Solutions to the Problem with Today's Grand River in Michigan

Michigan is fortunate to be full of rivers and streams. There are over 36,000 miles of rivers and streams throughout the state of Michigan ("Natural"). Many are used frequently because people like to swim, fish, and canoe down Michigan's rivers. One, however, is not used for many fun recreational activities. The Grand River is not used because it is dirty from pollution. This river needs to be decontaminated by the people living around it, so it can be enjoyed more.

The Grand River is Michigan's longest river. It is 270 miles long, has a 5,570 square mile watershed, and runs from Jackson until it empties into Lake Michigan at Grand Haven (Brennan). The average daily flow in the Grand River is 2.4 billion gallons. Over the many years, it has been a resource for fur trapping, logging, agriculture, recreation, industrialization, and urbanization. Today, the primary use of the Grand River is for agriculture. Approximately 34% of the land in this region, about 1.2 million acres, is dedicated to growing crops and raising livestock.

Other than agriculture, the river today is now used for the disposal of trash. For years, people who have lived on the river would throw in their old refrigerators, stoves, toilets, bottles, cans, and any other trash they did not want to take the time to dispose of properly. Other places, such as businesses located on or near the river have also used the river as a dumping place for their trash. Another main reason for the brown water is from the overflow of sewage from nearby cities that flows into the river. The biggest and most common cause of pollution into the river is non-point sources. Non-point source pollution is pollution that can't be traced. It includes sediments, nutrients, pesticides, bacteria, and road salt. An overabundance of nutrients and too much bacteria can be caused by failing septic systems, pet wastes, manure run-off, and over-fertilized lawns ("Lower"). All of these factors have caused the Grand River to become polluted and unclean.

Currently, there is one organization that is taking care of the Grand River. The Annis Water Resources Institute has a project in place to help clean of the river. The Lower Grand River 319 Project takes care of the watershed. Their goal is to create a management plan for this area. There are several committees dedicated to doing this. The Grand River Forum discusses the progress of the project, the Steering Committee provides leadership and direction for the project and the other subcommittees, the rural subcommittee conveys concerns that are unique to rural land uses and the relationship to water quality, the urban subcommittee conveys concerns that are unique to urban, industrial, and commercial and uses, the Information and Education subcommittee identifies the target audiences at which to direct the project's messages, the technical subcommittee includes experts, and the sustainability subcommittee ensures the continuation of this plan.

The Grand River needs to be cleaned up. It needs to be unpolluted so people can get more use out of the river and we can be proud of our river. There are several ways in which the river can be decontaminated. Volunteers could help to clean it, a water purifying system could be put in, we could fix the sewers or put in more of them, we could add more laws and restrictions on what the river can be used for, or we could dredge the river. Most of these methods would take a lot of time and money and so they are not worth it. Dredging the river and a water purifying system are too much for this river. Not only would it still take a long time to clean, but it'll be almost impossible to actually clean the entire river.

I think the easiest way to clean up the river is by making people more aware of the problem. If more people knew the cause of the pollution to the Grand River then they could try to avoid doing things that caused the pollution. Volunteers would help get the word out about the pollution and they would also help clean up the river. They could walk along areas surrounding the river and help to pick up trash. Other simple things can also be done to improve the water's quality. Maintaining and upgrading septic systems regularly, composting yard waste, disposing of pesticides and fertilizers as directed by the label, cleaning up pet waste, only using pesticides as a last resort, recycling motor oil, and recycling hazardous chemical and household waste through a licensed contractor or recycling agencies are all ways that we can help to prevent further pollution of the Grand River and other surrounding water supplies. Another solution is to have more tax money go towards this campaign. If more money was available, then more organizations could be created to take charge of the cleaning of the river. More people would then be involved and everything would get done quicker and more efficiently.

An unpolluted Grand River would attract more people to this area. The river would become popular for canoeing and fishing. The fish that is consumed from the river will be healthier, therefore, the people eating this fish are less likely to get sick from them. People driving by the river would look at the beauty of it, rather than become disgusted by it. Not only would the clean river benefit the cities nearby, but also Lake Michigan. With clean water running into this great lake, people will also be more likely to swim and fish in it. A clean river would benefit the entire area.

If the Grand River does not get cleaned up it will become more a sewer than a river. We have the technology and education to clean up the river, but we need the help of everyone to chip in and help to prevent more damage. As we work to clean up the river, preventing damage will help to keep it sparkling. If we don't inform people and prevent further pollution any work done to clean the river will be useless. For the generations ahead, we should leave a clean, clear, sparkling river for their enjoyment.

Works cited

Bowman, Andy. "Lower Grand River Watershed Update." The Grand River Beacon 1

Brennan, James. 23 March 2004. .

"Lower Grand River 319 Project." Annis Water Resouces Institute. 23 March 2004. .

"Natural Rivers." 2004. Department of Natural Resources, Michigan. Department of Natural Resources, Michigan. 25 March 2004. .

Robins, Elizabeth. "What is Nonpoint Source Pollution and What Does It Mean To Me?". http://www.gvsu.edu/wri/isc/lowgrand/products/beacon_spr03.htm

Secord, Jane."What is a Watershed?".2003 http://www.gvsu.edu/wri/isc/lowgrand/products/beacon_spr03.htm