Perhaps the most difficult task an agency or group faces is the creation of a Management Plan for a resource. Mindful of this, the council took a first step in 1999 with the creation of a Watershed Assessment Document. This is a compilation of “everything you ever wanted to know” about the PM watershed. For the first time, all the existing information about the area has been gathered together and published in one document. There is a wealth of information available and the Assessment brings it all together, but without the nitty-gritty detail of each source. (These details can be found using the references in the document). Even more important, the Assessment identifies important data and information that is missing (because it was never compiled), potential problems that may develop in the watershed, and opportunities to improve conditions.

The Council sees this Assessment as the first step in the preparation of a sound Management Plan. The Conservation Resource Alliance of Traverse City is currently preparing just such a plan for the PM Watershed using funds from a State grant. The Management Plan should be ready in the late spring of 2001.

The Pere Marquette Watershed Assessment is a large document, much too large to reproduce here. We have included the ABSTRACT that you can read and download by following the directions below.

If, after reading the Abstract, you would like a copy of the complete document you can obtain one by writing to the Pere Marquette Watershed Council, Inc., P.O. Box 212, Baldwin, MI 49304, and enclosing your check or money order for $50.00 to cover the cost of printing and mailing.