Grantee Research Project Results

2001 Progress Report: Sustainability and Risk of Fragmented Habitats: Development and Regulatory Variables in Shoreline Residential Development Planning in Southwest Michigan

EPA Grant Number: R827584
Title: Sustainability and Risk of Fragmented Habitats: Development and Regulatory Variables in Shoreline Residential Development Planning in Southwest Michigan
Investigators: Lemberg, David , Fraser, Rolland
Institution: Western Michigan University
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000 (Extended to February 28, 2002)
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001
Project Amount: $104,042
RFA: Futures: Detecting the Early Signals (1999) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Water , Land and Waste Management , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

The objectives of this research project are to address the following questions:

1. What is the current state of the landscape and habitats of the shorelines in a two county area in southwestern Michigan?
2. What are the perceptions and desires of the developers, landowners, real estate agents, and residents on shoreline development?
3. What are the local, regional, state, and national regulations on shoreline development, and how do they shape local land-use practices?
4. What are the impacts of alternative types of shoreline landscaping on the sustainability of shoreline habitats?
5. How does the combination of physical and landscape attributes, market forces, regulatory background, and development practices result in differential risk levels to shoreline habitats?

Progress Summary:

The major effort in the past year has been in the area of data compilation. On the first objective, a Geographic Information System (GIS) has been created of all of the lakes in Kalamazoo and Barry Counties (southwestern Michigan), including shoreline and plat boundaries overlaid on aerial photographs. Base files exist for 60 lakes in Kalamazoo County and 71 lakes in Barry County. Oblique photo surveys for every built lot on 10 of the most densely settled lakes on Barry and Kalamazoo Counties (more than 3,000 digital photographs) have been taken. Image classification has been accomplished on 7 of the 10 lakes and work is continuing on the last 3. The shoreline classification of these lots includes vegetation (subsurface, shoreline, and upslope), landscaping style, habitat quality, erosion, setbacks, and slope; there are more than 20 different classification operations for each photograph.

Findings on the first seven lakes show the majority of lakeshore parcels as having a traditional open lawn with limited shrub or tree cover, often mowed to the edge of the waterline. A minority of naturally landscaped parcels had deeper setbacks, native shoreline buffer plantings, and denser forested upslopes near the structures. The most impacted shorelines (eroded and poorly landscaped) tended to be the older "cottage" communities and higher density developments on the larger lakes characterized by shallow setbacks and denuded lawns.

On the second objective, a prequestionnaire was prepared on a set of structured interviews of local developers, decisionmakers, and landowners. Based on the results of these interviews, a questionnaire was designed and was to be delivered to a sample of residents on the shore surveyed lakes in September 2001. The survey will cover why the resident decided to locate on the lakeshore, what the perceived problems on the lake are, their opinion on the adequacy of local regulation on the lakes, their openness to lakeshore management educational programs, and their own perception of the condition and environmental quality of their property. There was a 39.6 percent return rate for 1,229 surveys sent to the residents of Austin Lake, Long Lake, West Lake, Woods Lake, and Gull Lake in Kalamazoo County. Early analysis of landowners' objectives and perceptions show a strong emphasis on viewsheds, nature, recreation, security, and property values. Homeowners were more convinced that specific regulation was needed, even though they were more likely to believe that the current level of regulations on development were adequate. This may be due to a regional tradition of local control of land use.

On the third objective, a set of regulations covering lakeshore development in Kalamazoo and Barry Counties was collected. These included federal, state, county, city, village, and township regulations. The analysis shows a large range of differences from township to township on landscaping, setbacks, septic systems, pumping and irrigation, and lot sizes. There is little or no regulation protecting shoreline habitats, and relatively little protecting water quality in the lakes. Although there are strong regulations, mainly on the state and federal level against filling in wetlands and for protection against point-source toxic runoff, there are few regulations on the books controlling old septic systems; nonpoint source runoff of fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides from residential or agricultural lands adjacent to the lakes; or the aesthetics of lakeshore landscapes. There are no regulations or incentives for preserving lakeshore habitat corridors. The majority of the respondents on the homeowner surveys agreed or strongly agreed that stronger septic field ordinances, runoff prevention ordinances, landscaping ordinances, and setback ordinances were required, giving indication that stronger ordinances are necessary. The majority disagreed that voluntary lake protection measures would be adequate.

For the fourth objective, 12 field test locations were created on a lakeshore site (Asylum Lake in Kalamazoo) and on a riverfront site (the Kalamazoo River in Cooper Township, Kalamazoo County). Each experimental site included four controls (no clearing); four footpaths (two 1-meter wide straight shoreline access paths and two 1-meter angled access paths); and four boatpaths (two 3-meter straight access paths and two 3-meter wide angled access paths). Micro-climatic impacts of these paths were monitored using HOBO data-loggers in custom-designed and fabricated waterproof cases. Impacts of the limited access paths on the shoreline habitats were observed through monitoring macrofauna at the test sites. After many unsuccessful repetitions using cameras on timers, nightscopes, and livetraps, a successful methodology was developed using "track-traps" of shallow pans of sand and powdered dolomite to record animal track impressions crossing the paths or using the paths for shoreline access themselves. Results show no barrier effects of the 1-meter and 3-meter gaps (many crossings), and additional use of the paths for shoreline access of some of the macrofauna (Odocoileus Virginianus, white-tail deer, and Procyon Lotor, raccoons).

The fifth objective focuses on the synthesis and analysis of the data collected in the previous four objective tasks. The results show that the traditional development pattern on the lakes of open lawns and limited shoreline buffers are detrimental to the lakeshores and the lakeshore property owners. The current pattern has encouraged elevated nutrient loads in the lakes with subsequent declines in water quality. Lakeshore erosion has resulted from the loss of the shoreline vegetation buffers. There has been general destruction of many of the amenities that the surveyed lakeshore homeowners prize the most such as viewshed, natural surroundings, and wildlife. The alternative is more natural landscaping regimes with larger setbacks, deep natural shoreline buffers, and limited lawns and lake access paths. It is clear that both education and stronger regulation would be needed to encourage this landscaping style. A mathematical model was developed to assist in planning limited lakeshore footpath and boatpath access points based on the findings that limited access points through a shoreline buffer corridor have minimal barrier impacts on intra-corridor travel.

Future Activities:

Our future activities will include: (1) analysis of classifications of shoreline residential landscapes; (2) analysis of the resident survey instrument; (3) field calibration of microclimate instrumentation and track traps from shoreline access path monitoring for papers; and (4) completion of synthesis and analysis of survey data, shoreline residential assessment, and regulation of shoreline development to determine spatial extent of environmental risk due to shoreline development.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 9 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

corridor, Great Lakes, habitat fragmentation, risk assessment, urban planning, vertebrates, watershed, Michigan, MI, survey, lakeshore., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Economics & Decision Making, Ecological Risk Assessment, Urban and Regional Planning, decision-making, Futures, Exp. Research/future, Habitat, Environmental Monitoring, exploratory research, fragmented habitats, sustainability, urban planning, habitat fragmentation, ecosystem valuation, risk assessment, socio-economic changes, emerging environmental problems, natural resources, public policy, futures research, land use, environmental regulations, environmental policy

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2000 Progress Report

Final Report