The Lake Champion
The Lake Champion Spring 2020 Vol. 2
Who is MRWA?
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MRWA Welcomes New Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2 2020 Organization: Muskegon River Watershed Assembly CONTACT: Marty Holtgren PHD (231) 591-2334 or email; mrwa@ferris.edu MRWA Welcomes New Director On behalf of the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, I am pleased to announce that Richard Houtteman has accepted a seat on our board of directors. Mr. Houtteman brings a notable skill set to the MRWA including...[ read more ]
Newaygo County Conservation Collaborative
The Newaygo County Conservation Collaborative (NCCC) is a volunteer organization founded in 2018 that continues to flourish under the leadership of MRWA Executive Director, Marty Holtgren. The founding members in addition to the MRWA include: • Newaygo County Parks and Recreation • Michigan State University Extension • Newaygo Conservation District • Newaygo County Drain Commission • Newaygo Invasive Plant Project...[ read more ]
MRWA Receives GLRI Tree Planting Grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2, 2020 Organization: Muskegon River Watershed Assembly CONTACT: Marty Holtgren PHD (231) 591-2334 or email; MartyHoltgren@ferris.edu MRWA Receives Major Funding In January of this year the United States Forest Service awarded a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) reforestation grant to plant 882 native trees to the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA). Focused on reducing non-point source...[ read more ]
Hansen Joins MRWA Staff
In May of 2019 Mary Hansen, joined MRWA’s staff as an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Program Coordinator. Hansen works in collaboration with NCCISMA on public outreach and education concerning AIS. Mary developed a database of lakes within the northern region of the watershed that contains contact information for each lake. This database serves to provide baseline data on inland lake...[ read more ]
THE LAKE CHAMPION Fall 2019 Greeting
Greetings! My name is Mary Hansen and I am the Aquatic Invasive Species Program Coordinator with the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA). We work in collaboration with the North Country Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (NCCISMA), the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP) and local conservation districts. Our goal is to champion people like you, that care about our lakes, help...[ read more ]
From the Office of the Director
Marty Holtgren PHD Executive Director, Muskegon River Watershed Assembly During the past month members have forwarded me articles that have run in national newspapers. The common theme to each is how dams are failing across the United States and how we could be facing a major problem. These dams will either be proactively evaluated and removed, or many will fail...[ read more ]
Education is for a Lifetime
Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck, Ph.D. Professor, Ferris State University Director at Large Muskegon River Watershed Assembly I have been involved with the MRWA since 2001 when I raised my hand at a big watershed research symposium in Big Rapids to volunteer on the newly formed MRWA Education Committee. I worked hard (and still do) to help create and present quality programming for...[ read more ]
Newaygo’s Forgotten River Part II-The State of the Fisheries and Water Quality
Time For The Dams To Go? By Charles Chandler and Mark Heying In Part I of this series it was stated that some controversial issues regarding the overall health of the White River would be addressed. Springtime fishing, and the springtime floods, make this a good time to begin a discussion of this important subject. On Tuesday, March...[ read more ]