It is indeed a pleasure to send out our newsletter when there is nothing but good news to report. We have been awarded three grants during February and March, making it truly a warm winter. You'll recall we had proposed an erosion control/habitat improvement project to improve spawning opportunities and increase natural reproduction of salmonids in the Big South branch. Our proposal, modified several times, was reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Team and recommended for approval to the Great Lakes Fishery Trust Board. On February 10th I represented the Watershed Council in concert with the professional expertise of both Tom Rozich, DNR's fishery biologist, and Les Russell, US Forest Service District Ranger before the Trust Board. They requested we remain while they discussed our project, then voted unanimously to award us $750,000 over five years. We immediately solicited bids from environmental firms and individuals to manage the project for us. The contract has been awarded to Mainstream Resources of Auburn, Michigan, chaired by Dave Cozad who played a major role in our recently completed Restoration Committee's project on the PM mainstream. Planning for the project is yet in its initial stages, but I can give you a few details, at least as we envision them today. Mainstream Resources will be responsible for the design and supervision of all aspects of the project. The first year will be taken up primarily with planning and designing, arranging for the required permits and assessments (environmental, archeological, cultural), collecting baseline data (channel morphology, insects, water quality, fish populations), still- and video- photography prior to construction, and beginning development of a classroom curriculum. The actual construction and treatment of the habitat rehabilitation work will take place in the second year; we will try our best to fix all of the 30-some sites in one year. The years following the restoration work will be spent in evaluating and monitoring the impact of the changes. Signs will be installed to describe the project and the education program will be updated throughout the project. The interpretive center at Ruby Creek will be both informative and practical, allowing fishing opportunities for children and handicapped. The most difficult part will be proving the endpoint...the fact that reduction of the streambed sediment and silt results in increased reproduction. The tremendous number of variables, eg. natural fluctuations in fish populations of unknown origin, weather, changes in land use, changes in recreational patterns, (add any variables of your own), will make it very onerous to be able to document a cause-effect relationship directly to the work we've done. It will certainly be a challenge, but I think we are all looking forward to facing the gauntlet. As usual, we welcome any suggestions you may have. As I mentioned earlier, we are extremely fortunate to have received two other grants to fund our watershed assessment. On February 18, the Frey Foundation of Grand Rapids awarded us $25,000 to collect the accumulated documents, analyze and assimilate the data, list the opportunities and alternative options, and to disseminate the results to other organizations that might benefit from our efforts. The Steelcase Foundation, also of Grand Rapids, announced on March 24th that they would fund the remaining $16,000 balance of the project; the Watershed Council has set aside $10,000 of its own funds in support of this project. The contract for this work has been presented to Northern Ecological Services of Reed City and they have assigned Marty Boote as manager of this project. Marty and his staff have already begun the collection of data. These two on-going projects complement each other and we are doubly blest that they are running concurrently. If you feel you have any historical information about our watershed, please let us know and we will include it. The material will be made available to anyone who needs it, electronically (CD-ROM) or via hard copy (WSCC). Other news that's fit to print: In order to allow the Trust Board to follow the progress of our Big South project, we will be moving to a new website. As soon as our project gets going, it will be updated monthly. We will let you know as soon as it is ready. We are in the process of contacting all riparians with land on the mainstream or tributaries notifying them of the Natural Rivers Act; we hope this will result in landowners having no excuse that "I didn't know about the law". In sending out our membership brochures with the Natural Rivers brochure, we have picked up several new members. The surprising thing is that private property owners number well over a thousand, the majority located on the tributaries. The Michigan legislature is in the process of revising the recreational trespass law, including more strict and expanded penalties for violators. As originally proposed, the bill would change the definition of "navigability" from a commercial orientation (where a vessel plys, or where a log could be floated) to a recreational relationship (where a vessel can be floated at any time during a year, or where you can walk, keeping your feet wet). The Watershed Council is very concerned about the implications of this revision, and will be carefully monitoring this proposed revision in the law. From all reports, the construction of the Custer Weir remains scheduled for this summer. The MSU study to implant transmitters in migrating fish is doing much better this year, partly a result of much milder weather, thanks to El Ninò. We'll keep you updated on the progress. A final reminder that this year's Cast for Conservation(C4C) and Annual Banquet will both be held July 11. Those interested in the C4C flyfishing soiree can call: George Kustin at 847 - 516 - 0545. Also, plan now not to miss this year's Banquet at Land's Inn in Ludington. Jan Potter has a big celebration planned for our 28th anniversary. I'll be looking for you at the Banquet! Dick Schwikert President