OGL AOC Note: Krispin Blueway Opens to Paddlers after Major Habitat Restoration

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Krispin Blueway officially opens to paddlers after extensive habitat restoration

 
Krispin Aerial - Credit Lori EschenburgTheSeries of Krispin Blueway Images -Credit Lori Eschenburg, Michael Beaulac Krispin Blueway winds through southeast Michigan’s Harsens Island, located in the sprawling St. Clair River delta. Until recently, it wasn’t much to look at. The waterway was filled up with silt and debris, and had been taken over by
phragmites. The towering, invasive grass aggressively sucks up water and chokes out native plants wildlife need for habitat.

Federal, state, and local partners including the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes realized that the Krispin Blueway represented a great restoration opportunity. Using funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the partners worked to restore wildlife habitat with the added benefit that the once-clogged waterway is now navigable for paddlers.

Amphibious marsh buggies (dump trucks and excavators mounted on tractor treads) strategically dredged muck out of the channel to help the stagnant water flow and scooped away invasive plants following targeted herbicide treatment. The work made it possible for native plants to thrive and provided habitat for turtles, fish, birds, and insects like monarch butterflies.  

The ambitious project restored the Krispin Blueway as a home for wildlife. Now, it can be enjoyed by people too. The calm waters are ideal for beginning kayakers and canoeists to enjoy Michigan’s natural beauty. It opened to paddlers as an official St. Clair Blueway in a summer ribbon cutting.

Explore the Krispin Blueway by visiting www.bluewaysofstclair.org.

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The Krispin Blueway is part of St. Clair River Area of Concern, a waterway designated with environmental impacts under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The Krispin habitat restoration is part of a massive St. Clair River effort by federal, state, and local partners including the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes. Visit www.michigan.gov/aocprogram or contact AOC Coordinator Melanie Foose at foosem@michigan.gov to learn more about St. Clair River restoration.

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