Our
Projects
Protecting our waters through on-the-ground projects
The Watershed Center has led dozens of on-the-ground projects bringing more than $15 million to our region to implement our watershed protection plans. These projects ANNUALLY prevent more than 2,232 tons of sediment, 1,624 pounds of phosphorous, 5,361 pounds of nitrogen, and 254 million gallons of stormwater from entering Grand Traverse Bay.
We continue to identify sites and seek funding for protection and restoration activities consistent with our watershed plans. Check out some projects that are currently underway.
- Chloride Studies: Determining if chloride from road salt runoff is increasing salinity in streams and impacting aquatic populations.
- Suttons Bay Shoreline Stabilization: Using bioengineering techniques to stabilize the eroding shoreline near Coal Dock Park in Suttons Bay.
- Mitchell Creek Crossing Improvements
- Grand Traverse Bay Shoreline Survey
- Salting Practices and Impacts in Kids Creek
Completed Projects
- Kids Creek Riparian Restoration: Re-establishing a buffer consisting of native trees and woody shrubs and constructing a 1-acre stormwater wetland on the main branch of Kids Creek to improve water quality and reduce stormwater, sediment, and nutrient inputs to the creek.
- Green Infrastructure in Northport: Installing underground infiltration chambers at the Northport Public School parking lot and bioretention on Main Street to reduce stormwater runoff into Grand Traverse Bay.
- Mitchell Creek Source Tracking: Conducting source tracking efforts to determine the source of E. coli contamination in Mitchell Creek.
- Green Infrastructure at Meijer in Traverse City: Installing green infrastructure in Meijer’s parking lot to reduce stormwater runoff to Kids Creek.
- Kids Creek Road Stream Crossing Improvements: Replaced 5 culverts on Kids Creek that negatively affect natural stream function.
- Green Infrastructure in Elk Rapids: Installed rain gardens and underground infiltration to reduce stormwater runoff into Grand Traverse Bay.
- Suttons Bay Green Infrastructure: Implemented stormwater remediation measures on 3 major storm drains to decrease known bacterial contamination at South Shore Park and suspected contamination at Marina Park.
Project Status:
- Chloride Studies – monitoring and Kids Creek education and outreach in progress
- Grand Traverse Bay Shoreline Survey – in progress
- Suttons Bay Shoreline Stabilization – design and engineering in progress
- Mitchell Creek Crossing Improvement – design and engineering in progress
- Green Infrastructure in Northport – underground infiltration completed in 2023, bioretention completed in 2024
- Kids Creek Riparian Restoration – stormwater wetland installed in 2023, woody buffer completed in 2024
Accomplishments
- Restored 35 stream bank stabilization sites totaling 4,302 feet
- Planted 26,000 square feet of riparian filter strips/buffers
- Installed 47 rain gardens/bioinfiltration basins
- Established 3 stormwater wetland areas of various sizes
- Installed more than 6,800 square feet of pervious pavement
- Installed 7 underground infiltration trenches
- Installed 3 downspout planter boxes
- Installed 9 oil/grit separators
- Installed 3 drywells
- Improved 13 road stream crossings
- Installed 10 StormTree boxes
- Daylighted 900 feet of Kids Creek Tributary A and restored 1,200 feet of Kids Creek Tributary AA
- Installed 6,500 square feet of green roofs
- Removed 390,000 tons of sediment, 331,500 pounds of phosphorous, and 663,000 pounds of nitrogen during the removal of Brown Bridge Dam
We manage on-the-ground projects throughout the watershed.
