Savin Lake Services�Lakes Management Presentation�

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Prepared for the: Lake James Property Owners Association

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Guy Savin�President – Savin Lake Services

• B.S. Business Administration from Northwood University
• Dow Chemical
• Project Manager
• Financial Analyst / Purchasing
• Purchased company previously known as Rustin Lake and Pond Service, INC. in 2004
• Active member of Michigan Aquatic Manager Association and the Midwest Aquatic Plant Management Society

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Company History

• Began in 1995 as Rustin Lake and Pond
• Became Savin Lake Services in 2004
• A+ Accredited with the Better Business Bureau of Michigan  
• Have grown the company twenty-fold in less than fifteen (15) years.
• Preserving Lakes today for generations tomorrow. 

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Services Provided

• Lake and Pond Management
• Aquatic Weed and Algae Control
• Mechanical Harvesting
• Water Quality Testing
• Phosphorus Mitigation
• Fountain and Aeration Systems
• Consulting Services
• Lake Management, Surveys and Reports, Special Assessment Implementation
• Lake Bottom Dredging
• Drone Technology

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Savin Lake Services - Equipment

Savin Lake Services - Equipment

GPS Tracking Harvesting and Spray Applications

• All of our harvesters and spray boats are equipped with GPS technology
• This provides two benefits
• Assurance for you that we treated or harvested proposed locations
• Quality Assurance by us, we spray on rate, and we spray and harvest all locations
• Inviolable data produced for verification

Example Harvesting GPS Data

Example Herbicide GPS Data

Seth Gibson

• From Union City, Michigan
• Started with the company in July of 21.
• B.S. Fisheries and Wildlife with a concentration in Fish Bio and Management – Michigan State University
• Fish Biologist and Lakes Project Manager (New Lake James Project Manager)
• Commercially Certified

What Makes Plants Grow?

• All aquatic plants need two key things in order to grow; sunlight and nutrients. 
• Littoral Zone - Part of the lake where sunlight consistently reaches sediment. 

What is an invasive species?

• 2 requirements: not from here and causes harm. I.e. Eurasian watermilfoil, spongy moth (formerly gypsy), mute swans.

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• Non-native: Not from here but does not cause harm. I.e.: Chinook salmon, rainbow trout, ring necked-pheasant.

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• Nuisance: Native species that is causing a problem, usually minor compared to problems caused by invasive species.

Plant Types

• Algae
• Filamentous 
• Planktonic 
• Macroalgae

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• Macrophytes
• Submerged
• Emergent
• Free Floating

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Lake James Water Quality Report Highlights

• Dissolved oxygen as it relates to fish health.

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• Nature of the system as it relates to water quality. 
• Tannins

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Dissolved Oxygen and Fish Health

• D.O. measure of the oxygen available to organisms in the water. 
• Water quality standard for Michigan inland lakes is 5 mg/L - MDNR
• Most lakes in Michigan stratify during the summer resulting in D.O. concentrations near the bottom being close to 0 mg/L. 
• Reservoir system and the depth present result in an oxygenated water column all year round. 
• Lowest D.O. observed is 3.5 mg/L - outstanding. 

Dissolved Oxygen and Fish Health

Lake James System

• Promotes dissolved oxygen. 
• Wetlands upstream - nutrient sponge
• Unfortunately, that’s a double-edged sword. 
• Conceptually speaking for now. Nutrient management will likely eventually be needed. 

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Tannins

• Causes "stained" color in the lake. 
• Complex extremely stable molecule. 
• Causes by certain species of plants (likely contributed to by upstream wetland areas).
• Reduced water clarity metrics without cause for concern commonly associated with that trait. 

Hybrid Milfoil

• Eurasian watermilfoil 14+ leaflets. 
• Northern watermilfoil <14 leaflets. 
• Hybrid watermilfoil 8-16 leaflets. 
• Only way to confirm is genetic tissue sampling. 

Starry Stonewort

• Invasive macroalgae.
• Spreads through fragmentation.
• Forms thick, dense mats. 
• Shown to reduce macroinvertebrate diversity in its North American range (Brainard and Schulz 2016). 
• Dies back with max rate of copper. 

