Preserving the Yellow Dog Watershed
in its most natural state for the use of the public,
now, and for the benefit of future generations.
Education & Outreach,Events,programs,Volunteering,Water Quality
Every Spring and Fall we sample 18 sites along the Yellow Dog River, Salmon Trout River and their tributaries to record data on the bugs that are calling these waterways home. Some bugs can only survive in really clean water, while others can live in anything. We are very fortunate here in the UP to have a large diversity of all of our bugs. Our Fall Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program (VSMP) begins on September 29th and will run until all 18 sites are finished. Want to learn more? Visit our event page- 2015 Fall VSMP!
We have been sampling for over 10 years on the Yellow Dog and 3 years on the Salmon Trout. If water quality starts changing we have these records to prove it. All of our techniques have been learned through MiCorps. “The mission of MiCorps is to network and expand volunteer water quality monitoring organizations statewide for the purpose of collecting, sharing and using reliable data; educate and inform the public about water quality issues; and foster water resources stewardship to facilitate the preservation and protection of Michigan’s water resources.” Visit their website MiCorps for more information.
Over the years we have been blessed with the amount of hard working individuals returning each season to dedicate their time to make this program possible! Thank you to all the volunteers who have showed us support and excitement to ensure the completion of all sites! You are all amazing and we could not do everything we do without each and every one of you!!!
Taking Measurements
Volunteer Training Day
big bay, fall, featured, hiking, macroinvertebrates, Marquette, Michigan, MiCorps, salmon-trout, salmon-trout river, Waterfalls, yellow dog river, yellow dog watershed preserve
The time is here again to head to the woods and water to sample for macroinvertebrates. Our Program is set to begin on September 29th and will run until all 18 sites are complete. Have an interest in learning about stream ecology and bug identification? Then this program is for you! With crews going out most days, there may be a perfect time you to join! Have a day that works for you? Email us at christy@yellowdogwatershed.org for more information of how to get involved!
Each group will be led by a Volunteer Crew Leader or staff member to show you each step. Our program began with a grant from MiCorps, which allowed us to lead training’s to fully ensure our Volunteer Crew Leaders have the knowledge and ability to record accurate data every time. The Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) is a network of volunteer water quality monitoring programs in Michigan. It was created through Michigan Executive Order #2003-15 to assist the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in collecting and sharing water quality data for use in water resources management and protection programs. For more information about MiCorps visit their webpage- https://micorps.net/
Our sites are spread out between the Yellow Dog River, Salmon Trout River, and their tributaries. Some include hiking, waterfalls and back roads, while all include the beautiful fall colors! This is a great time of year to get outdoors and become involved with your local watershed group. Remember your camera and we’ll see you on the river!
Water Scorpions and more!
Another day in the field!
Spring 2014 Volunteer Stream Monitoring
big bay, CR510, CRAAA, education, Events, fall, macroinvertebrates, Marquette, mdeq, Michigan, MiCorps, salmon-trout, salmon-trout river, volunteer, Volunteer Stream Monitoring, volunteering, Water Quality, Waterfalls, yellow dog plains, yellow dog river, yellow dog watershed preserve
Citizen Action,Sulfide Mining,Water Quality
Big Bay residents contacted the Yellow Dog office on January 19, 2015 during the morning hours for concerns about a withdrawal or possible unregulated discharge into saturated areas adjacent to the Dam Road on the north side of Lake Independence. The residents observed a tanker truck with L & H Industrial insignia with a pump and hose in a ditch. L & H is a global mining parts manufacturing company. Residents took photos, and observed the site where green liquid had been spilled in the ditch and all over the ground. YDWP investigated further. More…
big bay, DEQ, Eagle Mine, featured, L & H Industrial, Michigan, Sulfide Mining, windshield washer fluid, withdrawal
By Gene Champagne
Concerned Citizens of Big Bay
Eagle Mine LCC, a subsidiary of Lundin Mining of Toronto and Sweden, has recently applied for a mineral lease on 40 acres of state owned property (in other words OUR property) that lie a short distance southeast of the current Eagle Mine site. More…
big bay, CCBB, Eagle Mine LLC, featured, Gene Champagne, Lundin, Lundin Eagle Mine, Lundin Mining, mdnr, metallic hardrock mining, minerals lease, minerals management, Sulfide Mining, yellow dog, yellow dog plains, yellow dog river
Education & Outreach,Sulfide Mining
By Rochelle Dale
Octobers on the Yellow Dog always remind me of Aunt Mildred and my mom and dad. They would have been in their seventies at the time, back in the early 1990s. We were driving along the Toboggan road that runs parallel with the river when Mildred pointed out a young spruce tree covered in the yellows and reds of fallen maple leaves. She said, “Why, that’s as pretty as any Christmas tree I ever did see. “ More…
big bay, CR510, CRAAA, Eagle Mine, featured, In the Yellow Dog Watershed, memoir, Sulfide Mining, yellow dog, yellow dog plains
Education & Outreach,news,programs,Water Quality
Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve is in the midst of the 2014 sampling season for the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program. YDWP have been collecting data since 2010, and we have historical clarity data from 1974-1982. We intend to continue collecting information about Lake Independence water quality through this program indefinitely. The program is directed by a partnership between the MDEQ and the Michigan Lake and Stream Association. The goal is to provide water quality data for lakes in the state of Michigan in a cost-effective way. The data can be analyzed to observe long-term trends and will also be used to educate lake residents about lake ecology and potential threats to the health of their lake. More…
big bay, Clean, CLMP, Corps, featured, lake independence, Michigan, MiCorps, nonpoint source, nutrient pollution, volunteers, Water, ydwp, yellow dog
Recent Comments