The huron river watershed council: grassroots organization for holistic watershed management

Abstract

The Huron River Watershed Council is a coalition of Huron Valley residents and local governments with the mission to inspire attitudes, behaviors, and economies that protect, rehabilitate, and sustain the Huron River. Its role as the coordinator and facilitator of river protection activities has been growing rapidly in recent years. The success of the Council has been its ability to respond to local conditions and deal with the concerns expressed by local communities. Its ability to cross jurisdictional and political boundaries that inhibit other organizations enables it to address water quality issues in an innovative and holistic manner. It does this through the series of programs listed below:The “Adopt-A-Stream” network of volunteers that regularly collect data on the biological integrity of the Huron River.A wellhead protection program to help communities prevent groundwater supply contamination caused by pollution leaching into local aquifers.The facilitation of a partnership to reduce phosphorus and soil entering the river system from storm water runoff in the urbanizing middle portion of the watershed.Land use planning and natural feature preservation tools to prevent the headwaters of the Huron River from developing in an environmentally destructive way.An information and education plan to reduce non-point source pollution by targeting specific behaviors of watershed residents.