September 15, 2004
Project preserves Kid's Creek
Volunteers stabilize banks to help make stream better fish habitat
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
The heat, sweat and dust did not dent the commitment of area Rotarians Saturday as they toiled to help preserve Kid's Creek.
Nearly 30 area volunteers from three of the Traverse City Rotary Clubs shoveled, raked and spread seeds and hay - all geared to stabilizing the banks and making the stream a better fish habitat. The project was a partnership with Northwestern Michigan College's Water Studies Institute, The Watershed Center and Grand Traverse Conservation District's Boardman River Project.
These organizations joined together for this endeavor because of a mutual belief that stewardship of water is a community responsibility that requires community action.
"This is part of our Centennial Project because Rotary is 100 years old in February 2005," said Marilyn Fitzgerald, president of the Rotary Club of Traverse City. "We have a club of 300 people who have dedicated hands-on time to community water studies and stewardship."
Internationally, Rotary Clubs throughout 160 countries are focusing on water issues and acting in their communities to make a difference. This joins the efforts of 1.3 million Rotarians to preserve and protect fresh water around the globe.
"If you have that many people in that many countries focusing on water, you're going to make a difference," Fitzgerald noted. "We have really led the way in Traverse City." In the Grand Traverse region, Rotary Charities granted $1 million to help found the Water Studies Institute in February. The group is determined to give more than just money to the local watershed - they are giving their time.
"We have 20 percent of the world's fresh water sitting outside our door," said Tim Nelson, president of Northwestern Michigan College and a Rotary Club member. "We have a responsibility."
"I'm very happy that the college has one of the leadership roles for this endeavor," Nelson added. "Our kids will come back 30 years from now and see that we made a difference."
Wielding rakes, shovels, cups of seed and handfuls of hay throughout the windy, muggy day, the volunteers worked downstream from the creek's headwaters.
Steve Largent of the Grand Traverse Conservation District's Boardman River Project wielded a chainsaw. Largent felled some dead trees near the stream, which volunteers placed along stream banks to provide fish habitat. Others placed rocks to shore up the bank or planted seeds to prevent soil erosion.
The group focused on an 18-acre piece of land near the Kohl's and Michael's development off U.S. 31, which includes wetlands surrounding Kid's Creek.
This developed parcel, which was part of the former Oleson buffalo farm, had its zoning changed from agriculture to planned unit development for the sale. Part of that change designated a portion of the land for preservation, noted Anne Brasie, executive director of The Watershed Center.
"It was a win-win trade-off between developers and the township," she said
The preserved piece of land was deeded to Garfield Township with the conservation easement managed by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.
The creek in that area is in 'pretty good shape,' Brasie said, but years of buffalo grazing had done some damage. The Watershed Center received a $99,000 grant from the Great Lakes Commission to help prevent soil erosion and repair any damage it has caused along this portion of Kid's Creek.
"Sediment is one of the biggest pollution problems in the Great Lakes," Brasie said.
In addition to bringing Rotary volunteers to the site Saturday, The Watershed Center is teaming up with employees from Great Wolf Lodge and Kohl's today for the United Way Day of Caring Work Bee. These employees will continue work on the stream banks.
"The Great Wolf Lodge has been very enthusiastic about helping and the operations manager will be spearheading their help," Brasie said.