Save Garfield Lake
Donation protected
My family and I relocated to this area late 2013, mainly because of how beautiful and picturesque the area is and how amazing the adjacent lake was. We are long time area residents and looked in excess of 2 years for a property that would meet our needs. We had a growing family, spent lots of time outdoors and enjoy interacting with nature. We have three girls and they used to love swimming, boating, fishing and ice skating on the lake.
However, that all stopped late 2019/early 2020. Since that time, dewatering efforts around the area of Nine Mile, between Beck and Napier Roads for a new sewer system have diverted ground water north, depriving Garfield Lake and the surrounding wetlands to the north, east and west of Garfield road of its natural water source.
The reduction in water levels in Garfield Lake, as you can see from the pictures, have resulted in unbearable smells and a landscape that looks devastated. Swimming in the lake became impossible and seawalls around the lake are impacted as the lake continues to recede and cave-ins are everywhere. In the spring, weeds will grow out of control due to the low water levels, as it did in 2020. The adjacent wetlands are slowly dying. Trees are falling down, lakes are drying up and streams are barren.
Water levels are down 6 feet or more from the average water level and 8-10 feet from the high in 2018. Additionally, wildlife such as deer and fish that made extensive use of Garfield Lake are slowly dying and nowhere to be found.
Although the city added a pipe to pump water into the lake, water levels have remained unacceptably low, even after the city pumped (by their own estimation) in excess of 250 million gallon of water into the lake. Wetlands continue to die and at this rate the lake will be dry in late spring. Several wells have run dry and we know geothermal systems have stopped working.
After almost a year of raising our hands and voicing concerns via email, city council meetings, contacting EGLE/DNR, we continue to wait for the City to provide a permanent solution to a problem they helped create. The City of Novi has not provided residents with a clear plan on how they plan to resolve these issues. We fear the city’s inaction will continue until their project wraps up and they absolve of any responsibility. As only a couple of us have been able to voice our concern, we are nothing more than a minor nuisance to the city, but we need help bringing these actions to the spotlight so that we can all hold our publicly elected officials accountable for their short sighted actions that will have long term impact for everyone. If you live in this area you WILL be impacted.
Funds from this GoFundMe will be used towards funding Freedom of Information Act request to identify and prove responsibility, to create flyers and mailers to impacted residents and to assist a volunteer Geologist with needed research. It will help to procure needed expert opinions to help assess and prove long term impact and to help hold those responsible for this damage accountable. We hope your donations give us the needed help to provide our neighborhood with a better understanding of the damage that has been done to our beloved lake and surrounding wetlands.
However, that all stopped late 2019/early 2020. Since that time, dewatering efforts around the area of Nine Mile, between Beck and Napier Roads for a new sewer system have diverted ground water north, depriving Garfield Lake and the surrounding wetlands to the north, east and west of Garfield road of its natural water source.
The reduction in water levels in Garfield Lake, as you can see from the pictures, have resulted in unbearable smells and a landscape that looks devastated. Swimming in the lake became impossible and seawalls around the lake are impacted as the lake continues to recede and cave-ins are everywhere. In the spring, weeds will grow out of control due to the low water levels, as it did in 2020. The adjacent wetlands are slowly dying. Trees are falling down, lakes are drying up and streams are barren.
Water levels are down 6 feet or more from the average water level and 8-10 feet from the high in 2018. Additionally, wildlife such as deer and fish that made extensive use of Garfield Lake are slowly dying and nowhere to be found.
Although the city added a pipe to pump water into the lake, water levels have remained unacceptably low, even after the city pumped (by their own estimation) in excess of 250 million gallon of water into the lake. Wetlands continue to die and at this rate the lake will be dry in late spring. Several wells have run dry and we know geothermal systems have stopped working.
After almost a year of raising our hands and voicing concerns via email, city council meetings, contacting EGLE/DNR, we continue to wait for the City to provide a permanent solution to a problem they helped create. The City of Novi has not provided residents with a clear plan on how they plan to resolve these issues. We fear the city’s inaction will continue until their project wraps up and they absolve of any responsibility. As only a couple of us have been able to voice our concern, we are nothing more than a minor nuisance to the city, but we need help bringing these actions to the spotlight so that we can all hold our publicly elected officials accountable for their short sighted actions that will have long term impact for everyone. If you live in this area you WILL be impacted.
Funds from this GoFundMe will be used towards funding Freedom of Information Act request to identify and prove responsibility, to create flyers and mailers to impacted residents and to assist a volunteer Geologist with needed research. It will help to procure needed expert opinions to help assess and prove long term impact and to help hold those responsible for this damage accountable. We hope your donations give us the needed help to provide our neighborhood with a better understanding of the damage that has been done to our beloved lake and surrounding wetlands.
Organizer
Remko Atteveld
Organizer
Northville, MI