Restorative Lake Services Report for 2022
December 7, 2022
Provided by Tom Hable
Restorative Lake Services conducted its study of Barron Lake for 2022.
Key findings:
- Overall condition of Barron Lake in 2022 was good with moderate clarity, moderate conductivity and favorable pH and total alkalinity.
- Lower lake levels in 2021-2022 due to less rainfall, which contributed less nutrients to the lake and allowed for better water clarity with less runoff.
- Barron Lake has a favorable biodiversity of native aquatic plants, especially of Pondweeds, such as large-leaf and Illinois pondweed that are excellent fish cover and forge habitat.
For complete Restorative Lake Services Barron Lake 2022 Aquatic Vegetation, Water Quality and 2023 Management Recommendations Report, click on link below.
Barron Lake Annual Report RLS 2022
Augmentation Well Update
Dec. 7, 2022
Provided by Fred Fornell
Jeff VanBelle and Todd Feenstra met with Ortman at the drill site to do a final walk at the site.
An arborist cleared a tree from the well site to make room for the drilling rig. They will be drilling with a device called a “mud puppy” to separate the water from the solids that come up from the process of drilling. The site will stay cleaner as will the water returning to the lake.
The screen for the new well is being built and should be done in the next few weeks.
Upon completion of the screen and removal of the tree from the drill site, Ortman will be able to drill the well. Tritium labs will complete the 72-hour Aquifer Performance Test to assure there is no interference in surrounding residential wells. When the test is completed the new well will be powered up and we can begin pumping.
Augmentation Well Update
Water Level and Augmentation Well Update
Sept. 26, 2022
Provided by Fred Fornell
The new pump has been a slow-moving project and the old well is an on-going project with 17 years of history. Here is a quick update:
Old well: The old well was shut down for some time while waiting for permits from EGLE to complete some necessary repairs to the water channel outlet. Those repairs have been completed and the well is now pumping. It also looks much better.
I will note, however, that this will not correct any of the re-circulation problems that have plagued this well site from day one. Running the pump will NOT fill up the lake. It will hopefully slow the rate of water loss that we experience every summer.
We need a water table, below ground, that can provide a constant supply of water to offset the losses we normally experience during the summer months. We can only get that from adequate levels of precipitation that can raise the water table.
A pump and a well cannot change that process.
A high-volume augmentation well, however, can pump water from a very deep aquifer and add sufficient quantities of water to temporarily offset losses due to normal environmental factors. Although the current pump operates at approximately 900 GPM, the geology at the pumping site doesn’t allow for efficient pumping of water from the deep aquifer. It never has. The estimated efficiency is approximately 40-50%.
I would suggest reading articles that explain, “creating a cone of depression”, or “lake augmentation,” if you want a better understanding of the subject. If we could improve the efficiency of our well to approximately 80%, that would almost double the retained output of water to the lake. That is our goal with the drilling of a new well on the northwest side of the lake.
New well: Cass County Drain Commissioner, Jeff VanBelle, presented our well proposal, with estimated costs, to the County Board of Commissioners. The project was approved. We have been told by the driller they can have the work done for us sometime this fall. They are putting together final material costs as of the writing of this memo. I will let everyone know when this has been completed.
Note: Lake augmentation is still a new science. There are numerous examples of lakes that have implemented augmentation wells in an attempt to offset lake-level losses that occur each year. One of the largest programs exists in White Bear Lake Minnesota. It is well published and may help to provide you with a better understanding of the subject. Barron Lake has become well recognized in Michigan for the studies done to better understand the science of lake augmentation.
You cannot simply pump water into a lake and expect it to rise as it would in a swimming pool. There are no hydro-geological components to consider when filling up your swimming pool.
We can only hope that a new well will prove to be the answer to a very, very complex science.
Sept. 1, 2022
Approval for the augmentation well to be installed on the west side of the lake received approval tonight from the Cass County Board of Commissioners.
Representing Barron Lake at the county commissioner meeting tonight was Bruno Eidietis, president; Rick Marneris, vice president; and Tom Hable, treasurer; along with Jeff Van Belle, Cass County Drain Commissioner.
It is anticipated drilling will begin this fall.
Huge thanks to Fred Fornell for many years of work to get this project to fruition, and to Norbert Wleklinski and Jeff McKean for their assistance. Thanks to Jeff Van Belle, as well, for his guidance in moving the project forward.
Augmentation Test Well
Today, June 23, 2022, we began the next phase for the augmentation well. Maurer Well Services began drilling for our test well, which is located on Mary Street. The company anticipates completing the work today.
We are hopeful the results derived from the test well are all positive, and if that is the case, we will move on to drilling the permanent augmentation well this fall or first quarter of 2023.
The board would like to thank all of our neighbors on Mary Street for their understanding and patience with the trucks and noise at the site.
