SRWTC receives grant from the Michigan Clean Boats, Clean Water program
The Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition's grant application to the MI Clean Boats, Clean Water program was approved for funding this year by MSU Extension and the MI Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Environment to educate and inform the public about aquatic invasive species in the Shiawassee River.
The Coalition has three aquatic invasive species educational paddles scheduled for this summer in partnership with the three "Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas" (CISMA) organizations in Oakland, Genesee/Shiawassee, and Saginaw counties.
The three paddle events are listed below. Click on the link to register:
Sunday, June 12, 2022: Parshallburg Park to Showboat Park, Chesaning
Saturday, June 18, 2022: Holly to Fenton
Saturday, June 25, 2022: DeVries Nature Center to Henderson Road Park
The grant will allow the Coalition to post aquatic invasive species signage at each of our current 15 launch sites on the Shiawassee River and to provide a towel to paddle participants. We will also share aquatic invasive species materials at each site from the MI Dept of EGLE.
Finally, MSU Extension's "mobile boat washing" station will be on site during the Keepers of the Shiawassee River "Riverfest" event on Saturday, June 25, 2022 in downtown Linden on the Linden Mill Pond. We'll have a demonstration of how to clean your kayaks and canoes from transporting aquatic invasive species from one body of water to another.
March 28, 2022
New for 2022! Water Gauges on the Shiawassee River
A ”new” water level project is open for public use now. HyFi, a company based in Ann Arbor, MI, has installed 13 devices along the Shiawassee River. The devices can measure the depth in real time near each of our current public launches. Click on the link below to view the water depths at each of the locations.
These devices are about the size of a large water bottle that will provide, in real time, the actual depth of the Shiawassee River. That way, you'll know before you head out how deep, or shallow, the river actually is. Bookmark the site below on your smart phone and use it before heading out for a paddle this summer.
March 21, 2022
Sturgeon Released Into the Shiawassee River
On Friday, August 23, 2019, more than 100 baby sturgeon were released into the Shiawassee River in Chesaning, MI.
Read the full article at The Argus Press
Read moreShiawassee River is Designated as a State Water Trail
The State of Michigan has just designated the first ever State Water Trails, and we are pleased to announce that the Shiawassee River Water Trail is among the inaugural eight. This success builds on several years of efforts by the Friends, the Keepers of the Shiawassee, the Headwater Trails, and several local governments and associations along the Shiawassee River from Holly to Chesaning. Read more at the link below:
December 27, 2018
For Sale Now - Craft Beer and Wine to Raise Funds for Water Trail Coalition!
Fenton Winery and Brewery has created two delicious beverages to help the Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition to develop the river from Holly to Chesaning into a National Water Trail. The craft beer is named Shiawassee Shandy, it has a touch of lemonade and raspberry. The rosé wine is named Winding River Wine, and it has a sweet flavor of strawberry. Both the craft beer and wine have been well received, and said by many to be refreshingly perfect summer drinks!
The beer and wine are available at Fenton Winery and Brewery. And will also be at Wrought Iron Grill in Owosso (July), and Riverfront Grille in Chesaning (July). And, you won’t want to miss our celebration event, Paddle, Pizza and Pints on August 19th at Fenton Winery and Brewery!
June 25, 2018
Vote for our Craft Beer and Wine Name
The Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition will have our own craft beer and wine soon! Thanks to Fenton Winery and Brewery who will be donating 10% of profits to support our work. Help us decide on a name by purchasing a $1 ticket to cast your vote toward your favorite name!
$1=1 vote, purchase as many as you'd like!
CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE!
May 01, 2018
Contest to name official craft beer and wine
The Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition is hosting a contest to name the official beer and wine for the river! Click the links below to see articles covering the topic.
April 09, 2018
Push underway to designate national water trails for Flint, Shiawassee Rivers
March 1st, 2018
Capital News Service posted an article highlighting our efforts of national water trail designation. Click the link below to the article.
March 05, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Frederick calls for Flint and Shiawassee Rivers to be named national water trails
A resolution introduced by state Rep. Ben Frederick to support the designation of the Flint River and Shiawassee River Trails as national water trails by the National Park Service, was unanimously approved by the Michigan House today.
The National Water Trails System brings water trails across the nation together into one cohesive, first-class network. The system provides the public with access to outdoor recreation along shorelines and on waterways. The U.S. Secretary of the Interior may designate exemplary trails of local and regional significance as national water trails.
The Flint River Watershed Coalition and the Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition applied for national water trail designation in spring 2017.
“The goal is to reintegrate the river as a central feature of our community rather than an industrial landmark,” said Frederick, of Owosso. “Thanks to years of cleanup and conservation efforts by numerous volunteers, people are thinking of the Shiawassee River in a more positive way; parents are now more comfortable with their kids fishing and playing in the river than they were when I was a child.”
