The Hastings Banner — Thursday, August 24, 2023 — Page 5Water quality “excellent” on Gun Lake, treatments
continue on canals, channels to slow aquatic plant growth
Greg Chandler
Staff Writer
Water quality levels on Gun Lake are said
to be “excellent,” according to a recent study.
At the same time, though, challenges con-
tinue with regard to invasive and nuisance
aquatic plant growth in the lake’s canals and
channels.
In a report to the Gun Lake Improvement
Board last Thursday night, Pete Filpansick of
SOLitude Lake Management said that phos-
phorus, alkalinity and chlorophyll levels on
the lake were generally within acceptable lev-
els. Water samples were collected from three
different locations within the lake on Aug. 2
- one on the east side of the lake with a depth
of 65 feet, one on the west side of the lake with
a depth of five feet and a third just off the boat
launch at Yankee Springs Recreation Area
with a depth of 50 feet, Filpansick said.
“The best water quality in the state (for
phosphorus) is 10 parts per billion or less.
Acceptable is about 30 (parts per billion) or
less. If you go down the list, you’re going to
see a lot of numbers in the teens, a couple in
the mid-20s,” Filpansick said. “Water quality
for phosphorus is very good.”
There was one outlier in the phosphorus
testing, an area on the east side of the lake
where water was tested at a depth of 60 feet,
where phosphorus levels were 67 parts per
billion, well above the standard.
“We had this same issue last year,” Filpan-
sick said. “There’s two possibilities (as to
why it’s happening). One, either we stirred up
sediment off the bottom as we’re going down,
we hit the bottom... when we pulled the sam-
ple and hit some sediment that’s nutrient-rich
off the bottom, giving an artificially high
reading. The other alternative is that there
simply is a lot of phosphorus in the sediment
and when there’s no oxygen, that phosphorus
is being released up into the water column.”
Filpansick pointed out that in that same
area at a depth of 50 feet, phosphorus levels
were 18 parts per billion.
“That phosphorus-rich water or sediment
is trapped at the bottom of the lake. It’s a
perfect place for it,” he said. “If we started
seeing that number creeping higher up in the
50, 40, 30 feet of water, we see that phospho-
rus moving in the water column, that’s where
we would raise a red flag and say we’re about
to have a nutrient problem, we’re going to see
an algae bloom late summer, we need to do
something about the phosphorus.”
Filpansick is awaiting field notes the aquat-
ic biologist who conducted the water sam-
pling. His report is based on the sampling
analyses, which were done by an indepen-
dent, certified laboratory.
Levels of alkalinity ranged from 131 to
168 parts per billion, while acceptable levels
are considered to be 120 to 200 parts per bil-
lion, Filpansick said.
Meanwhile, chlorophyll-A levels, which
serve as an indicator of free algae growth, were
generally less than 10 parts per billion, well
within acceptable standards, Filpansick said.
Low-flow inlet sampling was conducted at
the Payne Lake tributary and the Cuddy
Inter-County Drain. Water quality at Payne
Lake was found to be excellent – “very clear
water” – while levels of total phosphorus and
total suspended solids at the Cuddy drain
were higher than when samples were taken in
the spring. However, flow rates for the sites
have not yet been calculated, which could
impact the final results.
“It depends on how much water is coming
in. Even a low phosphorus reading can be a
significant source of pollution if there’s a lot
of water moving,” Filpansick said.
Meanwhile, the Gun Lake board Thursday
approved herbicide treatments on more than
42 acres of canals and channels in the lake,
after a survey taken earlier this week found
continued presence of invasive and nuisance
plants in those areas. Treatment areas are
generally in the northwest and southern por-
tions of the lake.
“The canals held various combinations of
algae, macroalgae and aquatic plants, includ-
ing both non-native species and native spe-
cies growing to nuisance densities,” Filpan-
sick wrote in his report to the board.
The canals and channels will be treated
with peroxygen algicides in concentrations
ranging from 100 to 200 pounds per acreand a combination of flumioxazin and
diquat dibromide at a concentration of 100
parts per billion.
The cost of the treatments adds to $21,989.
