Priggooris Lake Reaching Habitat Potential

The restoration of Priggooris Lake—the cornerstone of habitat improvements at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy’s Bengel Wildlife Center—literally reached new heights this spring.  In late April, water levels were at the tops of two control structures which began raising the water in 2008 under a new permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.  About 40 acres of wetland are now flooded, providing nesting habitat for sandhill cranes, ducks, geese, reptiles, amphibians, and many other wildlife species.   

The water control devices were installed in two concrete culverts under I-69 in summer of 2003.  The work took only a couple of days to complete, while it took years to get necessary approvals from DEQ officials.  The project, supported by numerous conservation groups and individuals, received a DEQ construction permit only after a contested case was resolved.  

Initially, the long-awaited effort only partially restored the hydrology of Priggooris Lake, because permit limitations allowed for only a few inches of water on just part of the basin.  The permit did have provisions for re-application and/or revisions to potentially restore more water in the future.  So, the Conservancy had to apply for a new permit in 2008 that allowed stop-logs to be added and the water to be raised another 18 inches.  

“It’s unfortunate this project was unnecessarily delayed,” said Dennis Fijalkowski, the Conservancy’s Executive Director.  “But we now have water back in a basin which has been drained for a long time.  We eventually convinced officials we should restore more of the original hydrologic conditions in this important wetland.”  

Priggooris Lake is the remnant of a much larger and deeper lake/marsh that was partially drained by an extensive ditching system in the 19^th century.  Part of the “Great Chandler Marsh,” it was originally drained to gain land for agricultural use and to control malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases which plagued the Lansing area.  Priggooris Lake was lowered by at least six feet by the drainage, and later dried up further after construction of I-69 and other local drainage changes.  

Although Priggooris Lake remained a diverse wetland complex with muck deposits up to 40 feet thick, the drainage caused detrimental changes in the vegetation.  Of particular concern was gradual invasion by exotic species including buckthorn and reed canary grass.  The drier conditions also stressed native tamarack trees and emergent plants.  Use of the area by waterbirds, muskrats, and other wetland-dependent wildlife was limited to early spring and late fall when three small pools were temporarily filled.  

Priggooris Lake can be viewed from I-69 or while visiting the Bengel Wildlife Center.  The main building of the Center, which houses the offices of the Wildlife Conservancy, overlooks the “north pool” of Priggooris Lake.  That’s a 6-acre area once used by Angel Priggooris as a muskrat farm.  The Greek immigrant eventually donated 160 acres of property to the City of Lansing for use as a park, recreation area, or golf course and the Conservancy later purchased the land from the City.  In 1998, when the Bengel Wildlife Center was under development, the lake was renamed Priggooris Lake (formerly Grass Lake) and plans to restore the basin announced.  So, the restoration of Priggooris Lake has long been anticipated.  

Ironically, the Chandler Marsh area is where Zachariah Chandler, a prominent figure in early Michigan politics, advanced the use of tiles to drain wetlands.  That’s a system used today throughout the world.  The Wildlife Conservancy, an established leader in restoring wetland basins by blocking tiles and ditches, has now reversed the process in part of the historic Chandler Marsh.

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