The Flint River is a principal tributary of the Shiawassee River which flows into the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron. The river is home to bald eagles, ospreys, frogs, turtles, muskrats and a wide variety of fish. The river is rich in cultural history as it was used as a main method of transportation for Native Americans and early European settlers and later supported the city of Flint as a major hub for fur trading, lumber milling, and agriculture.
During a Feb. 14 House Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee meeting, Rep. Frederick delivered testimony in support of his resolution along with David Lossing, chair of the Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition, and Tom Cook, of Owosso, who also serves as president of the Friends of the Shiawassee River.
“We hope to create a whole trail community by interconnecting the river trail with a bike trail,” Lossing said during his testimony.
House Resolution 230 was passed by the committee with unanimous support and by the full House today.
PHOTO CAPTION: From left, David Lossing, chair of the Shiawassee River Trail Coalition, testifies alongside Tom Cook of the Friends of the Shiawassee River and state Rep. Ben Frederick, of Owosso, during the Feb. 14 meeting of the House Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee.
February 22, 2018
Michigan House Hears Support For HR 230 From Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition
On February 14, 2018 Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition members appeared before a committee on the Michigan House to voice their support for HR 230, a resolution of support for the Shiawassee River National Water Trail. We are very grateful to Ben Frederick for his advocacy on behalf of the water trail. HR 230 will now go to the full house for approval in the next few weeks, this would show the State of Michigan's supports the effort of the Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition. "It will be a good way to build further interest in our collective work for the water trail, further engage our partners, and celebrate some good news for the River," said Tom Cook. Below are the testimonials given by David Lossing, Chair of Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition, and Thomas Cook, President of Friends of the Shiawassee River.
Michigan House of Representatives
Committee on Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
Testimony of David E. Lossing
Chair, Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Dear Chairwoman Hughes and Members of the Committee:
Good afternoon. My name is David Lossing, chair of the Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition, representing eighteen member organizations of local non-profits, local units of government, and a lake association, who have come together to support the Shiawassee River as a National Water Trail. We support House Resolution 230 that has been introduced by State Representative Ben Fredericks of Owosso, MI.
Our Coalition covers four counties: Oakland, Genesee, Shiawassee and Saginaw and three area codes (248, 810, and 989). Our designation of the Shiawassee River is eighty-eight miles from the headwaters in Holly, MI all the way to Chesaning, MI. Our water trail would be the second longest National Water Trail in Michigan.
The City of Linden, MI initially applied for and received a technical assistance grant from the U.S. National Park Service to assist in developing the application. Numerous key groups were key stakeholders to make this a reality: Headwaters Trail, Inc., Keepers of the Shiawassee, Friends of the Shiawassee River and University Outreach at the University of Michigan-Flint. From late 2015 until the application was submitted in April 2017, over three hundred supporters were engaged in the planning process. For the purpose of the application, the Friends of the Shiawassee River formally submitted the application and have agreed to be the fiduciary agent for the Coalition.
We believe that support of HR 230 by the House Outdoor and Tourism Committee, and the Michigan House of Representatives, will provide the needed support to make our Shiawassee River National Water Trail a reality with the U.S. Department of the Interior.
For the committee’s information, I’ve listed the partner organizations of our Water Trail Coalition as part of my testimony.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Shiawassee River Water Trail Coalition Partner Organizations
Oakland County
Headwaters Trails, Inc.
North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy
Village of Holly
Holly Township
Genesee County
Keepers of the Shiawassee
Ponemah, Squaw, Tupper Lake Association
City of Fenton
City of Linden
Argentine Township
Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission
Shiawassee County
Friends of the Shiawassee River
Village of Byron Downtown Development Authority
Village of Vernon
City of Corunna
City of Owosso
Saginaw County
Village of Oakley
Village of Chesaning
Chesaning Township
Testimony of Thomas Cook
President, Friends of the Shiawassee River
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Michigan House of Representatives
Committee on Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
Dear Chairwoman Hughes and Members of the Committee:
Good afternoon. My name is Tom Cook, President of the Board of the Friends of the Shiawassee River. Our community-based organizations supports House Resolution 230 that has been introduced by State Representative Ben Fredericks of Owosso, MI.
The Friends were established in 1996 with a mission to care, share, and enjoy the Shiawassee River. For the last several years we have worked to establish a National Water Trail on the Shiawassee because it will help us achieve all three goals of our mission. Over the years, we have conducted many river clean-ups, worked to remove obstructions in the River, organized paddling trips, and raised funds and organized volunteers to construct five canoe/kayak launches; we are currently working to install a new launch in Vernon.
We have partnered with local governments and other nonprofits to form the Shiawassee Water Trail Coalition. We have worked to establish a National Water Trail because it will help more people enjoy the recreation offered by the river, will strengthen the communities located on the river, and will help bring us together as a watershed.
We believe that passage of HR 230 by the House Outdoor and Tourism Committee, and the Michigan House of Representatives, will provide the needed support to make our Shiawassee River National Water Trail recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Thank you for your support.
February 15, 2018