Control Methods

• Mechanical
• Done with machinery (Harvesters, DASH, etc.). 
• Works well for wild celery (Vallisnaria).
• Cannot be done on species that spread by fragmentation. (milfoil, starry stonewort)

• Chemical 
• Contact
• Systemic
• Limited use

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2021 Fall AVAS Survey

2021 Fall AVAS Survey

• Sections on the map are our standard design for all AVAS surveys, though each number section on the map is specific to Lake James. 
• Report what is observed on AVAS sheet with density score reported as A,B,C, and D. 
• These densities are standard to AVAS protocol and represent a percent coverage of the plant in the section. A = <2%, B  = 2%-20%, C = 20%-60%, and D = 60%-100%. 

2021 Fall AVAS Survey

• Only reported species observed during survey. 
• Limited by weather conditions and time. 
• Aware of the starry stonewort present but could not see it during the survey due to water clarity and the state of decay of above ground plants. 
• Even though these were our official survey results, we are still very on top of the species present in Lake James throughout the year. 

Matt Novotny

• From Charlevoix, MI
• 10 years with SLS
• B.S. Geochemistry from Western Michigan University
• Operations Manager (Former Lake James Project Manager)
• Water Quality Analyst
• Commercially Certified

Lake James Treatment History

• Began treatment of Lake James in 2011.
• Initially only contact herbicides were used to treat pondweeds, algae, and milfoil.
• Began utilizing systemic herbicides for Eurasian Watermilfoil in 2014, last used in 2017.
• Population of Eurasian Watermilfoil was minimized.
• Starry Stonewort first observed in 2014.
• Emergent vegetation (lily pads) treated consistently almost every year.
• Directed in 2021 for more treatment of lily pads utilizing mechanical harvesters and mid-summer treatment.

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Recent Treatment Questions and Concerns

• Shadow Lake
• LJPOA Authority
• Direction to Savin
• Company Before Savin as well
• Eurasian Watermilfoil
• Lily Pads
• Mechanical Harvesting and Mid Summer Treatment
• Issue or Non Issue?
• Allowable Treatment Area
• Native vs Non Native Milfoil
• Chara vs Starry Stonewort

Lake James Current Vegetation

• Invasive Species
• Starry Stonewort, Eurasian Watermilfoil, Curly Leaf Pondweed
• Prominent Native Species
• Chara, Northern Watermilfoil, Richardsons Pondweed, Large Leaf Pondweed, White Stem Pondweed, Wild Celery, Lily Pads, Watershield (Brasenia). 

Treatment 2022 and Beyond

• Continue to prioritize invasive species control. 
• Starry stonewort, Eurasian watermilfoil, curly leaf pondweed.  

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• Treat nuisance native species as needed. 
• Native pondweeds impeding boat traffic, emergent treatments. 

Starry Stonewort Treatment

• Treatment needs to be early and aggressive
• Once a thick mat forms, treatment is less effective
• Early treatments may be restricted by EGLE
• Starry stonewort treatments or algae treatments?
• Fragmentation vs Harvesting

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Eurasian Watermilfoil Treatment

• Systemic vs Contact Herbicide Use
• Large Dense Beds or Individual Plants
• Fragmentation vs Harvesting

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Native Vegetation Treatment

• Typically only treat when vegetation is a nuisance
• Nuisance???
•  Impeding recreation or otherwise negatively affecting lake use. 
• Lily Pads
• Treatment Timing
• Boat Washing

Lake James Treatment Plan 2022

• Standard Treatments
• Starry Stonewort
• Systemic Herbicide use for Eurasian Watermilfoil
• Canal Treatments
• Mechanical Harvesting
• Shadow Lake Inclusion
• Funding

Lake James Future Services

• Continue manage vegetation as previously stated
• Water Quality Analysis
• Phosphorus Monitoring
• Comprehensive AVAS report.
• Explore applications of cutting-edge products when applicable. (Eutrosorb, Descend, etc.) 
• Continue to explore additional management options. I.e. aeration and dredging, or any novel approach that may be applicable

