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Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay
Grand Traverse Bay - Power Island ©Dietrich Floeter [Click here to view full size picture]  The GT Bay Blog

 

 

The Watershed Center advocates for clean water in Grand Traverse Bay and protects and preserves its watershed.

 

The Watershed Center has worked since 1990 to protect our Grand Traverse Bay region's water quality--and our quality of life.

 

The Bay's watershed encompasses nearly 1,000 square miles and covers major portions of 4 counties: Grand Traverse, Antrim, Leelanau, and Kalkaska. Minor portions of the watershed are found in Charlevoix and Otsego counties.

 

We use every tool in our toolbox to protect our Up North water quality:  on-the-ground projects, public education and advocacy.  Because it's all about the Bay!

 

 

 

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Current Hot Topics
 Loon Cry by Glenn Wolff [Click here to view full size picture]

Art of the Watershed Features Fleda Brown and Glenn Wolff

 

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.   

 

Related Documents
Waterkeeper Alliance Member
 Waterkeeper Alliance [Click to open page http://www.waterkeeper.org in a new window The Watershed Center is home to the Grand Traverse Baykeeper® and a proud member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a grassroots organization with more than 125 local Waterkeepers around the nation.
DEQ Pollution Alert Hotline
To report observations of immediate threats – such as spills of hazardous wastes or toxic materials onto the ground or in the water – we encourage a phone call to the 24-hour emergency dispatcher at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Pollution Alert System:
1.800.662.9278
Healthy Beaches
Click here to view full size picture

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

 

Updated Watershed Protection Plan
Watershed Protection Plan Brochure [Click here to view full size picture]

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.

Watershed Center Unveils Strategic Plan

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.

What's a Fun, Hands-On Way to Protect GT Bay? Adopt-A-Stream!
Volunteers sampling Brewer's Creek [Click here to view full size picture]

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.

Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Calendar
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Monday, August 30, 2010
View Events on 8/30/2010
9:00 AM Art of the Watershed Featuring Silvertree Art Quilters--all week
13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
View Events on 9/9/2010
5:00 PM Tree Cover Changes 2001-2009
NMC Great Lakes Campus, Hagerty Center, room 101
Thursday, September 16, 2010
View Events on 9/16/2010
5:00 PM Art of the Watershed Featuring Fleda Brown and Glenn Wolff
13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr.
This page last updated on 8/30/2010.
If you have any questions or problems while using our website please contact us at 231.935.1514 or info@gtbay.org
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