In January 2002, The Watershed Center became a member of the Waterkeeper Alliance and inaugurated the Grand Traverse Baykeeper® program.

The Waterkeeper Alliance is a grassroots organization with more than 115 local water programs located around the world. Each Waterkeeper program reflects the needs of the water body and community that it represents. The common thread is that each program has a full-time keeper who serves as the public advocate for that body of water.

Our Baykeeper is John Nelson – an environmental advocate and leader who has deep roots in the Grand Traverse area.

The Grand Traverse Baykeeper® and The Watershed Center serve as a resource to citizens, planners, and municipalities throughout the Grand Traverse Bay watershed. Our focus is on identifying problems and finding sustainable solutions to protect the environmental health of our area’s precious water resources.

The Baykeeper will provide a full-time presence on Grand Traverse Bay and its surrounding watershed, as well as serve as the public’s ombudsperson and advocate for the bay.

In 2002, Backcountry Outfitters generously donated a kayak for use by the Baykeeper. The kayak has served us well, both in outreach events and as part of a recent shoreline survey. However, with a watershed as big as ours – nearly 1,000 square miles – we needed something bigger...

During the summer of 2003, the Center’s board voted unanimously to embark on an ambitious project to build a boat for use by the Baykeeper. Our new boat was launched on July 22, 2004.

The Bay Monitoris a 23-foot, aluminum-hulled tugboat, which is built to run “green.” The boat features an energy-efficient diesel engine with a dry exhaust which will be fueled with biodiesel. The boat will also have a composting head onboard.

The tugboat will be used to conduct monitoring, research and outreach activities on the bay.

Outstanding State Resource Water

On January 10, 2005, the City of Traverse City and Grand Traverse County hosted an educational workshop for municipal officials and citizens regarding the designation of Grand Traverse Bay as an “Outstanding State Resource Water (OSRW).”


Coming to a Marina Near You!

The Watershed Center will be conducting an educational Tug Tour around Grand Traverse Bay this summer with stops planned at Northport, Suttons Bay, Traverse City, and Elk Rapids. We'll have the boat docked for visitors to look at and will be passing out handy information about the Baykeeper Program, Clean Boating, and maintaining Healthy Beaches. We'll also have our yummy Baykeeper Wave ice cream from Moomer's available too!

Great Lakes Waterkeepers Comment and Annex Agreements

The 14 Great Lakes Basin Waterkeepers submitted official comment on the Great Lakes Charter Annex agreement. The comments were prepared in collaboration with Waterkeeper Alliance attorneys Scott Edwards and Lauren Brown. For a copy of the comment document click here.
Other information about the international agreements can be found at the websites listed below:

• Alliance for the Great Lakes (formerly Lake Michigan Federation)


• Sierra Club Canada put out a good summary document.


• Great Lakes Commission

Proud member of:
Waterkeeper Alliance
www.waterkeeper.org