Agricultural Advisories for Chickens & Livestock in Midland & Downstream River Areas [Michigan]
State of Michigan Open Data Portal · 2020 Full Details
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Full Details
- Title
- Agricultural Advisories for Chickens & Livestock in Midland & Downstream River Areas [Michigan]
- Description
- Chickens & Livestock - Know Before You Grow: Midland & Downstream River Areas ( or you can download this information in a brochure ) What's the problem? In Midland and along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers, dioxins got into the soil and river sediment because of old waste handling practices at The Dow Chemical Company. The waste that was burned put dioxins into the air and they came down around the City of Midland. The waste that was discharged to the river moved downstream and settled on the bottom. When the rivers flood, the water picks up the sediment and dioxins and moves it onto the land. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has measured high amounts of dioxins in the soil in some of these areas. Although Dow is no longer releasing these chemicals, dioxins stay in the environment for a very long time. What are dioxins? Dioxins are chemicals that are linked to health issues, including problems with fertility, thyroid function, brain development, and cancer. Why shouldn't we raise chickens and livestock in these areas? Chickens can consume dioxins when they peck at the soil and eat insects from the ground. Goats, sheep, pigs, and cows can also be exposed through soil, if they are grazing on a contaminated pasture. The dioxins in the soil and on the plants can end up in the eggs, milk, and meat from these animals. Some areas in the City of Midland and along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers have high amounts of dioxins in the soil. Eggs, meat, and milk from livestock and chickens raised in these areas could have high amounts of dioxins, making it unsafe for people to eat them. For example, chickens raised in these areas could have eggs with more than 100 times the level of dioxins than you would find in a typical grocery store egg. What do I do if I live in this area and have chickens or other livestock? For health reasons, raising livestock for food or feed is not recommended in the City of Midland and areas along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers downstream of Midland. The City of Midland has an ordinance that doesn't allow people to have livestock - including chickens - within the city limits, unless the property is zoned for agriculture. There isn't a rule against raising animals in areas along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw Rivers downstream of the City of Midland, unless you have a deed restriction on your property. If you choose to raise animals in these areas, there are some practices that can reduce your health risk from dioxins. Please contact the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's Poultry Program Manager at 800-292-3939 to learn about these practices. What's the health risk if I eat foods with dioxins in them? Dioxins collect in fat. Foods from these animals that include fat, such as eggs, milk, cheese, and meat, can have dioxins in them. When we eat food with dioxins in them, the chemicals can build up in our bodies too. The blood tested from people who ate eggs from chickens or meat from cows raised near the Tittabawassee River showed higher levels of dioxins than what is normal. Dioxins cause issues with: Fertility Thyroid function Brain development Cancer Is it safe to touch the soil? Yes. The cleanup levels set by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy are meant to protect you from contact with dioxins in the soil. This level is safe for people to live, work and play. It is always good to wash your hands when you come inside from playing or working in the soil. General information Please call the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy at 517-284-6546. Dioxin health questions and local fish and game To learn about which fish and local game are safe to eat from the Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River, and Saginaw Bay areas, visit Michigan.gov/EatSafeFish or call 800-648-6942. Midland Animal Ordinance City of Midland Code of Ordinances - See Chapter 3: Animals and Fowl Additional information on dioxins EGLE's Dioxin Information Page DHHS's Dioxin Information Page Field Name Description Advisory Level City of Midland Agricultural Ordinance GIS data currently shows "0 Tittabawassee River Floodplain - Advisory Area GIS data currently shows "1" Saginaw River Floodplain - Advisory Area GIS data currently shows "2" Advisory Text City of Midland Agricultural Ordinance: This area represents the City of Midland which has a local ordinance addressing raising livestock within the city limits. For more information, please access the Midland Animal Ordinance at City of Midland Code of Ordinances and see Chapter 3 - Animals and Fowl or you can call the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's Poultry Program Manager at 1.800.292.3939 . Tittabawassee River Floodplain - Advisory Area: This area is generally representative of Tittabawassee floodplain areas where dioxins may be present at levels that could be of concern for chickens, eggs and livestock that are raised for human consumption. The boundaries of this area are based on visually identifiable landmarks like roadways and other topographic features. For more information, please call the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Hazardous Waste Program at 517-284-6546 . Saginaw River Floodplain - Advisory Area: This area is derived based on the estimated 100 year floodplain of the Saginaw River. This area does not typically flood; however, the boundaries of this area were adjusted to follow common topographic and engineered controls on the ground where significant floodwaters may reach. For more information, please call the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Hazardous Waste Program at 517-284-6546 . Header (Advisory Label) City of Midland Agricultural Ordinance (currently depicted in yellow) Tittabawassee River Floodplain - Advisory Area (currently depicted in purple) Saginaw River Floodplain - Advisory Area (currently depicted in blue) For content related questions, please reach out to Elizabeth Vanderhoef, vanderhoefe1@michigan.gov or call 517-388-2644. Submit feedback on this application, including reporting problems or data functionality suggestions, by reaching out to EGLE-Maps@Michigan.gov .
- Creator
- Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
- Publisher
- State of Michigan Open Data Portal
- Temporal Coverage
- Last Modified: 2020-12-11
- Date Issued
- 2020-09-04
- Rights
- This application or dataset, along with any maps, data, content and other information contained within it and all output from the application (together the “Information”), is provided as a public service, and there are no restrictions on the use, reproduction, or distribution of the Information. It is your responsibility to use the Information for a legally permissible purpose. This Information is provided “AS IS” and on an “AS AVAILABLE” basis. The State of Michigan (“State”) makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, timeliness, or completeness of this Information. THE STATE DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS INFORMATION, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT OF PROPRIETARY RIGHTS. THE STATE WILL NOT BE LIABLE, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR BY STATUTE OR OTHERWISE, FOR ANY CLAIM FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS AND LOST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, RELATED TO THE ACCESS OR USE OF THIS INFORMATION. IN NO EVENT WILL THE STATE BE LIABLE FOR ANY AMOUNTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE ACCESS OR USE OF THIS INFORMATION, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR BY STATUTE OR OTHERWISE. By accessing or using this Information, you agree that you will not make any claims against the State or any of its departments, divisions, officers, or employees related to your use of the Information. These terms are governed by and interpreted under the laws of the State of Michigan without regard to conflict of laws provisions. Nothing in these terms is meant to impact or replace any existing rights or licenses, such as copyright, trademark, or patent protections, in materials or content that may be located on the site or portal containing the Information.
- Access Rights
- Public
- Format
- ArcGIS FeatureLayer
- Language
- English
- Date Added
- April 25, 2026
- Provenance Statement
- The metadata for this resource was last retrieved from State of Michigan Open Data Portal ArcGIS Hub on 2026-04-25.
Cite and Reference
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Citation
Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (2020). Agricultural Advisories for Chickens & Livestock in Midland & Downstream River Areas [Michigan]. State of Michigan Open Data Portal. https://gis-michigan.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/egle::agricultural-advisories-for-chickens-livestock-in-midland-downstream-river-areas-1 (web service) -
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