Sharon Torregrosa is planning a Carnival Kayak Run on August 26th. This post is all about it. Take it away, Sharon!

Representative Rachelle Smit is convening a meeting about Lake Allegan on April 26, 2023 from 11am to Noon EST. The Lake Allegan Association, Inc. will be ably represented by Dave Thompson, Carol Doeringer and Kathy Dwyer. Here is a link to observe the meeting. Topic: Calkins Bridge dam - Save Lake Allegan Meeting Time: Apr 26, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6114107527?pwd=MVNqTG5WL1RtL29GTlpHQzlHQ1ZOZz09 Meeting ID: 611 410 7527 Passcode: szRf2P One tap mobile +16469313860,,6114107527#,,,,*478409# US Please feel free to comment on the meeting here.

Kalamazoo River Superfund settlement Ken Yonker posted 3 years ago Name: ken yonker Email address: yonkerkatz@netscape.com Phone number: 2696860909 Message: Lake Allegan Members- the public comment period for the 245 million dollar settlement for the Kalamazoo River clean up has been extended through Mid - Feb. 2020. This/below is my submitted comment. I believe anyone that consumed fish from Lake Allegan and became ill with PCB effects should be financially assisted by the superfund monies. Until Aug. 2018, the posted signs told citizens it was safe to eat the fish. Michigan's "Eat Safe Fish" website told just the opposite information. It took Valley Supervisor Ron Remington and I about half a year to have this addressed. Citizens still have about a week to send in a suggestion to the DOJ if they wish. Assistant Attorney General, Environment Natural Resources Division, referring to: United States of America and the State of Michigan v. NCR Corporation, D.J. Ref. No. 90-11-2-07912/11 In the Federal Register / Vol.85, No. 3 (Jan. 6, 2020 notices) it instructs the public that there has been an extension for public comments for the settlement of the case referenced above. The following is my comment. In the Kalamazoo River basin there were approximately fifty signs installed (at the most visible places) that were part of the superfund program. That superfund sign information was printed on the bottom of the signs. The signs are estimated to be in excess of thirty years old containing information known at that time. The signs indicated that in various river areas that most fish species (except carp/northern pike/ bass) were safe to eat by anyone, at any time, and in any quantity as a result of low PCB levels in the fish. This information, for many years, is/was decades outdated and actually resulted in citizens consuming fish that were determined to be toxic with PCB contamination. For months in 2018, Valley township citizens and Valley township government expressed safety concerns about this inaccurate signage to many groups (examples- MDNR, MDEQ/now EGLE, GLRI, Michigan Steelheaders, Gun Lake Tribe, Kalamazoo River Watershed Counsel, USFWS, EPA, Federal and State Legislators, etc.). Many reasons were given why the incorrect signage could not be removed and/ or replaced promptly. Current information available states that even one meal of the PCB toxic fish can create health problems (even death) for a lifetime. One or many groups did not provide proper follow through on this concern. I believe part of the settlement should include funding for those citizens that feel they may have PCB negative health effects from consuming toxic fish (in this superfund site) when superfund signing indicated it was safe to consume fish in the superfund site. The funding should provide for testing and treatment. I cannot recommend a funding level. I also feel Valley Township government and Township citizens should be recognized for moving this safety issue forward to a result of the August 2018 replacement of the incorrect signage. Ken Yonker Members, anyone wanting to see improvements can submit ideas by March 18.....a new boat dock etc, could be done rather easily with this kind of money....please read below.... Feb. 18, 2020 Contact: Jay Wesley (Michigan DNR), 269-204-7057 Kalamazoo River restoration ideas for first-round funding must be submitted by March 18 At the end of 2019, a group of state and federal natural resource trustees announced it was accepting Kalamazoo River watershed restoration project ideas that could be funded through a proposed $25 million agreement with NCR Corporation to partially settle natural resource damage claims stemming from past discharges of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the southwest Michigan river. The Kalamazoo River Natural Resource Trustee Council for this site (the “Kalamazoo River Trustees”) welcomes project ideas submitted through its restoration portal. Ideas submitted by March 18 will be evaluated by the Kalamazoo River Trustees this spring. Project ideas submitted after March 18 will be evaluated in future rounds. The Trustees will select project ideas for additional development and eventual funding based on 1) submitted ideas and 2) the restoration criteria described in the 2016 Final Restoration Plan and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, available on the Kalamazoo River website. The Trustees will fund projects with existing funds from past claims