The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay has been awarded a $598,573 grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Non-Point Source Pollution Control Fund. It will use the funds to continue work on its “Green Infrastructure and Stream Restoration in the Kids Creek Watershed” project. The Watershed Center has been working on Kids Creek-related projects since July 2003. A two-mile portion of Kids Creek is on the State Impaired Waters list due to sedimentation and stormwater runoff.

Much of the project over the last few years has coincided with the preparation for and construction of the new Cowell Family Cancer Center on the northern part of Munson Medical Center’s campus.

“We’ll be continuing our partnership with Munson Medical Center on our Kids Creek Restoration Project by installing green infrastructure and low-impact development techniques to reduce stormwater runoff to the creek at additional locations on Munson's campus,” says Sarah U’Ren, program director at The Watershed Center.
 
Green infrastructure and low-impact development techniques are small-scale stormwater management practices that mimic and work with nature to reduce stormwater runoff. These strategies use things such as green space, native landscaping, pervious pavement, green roofs, and other techniques to encourage water to infiltrate into the ground. Trees and other riparian vegetation are critical components of healthy watersheds because they prevent erosion, filter contaminants before they enter waterways, absorb rainfall and snow melt, recharge aquifers and slow stormwater runoff. 

“In addition to reducing the volume of water to the stream, it (the project) will also reduce sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants commonly related to stormwater runoff,” says U’Ren.