Partnering to protect our natural rescources www.Flintriver.org Winter 2008-09 The Watershed Reporter From the Executive Director Rebecca Fedewa Happy New Year! It’s been an exciting year for benthic monitoring program. Perhaps even more impor- the Flint River Watershed Coalition. And as we begin our tantly, Sue Kubic from the Drain Office sits on the FRWC 12th year, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you board and does a bang up job organizing our yearly to all of our partners spring clean up. Drain Office staff also donate their time who have helped as volunteer in many of the FRWC programs. the FRWC become General Motors. GM has been a long time financial the organization it is supporter of our Genesee GREEN program, helping us today. We couldn’t reach middle and high school students to teach them have done it without about stewardship of our watershed. In addition to their New Website you!! While we do generous financial support, GM encourages its employees not have the space in to volunteer with our organization, with several dedicated The FRWC has a new website. Check us out at this newsletter to note individuals serving on our board, helping to run GREEN, www.FlintRiver.org. We’ve added new features to Rebecca Fedewa each and every one of and participating in the program as mentors to area help you better get to know your watershed. On the our very valuable partners, I would like to take a moment students. “Programs” tab, check out our new interactive monitor- to highlight a few who have had an enormous impact on Ruth Mott Foundation. Ruth Mott took a chance on us ing map. Click on a site, and you can view data for that the success of the FRWC. three years ago, and infused significant resources into the site from the last four years, a link to photos of the site, University of Michigan – Flint. The long time home FRWC, allowing us to take an important leap forward in and driving directions. You can also access the complete of the Flint River Watershed Coalition, the UM-Flint not our growth as an organization. The level and duration of set of data for every site and download an application to only provides us with shelter but also works hand in hand their support has been invaluable in building the sustain- use with Google Earth. We also have a detailed calendar with the FRWC to implement a number of our education, able organization we have today. of events under the “News and Events” tab, as well as stewardship, and other programs focused on improving C. S. Mott Foundation. Our growth continued when access to our newsletters, annual reports, and other the Flint River Watershed. Together, we have worked on the C. S. Mott Foundation extended their support to the documents under the “Publications” tab. our common mission of education and action on environ- FRWC. With very generous general support funds, we Take a look, and let us know what you think! mental issues. Staff at the UM-Flint / Center for Applied have hired additional staff and broadened the scope of Environmental Research (CAER) have written watershed our activities. plans on which we have assisted with implementation; Members and Volunteers (like You!!). Of course, we and we have worked cooperatively on some where CAER wouldn’t be a Coalition if weren’t for the amazing base is the primary implementer. Students have regularly of members and volunteers who give their time and What if the FRWC had a penny for every participated in our river clean-ups; and faculty have been support to our programs and other activities. All that we time you searched the Internet? Here’s a new easy way to raise money for the Flint River involved in several of our programs from time to time. have accomplished in the last 11 years has been done in Watershed Coalition. Just start using GoodSearch.com as Support from the UM - Flint has been vital to our growth. partnership with the residents and business owners of the your search engine and online shopping mall. Every time Genesee County Drain Commissioner. Working with Flint River Watershed (and some generous friends outside you search the Internet or make an online purchase at one the Drain Office and the Genesee County Community the watershed) who recognize how important it is to of their partner merchants, GoodSearch makes a donation Water Quality Consortium, the FRWC delivers a wide protect, preserve, and improve this valuable resource. to the FRWC and it’s powered by Yahoo! so you get great variety of education and outreach programs, including I look forward to continuing all these partnerships over search results! canoe trips, river walks, Genesee GREEN, and our the next 11 years! Thanks so much for all you do. 2 The Watershed Reporter - Winter 08/09 River Views 432 N. Saginaw St. Ste. 238 Flint MI 48502 810-767-6490 www.Flintriver.org The Watershed Reporter is published