- Shiawassee River
The Shiawassee River in the
U.S. state ofMichigan is approximately 110 miles long and generally flows in a northerly direction. It merges together with the Flint River, theCass River and theTittabawassee River to become theSaginaw River which eventually drains into theSaginaw Bay ofLake Huron .Description
Supporting approximately 742,400 acres of watershed environment, there are over 61 species of fish, including darters, minnows,channel catfish, pugnose shiner, greater redhorse, stonecat, river chub and striped shiner. There are also 14 species of freshwater mussel found in the watershed. The swamps and fens adjacent to the river's headwaters support several globally rare species of animals and play a major role in the travels of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds.
Conservation
Every year in May, HeadWatersTrails Inc. in Holly (Oakland County) hosts an Annual Shiawassee River Paddle,exposing people to miles of wonderful twists and turns in the river between Holly and Fenton. Canoes are available for rent thru Heavners Canoe Rental if you don't own a boat.
Other groups that help maintain and conserve the Shiawassee River include The Nature Conservancy and the Friends of the Shiawassee River. The Friends of the Shiawassee River are a Non-profit organization founded in 1996. Their mission is to "Care", to maintain and improve the water quality and habitats of the Shiawassee River watershed; "Share", to enhance the community’s appreciation and knowledge of the river, especially among youth; and "Enjoy", to increase recreational access and responsible use of the Shiawassee River. The Friends also hold an annual River clean-up and conduct invasive species removal workdays.
HeadWatersTrails Inc is now (summer 2008) pushing the navigability of the river thru Fenton towards Lake Penomah. Volunteer crews are removing deadfall and woody debris and garbage to allow canoe/kayak paddling while preserving the banks and fish habitat. This will allow paddlers to start in Holly, do a small portage at Fenton dam, and continue on to Lake Penomah.
External links
* [http://shiawasseeriver.org/home.html Friends of the Shiawassee River]
* [http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/michigan/preserves/art17194.html Shiawassee River Watershed] , The Nature Conservancy
* [http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/mi/nwis/inventory/?site_no=04143830 Water Data from USGS]
* [http://www.shiawasseehistory.com/basin.html Description of Shiawassee River Basin]
* [http://www.headwaterstrailsinc.org/ Headwaters Trails Inc.]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2888318540592134799 25-minute video of the river available for public viewing]
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