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Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program
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Local Contact: Jim Hayes
St. Clair Conservation District
2830 Wadhams Rd.
PO Box 7870
Kimball, MI 48074-7870
(810) 984-3001 (ext. 114)
Mission: To provide information and assessment tools for pesticide and nitrogen fertilizer users which help them identify risks to groundwater associated with their pesticide and nitrogen fertilizer use practices and to coordinate local, state, and federal resources to help individuals reduce those risks
The Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program is designed to be voluntary, to be locally driven, to address the concerns of individuals, and to maintain a focus on the financial and technical constraints which drive realworld decisions.
The Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program is relatively narrow in focus addressing only risks to groundwater associated with pesticide and nitrogen fertilizer use. However, it has a wide scope and addresses the many uses of these materials, including agricultural, turfgrass, and household uses.
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Home *A* Syst
A home assessment system to help you identify and lower risks to groundwater and surface water.
Groundwater is a limited resource. Its contamination can occur in several ways: - Contaminants moving down well casings of unused or unusable wells.
- Excess or poorly timed use of yard and garden fertilizers and pesticides, leading to groundwater or surface water contamination.
- Poorly maintained septic systems.
- Improper disposal of wastes.
How Home *A* Syst Will Help You
Home*A*Syst helps you protect your drinking water, the environment, your health, and the health of your family.
Participation will help you: - Protect your drinking water well.
- Learn the basics about your home septic system.
- Reduce runoff which may harm lakes and streams.
- Gain information on the health and environmental impact of your yard and gardening activities.
- Lower risks from hazardous household products.
- Safely manage liquid, fuels and their storage (gas, fuel oil, kerosene).
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How to Use Home *A* Syst
1. Get a copy of the Home *A* Syst materials from your local Michigan State University Extension Office, Soil Conservation District, or representative of the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program.
2. Review the eight sections and select those which apply to your home site. Each of the sections has a table to help you determine your home risks as well as general information.
The eight sections of the Home *A* Syst risk assessment packet cover the following topics:- Storm Water Management
- Drinking Water Well Management
- Yard and Garden Care
- Household Wastewater
- Hazardous Household Products
- Household Trash
- Liquid Fuels
- Home Site Assessment
3. Complete the assessment tables to determine your risks. The information will provide specific details about the risk categories as well as how to lower your risks.
4. Use the summary work sheets to list your high risk activities.
5. Take action. Choose your short and long-term goals for risk reduction.
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Help Protect Michigan’s Groundwater with a Farm*A*Syst (Farm Assessment System)
We all want and expect good drinking water for ourselves and future generations. Those of us who rely entirely on groundwater for our families and livestock are especially interested in protecting this valuable resource. The Farm*A*Syst program can help the farmer insure that there will be an adequate supply of clean groundwater for future generations.
The Farm*A*Syst program comprises a series of fact and work sheets in a question and answer format that help identify any potential risks to groundwater that may exist on the farm. The fact sheets provide educational information and a list of bulletins, materials, and people to contact, to help answer questions and provide information in greater detail.
With the assistance of the local groundwater technician from the Conservation District, producers in completing the work sheets evaluate their facilities and management practices looking for any area of operation or equipment that might pose a risk of groundwater contamination. The assessment also includes an evaluation of the soils, geologic and hydrologic features of the farmstead.
Field*A*Syst
A series of fact and work sheets has been added to the Farm*A*Syst called a Field*A*Syst. This unit includes a fact and work sheet for evaluation of nutrient and pesticide management in field crops.
When high risk practices or equipment use are identified, the groundwater technician will make a recommendation that will lead to the elimination or reduction of the risk.
Confidentiality is the watchword!
The evaluation is voluntary and completely confidential. All of the information in the worksheets will stay on the farm.
Farm*A*Syst components:
The twelve sets of fact sheets and work sheets cover the following areas:- DRINKING WATER WELL
- PESTICIDE STORAGE AND HANDLING
- FERTILIZER STORAGE AND HANDLING
- PETROLEUM PRODUCTS STORAGE
- HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
- HOUSEHOLD WASTEWATER
- LIVESTOCK WASTE STORAGE
- LIVESTOCK YARD MANAGEMENT
- SILAGE STORAGE
- MILKING CENTER WASTEWATER
- SOILS AND GEOLOGY
- SUMMARY SHEET
The farmer decides what to do with the results of the farmstead assessment and keeps the plan of action in his private farm records.