quarterly by the Flint River Watershed Coalition. The Coalition is dedicated to promoting the importance of protecting our natural resources.It works closely with the public and with private agencies and - - - The Hamilton Dam, as it appeared to Theo in 1909. “This is a beautiful little place.” citizens’ groups in carrying out its mission. On July 27, 1909, from Flint, Michigan, Theo sent a postcard to Mrs. Dreyer in Detroit. He made this comment FRWC regarding the Hamilton Dam: “This is a beautiful little place.” Board of Directors Watch the dam over the next few months as this area undergoes significant improvement and update. Construct- ed in 1920, it also once served as a pedestrian bridge, but is now in severe disrepair. Because of its dilapidation, Board Chairman The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality ordered that steps be taken by 2008 to correct the problems. These steps are underway, and will result in some vast improvements and changes from what you see here. Please Jack Minore watch as we provide you with future updates on this familiar site. Executive Director Rebecca Fedewa Board Changes Board of Directors Since it was first initiated, Dennis Zicha has been instrumental Darren Bagley in our Spring and Fall benthic water monitoring program. Linda Berker He has given countless hours to site selection and mapping, Bob Carlyon volunteer recruitment, maintaining the equipment, entering the Brad Hill data – and supervising the entire operation. Dennis has decided S. Olof Karlstrom to ‘hang it up’ this year – and has resigned his Board position Susanne Kubic Amanda Kurzman and the chairmanship of the Monitoring Committee. The Board Bob McCallister accepted his resignation, with gratitude and appreciation for his Sara McDonnell contributions over several years. He will certainly be missed. Amy McMillan Norway Landing Kiosk Brent Nickola Bentley High Supports FRWC Diane Peplinski Kiosks installed Bill Welch on South Branch Flint River FRWC Board meetings are held Two new kiosks, funded by the FRWC, have the third Friday of the month been installed on the South Branch Flint River at Mott Community College in Lapeer County. The kiosks, built by FRWC in the Genesee Room of the the member Carl Haas of Columbiaville, will pro- Prahl Conference Center. vide information on the Flint River watershed Printed locally at a Union Shop Bentley High School Teacher Cheryl Hobson’s Environmental and its recreational opportunities. on Recycled Paper with 40% Post-Consumer Waste. Science students participated in this fall’s Storm Drain Stenciling The “Norway Landing” kiosk is located at Please Recycle! program, sponsored by the Genesee County Community Water the Norway Lake Road Access Site just east of Quality Consortium. They are seen here presenting a banner Columbiaville. A second kiosk was installed they created to commemorate their work to FRWC Outreach and upstream at the Oxbow Campground in the Education Coordinator Sue Lossing. Lapeer State Game Area. The Watershed Reporter - Winter 08/09 Water Levels in the Flint River 3 Chairman’s Update: Jack Minore Any of you who have seen the river upstream from downtown Flint must have noticed that the river is a mere stream compared to its normal depth. You’ve probably wondered why. In a nutshell – here’s the story. The Hamilton Dam (downtown/on the UM – Flint Campus) has been on the “Critical Dam List” for some time, now. That is, the dam is crumbling and in serious need of repair and/ or replacement. That list is kept by the state’s Department *this drawing is not reproduced to scale of Natural Resources Jack Minore (DNR), and is Rendering of a possible treatment for the Hamilton Dam public information. The City of Flint owns that dam and has been working for some time on determining what Your Watershed organization has been instrumental Oxbow Campground needs to be done and how best to complete the repairs in efforts to explore various alternatives to “just another or replacement. concrete dam.” Through the generous support of the Agreement Reached The Hamilton Dam serves multiple purposes: it was Ruth Mott Foundation, we have hired a firm to assess An agreement between Lapeer County Parks and a Flood control dam for property downstream in Flint the potential of replacing the dam with a series of MDNR, Wildlife Division will allow continued use of Township; but that function is largely obsolete because “little rock barriers” that would give that stretch of the of other water level controls. The dam’s primary func- river (roughly from Longway Blvd to Saginaw Street) a a rustic campground on the South Branch Flint River. tion is to impound water upstream to the City Water more natural appearance, while also providing better The Oxbow Campground, located in the Lapeer State Treatment Facility on Dort Highway at Stewart Ave.