Muskegon River Watershed Has Been Selected

The Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) has selected the Muskegon River watershed as the focus of their "River Initiative," involving multi-million dollar, annual funding support for the next three to five years. An assessment was made to determine whether sufficient watershed groups and stakeholder resources existed within the watershed to implement a model fishery enhancement program. A copy of the Phase I Report of these findings in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.

Muskegon River Watershed Initiative Assessment Phase I Report

The GLFT had retained the consulting firm of KIESER & ASSOCIATES (K&A) to conduct this assessment project. K&A is an environmental science and engineering firm with their primary office in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Their initial objective on this Muskegon River Initiative Assessment Project focused on two important tasks:

• collection of information from a broad range of existing groups and organizations within the watershed that are participating in related efforts, and
• assessment of individual or collective organizational capacities to pool resources and guide a holistic, comprehensive program to enhance and preserve the Muskegon River fishery.

The first phase of this assessment was to survey watershed groups or organizations that may directly or indirectly facilitate, manage or undertake projects related to the GLFT objectives for the Muskegon River Initiative. These groups may include public and community organizations and agencies, academic institutions and regulated entities with the watershed. (Click here to view a graphic representation of these relationships.) The Phase I Assessment identified sufficient support for a Muskegon River Initiative, leading to Phase II of the Assessment. Phase II of this Assessment Project further examined opportunities for strategic partnerships and potential areas to target funding of GLFT objectives.

The intent of the Phase I web-based survey was to provide an equal and objective opportunity for all stakeholders to respond to a consistent set of questions. This questionnaire information was used to provide an unbiased assessment of watershed respondents by relying upon their demonstrated interests, motivations and capabilities to facilitate significant collaborative opportunities under a River Initiative. There were two elements of this watershed stakeholder survey:

1) An organization form to provide information about who you are and what you do, and

2) Project forms to provide detailed information about projects your organization has conducted or is conducting in the Muskegon River watershed.

To view a copy of the questionnaire used in the Phase I Assessment, please click here.