celery pond

Drinking water quality is something which wetlands generate, naturally. They improve the water quality in adjacent rivers and streams, enabling a filter for future drinking water.

The water that enters a wetland slows down and moves around the wetland plants. Suspended sediment ends up on the wetland floor as it settles out.

Plant roots and microorganisms work to absorb excess nutrients in the water from fertilizers, and other leakage from septic tanks and municipal sewage. This natural filtration process also aids water quality before it leaves the wetland for other uses such as drinking, swimming or simply supporting other plant and animal life.

Fully understanding the benefits that wetlands provide is the first step to such action. Wetlands are important for storing floodwaters, providing habitat for birds and other wildlife. Wetlands can instill community pride, open up recreational opportunities and provide a means for education, thus generating revenue from ecotourism. Wetlands also filter pollutants from run-off.

Arcata, California, decided to use their wetlands as an alternative to traditional wastewater treatment. It saved the city millions of dollars. Quoted is the brief story given by the EPA report:

“Faced with the need to improve treatment of the city’s wastewater, city officials in Arcata, California…settled a unique approach to wastewater treatment. The Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility used a constructed marsh system to improve the quality of the city’s treated wastewater.

“The marsh system, was developed as an alternative to a proposed regional sewage facility. Building a traditional sewage treatment facility would have increased sewer rates by 70 percent, so the marsh system is a cost-effective and environmentally sound solution. The city and the California Coastal Conservancy also restored the 75-acre marsh and wildlife sanctuary that originally occupied the site of the old wastewater treatment facility.

“The new wetland facility was completed in 1986 at a cost of $7.1 million, which was financed using 75% federal, 12.5% state, and 12.5% local funds. For more information contact Julie Neander at the City of Arcata Department of Environmental Services, (707) 8220-8184.” This might well be worth looking into as an alternative solution for South Haven, who is in the process of discussing its needs for a possible new Wastewater Treatment facility.

The citizens came forward and urged the County to keep the lands public.

With the controversy running over several months, debates became very heated with many involved. It shows that public lands can stay in public hands, if the citizens have the tenacity to repeatedly speak out and be heard, particularly when public lands are threatened to be lost forever.

We’re still waiting to hear news from the US Army Corps of Engineers on the draft permit on Celery Pond.

The public did come forward in this case too, going to Council meetings and voicing their opinions, writing many letters, signing petitions, going on community walks, and writing letters to the editor of local newspapers.

The many letters to the the Corps, in fact, prompted them to seek out much more detailed information from the three potential developers bidding for a marina in Celery Pond, the City of South Haven, J&B Landing and First Choice Marina.

Again, the citizens did speak out and were heard. We can only hope that the Corps, like the County Commissioners, will keep the natural state of the wetland intact, saying no to the marina permit.

Aquatic plant life is supported by the nutrient-rich environment. The food chain from energy converted by plants is passed along and up to fish, waterfowl and other wildlife.