Organizations dedicated to maintaining and promoting the Shiawassee River have multiple events planned for 2021, including moonlight paddles and cleanup days.
Groups including Keepers of the Shiawassee River, Headwaters Trails, Friends of the Shiawassee River, and the Shiawassee
River Water Trail Coalition have meetings and events planned for the rest of the year.
The Shiawassee River was declared a National Water Trail by the U.S. National Park Service on Oct. 22, 2020. The river also was declared a State Water Trail by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in December 2018.
In 2020, organizers reported an uptick in river usage due to the pandemic.
Brad Jacob, from Keepers of the Shiawassee River, said, “We have seen a great uptick in visits and new friends on our Facebook page. Nearly doubling our number just in the last year. Being a safe, healthy outdoor activity, the numbers of paddlers have definitely increased.”
Multiple groups have been out on the water, clearing out trees and branches. Their next major cleanup is May 22 and 23 at 9 a.m. They will split into teams and clear any blockages and remove any trash they find. The largest event this year will be Riverfest on July 16, 17 and 18, which is planned in collaboration with the Happening in Linden. The event also will celebrate Linden’s 150th birthday, which is called a sesquicentennial.
“If someone likes to volunteer, they can message or comment on our Facebook page,” he said. The Facebook page is called “Keepers of the Shiawassee River, Michigan.”
“We will have a better picture of what condition the river is in after our cleanup. We do have people alerting us to downed trees via our Facebook page. And we will soon have a brand new website that people will be able to let us know about any issues,” he said.
Volunteers also collect samples and have the water tested to monitor the river.
“The Keepers have been testing for macro invertebrates … and reporting those results to the Fenton, Linden, Argentine areas. By counting what is living in the river, we can assess the water quality, and we can report that the river is healthy,” Jacob said.
Thanks to the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network Grant, the public can go online to shiawasseewatertrail.org and see an interactive map of the Shiawassee River. It includes information on rest stops, put-in sites, mill ponds, dams and more.
April 24 to May 1 — water monitoring, five sites over two weeks with exact dates to be determined
TBA — water monitoring make up day if necessary
May 5 — Headwater Trails Meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
May 13 — Keepers of the Shiawassee meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
May 22 — Shiawassee River cleanup starts at 9 a.m.; email Chuck to volunteer
May 23 — Shiawassee River cleanup day two starts at 9 a.m.
May 27 — Keepers Moonlight Paddle on Lobdell Lake begins at 7 p.m.
June 2 — Headwaters Trails Meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
June 10 — Keepers of the Shiawassee meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
June 24 — Keepers Moonlight Paddle at the Fenton Mill Pond begins at 7 p.m.
June 24 — Shiawassee Water Trail Coalition meeting via Zoom, 6:30 p.m.
June 26 — Fenton river cleanup if necessary, details to be determined
TBA — Invasive Species Paddle
July 13 — Keepers of the Shiawassee meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
July 16 to 18 — Riverfest / Linden 150th Celebration
July 22 — Keepers Moonlight Paddle at Linden Mill Pond begins at 7 p.m.
August 4 — Headwaters Trail meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
August 19 — Keepers Moonlight Paddle on Lobdell Lake begins at 7 p.m.
September 1 — Headwaters Trail meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
September 9 — Keepers of the Shiawassee meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
September 16 — Keepers Moonlight Paddle at Linden Mill Pond begins at 6 p.m.
TBA — Weekend Afternoon Paddle
September 23 — Shiawassee Water Trail Coalition meeting via Zoom, 6:30 p.m.
September 26 to October 9 — Water monitoring five sites over two weeks, dates TBA
TBA — Headwaters Color Paddle, Holly to Fenton
TBA — Water Monitoring make up day if necessary
October 6 — Headwaters Trail meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
October 14 — Keepers of the Shiawassee meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
November 3 — Headwaters Trail meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
November 11 — Keepers of the Shiawassee meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
TBD — Committee for Christmas parades, decoration kayak
December 1 — Headwaters Trail meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
TBA — Keepers march in Christmas parades
December 9 — Keepers of the Shiawassee meeting, location TBA, 7 p.m.
December 23 — Shiawassee Water Trail Coalition annual meeting via Zoom, 6:30 p.m.
FRIENDS OF THE SHIAWASSEE
Shi-Tri ~ Shiawassee Triathlon
Garlic Mustard “Pestival” Fundraiser