Session III

September 23 1999

6:00 Greetings

6:15 Dr. Dickason, WMU: ( contact through Lauren Hughes, GEM offices, 616-387-4936) Historical Perspectives on our land and water usage.

Presettlement conditions in the Thornapple River Watershed.

Historical land cover and drainage patterns.

Historical events and effects on demographics, land cover, drainage.

Events: settlement, logging, rail, agriculture and drainage, cars and roads, world wars, economic depression, interstate highway systems

Effects: deforestation, ag drains, channelization, railways, roads, demographic shifts, flooding, urban development and sprawl.

7:15 Zoning: effects on watersheds

Jason Cherry, City of Wyoming and Barry County: Current trends in land use in Barry/Kent County, and their predicted effects. (30 minutes)

John Wallace, Caledonia Township

The master plan process: what is it, why is it important, relationship to watershed management, relationship to ordinances

April Scholtz (spoke on phone, confirmed, needs confirmation letter)

Natural features: defined, their role in water quality, why preserve them, methods of preservation, how to inventory them.

8:15 Break

8:30 Watershed Planning Case studies

Bear Creek 319 process, Bonnie Shupe, Cannon Township (confirmed, send confirmation letter)

Alpine Township, York Creek implementation of 319 (Sharon Steffens supevisor, Frank Walsh, planner)

Renee Van Houten, TRWG: large watershed case study, Frey Foundation Grant.

9: 15 Small Group activity

10:00 Dismissal