Examples of Involvement

A | B | C | F | G | H | I | K | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | W

2014 Upper Black River Summer Conservation Crew Report

A Better Life for Brook Trout in Cursten Creek
Thanks to a group of Rifle River Watershed landowners, life just got better for brook trout in the lower Rifle Watershed.

Alcona Community High School Students Investigate Their Black River Watershed
Alcona Community High School Environmental Science students study local streams as partners in developing a management plan for their local Black River Watershed.

Au Gres River Inventory
Huron Pines has conducted a road/stream crossing inventory during the spring of 2013 in the Au Gres River Watershed as part of a larger conservation effort in the Northern Saginaw Bay Watershed. This inventory is part of an ongoing prioritization process to identify and rank the most critical restoration sites.

Au Sable River Conservation Easement & Education Project
By working with numerous partners and stakeholders, Huron Pines was able to ensure that 12 voluntary conservation easements were secured protecting 907 riparian acres and 2.41 river miles.

Au Sable River Erosion Control
Huron Pines improved access and reduced erosion at six public access sites in 2012. We are teaming up again with project partners in 2013 to improve three more along the Au Sable River, downstream of the Mio Dam and upstream of Alcona Pond.

Black River and Sucker Creek Road Stream Crossing
The road/stream crossing at the Black River and Sucker Creek Road was ranked as one of the highest priority crossings for improvement not only within the watershed, but in Alcona County.

Black River Watershed Monitoring & Management Planning
2010 Environmental Science Students partner in monitoring and developing a watershed management plan for their local Black River Watershed.

Cheboygan River/Lower Black River Watershed Initiative
This project developed a watershed plan for the Cheboygan River/Lower Black River subwatersheds. This plan is the last of five phases to implement a water resource protection program for the entire Cheboygan River Watershed.

Fuller Creek Flow Returns to its Unobstructed and Naturally Cold State
Fuller Creek is a tributary to Hunt Creek, one of only two blue ribbon trout fisheries in the entire Thunder Bay River Watershed. Coldwater fisheries are very rare in the Thunder Bay River Watershed, which is why the crossing at Halberg Road was selected as a priority for the Thunder Bay Road/Stream Crossing project.

Grayling Hatchery Dam Removal
Huron Pines is working with partners to install a bypass channel at Grayling Hatchery to allow fish to migrate upstream into the upper East Branch of the Au Sable River for important aspects of their life cycle.

Grayling Stormwater Project
The Grayling Stormwater Project began in 2004 as a response to increasing pollution in the Au Sable River. The goal of the project was to eliminate the direct discharge of stormwater runoff from the 12 major drainage zones within the City of Grayling through a hybrid low impact development/end-of-pipe treatment approach.

Great Lakes Basin Program - Thunder Bay River Watershed Habitat & Protection Project
Overview of streambank restoration projects on the Thunder Bay River from June 2000-August 2001.

Great Lakes Restoration Projects March 2013
This report outlines the projects funded by Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in 2013.

High Water, Tree Revetments and Willow Seedlings Kicking Off Field Season On The Rifle River
A summary of works done by Huron Pines on the Rifle River.

Hodges Creek and Black River Rd Road Stream Crossing
As with most streams in Northern Michigan, sediment is the number one pollutant. The case with Hodges Creek in the Black River Watershed is no different.

Huron Pines AmeriCorps serving with the Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited
By partnering with AmeriCorps, the Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited is advancing stewardship and river improvement projects. The member will be coordinating hands-on projects, collecting data and expanding environment education efforts.

Huron Pines AmeriCorps serving with the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative
Through AmeriCorps, the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative is expanding place-based education projects.

Huron Pines AmeriCorps with the Au Sable River Watershed Committee
By partnering with AmeriCorps, the Au Sable River Watershed Committee is able to implement projects to enhance the watershed. The member will be coordinating hands-on projects, collecting data and educating the community on the importance of conservation.

Invasive Phragmites Control
Phragmites is a large grass that invades shorelines and wetlands and can grow more than 15 feet

Keeping Stormwater Runoff Out of the Rifle River
In the Rifle River Watershed, community leaders, conservation partners and local residents are joining forces with Huron Pines to better manage stormwater runoff in this important Saginaw Bay tributary.

North Branch Au Sable Road Stream Crossing Improvement Projects
Huron Pines is replacing eight road stream crossings to reduce excess sediment from entering the river as well as removing barriers to fish passage.

North Branch Au Sable - Summer 2011 Project Update

Northern Saginaw Bay Watershed Restoration Initiative
This holistic effort will improve water quality and strengthen communities throughout the Northern Saginaw Bay Watershed.

Ocqueoc River Watershed Transition/Implementation Project
The Ocqueoc River Watershed Transition/Implementation Project began in August 2004 in order to update the management plan to meet the EPA’s new 9 elements and to implement Best Management Practices outlined in the original planning document.