Completion of the Farm*A*Syst is the first step to participate in the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship program which offers cost-share assistance, tax incentives and reduced liability.
SEALING OF ABANDONED WATER WELL HIGH PRIORITY COST-SHARE ITEM
Under the Groundwater Stewardship Grant received by the Lapeer and St. Clair Conservation Districts, funds are available to properly seal abandoned wells on or near farmland. Abandoned wells can pose a serious threat to groundwater under certain conditions in so far as they provide a direct conduit for surface contaminants to the reach the aquifer. Starting with the 2001 grant year, the program pays 100% of the labor and material costs for properly sealing abandoned water wells providing that the well was abandoned prior to 1994. Funds are also available for cost-share of various farming practices and equipment that help protect groundwater.
For information about cost-share practices and equipment for the 2001 grant year, see link at bottom of page.
For farmers who hold restricted use permits (RUP), the Farm*A*Syst earns six credits and the Field*A*Syst two credits towards the three year requirement of twelve credits for maintaining the permit.
For Further Information Contact:
Lapeer Conservation District at (810) 664-0895 or St. Clair Conservation District at (810) 984-3001
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Abandoned Well Closure
Sealing abandoned wells to protect groundwater. See photos of abandoned wells and how to close them.
How Contamination Occurs
Abandoned wells are wells which are no longer in use or are in such disrepair that groundwater can no longer be obtained from them. The objective of abandoned well closure is to reduce the risk of contaminants moving down an abandoned well and contaminating groundwater supplies.
No one knows how many abandoned wells are located in Michigan. Some say a million, others claim that a well is abandoned on property by each generation that lives there. It is important to realize that these wells are unsafe and can provide a direct route for contaminants to reach your drinking water.
Abandoned wells that are open on the surface can allow surface runoff and any contaminant contained in that runoff to enter groundwater supplies and completely bypass the natural filtration capacity of the soil. Deep abandoned wells that have cracked are damaged casings can even allow contaminants to reach groundwater supplies that would normally be protected by a clay or other permeability layer.
Abandoned wells which are open at the surface or have a deteriorated seal or casing below the surface are of particular concern.
Site Features
The land use surrounding an abandoned well has a huge influence on the level of risk posed. Abandoned wells located near feedpots or pesticide and fertilizer mixing, loading, or storage areas pose a higher risk for groundwater contamination than those located in wood lots or turn areas on which pesticide and fertilizers are not used.
If you have an abandoned well on the farm and there is another well nearby that provides drinking water, this is a high-risk situation. The abandoned well may be contaminating the water in the aquifer, being used as drinking water by the family.
A good rule of thumb is that if there is something on the soil surface you don't want in your drinking water then you should close the abandoned well.
Why Close Abandoned Wells?- to reduce the risk of groundwater contamination.
- to eliminate the risk of children or livestock being injured by falling into the well.
- to avoid liability under Michigan Polluter Pay Law, 91982 Public Act-307 if groundwater contamination is caused by an abandoned well on your property.
Many financial institutions even require that abandoned wells be closed before they will finance land transactions. Also, the current high level of cost-share makes properly closing abandoned wells the best liability insurance you can buy.
Closing an Abandoned Well
Abandoned wells can be legally closed by the landowner or a licensed well driller. The process for dug wells and hand-driven wells is not difficult. However drilled, deep bedrock and artesian (flowing) wells should be closed by a licensed well driller with the proper equipment.
An improperly closed well may not reduce your groundwater risk. Filling an old well with rocks or gravel may reduce the potential for physical injury but won't reduce the groundwater contamination risk. So, you may want to take advantage of the technical assistance opportunities provided by the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program to make sure things go smoothly.
Cost Share
Costs for closing abandoned wells range widely from $50 to $500. Farmers may qualify for technical assistance and cost-share through the Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program. Stewardship Teams determine local cost-shares, which are often as high as 75 to 90 percent of the total cost.
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This page last updated on 7/25/2002.
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