Join local residents and public officials in an event marking an important milestone in a recent initiative to care for a local waterway, a natural resource that has been described as the "greatest remaining natural feature in Van Buren Township."
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That waterway, sometimes known as the Griggs Drain, will get a new name, Woods Creek, in an event scheduled for 2 p.m. April 22 at the Lower Huron Metropark in the Woods Creek Picnic area. This is at the north end of the parking lot that serves the "old" (after Turtle Cove opens next month) swimming pool.
On hand will be the Woods Creek Friends, a group of local residents formed last July to monitor and to improve the quality of the environment in and around the creek, whose mission statement commits them to "assess, restore, preserve and protect the scenic beauty, wildlife habitat and water quality of the Woods Creek Watershed."
They will be joined by Wayne County Commissioner Robert Ficano, Wayne County Department of Environment Director Kurt Heise, Van Buren Township Supervisor Cindy King, Huron River Watershed Council Executive Director Laura Rubin and the Huron-Clinton Metroparks Chief of Natural Resources Paul Muelle.
The event is designed to rename the creek, including new roadside signs that will enhance local awareness of it, and to introduce the Woods Creek Friends to the community.
Woods Creek contains 27 miles of streams directly south of Belleville Lake, in the northwest reaches of the Lower Huron Watershed.
It flows from west to east in the south of Van Buren Township, abutting residences particularly along Riggs Road, and ends in Lower Huron Metropark, in the southeast corner of the township.
It is most visible just north of the intersection of Haggerty and Riggs Road, on the west side of Haggerty, where it collects in what is sometimes called Kiscaden Pond (also referred to as "Little Belleville Lake") before continuing east to Lower Huron Metropark.
The members of the Woods Creek Friends meet monthly at members' homes to coordinate projects to assess the quality of the creek, and to reinforce the importance of caring for an important natural resource. New members are very welcome.
Since July, the group has worked with several governmental and environmental organizations to monitor the quality of life in and around the stream. Specific accomplishments include:
Conducting recurring tests at several points along the creek to measure the presence of living organisms like fish and insects, and other tests to measure the presence of noxious substances in the creek, like phosphorus, road salt and suspended sediment.
Winning a "Grow Zone" grant project planned for this fall in Lower Huron Metropark to demonstrate river-friendly techniques to improve the habitat in and around the creek, and reduce stream bank erosion.
A "River Friendly" lawn care workshop is planned for April 29. Call (734) 699 - 8913, or e-mail dswallow@vanburen-mi.org.
Interested residents are encouraged to join the WCF and local officials at 2 p.m. on April 22, in an event designed to commemorate and to celebrate the importance of a local natural resource and its role in our community.
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