Lake James BioBase Survey

Lake James BioBase Survey

Lake James BioBase Survey

Lake James BioBase Survey

Paul Barber

• Sales and Marketing Director
• Savin Lake Services for over 13 years
• Previous Roles
• Commercially Certified Applicator since 2009
• Regional Lakes Manager 2012 - 2021
• Operations Manager 2014 - 2021
• Involved with Lake James since 2011
• Lakes Manager 2014 - 2019 

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Lakes Management

Understanding Lake Ecology, Aquatic Plant Management, and Potential Mitigation Solutions

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Discussion outline

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 LAKE ECOLOGY​

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FOOD WEB​

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INFLUENCING FACTORS​

• WATER CHEMISTRY​
• BASIN MORPHOMETRY​
• TROPHIC STATUS​

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EUTROPHICATION ​

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HUMAN ACTIVITY​ INFLUENCE ON WATERSHED

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AQUATIC PLANT MANAGEMENT

PLANT TYPES

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WHAT MAKES PLANTS GROW

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CONTROL METHODS

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MANAGEMENT GOALS

SHORT-TERM & LONG-TERM

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  MITIGATION SOLUTIONS

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NUTRIENT REDUCTION

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AERATION

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DREDGING

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Lake Ecology

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Lake Ecology

• What is Lake Ecology?

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• The study of the relationship between living organisms and the chemical and physical components of the environment within a body of fresh water

Lake Food Chain

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Food Web Impacts on Lake Ecosystems

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Food web interactions can have significant impacts on characteristic of a lake

Factors that Influence a Lake's Ecology

• Lake Type
• Water Chemistry
• Basin Morphometry
• Lake Zones
• Light Penetration
• Trophic Status
• Thermal Stratification
• Human Activities

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Lake James 

Lake Type – Impoundment

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• A manmade lake created by damming the Denton Creek
• Significantly impacts amount of nutrient inputs
• Can ultimately create significant restoration challenges

Influencing Factors of a Lake's Water Chemistry 

Water Chemistry is influenced by:

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• Watershed 
• Incoming water sources
• Local soils and geology

Lake James Basin Morphometry

• Basin Morphology influences light penetration, temperature, and productivity

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Lake James Basin Morphology

• Fetch =  10,532 Ft.
• Max Width =  4,046 Ft.
• Shoreline Perimeter = 64,979 Ft.
• Surface Area = 199 acres
• Volume = 782.72 Acre Ft or              255,050,050 Gallons
• Depth = 0 – 15 Ft. With Avg depth of 5.27 Ft. 

Trophic Status

• Trophic Status describes how productive a lake is
• Trophic means nutrition or growth
• Productivity is the amount of plant and animal life that a lake can support
• Influenced by
• Basin Morphometry
• Nutrients
• Water Chemistry
• Climate

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Trophic Status

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• Lakes are grouped into 4 categories of productivity or trophic states
• Oligotrophic – relatively low productivity
• Mesotrophic -  intermediate level of productivity
• Eutrophic – High levels of productivity
• Hypereutrophic – Extremely high levels of productivity

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• Current Trophic Status of Lake James is Mesotrophic

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 Eutrophication Process

• All lakes go through the "Eutrophication Process"
• Natural Eutrophication – Slow natural process
• Cultural Eutrophication- The aging of the lake that is accelerated by human activity in the watershed
• Eutrophication is a natural, and even common phenomenon in bodies of water that are aging, as part of their natural process.
• Eutrophication Process is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus

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Water Quality Changes Influenced by Phosphorus Levels

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Human Activity Accelerates Eutrophication Process

• Land/Lake Development

  Development Impacts

Watershed Management

• A watershed is the entire geographic area that drains to a common water  body.
• Critical hydrologic features of a lake may include creeks, streams and rivers flowing into your lake, floodplains, groundwater, contiguous lakes/impoundments, and wetlands.
• The water quality of a watershed is influenced by the land uses.
• Wetlands provide water pollution control, sediment control, flood protection, and habitat for plants, animals, and fish.
• Erosion of sediment is the most common cause of pollution in

Michigan’s waters. 

• Sediments carry nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus into lakes and streams.

