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What's the issue?
What's the issue?
The Grand River is one of the largest contributors to pollution within Lake Michigan, even though it takes up such a small portion of the state (Schrauben, 2010). It is important to look for a solution to this problem because the health and preservation of the Grand River and Lake Michigan depend on it.
The facts:
The facts:
Pollution from agricultural sources can have many different forms:
Run-off from manure, pesticides, and herbicides
Animals trampling down important plants to keep harmful run-off from entering the river
Increased sediment in the river can cause fish to suffocate and harm aquatic plants
(Schrauben, 2010)
The Idea:
The Idea:
According to the EPA (2022), there are a variety of ways that one can minimize agricultural pollution. These include ensuring that farmers are applying safe fertilizers and other chemicals onto their farms at the appropriate times; this can be accompanied by farmers keeping their animals away from the edges of their farms and out of smaller streams that may lead into the river. There is also the idea of adding buffers of plants that absorb the run-off or a wall system that directs the run-off into a specific reservoir or area to ensure the water does not enter the river or any bodies of water that run into the river.
Why does this Matter?
Why does this Matter?
The Grand River is a beautiful natural resource in West Michigan, it has a multitude of uses, some of those being creating a scenic route for walking/hiking, a place for people to kayak or enjoy other water activities, but most importantly, it is a habitat for many creatures. While there are many sources of pollution in the river, I believe one of the more overlooked sources is agricultural pollution. My time during this class observing the river and reading about the environment caused me to think about different perspectives, which allowed me to think of this idea for my project. Our readings from Braiding Sweetgrass also really influenced this project for me; that book provides a great perspective on the importance of nature and how nurturing it is to us. This made me contemplate how we should also provide for nature as it does for us.
Sources:
Sources:
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass. [electronic resource] (First edition.). Milkweed Editions.
Schrauben, M. (2010, December 7). Pollution in the Grand River. In The Rapidian. Retrieved from https://therapidian.org/waterqualitygrandriver#:~:text=The%20contamination%20of%20the%20Grand,into%20the%20river%20as%20well.
Environmental Protection Agency. (2022, October). The Sources and Solutions: Agriculture. In Nutrient Pollution. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sources-and-solutions-agriculture
All photos taken by myself (Sydney Snow) during my time observing the river
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