Location: Muskegon County
Project Status: Current
Located in the lower third of the Muskegon River watershed, the Maple River was once a bountiful anabranch of the Muskegon River that completed the water border around what was then a distinct island- Maple Island. Since its closure in the late-1800s, these man-made hydraulic barriers have periodically contributed to increased flooding in the area – particularly in 1986, 2011, and 2014. This included farmland and roads being completely submerged in water. As a result, this delayed the start of the growing season, reduced crops, and damaged and eroded property for those affected by these disasters.
The Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA), partnered with the University of Michigan to research the impacts the Maple River has on the area. The study, which began in 2012, concluded that restoration of Maple River would increase the capacity for mediating high water events and likely reduce the frequency of flooding from the Muskegon River. In addition to greatly benefiting area residents, the study found it will also help build a resilient ecosystem for wildlife and expand outdoor recreation.
MRWA has also been coordinating research with the MSU Center for Economic Analysis, and Maple River residents and farmers to assess their historical losses and present needs. Earlier this year, MRWA distributed a stakeholder questionnaire to gather valuable information from those who had experienced the worst of the flooding. Unsurprisingly, the returned questionnaires greatly supported the need for the restoration of Maple River.
This project, even in these very early phases, is moving forward quickly because it appeals to the people it affects, creates tangible environmental restoration, has a positive economic impact, and creates a blessing for future generations. Stay tuned for more to come.
Strategic Partners: Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (LRBOI), The US Army Corps of Engineers, Michigan State University Center for Economic Analysis, and Fremont Area Community Foundation.
Funding for the Maple River Restoration Project is through the Ice Mountain Environmental Stewardship Fund and Fremont Area Community Foundation.
MRWA is also in discussion with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) about strategic planning support and potential funding.
Maple River Restoration Project Updates:
March 16, 2022
Maple River Comeback? Meeting Discusses Restoration Prospects | Written by Richard C. Wheater Sr., Editor/Publisher, Times Indicator
PHOTO: TIMES INDICATOR
A recent meeting at the Cedar Creek Township Hall could lead to a historic reversal of man-made changes to the Muskegon River.
Approximately 40 people, including Cedar Creek and Bridgeton Township officials and several Maple Island area residents and property owners, met on Friday, March 4 to talk about the prospects for restoring the historic Maple River.
The Maple River once ran for more than four miles around the south side of Maple Island, straddling the border between the two counties. The stream, called an “anabranch,” carried some of the Muskegon River’s flow to where it rejoined the big river downstream. According to a 2015 report prepared for the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly, the southern anabranch was progressively closed while the northern branch was deepened. An embankment built as part of a highway project left the Maple River completely severed from the Muskegon River at its head, with Muskegon River backflow still filling parts of the former stream bed at times.
The report by a University of Michigan hydrologist noted that an 1837 plat map appears to indicate that the river flows were nearly equal between the two streams.
Flooding in the Maple Island neighborhood, especially in recent years, helped motivate property owners to investigate the possibility of restoring the Maple. Their investigations led them to the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly.
At the start of the March 4 meeting, MRWA Executive Director Scott Faulkner said that the Maple River project, like other watershed projects, is being evaluated on the basis of four key questions:
- Does it represent a net gain for the health of the watershed?
- What is the likely economic impact?
- Do people want it to happen?
- Is the project sustainable?
That 2015 report indicated that a restoration of the anabranching, split-channel river system could dramatically improve the habitat for many fish species. The report states that, while some wild rice still grows in the former river course, wild rice flourished in the area before the river’s course changed.
The same report found that a restoration of the original river channel would help reduce flooding and erosion in the main branch, the Muskegon River.
MRWA Principal Scientist Marty Holtgren PhD said that pursuing a restoration project will require plenty of collaboration.
“It’s important for us to have diverse partners in something like this,” Holtgren said. Holtgren said that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the local agricultural community will all have to be involved in the studying and planning.