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Poor Watershed Management

• Sediment and nutrient loading can create
• More shallow areas
• Reduced light penetration
• Increased nutrient rich sediments
• Increased nuisance vegetation
• Additional interference with recreational activities

Mitigation Solutions

Proactive Management Vs Reactive management

Proactive Management Vs Reactive Management

Proactive Management 

Reactive Management

•  Attacking the source of the problem 
• Nutrient reduction/Nutrient limiting
• Reduce or limit the amount of available nutrients (Food Source), Reduces productivity and slows down the eutrophication process
• Improves, restores, and/or preserves water quality parameters, lake health, and nuisance aquatic vegetation presence

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• Herbicide treatments are reactive management techniques to reduce the symptoms of high nutrient levels. 
• These techniques just continue the cycle of nutrient addition from decaying plants for future excessive plant growth

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Phosphorus (P)

• Required for life of all living organisms
• In most freshwater environments P is the limiting nutrient
• 1 pound of P can produce 500 pounds of algae

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• Did you know?
• Avg goose dropping is 1.3% Phosphorus and weighs 1.2 grams goose poop as many as 92 times a day. That’s 1.4 grams or P per day or .85 lbs per year per goose (Lake Access)
• An Oak tree sheds about 60 pounds of leaves over the course of a year. Those 60 pounds can equate to about 1.5 pounds of P per year

Phosphorous Mitigation

• New Products: Phoslock & EutroSORB 
• Adding a mineral (Lanthanam) that permanently bind up SRP making it no longer available for consumption
• EutroSORB WC
• EutroSORB (Filter bags)
• PhosLock Or EutroSORB G 
• Develop a plan to remove phosphorus in the lake
• Reduce internal & External loading
• Additional water quality and sediment testing will be required to determine phosphorus deactivating units required to provide accurate cost evaluation

Aeration 

• Aeration system provides a constant supply of fresh oxygen throughout the entire water column.
• Enhances bacterial decomposition of organic sediment 
• Will offer many long-term water quality benefits
• Prevents reduction and depletion in available D.O. levels below thermocline
• Lack of mixing with surface water where oxygen enters the lake

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• Oxygenated water column = 10X decomposition organics (leaves, twigs, etc.) Vs. Bacterial decomposition without air. 

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• The metabolism process for most water cleaning organisms is driven by the amount of dissolved oxygen available.
•  Increasing the amount of oxygen available = increase the aerobic bacteria and phytoplankton’s ability to metabolize organic matter at a much faster rate.

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• Slows the rate of further accumulation of organic sedimentation in the bottom of the lake
• Over time an aeration system coupled with bacterial augmentation treatments should mitigate additional sediment accumulation
• Does not provide the immediate removal of the organic sediment on the lake bottom like dredging does
• Design was developed for installation of an aeration system in most canals in Lake James

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Aeration – Design Example

SECTION G 

1.92 & 6.20 ACRES            (2) PS80 SYSTEMS & (1) PS40 SYSTEM (20) PROAIR 4 DIFFUSERS           4,960 FT. OF WEIGHTED AIRLINE

 Bacterial Augmentation/Muck Treatments

• Bacterial Augmentation – colony forming bacteria and enzymes are added to sediments in order to promote the natural breakdown and removal of organics.
• Slow Process - only effective on organic sediment (does not work on sand or silt for example)
• Observed up to 6 inches of reduction per year – requires multiple treatments each year
• Not recommended for Lake James on a stand-alone basis
• May be beneficial post dredging, or in conjunction with aeration

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Dredging Overview

All Dredging Projects require 3 things before dredging operations can commence

1. Approved Permits
2. Holding Cell
3. Funding to complete the project

Proposed Project Scope 

1. EGLE Permit administration, and project management 
2. Design, Engineer and Construct holding cell for spoils
3. Removal of Organic Sediment from Lake bottom and relocate to spoils holding cell in accordance with approved plans and specifications

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Dredging – Permit

Savin Lake Services will be responsible for the preparation and administration of all requirements to obtain dredging permit

• Project plan development and submission of application for permit
• Collection and Soil Analysis of required sediment samples 
• 6 samples required for removal of up to 10,000 cubic yards 
1. 1 sample required for every additional 10,000 cubic yards
• Administration of any additional requirements to obtain or remain in compliance of the permit. 

