Restoring Fish Habitat in Northern Michigan Watersheds Through the ARRA Program

The U.S. Forest Service, Huron-Manistee National Forests, received $2.1 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 targeted for the Pere Marquette and Pine River – Van Etten Lake watersheds in northern Michigan.  These funds were leveraged with an additional $575,000 from other partners (Conservation Resource Alliance, Huron Pines RC&D Council, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the respective Road Commissions of Lake and Alcona Counties).  The focus was improving road-stream crossings within these watersheds, with a threefold goal:  job creation, infra-structure improvement, and fish habitat restoration.  Aquatic organism passage was restored at 15 sites in these two watersheds, re-connecting 150 miles of fish habitat and reducing sediment delivery by an estimated 300 tons per year.  Jobs were created and the transportation infrastructure of Lake and Alcona Counties was improved.  The majority of work was completed by late 2011 with a few remaining sites to be completed in 2012.  The ARRA funding brought a variety of partners together at a local level to achieve watershed restoration work at a scale no one entity could have accomplished.  And by working with local partners, long-term stewardship of the Pere Marquette and Pine River – Van Etten Lake watersheds was fostered.