# Rice Creek - access and sewage dumping



## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Friday I checked every bridge crossing on Rice Creek (trib of K'zoo) from the village of Marshall to the road upstream of M-99 (I think Gibbs Road). Water was high and muddy, saw no fish rising, but the creek looks like it would be a great trout stream, except for below. 

Firstly, there are lots of places at the bridge crossings where (primarily farmers) have barb-wired into and across the creek. I understand from Boehr's explanation that they are entitled to do this if they own both sides of the creek, and the water is designated non-navigable. Rice must not be designated navigable. Also some of the land adjacent to the bridge crossings is heavily posted, plus no-teeth cross-eyed hillbillies stare out the window at you when you stop at the bridge and their many dogs are barking and yowling their heads off. Not a real welcoming situation. Why does this matter? The DNR in the past has stocked a significant amount of brown trout in the creek, and Tom Huggler in
one of his books suggests it's good trout water. 

Secondly and more seriously, I was told by two locals that the village of Springport is dumping raw, untreated household sewage into the creek at Gibbs Road (the one north of M-99). I saw the discharge pipe myself, it is built into the bridge embankment at Gibbs Rd. Friday it happened to not be discharging, but a local says it happens a lot. 

Kind of questions why the DNR should stock trout in this water, with the questionable access/land use and raw sewage dumping nearly at the headwater, thereby affecting the entire body of water. 

I'm peeved for a few reasons. Firstly is that it is a waste of good trout water, which just happends to be one hour from my house. Secondly, there are a number of fine cold water creeks in Washtenaw County (Arms Creek, Fleming Creek, Paint Creek, Stony Creek) which aren't stocked with trout. I'm told the reason is that access is a problem due to private land and lack of navigable stream classification. Thirdly, it's a
misappropriation of stocking dollars/license fees. 

The sewage dumping in Rice should be stopped, without question. Also the access on Rice should be addressed, via public purchase of land and re-designation of the stream as navigable. While we're at it, let's do the same thing with the Washtenaw County creeks, since the ones I mentioned don't have sewage problems, we are one step further ahead.


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## Erik (Jan 17, 2000)

Kroppe how did you find out about the sewage pipe? I was unaware of this fact. Seems like that would be illegal doesn't it? No wonder this creek is becoming more and more eutrophic. Yes access is a problem, but where in lower MI is access not a problem? I do have some secrets but I would rather not broadcast them. The no teeth hillbillies are all right you just have to be friendly with them. Not like deliverance or anything As a matter of fact I think I know where your talking about and theres an elderly lady living there. She laughed at me one day when I told her I was fishing for trout. All my trout have come lower down river. In fact they have all come from about a three mile long section that is mostly but not all private land. I wondered if the DNR stoped stocking this creek as I have not caught a trout from there in about two years. Guess I Haven't tried that hard though either. 
There are trout to be found in washtenaw county. Also there are some plans in the making to turn the sylvan ponds back into trout sustaining water. That is all public land around there. Very scenic as well. Hopefully the plans go through.


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Erik, 

I was stopped at one of the bridge crossings and a guy stopped his car, and asked if he could help me. He thought I worked for the State of MI. He told me about the sewage, that it started being dumped earlier this year, and that there is a health advisory not to get the water on your body or in your mouth, and not to eat any fish from the water. I have been searching the internet and haven't found any Michigan DEQ alerts on this. 

Also at the Gibbs Road bridge crossing a high school kid walked by and told me the sewage was dumped "right here" and pointed to the pipe, which is in plain view. It looks like it has been there for at least a few years. The one guy told me Springport does not have their own sewage treatment plant and therefore when they have excess rains or sewage then it gets dumped (untreated) into Rice Creek. 

I just checked the DNR's stocking database and here is what was stocked in 1999. The number after the location is the number of brown trout (Wild Rose) which were stocked.

RICE CREEK
20 MILE ROAD 2,000
21 MILE ROAD 1,500
22 1/2 MILE ROAD 1,250

S BR RICE CREEK
24 MILE ROAD 600
26 MILE ROAD 600
27 MILE ROAD 500
28 MILE ROAD 400

The data for 2000 is not available yet. 

The only trout I am aware of in Washtenaw are in lakes or ponds, with sub-par angler returns as far as I know. The only stream I know that had trout is Paint, tributary to Stony Creek and then to Lake Erie. Then is the put-take trout in Huron River at Wixom Road. 

What I am looking for is a sustainable cold water trout fishery in Washtenaw County, even if it has to be supported with stocking for a period of time. There are several great creeks which are good candidates for trout fisheries, but are hindered by access problems (private property and non-navigable designation). Habitat and suitability for trout is definitely not the problem.


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## PW (Apr 2, 2000)

I've ventured out to Rice a couple of times this spring, but found it too high to fish. Did look promising, although I'm disappointed to hear about the sewage problems. I was a little surprised to see people talking about a small, so. mich fishery in a public forum, but with its problems, I suppose it can use the attention.


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## birdgre1 (Jun 4, 2001)

I've yet to fish Rice Creek for trout, but I plan to some day.

One day spring or early summer 2000, I'm driving from Eaton Rapids to my work in Albion. Instead of taking M-99, I take Gibbs Rd, just a change of pace. I get to a road a mile or two north of Rice Creek and am stopped by several armed law enforcement officers at the road black they have at an intersection, who take more than a good glance into my truck. I try to take the next crossroads to get back to where I wanted to go and half way down this road another armed officer is waving me away, holding some heavy duty automatic rifle in his arms.

They had been doing construction work for several weeks on the previously mentioned pipeline of sewage. Through a little research and TV coverage I found out that some Michigan Militia were protesting the sewage pipeline and had set up camp back in the woods off from the creek. It appears that on the day I got detoured the militia had been a little too aggressive in their protests and threats to the construction crew. This is when the troops were called in. I don't think there was a big scirmish, but I think at least one or more people were arrested. 

Just a little more input on this interesting little topic. I too found it strange that Michigan would continue to plant fish and OK the town of Springport to more than likely destroy these same fish. I guess the Springport Municipality has some power, or no one who knew of the deal cared too much???


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