Grants: Water Resources

Restoring Wetlands and Fish Passage in the Shiawassee Flats

This proposal contemplates WIN funding, joined by Dow/PIRGM funding recommended by the Water Resources Task Group – to support the restoration of approximately 900 acres at the Shiawassee Refuge. The WIN application addresses the fish passage project alone, though one of the objectives of the water resources task group is wetland restoration as well. The fish passage contemplated in this proposal uses a structure that was first used at Ottawa Refuge in Ohio. This structure will provide certain fish species that are dependent on flooded marsh for reproduction to access the 900 acre restoration site (pike, perch and others). This proposal will match a pending $1,500,000 application for federal funds, and will increase their odds by adding an additional and respected partner.

Shiawassee River Canoe and Kayak Improvements

This project, sponsored by the Friends of the Shiawassee River, was recommended by the WIN Water Resources Task Group because it supports their mission to provide access to water resources. This effort involves an inventory of canoe/kayak sites, and the development of sites (2 in this proposal) that will connect this project to a previously funded WIN effort: “Top of the Shiawassee Signage”. Further, this project includes the development of a plan to connect aquatic and terrestrial trail systems, interpretive signage, and the development of a promotional brochure.

West Branch Community Supported Stormwater Mitigation Project

This project builds on a previous WIN investment that included planning for water quality improvement projects in the Rifle River subwatershed. The 2011 effort focuses on the development of functional raingardens in West Branch, a promotional program to highlight the stormwater issue, a school-based program to involve youth in the effort, interpretive signage, and a stormwater treatment unit at an area of high impact to water quality

Septage Source Elimination Program and Revolving Fund

Bay County has submitted this proposal to WIN to assist in the establishment of a revolving fund – administered by Bay County – focused on providing low interest loans to homeowners for septic tank repair/replacement in areas where water quality is being negatively impacted. The loans will be provided based upon specific criteria focusing on relative impact to water quality. WIN funds join $14,000 committed by the Bay Area Community Foundation, as well as $30,000 in additional grant monies. Additionally, Bay County will be hosting workshops on how this program will work and to raise awareness of the impact of failing systems on local water quality.

Chippewa River Trail Map and Signage Project

Mt. Pleasant’s Chippewa Watershed Conservancy is proposing this project to promote key recreational and economic resources in Mid-Michigan, with a primary focus on natural resource-based attributes. The project builds on an effort funded by the BACF Saginaw Bay Fund that will be producing camera-ready artwork for a water trail map for the Chippewa River and “entering Chippewa River Watershed” street signage (similar to WIN-supported efforts on the Kawkawlin River and Cedar River). The proposed WINfunding will support, in part, the printing of the map, as well as add water trail signage, and a web-based map hosted by Isabella County. The project is administered by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy and is overseen by a multi-disciplinary team of watershed stakeholders including local governments, the Chippewa Tribe, the Isabella Conservation District and others.

Great Lakes Bay Regional Solar Energy Initiative

This project requests WIN support of a project of the Great Lakes Bay Economic Development Partnership (GLBEDP). The effort, the Solar Energy Initiative, involves the cooperation of the three regional economic development in a united effort to establish the Great Lakes Bay Region as a “hub” for solar energy business development. Specifically, the GLBEDP is requesting funding to support marketing and communication, the development of “shovel-ready” sites, and local education and mobilization. These activities are specific recommendations of analysis completed by consultants in 2008.

Setting the stage for the future of the Shiawassee Flats

This project requests funding to support the development of a hydrogeomorphic analysis of the Shiawassee Flats area – a 40,000 acre area in Saginaw County. The purpose of the project is two-fold: determine the historical (pre-settlement) land use in the flats to help determine the direction and potential success of future restoration activities, and to support decision making as it relates to the economic efficiency of activities at the flats

Cedar River Land Registry Program

Midland’s Little Forks Conservancy proposes to create a unique land registry program in Clare and Gladwin County’s Cedar River Watershed. Over the past 4 years, Little Forks has been working to acquire land and conservation easements in the Cedar River Watershed to protect the water quality of one of the Saginaw Bay Watershed’s few cold water trout-streams. The registry program will provide an opportunity for land-owners, who may not be ready for permanent land conservation to join others in a voluntary program. This registry will then allow the conservancy to keep track of these properties, and be first in line should the property owners move toward more permanent conservation.

Assessment of WIN-supported Fish Passage Projects

This project proposes to implement applied research at the site of the proposed fish passage project at

Frankenmuth. While these fish passage projects have been implemented in several areas across the Great
Lakes, this site will represent only the third time that the application of the “rock ramp” passage technique
has been used in Michigan and will be the largest project of its kind in the Great Lakes. To that end, this
project provides a unique and important opportunity to look at this effort from a pre-rock-ramp and post-rockramp
perspective. This WIN investment will support the on-the-ground analysis of how well these structures
pass fish, as well as provide early data on the success of fish spawning activity above the dam. The project
will also engage the public through presentations by Central Michigan University researchers on the
importance of fish passage projects as well as provide important data to decision makers throughout the
region about the effectiveness of these projects. As an added piece of the project, researchers will asses
some basic qualitative economic information from the community of Frankenmuth about the public
satisfaction with the project. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service will be joining CMU on this project and providing staff and financial support as available.

Saginaw Bay WIN “Green Village” at the Tall Ships Celebration

The 2010 Tall Ship Celebration in Bay City marks the only Michigan stop of the Tall Ship Challenge in 2010.

Anticipating more than 100,000 people coming to visit the event, an economic impact of over $10 million is
anticipated during the course of the fleet’s stay in Bay City. The “Green Village” will be a new, but important,
feature at the event and will give visitors a chance to experience eco-friendly products, services, and ideas
that they can use long after the event. Attendees will learn about what local companies and organizations
are doing to make our region more sustainable.

Cass River Greenways Project

The Cass River Greenways Committee is working on many implementation projects based, in large part, on

the WIN-funded “Vision of Green” report from 2003. One of those projects includes the development of a
“water trail” and access sites along the Cass River at Vassar, Tuscola Township, and the City of
Frankenmuth. These access sites will be on public property and will provide parking, restrooms, picnic
facilities, and interpretive and wayfinding signage. All three communities have been working together to
develop the plans for the water trail.

Spray Park with Rain Garden

This project, sponsored by the Friends of Bay City State Recreation Area, intends to fund the development

of a rain garden associated with the construction of a spray park at Bay City State Recreation Area. The
rain garden will use discharge water from the spray park and will filter this water before it is discharged. In
addition, the rain garden will provide an educational element for the visitors at the spray park. The spray
park will be located within the Bay City State Recreation Area, adjacent to the “Come Play by the Bay”
community-built playground.