Thursday, March 28, 2024

First steps

Board should be commended for continued clean-up efforts

The Red Cedar River is about to get a face-lift and it’s a good thing too, because it’s been getting pretty ugly lately.

Last fall, researchers found unusually high levels of E. coli bacteria in the river, but were not able to determine the source.

Urban areas are the primary source of the bacteria, but agricultural areas are also contributing to the pollution.

This week, the Red Cedar Watershed Coordinating Committee has planned to meet to discuss investigation plans with community members.

Since E. coli was detected in the river, the public has been very supportive about taking action to clean the water.

The Ingham County Health Department was quick to address the problem in September, involving state, city and university government officials.

The committee hopes by researching contaminants in the watershed area, it can figure out a way to start cleaning it up.

Ingham County Drain Commissioner Pat Lineman is heading up the project, which will make use of a $200,000 federal and state grant.

As it is now, the river poses a health risk if its water is ingested by humans. The E. coli bacteria can cause gastrointestinal problems, such as dysentery.

Plant and animal life has been unaffected.

An action like this can’t come too soon for a resource as valuable as the Red Cedar.

The river sets the stage for a beautiful campus, not to mention the families and students that regularly visit the ducks by Wells Hall.

Canoeing, another leisurely summertime activity, is risky. The health department is afraid canoeists might tip and end up with a mouthful of infection.

The Red Cedar affects much more than MSU’s campus. It begins in Fowlerville and winds through Williamston, Okemos and East Lansing before emptying into the Grand River in Lansing.

The watershed, or drainage area, of the Red Cedar includes 293,000 acres in Ingham and Livingston counties, so the impact of this research and cleanup is significant.

It is encouraging to know the government is willing to fund this project. It shows concern for improving our natural environment, which is often overshadowed or pushed out of the budget for other items.

Too often, water pollution is allowed to continue because farms and businesses use their lobbying power to keep dumping waste materials in rivers and streams.

MSU and other Red Cedar communities are fortunate to have a team working to clean up the river.

With the discovery of E. coli as recent as last fall, it’s good to know action is being taken in a timely manner.

With luck, we’ll be able to enjoy cleaner, clearer water within the next few years, thanks to the combined efforts of local communities, officials and researchers.

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