Onaway Waste Water System Construction Project
This project eliminated failing residential and commercial septic systems -- which endangered the areas drinking water-- and connected them to the city sewer system.

Oscoda Owls Explore the Pine River - Van Etten Lake Watershed!
Oscoda Middle School students are stepping up and becoming natural resources leaders in their local watershed through place based education.

Pigeon and Sturgeon Habitat Restoration Projects
Huron Pines is coordinating efforts to reconnect and improve aquatic habitat while building strong partnerships to sustain conservation efforts in these two rivers.

Pine River Erosion Control
This multi-year project will reduce erosion and improve aquatic habitat at priority sites in the Pine River Watershed.

Pine River Road Stream Crossings
This project will reduce sediment and nutrient pollution from entering the Pine River-Van Etten Lake Watershed by improving eight high-priority road stream crossings.

Pine River-Van Etten Lake Watershed Management Plan
The Pine River/Van Etten Lake Watershed Planning Project was intended to: 1) update of the watershed plan to meet the new EPA 9 Elements criteria; 2) gather necessary baseline information for future BMP installation; and 3) conduct an outreach program.

Prioritized Restoration in the Au Sable River Watershed
Huron Pines is planning and implementing an entire suite of conservation activities in order to protect the high quality resources in the Au Sable River system and the surrounding land. Click on the link above and learn how to get involved!

Purple Loosestrife on the Au Sable River
Join the volunteer-led effort to remove this beautiful but destructive invasive plant from the Au Sable Watershed.

Rifle River Watershed Project
This project will reduce sediment and nutrient pollution entering the Rifle River by conducting resource inventories to identify pollution sources, completing on-the-ground restoration projects, and building a strong network of local partners.

Saunders Dam Removal
Huron Pines is removing Saunders Dam to allow fish and other aquatic organisms to reestablish movement upstream and reconnect habitat in the upper reaches of the Black River in Otsego County.

Second Culvert Replacement is Complete for Webber Creek!
The Montmorency County Road Commission replaced the second undersized culvert on Webber Creek in June 2013. This crossing is located at Turtle Lake Road, just downstream of the crossing that was replaced earlier in June of this year.

Silver Creek Super Project
Recommendations in the Ocqueoc River Watershed Plan (approved 2006) included a number of high‐impact projects to improve the watershed, many of which were road/stream crossings (RSX). Four of the top ten most polluting RSX sites are located on Silver Creek‐ a cold, stable tributary to the Ocqueoc River located in Moltke Township.

Song of the Morning Dam Removal
A Multi-Phase Project to Restore the Pigeon River Watershed. Check back often to receive updates on this exciting project reconnecting 15 miles of the Pigeon River to the rest of the watershed!

Stewart Creek and Blue Lakes Rd Road Stream Crossing
This impaired road/stream crossing was measurably improved thanks to on-the-ground work by the Montmorency County Road Commission during the summer of 2012.

Stormwater Milestone Reached in West Branch
Huron Pines oversaw the installation of a new mechanical oil and grit separator in West Branch in the Rifle River Watershed.

Student Efforts to Protect Local Rare Bats
Alpena area students are working to promote conservation and wildlife habitat restoration by helping to protect the hibernacula with support from the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, Michigan DNR, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 4-H Youth Programs and the Organization for Bat Conservation.

Sturgeon River and Poquette Road Stream Crossing
The road/stream crossing at the Sturgeon River and Poquette Road was ranked as a priority project for the overall health of the Sturgeon River because of the amount of sediment entering the river and the crossing creating a fish passage barrier.

The Stories They Tell - Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
Collecting macroinvertebrate data throughout a watershed is helpful in determining the health of streams and evaluate if past restoration efforts have healed previously impacted areas like after a road/stream crossing improvement or small dam removal.

Thunder Bay Riverscape Plan
The project area focuses on the Thunder Bay Riverfront from the river’s mouth to the Ninth Street Dam. The full planning area runs from the riverbank inland to the first parallel street.This plan explains the existing conditions along the project area and offers goals and recommendations for improving the area.

Thunder Bay Riverscape
The overall goal of the project is to improve the physical connections, visual connections, and spiritual connections to the Thunder Bay River.

Thunder Bay River Watershed Planning Project: North and South Tributaries
This project resulted in a watershed management plan for the North Branch, Upper South Branch, and Lower South Branch of the Thunder Bay River. It compliments planning efforts completed for the Main Branch of the Thunder Bay River.

Tuttle Marsh Invasive Species Removal and Restoration
Using multiple approaches to kill invasive plants and restore native wetland habitat.

Upper Peninsula Non-Point Source Success Stories
Overview of success stories that reduced non-point source pollution in the Upper Peninsula since 2000.

West Branch Stormwater Partnership
This partnership is working to combat the harmful effects of stormwater runoff while planning tours, educational events, and business programs to promote the beauty of the West Branch cityscape.