Introductions/Attendance
Steering committee members introduced themselves and indicated their affiliations with the project: Dr. Joe Ohren, ICARD/EMU; Janna Sebald, DEQ; Dr. Kevin Gustavson EMU/WRC; Kathy Giszczak, Augusta Township Representative, Aretta Schils, London Township Resident.

Macroinvertebrate Study
Dr. Gustavson reported to the group on the Macroinvertebrate Study the previous weekend; we had between 15 and 20 participants, and a special thanks to Roger Bezek and Kathy Giszczak for all their help in planning to make it a success.  Some adjustments to testing sites had to be made due to high water levels because of the rain early that week and the high rainfall throughout the early summer.  Further testing/sampling will take place as the water settles over the next few weeks.   And, the test results from the Study will be delayed slightly due to staff turnover at the HRWC, which is completing the analysis.  We may also want to consider incorporating similar studies in the Watershed Management Plan (WMP) as part of the monitoring and evaluation component.

Watershed Council
The idea of creating a mechanism to continue attention to the watershed after the WMP is submitted was discussed in a similar vein.  Some mechanism, perhaps a watershed council, needs to be created to insure continuing attention to water quality in the creek.  Specifically, the roles of such a body would be coordinating efforts of the local units in the watershed, sharing information among units and residents, serving as a clearinghouse for relevant activities and information, and conducting public information and education.  To insure legitimacy and credibility, such a council would need to be created with the cooperation of representatives from local townships and the two drain commissioners.  HRWC staff could provide useful input in the creation of such a group, and we might want to incorporate that as one of the action strategies in the WMP.

Review of Data
Dr. Gustavson shared with the group the most recent data from the water quality testing that has been done in the past several weeks.  He emphasized that the results of the analysis will help the group set priorities for attention in the WMP, and also noted that all the maps and graphics will be loaded on the Stony Creek Website.

Nitrates are high, especially in lower parts of the watershed, perhaps due to agricultural practices.  Phosphates are not as high, though notable, particularly in the middle of the watershed, perhaps due to urban runoff.  This may suggest the need for a dual-pronged public education campaign; focusing in the urban areas on phosphates and in the more rural agricultural areas on nitrates.

Specific conductivity appears to be only a problem in the very top of the watershed in parts of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, probably due to oil, grease, metal, brine, and salt running off from parking lots and streets.  Ph is still critical in some areas, while DO does not appear to be a problem.  Sedimentation levels are high in Ypsilanti and Augusta Townships, perhaps a product of the high levels of construction occurring in the two Townships.

Additional information from the road crossing survey was also presented in graphic form.  Floating algae is evident in the agricultural areas of the watershed, and bacterial sheen/slime is evident in the middle areas of the watershed.  Data on oil sheen, turbidity and trash were also presented.  In reviewing information on riparian buffers at road crossings, Dr. Gustavson pointed out that he was able to sort crossings depending upon whether cropland was evident on either side of the crossing.  There may be some areas that could be targeted for greater attention by creating and supporting riparian buffers as part of the WMP.

Next Steps
Dr. Gustavson will lead a watershed tour for any interested members of the Steering or Technical Committees on Wednesday, June 30th at 9:00 am.; the group will meet at Eagle Crest Conference Center and the event will last until around 4:00 pm.  Lunch will be provided for any participants.

We will convene a Technical Committee meeting sometime after the July 4th weekend to prepare recommendations for the next Steering Committee.  The Steering Committee will meet at Exeter Township on July 27th from 1:30 to 4:00 pm.  Minutes and materials will be provided in advance.  

We may also convene a small group of agricultural representatives in the coming weeks as a follow-up to the early June meeting convened by Dr. Gustavson to discuss particular issues related to the Creek.  Dr. Ohren also asked about the timing of Township Newsletters and deadlines for submission of materials; he will work to insure that a brief update is provided to continue to spread the word about our work together.