​Elk Rapids Almanac

Elk Rapids Almanac, June 2025
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June 1- Across the state, groundwater plays a critical role in protecting public health through clean drinking water for 45% of our population. This includes the village of Elk Rapids. Michigan’s groundwater is stained with hundreds of thousands of sources of contamination, ranging from failing septic systems to farm fertilizers to ancient abandoned industrial sites where chemicals were used. Because groundwater is out of sight, frequently it is out of mind in our behaviors and in our policies. We need to do a better job of both. On the policy level, we must work for local septic system maintenance and correction ordinances and/or a state law. Michigan is the only state that lacks a statewide septic system standard, meaning an estimated 300,000 failing systems are leaking into our groundwater, streams and lakes. On the personal level, people can conserve groundwater by reducing the amount of lawn water they use in the middle of the day in the summer and they can contribute to clean drinking water by avoiding dumping oil or other contaminants in the ground. We have enough contamination sites in the state already; approximately 26,000. Lets not add any more.
-Dave Dempsey, policy analyst, FLOW/Flow Water Advocates
Note: Local ground water information: we get our drinking water from three wells. Two of them are at the park and one is behind the DPW shop. Well one, behind the DPW shop is also filtered through our iron removal plant which is located at 91 Lake Street. We treat our water with Chlorine Orthophosphate to prevent corrosion in the pipes and fluoride. Five days a week we test the water for all the chemicals mentioned to make sure we have the proper dosage. On a monthly basis we take samples into Traverse City to have the water tested for bacteria. We also do a list of yearly tests that are required by EGLE.
-Alex Pray, DPW Superintendent, Village of Elk Rapids

June 11- June 11-Latest PFAS guidelines in Michigan have nearly tripled “do not eat” advisories for fish in the state’s waterways, from 33 to 98 bodies of water. While environmentalists welcome the updated warnings, they also stress the need to prevent further contamination of the state’s water sources, according to Bridge Michigan. Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services also released its updated “2025 Eat Safe Fish Guide,” providing county-specific recommendations for fish consumption, incorporating new understanding of PFOS, a specific type of PFAS, which has been determined to be more toxic than previously believed. The state provides a free copy of the Eat Safe Fish Guide to every individual who purchases a fishing license.
-Donte Smith, greatlakesnow.org/category/news-roundup-pfas/

June 12-As a follow-up to the baby Barred Owl I recently wrote about, which sadly did not survive, I discovered another baby Barred Owl near the nest on South Bayshore Drive. It was likely a sibling and was looking lively and healthy.
​-Lynn Streit​

Photo By: Maureen Lorenz

June 14-A group of locals came out for an early morning GreenER/GT Audubon bird walk, led by Kathie Wiley of Grand Traverse Audubon Club. The group covered one mile around the harbor, the library, and the river shoreline in the park, and counted a total of 20 species of birds. Wiley gave hints on using the Merlin app, that magical app to I D birds by sound. If you see a bird and it’s not making a sound, try to get close enough to take a picture, and use the Merlin App to ID through eBird. If you download the app, you can click on Explore then navigate to your county, click on Search Hotspots, then scroll to your specific spot.
-local birding group

June 16-The endangered Pitcher’s thistle, Cirseum pitcheri, is found only on the dunes of the Great Lakes.  The plant lives 3 - 8 yrs, flowers once, and dies (monocarpic).  Last year, perhaps because of the significant early rainfall, many of the plants, regardless of age, bloomed.  Too early to tell if there are significant numbers of new seedlings.   Let’s hope.
-Maureen Lorenz 

Photo By: Maureen Lorenz

June 20-Summer solstice in the northern hemisphere occurred at 10:42 p.m., ET, according to NASA and the Old Farmer’s Almanac, being the longest stretch of daylight all year. The solstice has been culturally important since ancient
times, often recognized in some way with holidays, festivals, and rituals with themes of fertility.