Lake Michigan Basin Update
Industrial River Corridor Gets a Refresher
By Joel Brammeier
Citizens on Chicago’s southeast side are
gearing up for restoration of a river
corridor in the heart of one of the
Midwest’s most heavily industrialized
zones.
Much of the six-mile long Calumet River
has been channelized using steel sheetwall and poured concrete,
a far cry from its days as a home to plentiful sturgeon and yellow
perch in the 19th century. Industrial landowners use the riverbank
for port operations, while its currents are governed by a
combination of treated sewage flow and the natural water level
of Lake Michigan.
By partnering with local business Carmeuse Lime and
Beemsterboer Slag and Ballast, the Southeast Environmental
Task Force (SETF) has opened a door to revitalization of
landscapes near the rivers edge. These landowners control
properties approximately two miles from Lake Michigan at a
truck route crossing on either side of the Calumet River.
Building on a community visioning session under SETF’s “Good
Neighbor Dialogues”with industrial partners, a site cleanup held
in Spring 2005 has set the stage for site restoration. SETF has
now secured nearly $20,000 in donated materials and services.
Besides reestablishing native plant species in developed areas
and reducing stormwater contaminants entering drains and the
Calumet River itself, this project is being used to promote
conservation awareness among minority residents. Having
translators present at community planning sessions has
provided Spanish-speaking neighbors an opportunity to direct
the use of preferred native species and learn about the value
of restoring biodiversity. SETF used a combination of
real-time translation and visual communications to ensure full
community participation.
Given the volume of industrial property potentially available to
serve as buffer for the Calumet River, a successful demonstration
of partnerships for conservation between corporations, civic
groups, neighbors, and chambers of commerce should promote
duplication throughout the southeast side.
For more information, contact Aaron Rosinski of the Southeast
Environmental Task Force at 773-646-0436. You can read more
about the Task Force’s work on the Calumet River corridor
at www.southeastenvironmental.org
Communities Unite for a Common Cause
By Stephanie Smith
Muskegon, MI -
Cynthia Price has seen a lot
of garbage strewn along Lake
Michigan shores during her
15 years as volunteer beach
cleanup site coordinator at
Pere Marquette Park in
Muskegon, MI, as part of the
annual September Adopt-a-
Beach event coordinated
by the Alliance for the
Great Lakes.
“Thanks to thousands of volunteers like Cynthia, this program is
truly making a difference,”says Stephanie Smith, education program
manager with the Alliance.
For 15 years, the Alliance has brought together a diversity of interests
united for a common cause: to clean up our magnificent coasts in
Illinois and Michigan and contribute to a similar world-wide effort
coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy. This year, a record 3,900 volunteers
collected more than 16,300 pounds of food wrappers, bottles,
balloons, car parts, and other types of coastal debris.
To adopt a beach in your community, go to www.greatlakes.org,
or email adoptabeach@greatlakes.org.
Lake Michigan Groups Forge Restoration Alliances
By Jamie Morton
Along a remote stretch of shoreline
in Benzie County, MI, members of
the Partner Network, an alliance of
grassroots and regional groups,
gathered in September to build partnerships
for Great Lakes restoration.
Hosted by the Alliance for the Great
Lakes, with support from the Joyce
Foundation and Grand Traverse
Regional Community Foundation,
more than 30 individuals participated
in Summit 2005 at the historic Inn
atWatervale on Lower Herring Lake.
The summit kicked off with updates
on important Great Lakes policy initiatives,
including: Great Lakes Restoration, Great Lakes Water Use
Policies, and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
The groups also explored existing partnerships within the region
that are resulting in real, on-the-ground restoration. By the close of
the summit, each group had created plans for a restoration project
within their respective communities, and some also developed
blueprints to pursue other restoration partnerships.
Disclaimer:
The interpretations and conclusions presented in this newsletter represent the opinions of the individual authors. They in no way represent the views of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, the C.S. Mott Foundation, subscribers, donors, or any organization mentioned in this publication.
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