for losses of natural resources and, if approved by the court, with funds from the settlement agreement with NCR Corporation, currently lodged with a federal district court. If approved, the NCR settlement will provide $27 million to resolve NCR’s liability, of which $25 million would go toward restoration and $2 million to reimburse a portion of the Trustees’ previously accrued assessment costs. The $25 million restoration funding would be paid over seven years. The Kalamazoo River Trustees include: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Michigan Department of Attorney General. U.S. Department of the Interior, represented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Department of Commerce, represented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more information about the Natural Resource Damage Assessment at the Allied Paper Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River Superfund Site, visit the Kalamazoo River website. Ken Yonker commented 3 years ago Jay contacted me this morning and said that the request for a boat dock has been posted. Check it out! https://darrp.noaa.gov/hazardous-waste/kalamazoo-river/view-submitted-projects-kalamazoo-river-hazardous-waste-site Lynn Matt commented 3 years ago Comment deletedNo longer exists commented 3 years ago Hello Lynn Matt, I checked the link you included with your post. Lake Allegan actually has at least two public places where one can launch a boat. I'm not sure which one you actually hope to have a dock at. Looking at the attached map, it appears the area you want the dock at, is called the Calkin dam canoe portage directly next to the hydro plant. Is this where you hope it is installed?.....or do you want it at the Echo Point boat launch, which is by the shooting range. Ken Yonker commented 3 years ago Members, here/included is a DNR settlement request on the link that Lynn Matt included. You may or may not like the dam / bridge at swan creek just west of our lake. Keep an eye on this link for submitted requests....we wouldn't want anything negitive to happen to our dam. to spend money below the dam, probably would be a good thing. Swan Creek Dam Removal General Information Project Description: Design and remove dam at 118th Street in Valley Township, to restore fish passage and natural river functionality. Located within Allegan State Game Area. Note: Need to work with Allegan County Road Commission to ensure integrity of road, which is a bridge that was constructed over the dam. Bridge may need to be replaced. Organization Name:Michigan Department of Natural Resources Activity(s): Restoration Habitat(s): Upland Freshwater Wetlands Riverine Status Property/Resource Acquisition: N/A Project Planning/Design: Not Started Project Permitting: Not Started Time to Implementation: 0-3 months Time to Project Completion: 1-5 years Included in Regional Plan? Yes Kalamazoo River Watershed Assessment, 2005. Cost Estimated Cost: US$1,500,000.00 Funding Available: US$0.00 Partners Organization Kalamazoo Valley Trout Unlimited Allegan County Road Commission Geographic Information State: MI County/Parish: Allegan County Watershed/Basin: Affected Area (acres): Location Description: Location Overview (lat: 42.552445, long: -85.979557) Map Data Terms of Use Map 200 km Detail Map (size: ) Map Data Terms of Use Report a map error Satellite 5 km Ken Yonker commented 3 years ago The DNR told me two years ago that they wanted to drain Swan Creek. I didn't know they wanted to remove the dam in order to do this. I was told they were looking for the plug to release the dam. I don't know if they are going to fill Swan Creek back up. I don't see any indication in there request. As for the boat launch, I put both areas in my request, noting that parking would be necessary. I see that one of the areas is not listed anymore. Whether this is related or not, I saw a couple of people walking around the boat area across from the shooting range last Friday after I put the request in.?????? Lynn Matt commented 3 years ago Members, as of today (3-4-2020) there have been 45 projects submitted to the settlement fund for projects to be considered. There are a number of them right here around Lake Allegan. I suggest going into the link (in the Lynn Matt post above) and reviewing these projects. Instead of looking at the map, go to the listing of projects since some projects don’t have a map marker associated with them. Highlighting a few projects are 1) 1.5 million for the Swan Creek Dam Removal, 2 )$900,000 for the Calkin sturgeon riffle system,3)money for the two boat docks (and dredging in the dock area) on Lake Allegan 4) funding for the City of Allegan to keep the City dam removal efforts moving forward 5) $400,00 for the DNR to buy 140 acres in Allegan here (but they didn’t state where the location is) 6) habitat improvement and recreational improvements immediately below the Calkin hydro plant 7) updating the “eat safe fish” kiosks and signage 8) funding for the Allegan County Heritage Trail program and historical markers in the area. The link is open until March 18, 2020 to submit projects for consideration. Ken Yonker commented 3 years ago