FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 6, 2010 Honorable Dennis F. Murphy of the Otsego County Circuit Court today signed an interim order in which Golden Lotus, Inc. agreed to remove a private dam on the Pigeon River that it owns and maintains on its Song of the Morning Ranch property in Otsego County. The agreement is in response to a release of water and sediment from the dam in June 2008, which resulted in environmental damage on the Pigeon River. Golden Lotus also agreed to pay $150,000 as mitigation for alleged damages and DNRE investigation costs. Removal of the private dam...
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Penoyer Creek drying up?
Late last week, SWMTU member Brian Gorman contacted the chapter about seeing low stream levels on Penoyer Creek, a tributary to the Muskegon River. He described the creek as nearly dry near Basswood Road with small pools of water where trout were concentrated. (link to Penoyer Creek map) At the Muskegon River, the creek seemed to be flowing normally. Thanks to his detailed information and quick email, SMWTU has begun tracking down the source of the problem. On Sunday, board member Rob Fox took some photos of the creek and you can clearly see how low the water is. According...
Time to get your new fishing license
A friendly reminder that Michigan fishing licenses expire today. If you are fishing tomorrow, you’ll need a new license. Get one online here: http://www.mdnr-elicense.com/welcome.asp
2010 banquet a big success
SWMTU thanks all those who supported the 2010 banquet, through their attendance, efforts or donations. Without their support, the Chapter’s efforts to conserve cold water resources in Michigan wouldn’t be possible. Photos You can see some photos from the banquet here. Award winners M. C. Bud Kanouse Award – Glen Blackwood Cornelius M. Schrems Award – Dick Norton C. R. Evenson Award – Oak Brook, Ill. Chapter of Trout Unlimited Cornelius M. Schrems Scholarship – Corey Higley Donors 2/90 Sign Systems Abel Reels Alder Creek Enterprises – Ron Barch Artisan Cooking School Baldwin Bait & Tackle – Steve Fraley Baldwin...
Vote online for the Quaker Brook Project!
Our friend and conservation partner Josh Zuiderveen of Streamworks LLC has been working on a restoration project for the Quaker Brook. Quaker Brook is a degraded trout stream that feeds the Thornapple River. Here is a write up by Josh; Quaker Brook is a coldwater trout stream in the Thornapple River watershed. DNR fisheries agent Scott Hanshue rates Quaker high on his priority list for restoration efforts and conservation practices, because of its cold water fishery value and its degraded state. The Barry Conservation District is a finalist in the running for a MillerCoors grant to bring much needed financial resources...
Fly Fishing Film Tour is back
The “Fly Fishing Film Tour” is coming back to Grand Rapids. Buy your tickets at the door for $15, or save $2 and buy them in advance from Kevin at The Hex Shop or Glen at Great Lakes Fly Fishing. This year’s show is nearly 2 hours long with more films and less trailers. Howard Myerson has a good review here. When/where: 7 p.m. March 26 at Wealthy Theatre, 1130 Wealthy St. SE, Grand Rapids (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Volunteers needed for Project Healing Waters
Project Healing Waters is a national organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings. Project Healing Waters would like to establish this program in the Grand Rapids area, through one or more of the Veterans Affairs facilities. Nationally Trout Unlimited is very active with this program and Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited has been approached and asked to be the leader in establishing and conducting this program locally. We are asking anyone interested in being a volunteer for this project to contact us...
Asian Carp Town Hall Meeting
Monday, February 22nd at 10:00 A.M.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Auditorium
Rep. Vern Ehlers and AG Mike Cox will host. Discussions to center on the current developments in the fight to stop Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes.
If you plan to attend, please call the AF office at 517-373-8060
February seminar to feature Dick Walle
Schrems West Michigan Trout Unlimited is excited to host renowned fisherman and fly tier Dick Walle. Join us at Watermark Country Club to see Dick present soft hackle tying and fishing techniques. Dick has been fly fishing since age five and has tied at major expositions throughout the Midwest. He is a member of several conservation groups and a founder of Reeling for Healing, a group providing fly fishing retreats for breast cancer survivors. Dick and his wife Judy reside in Toledo, OH and have a cottage on the Holy Waters of the Au Sable. Seating is limited. Please RSVP by Feb. 20! Location: Watermark Country...
Rogue River Home Rivers Initiative
What is a Home Rivers Initiative? Well, it is a collaborative multi-year major watershed restoration effort. What does that mean? It means that Trout Unlimited National, (the folks you send your $35 to every year) plan to hire a full time project manager/coordinator to indentify, prioritize, and implement restoration efforts on our Rogue River for a minimum of three years. It means you are going to be reading about the Rogue River in the national publication TROUT that you receive quarterly, and that a whole lot of effort is going to be placed on making the Rogue a better coldwater...
MDNRE wants your comments on CAFOs
Tom Quail, the MCTU Conservation Chair, sent out a message last week and we think it’s worth passing along because it is so timely and so close to home. The MDNRE is taking your public comments until February 16 on CAFO discharge permits. Your messages will help safeguard coldwater fisheries from large-scale animal waste producing operations. Additionally, our chapter has been following this issue closely and put together info on why CAFOs are so important here in West Michigan. Here’s Tom’s email …
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are large-scale industrial feeding operations that house large numbers of animals in confined enclosures. These facilities create significant quantities of waste material that are usually land applied. In recent years, Schrems West Michigan TU and Michigan TU has become increasingly concerned about the damage that can occur as a result of the misapplication of manure within watersheds supporting coldwater fisheries. Within our Chapter, this concern became tragically evident in late July, 2006 when a large amount of fecal material contaminated Tyler Creek near Freeport, Michigan (just south of Grand Rapids), resulting in a total loss...
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