A section of the St. Marys River in the Upper Peninsula will get a little help from its friends thanks to a grant from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The NOAA has awarded a grant worth just under $350,000 toward the Little Rapids Engineering and Design project, which will include completion of hydraulic flow modeling, engineering design, an environment assessment, design of pre- and post-implementation environmental monitoring and development of stakeholder outreach and education activities. Overseeing the project and the teams and agencies involved in it will be the
Eastern U.P. Regional Planning and Development Commission. It is the goal of the project to restore 70 acres of rapids habitat in the Little Rapids portion of the St. Marys River Area of Concern.
This initial phase of restoration builds on previous investments by numerous agencies and nongovernmental partners, to prepare the Little Rapids Restoration Project for implementation by 2013.
"We are excited to lead this truly collaborative effort amongst, state, federal and local organizations to complete the necessary pre-implementation work on this project to restore the Little Rapids on the St. Marys River, a critical piece of natural infrastructure for the Great Lakes and the Eastern UP Region," says Jeff Hagen, executive director of the regional planning commission.
The St. Marys River is a globally unique river that forms the bi-national connecting channel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, two of the largest freshwater systems in the world, with shared jurisdiction between the Canadian Province of Ontario and State of Michigan. Both communities have a strong tourism-based economy that is centered on sport fishing and other recreational activities tied to the St. Marys River. The river is a destination for anglers traveling from across the United States, Canada, and beyond. The Great Lakes provide jobs for more than 800,000 Michigan residents and sustain a world-renown commercial and sport fishery valued at more than $4 billion.
Despite its popularity for recreation, the entire reach of the St. Marys River is designated as one of Michigan’s 14 Great Lakes Area of Concerns due to pollution and habitat alteration.
The regional planning commission will be working hand in hand with a host of partners including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Lake Superior State University.
Funding for the project is being provided through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a five-year, $2.2 billion program to implement a comprehensive restoration strategy for the Great Lakes.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Jeff Hagen, Eastern U.P. Regional Planning and Development Commission
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