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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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River Raft Recycling Extravaganza August 14!

  

Join us for the River Raft Recycling cleanup of the Boardman River on Saturday, August 14 as part of Bay Day festivities!  The River Raft Recycling Extravaganza is co-hosted by Right Brain Brewery, Bay Area Recycling for Charities and the Watershed Center.  Here’s how it works:

 

 

  • Get together a team of 2 to 4 people age 12 and older.  Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.         
  • Pay an entry fee of $50 by July 30 to the Watershed Center.  Download your signup form here, then print and mail it with your entry fee.  Proceeds benefit the Watershed Center and Bay Area Recycling. 
  • Build a raft that actually floats! 
  • Show up on Saturday, August 14 at 2:00 in the Farmer’s Market parking lot in Traverse City. 
  • You’ll float to Clinch Park on the Bay, collecting trash, which Bay Are Recycling will recycle.   
  • All participants get a beverage ticket from RBB.  Food from Red Mesa Grill, live music by Devils Dive String Band and mind-bending local brews at Right Brain Brewery afterward!   
  • Prizes awarded for the coolest raft, most trash and weirdest trash! 

 

Odom Reuse can donate framing lumber, and Bay Area Recycling can donate tight cellular bubble wrap if you're looking for materials! 

 

Gots questions?  Contact Denise Baker at dbaker@gtbay.org or 231~935~1514 X 4.

 

 

The River Raft Recycling Extravaganza is generously sponsored by Right Brain Brewery, Nielsen Design Group, Oryana, and Red Mesa Grill.  Bay Day is generously sponsored by Copy Central, Lawton Gallagher Group, Steinorth Fine HomesTraverse Area Association of Realtors and WTCM.

 

 

 

Art of the Watershed Featuring Silvertree Art Quilters

 

If you love fiber arts, you definitely want to see this exhibit!  You'll be absolutely delighted by the water-themed art quilts, mixed media fiber art pieces and even jewelry.  We're at 13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr. in Greilickville~the bright blue building across the parking lot from the Children's Museum.  Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Please be aware that occasionally the entire staff is out of the office for meetings.   

 

This is part of our Art of the Watershed exhibit series to help raise funds for our work to protect Grand Traverse Bay and its entire 1,000-square-mile watershed.  A portion of sales support our vital work.

 

This exhibit features art quilts and fiber art by Chris Allen-Wickler, Jone Antenucci, Kerry Bowes, Cheryl Costley, Harriett DeRose, Gail Ingraham, Pat McKean, Mary Underwood, Desiree Vaughn, Barbara Waddell, Robin Webb-Bransky and Gera Witte.  The exhibit runs through September 7. 

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
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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, July 26, 2010
View Events on 7/26/2010
9:00 AM Art of the Watershed Featuring Silvertree Art Quilters--all week
13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr.
Monday, August 2, 2010
View Events on 8/2/2010
9:00 AM Art of the Watershed Featuring Silvertree Art Quilters--all week
13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
View Events on 8/5/2010
4:00 PM Meet Your Grand Traverse Baykeeper--Tug Tour 2010
Siren Hall, 151 River St., Elk Rapids
Monday, August 9, 2010
View Events on 8/9/2010
9:00 AM Art of the Watershed Featuring Silvertree Art Quilters--all week
13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
View Events on 8/14/2010
11:00 AM Bay Day & River Raft Recycling Extravaganza
Clinch Park, Traverse City
Monday, August 16, 2010
View Events on 8/16/2010
9:00 AM Art of the Watershed Featuring Silvertree Art Quilters--all week
13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr.
Monday, August 23, 2010
View Events on 8/23/2010
9:00 AM Art of the Watershed Featuring Silvertree Art Quilters--all week
13272 S. West Bay Shore Dr.
This page last updated on 7/26/2010.
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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