Other people with an ancestral connection to the rivers have become part of the project. The MRWA recently announced a “far-reaching” partnership with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (LRBOI).
“The tribe is very pleased to be partnering closely with MRWA,“ said Frank Beaver, Director of the tribe’s Natural Resources Department. “Our interests in Maple River center largely on our traditional cultural interests, including the revitalization of resources that could include expanded fish and wildlife habitat, and improved conditions for manoomin (wild rice).”
The partnership also includes working with the US Army Corps of Engineers, in hopes of conducting an advanced hydrological analysis of the proposed project area over the next year.
The LRBOI will serve as a non-federal sponsor of the project through the Army Corps of Engineers. The hydrological study is expected to provide in-depth information about how the restoration project would affect the proposed project area during future high-water conditions.
“We both (MRWA and LRBOI) have staff scientists and biologists,” said Dr. Holtgren. “However, the real excitement for me is how watershed restoration will benefit from the indigenous knowledge that LRBOI brings. This knowledge has been passed on through generations of people that have a deep relationship to the watershed.”
Scott Faulkner said that project partners will continue sharing the information they gather. Faulkner said that the MRWA may hold a similar meeting in the fall to provide updates.
Early funding for the Maple River Restoration Project is coming from the Ice Mountain Environmental Stewardship Fund at the Fremont Area Community Foundation.
More information about MRWA’s Maple River Restoration Project is available online at https://mrwa.org/mrwa_projects/maple-river-restoration-project/.
A video recording of the March 4 meeting is available online at cedarcreektownship.org.
February 25, 2022
Radio professional and videographer, Andy O’Riley from TheMuskegonChannel.com met up with our principal watershed scientist to learn more about the Maple River Project and the up and coming meeting.
February 24, 2022
Muskegon River Watershed Assembly Announces Far-reaching Partnership with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians for the Maple River Restoration Project
The Muskegon River Watershed Assembly (MRWA) believes that the success of the Maple River Restoration Project will be realized through strong partnerships. Their relationship with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (LRBOI) is significant because it increases their knowledge base for this complex and labor-intensive project.
One of the very few spots left for wild rice to grow in the once thriving Maple River.
“The MRWA and the LRBOI share a respect and reverence for this amazing watershed.” Stated Scott Faulkner Executive Director for the MRWA. “Today, we begin working more closely toward the possibility of reconnecting this dormant anabranch for the betterment of the entire watershed and all the lives it supports.”
The Maple River is a natural 4.5 mile river channel, located in the lower third of the Muskegon River Watershed, and was blocked off more than a hundred years ago due to the lumbering era. Since then, the closure has caused multiple issues for not only the people that live in the area, but for native animals and plants as well.
“The Tribe is very pleased to be partnering closely with MRWA.“ stated Frank Beaver, the Director of the Tribe’s Natural Resources Department. “Our interests in Maple River center largely on our traditional cultural interests, including the revitalization of resources that could include expanded fish and wildlife habitat, and improved conditions for Manoomin (or wild rice).”
The partnership will include working together with the US Army Corps of Engineers, in hopes of conducting an advanced hydrological analysis of the proposed project area over the next year, which incorporates agricultural parcels in both Cedar Creek Township in Muskegon County and Bridgeton Township in Newaygo County. The LRBOI will be serving as a Non-Federal Sponsor of the project through the Corps. The hydrological study will provide in-depth information on how the restoration project would affect the proposed project area during future high-water conditions.
“We both [MRWA & LRBOI] have staff scientists and biologists, however the real excitement for me is how watershed restoration will benefit from the indigenous knowledge that LRBOI brings. This knowledge has been passed on through generations of people that have a deep relationship to the watershed .” Stated Marty Holtgren, PhD, Principal Watershed Scientist for MRWA. “Working towards reconnecting the Muskegon River, from the headwaters to Muskegon Lake, is our clear vison for future generations. The Maple River restoration is a critical and logical starting point and we look forward to partnering with LRBOI to do this work together across the watershed.”