by Gavin MacDonald | Apr 7, 2026 | Uncategorized, Watersheds
In 2025, Conservation Resource Alliance expanded our in-house capacity to better understand the health of the streams we work to restore. Through a series of fisheries surveys conducted across northwest Lower Michigan, our team collected critical baseline data on fish...
by Gavin MacDonald | Feb 3, 2026 | Pere Marquette River
Pere Marquette Watershed | Baldwin River Tributary Construction wrapped late last year on a long-standing barrier along North Cole Creek, a cold-water tributary to the Baldwin River in the Pere Marquette watershed. The project replaced three undersized and perched...
by Gavin MacDonald | Nov 13, 2025 | News, Wild Roots
Wild Roots Landowner Program 2025–2026 Season Details The Wild Roots Landowner Program returns for the 2025–2026 season!Ordering opens November 28, 2025, at 12:00 PM and remains open until January 16, 2026. Orders can be placed directly on CRA’s website: [HERE]. How...
by Gavin MacDonald | Sep 10, 2025 | Wild Roots
Wild Roots staff, and the native species they plant, have been hard at work restoring habitats across Northwest Michigan. Read on to learn about the highlights spanning across five watersheds – our busiest year yet! Tree Protection Cost-Share Program ...
by Gavin MacDonald | Sep 10, 2025 | News, River Care, Stony Creek
In the late 19th century, the meandering banks of Stony Creek in Oceana County were home to a small settlement called Marshville. A gristmill, built in 1863, supported the surrounding community along with its post office and general store. The dam on site created a...
by Gavin MacDonald | Aug 4, 2025 | Manistee River, River Care
CRA and partners have successfully completed the removal of a closed stream crossing at County Line Road, restoring natural flow and wetland connectivity in Anderson Creek—a cold-water tributary of the Big Manistee River. The project removed a one-lane concrete...
by Gavin MacDonald | Jul 28, 2025 | River Care
A few weeks ago, Chris Kmotorka, a volunteer with Herpetological Resource and Management (HRM), was jogging along the Boardman River Trail on a sunny morning when he caught a glimpse of something that would stop any herpetology enthusiast in their tracks – a...
by Gavin MacDonald | Jul 24, 2025 | River Care
In 2023, the Tribal Stream and Michigan Fruitbelt Collaborative—led by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (Grand Traverse Band), with partners Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Leelanau Conservancy, and the Conservation Resource Alliance...
by Gavin MacDonald | Jul 18, 2025 | Uncategorized
Ever wondered how engineers determine the original path of a dammed river? A few weeks ago, CRA’s Kimberly Balke and Meredith Freeby joined GEI Consultants and the Great Lakes Environmental Center (GLEC) to help answer that very question. One critical step in the...
by Gavin MacDonald | Jun 25, 2025 | Boardman River, Crystal River, News, River Care
Earlier this year, CRA partnered with the American Fisheries Society (AFS) and the UK based production company Content With Purpose (CWP) to create a new film as part of the AFS series, Tomorrow’s Catch: Securing Our Future Fisheries. This digital series explores the...
