As the largest tributary to the Manistee River below Tippy Dam, Bear Creek (Manistee County) is stream to appreciate and conserve. Conservation Resource Alliance (CRA) has several active projects to improve fish habitat and reduce erosion in this watershed.
In 2011-2012, CRA and partners including the Bear Creek Watershed Council, Michigan DNR and Spirit of the Woods Conservation Club came together to install woody structures in stretches of the stream that lacked fish cover.
In 2013, CRA is working with the Michigan DNR through a $40,000 grant from the Michigan Habitat Improvement Fund and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Great Lakes Basin Fish Habitat Partnership to further enhance aquatic habitat, reduce erosion and improve water quality.