Please join us for a book release party and opening reception on Thursday, September 16 from 5 to 8 p.m.  Poet Fleda Brown will release her new book, Loon Cry:  Selected and New Michigan Poems.  Artist Glenn Wolff will showcase sketches and watercolors from and inspired by Loon Cry.  100% of book sales and a portion of art sales support the Watershed Center's work to protect Grand Traverse Bay and its entire 1,000-square-mile watershed.

RSVP Denise Baker at dbaker@gtbay.org or 935~1514 ext. 4.  The Watershed Center is located at 13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr. in Greilickville~the bright blue building across the parking lot from the Children's Museum.

September 9:  Grand Traverse Tree Cover Changes 2001-2009

How many trees did the Grand Traverse Bay watershed lose between 2001 and 2009?  And how does that affect water quality?  Find out at a free presentation on Thursday, September 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the NMC Great Lakes Campus, Hagerty Center, room 101.  Experts from our Watershed Forestry Initiative will share research data from using aerial imagery and CITYgreen software.  No registration is necessary.   

In summer 2006 there was increased public concern involving the health of our local beaches due to elevated E.Coli levels and swimming advisories posted for some area beaches.  High E.Coli results are typically associated with heavy rainfalls following dry periods, resulting in a flushing of the stormwater system into the Bay, as well as strong onshore winds that stir up the near shore sediment and sand on beaches.  As a result of this public concern, the Watershed Center is working with the City of Traverse City and Grand Traverse County on our Action Plan for Healthy Beaches .

The Watershed Center also conducts E.Coli tests at nine area beaches on Wednesday mornings during summer.  Results are posted on the MDEQ Beach Website. 

The Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan has been updated to comply with newly implemented EPA guidelines. The end result is a state and federal approved watershed protection plan that is a warehouse of information on how to protect our watershed. Find more information about the plan here.

We recently completed work on a comprehensive strategic planning process for our organization we call our "Blueprint for Clean Water". We now have revamped mission, vision, and value statements, along with a clearly defined set of outcomes for the watershed that we wish to achieve as an organization.

The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay has transformed its Stream Search program into an Adopt-A-Stream program!  Stream Search has been very successful in providing valuable water quality monitoring data, educating the public, and involving local citizens in caring for their watershed. More than 100 residents have volunteered their time to become “citizen scientists” with the program.

Transforming Success into Increased Community Involvement

With Adopt-A-Stream, individuals, organizations or business can adopt streams in their own backyard or other favorite spot in the Grand Traverse Bay watershed. This instills Grand Traverse Bay region residents with a sense of ownership, thereby raising awareness of water quality issues, increasing commitment and changing behavior to protect our precious freshwater resources. This will also enable us to monitor more streams throughout the watershed.

Anyone can adopt a stream! Families, schools, neighborhood associations, service organizations, realtors, businesses, non-profits, the news media, people who live along streams--anyone who cares about the deep link between clean water and our economic vitality and quality of life!  

For more information about how you can Adopt-A-Stream, please contact Policy Specialist Ellen Kohler at 231.935.1514 or ekohler@gtbay.org.