Lake Road spring moved

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Ironwood Township - Township employees have finished moving and repairing the natural spring off Lake Road, near Little Girl's Point, a step residents and officials hope will help the spring remain open.

The moving of the spring's exit pipe was a necessary part of the transfer of its ownership from the Gogebic County Road Commission to the township.

The transfer was necessary after it became clear repairs to the pipe were required following a positive test for the presence of coliform bacteria earlier this summer. The bacteria, while not necessarily harmful itself, can be an indication a water supply has been contaminated by foreign matter.

The coliform test, performed by the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, came after it received a report of someone getting sick - possibly as a result of consuming water from the spring.

Department officials believe the spring was damaged by the flooding that impacted the Little Girl's Point area during the July 11 storm.

While residents expressed an interest in keeping the spring open, the road commission felt its mission was to repair roads and not other infrastructure like the spring - leading to the transfer in ownership.

The spring was moved roughly 21 feet away from its former location, and now drains through a PVC pipe to the nearby ditch, rather than running onto the ground and into the roadside ditch.

The new piping also contains a reservoir to allow for easier testing of the water.

Township Supervisor Alan Baron, who has been overseeing the transfer for the township, said the workers rerouted the spring last week and were in the process of finishing up some site cleanup.

While there haven't been any tests performed since the spring was moved, Baron hopes the improvements remove the coliform.

The township also plans to post signs at the spring, according to Baron, warning that the water isn't necessarily safe to drink.

"Hopefully, we'll be good, but we're going to put up a sign there that (says), 'Non-potable water, do not drink,'" he said.

"The people that have been doing it for 80 years will keep on drinking it, and others will either run it through a filter or boil it," Baron said. "We'll be covered in all directions there. ... Somebody suggested, 'Drink at your own risk.' We don't even want to tempt people. It's a water source and how you use it is up to you."

Baron also said that while the impending winter means it won't happen this year, there is the possibility of either the township or Point residents erecting a shelter over the spring as a way to block some of the wind and snow for users.