Marquette, Michigan is home to the Coaster II, a wooden hulled, gaff rigged, top-sail schooner. The Coaster II is a registered historic ship and a well-known vessel among traditional sailors and boat builders. Designed as a 19th century coasting schooner, she is authentic, with a flying jib boom, catheads, a real lunenburg windlass, deadeyes, sway hooks, carved taff rails and other features not found on vessels built after 1900. 

Captained by Niko Economides, the Coaster II will be the classroom for numerous invasive species workshops this summer.  Working in partnership with Marquette Alger Regional Education Service Agency (MARESA), the SWP will take area youth and educators on Lake Superior to learn about invasive species, their impacts, and ecology. 

The knowledge gained through these experiences will help teachers and students develop leadership, understanding, and commitment needed for the long-term stewardship of the Lake Superior region. The focus of these educational efforts will help prevent the introduction and spread of new aquatic invasive species before they become established in the Lake Superior region. It is imperative that teachers, students, and the general public become aware of the concerns surrounding invasive species in the Lake Superior region.

Know anyone interested in participating or volunteering?  Give us a call at 228-6095.



 

In June 2010, the SWP and Marquette Alger Regional Education Service Agency (MARESA) held a one-day workshop on the Coaster II for educators from around the state to develop Great Lakes curriculum.  Topic areas included invasive species, water sampling (pictured above), seamanship, sediment sampling, and much more. 

This day-long workshop was funded in part by the SWP, MARESA, Great Lakes Center for Youth Development, and NMU Seaborg Center. 
 

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You may have seen the ERDA in Marquette's Upper Harbor.  This is the SWP's research vessel that we share with Northern Michigan University. 



The ERDA is used for a variety of SWP field projects that require water sampling in Lake Superior. 
 

Huron River, Baraga County

The Huron River Watershed Partnership has formed. This partnership, made up of a diverse variety of stakeholders, is taking steps to address erosion issues. In addition to identifying areas of erosional concern, the group has applied for a watershed planning grant with the State of Michigan. A full inventory of the river is being conducted to gather baseline data.

The Superior Watershed Partnership works with local units of government to inact variance land use planning ordinances, including regulations to protect urban waterways. 

Preserving a relatively narrow strip of land along streams and rivers—land that is frequently less suitable for other uses—can help to maintain good water quality, provide habitat for wildlife, protect people and buildings against flood waters, and extend the life of reservoirs.

The SWP is working with the City of Marquette to include a section in the new Land Development Code that will include language on implementing riparian buffers to protect the City's water resources.  The following is one model ordinance the SWP developed for this purpose:  Riparian Buffer Implementation Plan

How do you develop a riparian buffer ordinance?  Here's a publication to help get the process started.  Click here for the Protecting Streams and River Corridors out of the University of Georgia.
 

EARTH KEEPERS

Who Are The Earth Keepers?

There are over 140 congregations UP-wide participating in the EarthKeepers program. View a list here. Particiapting EarthKeeper Congregations - May 2009

Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Jewish, United Methodist, Baha'i, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, and Zen Buddhist
During 2004, the Superior Watershed Partnership, in cooperation with The Cedar Tree Institute, approached the Bishops and religious leaders from nine faiths across the Upper Peninsula to sign an Earth Keeper Covenant agreeing to make a commitment to environmental stewardship addressing pollution prevention and toxics reduction. Currently, over 140 congregations from 50 U.P communities participate in the Earth Keeper Coalition. Other Earth Keeper partners include, but are not limited to, The Cedar Tree Institute, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, The Nature Conservancy, and Northern Michigan University. In 2005 the SWP and the Earth Keepers collected over 40 tons of household hazardous waste in one day, breaking all known records. In 2006 the SWP and the Earth Keepers collected over 320 tons of electronic waste in one day, again breaking all known records.

What Have We Accomplished?

Over 3 million lbs. of carbon reduced in 2008.
1+ tons of unwanted pharmaceuticals collected for proper disposal in 2007.
320+ tons of defunct computers and other electronic items collected in 2006.
45+ tons of hazardous household products collected in 2005.

The Superior Watershed Partnership received funding from the EPA's Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program. See the summary of CARE's commitment to Earth Keepers.

In 2008, the City of Marquette formed the Sustainability Community Ad Hoc Committee.  Carl Lindquist, SWP's Executive Director, was asked to serve on this committee.  View other members and meeting schedule here.

This committee was formed to focus on ways the City, its residents, and the business community can help to preserve the natural environment and decrease energy consumption.

 

2010 Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Youth Conservation Corps

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) and the Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP) have teamed up for the second year in a row to offer a Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program for tribal youth. The KBIC YCC allows local youth to gain hands-on experience with environmental conservation and restoration work while earning a paycheck. The two five-person crews work daily on projects around the KBIC reservation in L’Anse and Baraga throughout the summer. Crew members also have an opportunity to work alongside employees of the KBIC Natural Resources Department (NRD). The crews are supervised by SWP employees Emily Pomeroy and Connor Dennis.

So what are they up to?

• Clipping fish fins at the KBIC hatchery
• Fish monitoring
• Trail construction
• Beach clean-ups
• Building turtle platforms
• Sea lamprey assessments
• Working in the new KBIC greenhouse
• Fishing Derby prep

In addition to conservation work, KBIC youth are learning about their cultural heritage by helping the Tribal Historic Preservation Office do archeological digs on the reservation. 

The SWP teamed up with Eagle Scout, Reed Payant to make much needed improvements to the access to Morgan Creek Falls across from the Marquette Mountain Ski Hill.  The falls rage pretty much year-round and the site has become a popular waterfall watching spot for residents and tourists to the Marquette area.  However, getting to the falls can be a challenge.  Until now. 

The SWP provided technical and financial assistance to Reed.  Other project partners included the City of Marquette, Fred Waara Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and the Marquette County Conservation District.

Sedimentation is the number one issue facing UP streams and rivers.  This type of pollution can result from a variety of sources including road building, logging, poorly planned development, and human foot traffic.  The latter was the case for Morgan Creek Falls.  Not only was this access point to the falls unsafe for hikers, it was also detrimental to the aquatic habitat of Morgan Creek.  Sedimentation to rivers disrupts important fish habitat by covering the rocky/gravely substrate used by fish for spawning and cover from predators.  

Reed Payant approached the City of Marquette about doing a Eagle Scout project to protect Morgan Creek.  Morgan Creek flows into the Carp River and into Lake Superior near the City of Marquette Waste Water Treatment Plant.  The SWP assisted Reed in building the stairway to the falls and planting native plants/grasses along the edge of the stairs. 

This project also falls in line with the recommendations of the Heartwood Forestland Ad Hoc Committee report, stating the area across from the Ski Hill should be improved for public access to Morgan Creek.

Each year the SWP makes an effort to work with K-12 educators and students.  There is not a more important audience than our kids.