Dredging – Project Management

Savin Lake Services will be responsible for the oversight and project management

• Establishing a timeline and scheduling of resources to meet project objectives. 
• Project oversight to ensure objectives are being met in compliance with permits and in accordance with the specifications and that they are completed on time and remain within budget. 
• Evaluation and implementation of strategic plan modifications to improve efficiency or result in cost savings while still meeting the project objectives within specifications.
• Develop strategies or plans to overcome/remediate any unforeseen circumstances that arise that are not delineated in the specifications.

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Dredging – Holding Cell

• Securing and negotiating an adequate property to construct a holding cell for spoils disposal is the responsibility of the LJPOA.  However, Savin Lake Services will assist the LJPOA in locating possible adequate sites
• Savin Lake Services Inc. will work in conjunction with the LJPOA to locate a suitable and adequate location to construct a holding cell with the capacity capabilities for the disposal of all dredge spoils.
• Please see below map of potential properties we believe will be adequate and feasible to complete the project. 

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Possible Holding Cell Locations

Possible Spoils Locations

• Best Possible Spoils Location –Is owned by Wanaki Company. The software shows that they own approximately a 95-acre parcel that runs parallel to Lake James. 

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• Alternate Spoils Location 1/2 is owned by the Deer Run Property Owners Association if we are not able to negotiate an agreement to construct holding cell on the property owned by Wanaki company

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• Alternate Spoils Location 2/2 is owned by Mr. Richard Harding. His property would be adequate to construct a holding cell to contain the remainder of the projected spoils to be removed

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Holding Cell Design and construction

• Savin Lake Services will furnish all equipment, labor, and materials to design and construct the holding cell 
• Holding cell will be designed to hold the 1.25 times the projected cubic yards of spoils to be removed
• Holding cell will be constructed with a weir to control waterflow and filter slurry to remove sediment and suspended particles before water is returned to the lake.
• Holding cell design and specifications will be engineered after property and disposal site has been arranged
• Savin Lake Services will not be held liable for any contamination or content of the holding cells dredged from the lake bottom sedimentation.

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Dredging – Holding Cell After Dredging

• We recommends the spoils holding cell be allowed to dry for approximately (12 - 24) months (weather dependent) after dredging operations commence.  
•  Savin Lake Services will perform any excavation & cleanup of the spoils area as required by the Michigan EGLE permit. 
•   When finished holding cell will create a raised elevation of approximately 6 - 8 feet above current grade
• Savin Lake Services will not be held responsible to grade the holding cell 
•  It will be the responsibility of the LJPOA to hire a contractor or complete task to achieve the desired finished terrain negotiated in agreements made with property owner

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Dredging - Specifications

• Savin Lake Services will furnish one hydraulic suction dredge, fuel, labor, tools, supervision, necessary pipe, and all other relevant and incidental items necessary to complete the dredging.
• Utilize a Cutterhead suction dredge in accordance with the approved plans and specifications within EGLE permit
•  Savin Lake Services will mechanically remove a total of approximately 212,185 cubic yards of bottom sediment material to create a desired 3ft depth from 18 areas of Lake James (The proposed dredging area for Lake James is depicted in the map shown below)

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Dredging Areas

Dredging Removal Amounts

Funding vehicles

• Implement Public Act 188 Special Assessment District.  Then bond sales to front fund the dredging project. 
• We believe there is roughly 700 property owners in the Lake James Property Owners Association. 
•   $ 2,500,000 dredging project implemented with a 10-year SAD will amount to between 360.00 - $ 400.00 per year for 10 years.  
• We could also look at doing this over a (15) year SAD, and include the recommended $ 75,000 per year in weed control into this special assessment district.  We I believe that the final costs per property owners would fall between 360.00 and 400.00 per year as well in this scenario. 

Alternatives to Lake Improvements

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• Best Management Practices
• Homeowner shoreline protection. 
• Filter strips
• No lawn fertilization
• Grass clippings and leaf litter
• Road crossing surveys.
• Mi Shoreline Stewards Program - https://www.mishorelandstewards.org/

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Finishing Remarks

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• Be Proactive Where Possible
• Reduce Nutrient Inputs
• Dredging
• Nutrient Mitigation
• Best Management Practices
• Invasive Species Treatments
• Limit Native Species Treatments

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Thank you for your time!

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Questions??