problem is widespread, with Wisconsin officials reporting similar conditions. "From the pictures I saw it looked like the same type of algae we have," he commented.
New Jersey, Palm Beach, Florida, and other waterfront areas have similar problems with beach muck caused by algae and other materials, according to news reports.
Last year Juli Dyble, biologist with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gave a science-based report on causes of algae in Saginaw Bay to a meeting in Caseville.
The meeting, hosted by the Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative of the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), State Senator James A. Barcia and the Save Our Shorelines group, was aimed at creating better understanding of the algae problem.
Ms. Dyble said zebra mussels have increased the growth of plant life on the bay floor and temperature changes cause plants to die and wash ashore. The mussels filter floating plant matter, allowing more sunlight to penetrate to the bottom and foster algae growth, she said.
Meeting attendees raised a host of issue, including:
Need for e-coli monitoring to determine sources of muck and health risks to humans;
Economic concerns relating to loss of property values due to muck;
Concerns whether tiling of farm fields are providing a means for manure runoff to cause pollution of waterways; and
Identification of adequate methods to remove and dispose of muck.
Mr. Evanoff discounted reports from some officials who blame algae growth on greater numbers of cattle in Huron County in the past 10 years. "I don't know how much impact that has on our problem," he said, adding: "We had algae here long before the cattle came in."
Among methods being used to control the muck are beach groomers, bulldozers and raking by volunteers from Michigan Works under direction of the Beach Wellness and Save Our Shoreline groups.
A Saginaw water control firm, Duperon Corporation, is working on equipment that might offer promise in control of beach muck.
A DEQ Science Committee headed by Dr. Joan Rose, Michigan State University water quality expert, has been formed to identify health risks and monitoring issues associated with beach muck.
A work group has been organized to review alternative algae control options at the park.
And, a Saginaw Bay Tourism Work Group is creating an inventory focusing on the concept of "geotourism" including historic, natural, recreational, cultural, scenic, agricultural and other resources. Information about this work group is available from Shirley Roberts, executive director, Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, or Jim Bredin of the DEQ.
The use of beach muck collections as fertilizer has been discontinued because of the fear of contamination, according to past reports.
The Health Departments of Bay and Huron Counties have advised that until the exact nature of the debris (muck) that is causing concern is identified, persons should limit their contact with the debris and wash with soap and water if in contact with the debris.
People with open sores and wounds and anyone that may ingest the material should avoid the "muck" areas altogether. The local health departments from Bay, Huron and Tuscola participated on the Saginaw Bay Science Committee which is investigating the Saginaw Bay "muck" issue.
For more information on the Saginaw Bay Science Committee or recreational water illnesses, please visit the Bay County website at www.baycounty-mi.gov, the Huron County Health Department website at www.huron.localhealth.net or the Tuscola County Health Department's website at www.tchd.us.
More information on the Saginaw Bay Coastal Initiative is available at www.michigan.gov/deq under "issues to watch." ###
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