GLIB had budgeted $127,500 for herbicide
treatments for this year, of which it has spent
to date $72,405. That’s an increase from
$63,857 at the same time one year ago. Board
Chairwoman Vivian Conner cited a change
away from copper-based herbicide treatments
for the increased cost.
“We’re using a product that costs more,”
Conner said.
Some Gun Lake residents have been criti-
cal of the board for past use of copper sulfate
and other copper-based treatments, saying
they have harmed native plants and affected
fishing quality on the lake.
Board member Doug Kammeraad of Way-
land Township expressed concern about the
money being spent on treatments in the
canals and channels.
“We’ve got the lake under control. But yet
we’re spending most of our budget right now
on channels,” Kammeraad said.
“And most of it on algae controls,” Filpan-
sick responded.
“What happens if we get hit by, all of a
sudden, a large area of Eurasian milfoil?
Then we’re back into (treating the area) with
ProcellaCOR and we could be dropping
$40,000 real quick,” Kammeraad said.
Filpansick said his company is always
looking at new technologies and new meth-ods to combat the growth of invasive and
nuisance plants.
“I tell everybody, if you use a swimming pool
analogy – you stop putting chlorine in the
swimming pool, what happens? It turns green
with algae,” he said. “A swimming pool’s got a
long head start in front of a lake. The moment
you stop managing the lake, the algae’s going to
be the first thing to grow out of control – espe-
cially an invasive algae like starry stonewort.
The more tools we have, the better we can use
those tools to manage it, the better we’ll be.”
SOLitude Lake Management, formerlyClarke Aquatic Services, serves as a consul-
tant to the Gun Lake Improvement Board
under a contract with the board. The board is
expected early next year to decide on a new
lake management contract.
GLIB consists of nine members – includ-
ing a county commissioner and the drain
commissioner from Barry and Allegan coun-
ties, representatives from Yankee Springs and
Orangeville townships in Barry County and
from Wayland and Martin townships in Alle-
gan County, and one representative from the
Gun Lake Protective Association.HASS Headlines
Matt Goebel, Superintendent
Hastings Area School SystemElizabeth Busk
was appointed as the
Woodland Township Clerk on 06-19-
She is available Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-
p.m. in the Township Office, and other
days by appointment.
Phone: (269) 367-
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Notice of
Discontinuance of
Local Phone Service
by MCImetro Access
Transmission Service
LLCPending jurisdictional
approval where required,
Small Business & Residential
Local Phone services
provided by Verizon
subsidiary MCImetro Access
Transmission Services LLC
will be discontinued on or
after December 31, 2023
throughout the state of
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the discontinuance of Small
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items, including any bundled
long distance service, from
your account. We invite you to
call us at 1-888-MCI-LOCAL
(1-888-624-5622) to discuss
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as available. You can also
contact other providers to
discuss their offerings.Hastings supports kids through bond
proposal passage – what’s next?
On behalf of the Hastings Area School
System Board of Education and all of our
stakeholders, I would like to express my sin-
cere thanks and appreciation to everyone who
helped with Tuesday’s bond proposal and
your direct involvement through the Steering
and Citizens Committee this year. We are so
thankful to our voters for their support.
With their ‘yes’ votes, they are saying ‘yes’
to our children, ‘yes’ to our community and
‘yes’ to our future. Your insight, support and
hard work have come to fruition now that the
voters have approved the 2023 Hastings Area
School System’s Bond proposal. While there
is plenty of hard work ahead, now is the time
to appreciate all of you who helped guide us
to this win for the families and kids we serve
at Hastings Area School System. Thank you.
The bond will go a long way toward pro-
viding needed infrastructure improvements,
including the provision of roofs, high energy
efficiency improvements, locker room/bath-
room renovations, playground equipment and
furniture.
People have already asked me, what’s
next? That’s a great question, and I believe
it’s important to communicate the process to
our citizens.
First, we have already contacted our finan-
cial advisors and underwriting team to move
forward with negotiating the sale of the bondfunds. This takes some time since we will
obtain the funds from typically larger banks
and investors that can afford to purchase
bonds of this size.
At the same time, we will be meeting with
our building management team (Wolgast
Construction) and our architects (The Collab-
orative) to assist us with developing requests
for proposals (RFPs) for companies to bid on
projects. This provides us with the lowest
price possible for our project needs and gives
local companies the opportunity to bid on
these projects, which we highly encourage.
