A Conversation with MillerCoors Grant Finalist - Thornapple River Watershed Council

The Thornapple River Watershed Council is competing for a $25,000 grant to help protect the Thornapple Watershed in southwestern Michigan. This watershed is home to an array of scenic, recreational, sporting and farming activities. With both cold- and warm-water fisheries, the Thornapple and its tributaries host a broad range of biodiversity.

Q and A with the Thornapple River Watershed Council

RN: Tell us about your organization’s proposed project for the MillerCoors/ River Network grant

TRWC: The Thornapple River Restoration: Agricultural Demonstration Project will help to revitalize a once thriving trout stream which has been degraded by erosion, agricultural run-off and nutrient loading. The purpose is to educate landowners while restoring Quaker Brook. A dam was recently removed on the Thornapple River, and we are ready to activate and educate the community which has, through the dam removal project, rediscovered the value of their local rivers and streams.

RN: How does your project complement your organization’s mission?

TRWC: The project really makes an impact – installing best management practices for sediment and nutrient load reduction on a farm will improve water quality and also reduce soil and nutrient loss, which translates into cost savings for the operator. The project site will become a stop on annual education and demonstration tours, where both farming and non-farming landowners will learn about management practices that conserve and enhance our surface water resources.

RN: Why should people vote for your organization's project?

TRWC: The Great Lakes are our nation’s most important freshwater resource, but they are being impacted by pollution and invasive species like the Asian Carp. It is important to show citizens what they can do to help protect this vital resource at the local level and in their own backyards. A wholly volunteer organization, the Thornapple River Watershed Council provides education throughout the watershed, but needs additional resources to undertake the proposed demonstration project.

RN: Why are local watershed protection programs like yours so important?

TRWC: People connect with natural resources at the local level, on their own lands or on recreational lands and waterways. Local entities provide visible programs and activities, and their leaders are members of the community. Both the programs and their leadership are accessible and provide pathways for residents to get involved and make a difference right where they live.

RN: Thanks for all you are doing to protect and restore Michigan's waterways.

View project summaries from the MillerCoors-River Network Watershed Protection Grant competition and cast your vote today!