We will also be prioritizing the high school
and middle school (1997 portion) roofs – the
two highest-priority projects. Simultaneous-
ly, we will begin work on other projects,
while making every effort not to disrupt
learning during the school year.
I look forward to continuing to communi-
cate with you regarding next steps and prog-
ress. We will be transitioning into the design
phase of the bond, and there will be many
opportunities for community input and
engagement in the months ahead. Again, my
heartfelt thanks to all of you for your contri-
butions to this process.Matt Goebel
Superintendent
Hastings Area School SystemSOLitude Lake Management reported that the water quality on Gun Lake is excellent as it continues to treat canals and channels for aquatic plant growth. (Photo provided)Longtime educator takes on newly-created
role at Thornapple Kellogg High School
Being around students is nothing new for
Thornapple Kellogg High School’s new dean
of students, Sean McLaughlin.
He’s had a long career in public education
and actually retired after 36 years, only to
realize he wasn’t done helping students.
“I missed the impact of working with stu-
dents, staff and parents,” McLaughlin said. “I
wanted to get back into being part of the day-
to-day operations of the school again.”
McLaughlin’s career started with 10 years
of teaching elementary grades. He followed
that with serving as an elementary principal
for a total of 26 years, retiring in 2020 after
finishing seven years as principal at Kettle
Lake Elementary School in Caledonia. He
thought he was prepared to take on a new
challenge.
“I got my real estate license before I retired
and have enjoyed helping people buy and sell
homes these past couple of years,” McLaugh-
lin said.
But it didn’t take long before he answered
a call to public education again. Caledonia
Community Schools called on him to serve as
an interim elementary principal for several
weeks at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
The next year he moved to a position in safe-
ty and security for Caledonia schools before
getting hired as the dean of students at Thor-
napple Kellogg High School.
This is a new position at TKHS and a chal-lenge McLaughlin said he’s looking forward
to. He explained his job is multi-faceted.
“I’m here to support the office staff and
oversee TK Virtual School. I’m really here
also to be another trusting adult in the
building to make connections with stu-
dents,” he said.
He will most likely become a familiar face
quite quickly in the school helping monitor
students in the hallways, during lunch periods
and throughout the building each day.
“I don’t think there can ever be enough
caring adults in the lives of kids,” McLaugh-
lin said. “I just want to be another person they
can look to for help and guidance and I hope
I can build the same kind of relationships at
the level I was able to with the elementary
students.”
He also said he’s excited to see what the
start of the year is like at the high school and
can’t wait to meet all the staff and students.
“I just want to be a valued part of this high
school community and do what I can to
help,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to
this and glad to be here at TK.”
McLaughlin and his wife live in the TK
district. They enjoy traveling, spending time
with family and riding their Harley-Davidson
motorcycles together.
“We love this community and everything
Barry County has to offer,” he said.Sean McLaughlinDogs at large damage chicken pens
in Nashville
Barry County deputies responded to a report of dogs damaging a chicken pen around
8 a.m. on Aug. 15 at a residence on the 4700 block of Barryville Road. The homeowner,
a 34-year-old Nashville man, told police two pit bull-like dogs were in his yard around
6:15 a.m. that morning trying to get into his chicken pen. The man said he ran the dogs
off and they belonged to his 40-year-old Nashville neighbor. Police noted damage to the
chicken pen, but the birds themselves were unharmed. Police spoke with the man’s
neighbor, who said he was having lots of issues with one of the dogs in particular and
was in the process of rehoming it. He told police he would pay for the damages to his
neighbor’s chicken pen.Police evict four people living in storage
unit, arrest two on outstanding warrants
Police responded to a storage unit facility in Middleville just before midnight on Aug.
14 at a request from the facility owner. The owner told police there were four people
living in one of the storage units. The owner had told the 42-year-old Byron Center
woman renting the unit she and everyone else living in the unit needed to leave by the
end of the day. Police discovered two of the other people living in the unit, a 49-year-old
Middleville man and a 28-year-old Jenison man, had warrants out for their arrest. Sher-
iff’s deputies stayed on the scene until officers from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office
and the Kentwood Police Department could respond to pick up the two men.