The public is invited to join Barry Conservation District at a meeting to learn more about the impacts of improperly sized or placed road-stream crossings and how to improve the health of Cedar Creek
The meeting, Thursday, Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Hastings Township Hall on River Road, will highlight the benefit of improving the hydraulic function, sediment transport, and water quality of Cedar Creek, by replacing the two existing undersized culverts with a bridge.
Cedar Creek Aquatic Habitat Restoration Project is the name for the bridge that will be built over Cedar Creek, south of McKeown Bridge Park off M-79.Two small culverts can’t handle the creek’s water flow, so will be removed, and the bridge installed, Barry Conservation District Executive Director Sarah Nelson said.
The bridge will have a 44-foot bank to bank span of treated lumber, the most economical choice of bridge material and work will begin in September. The project is being funded by a state grant secured by Nelson and several others committed to the plan. The total project cost is $392,300; the DNR Aquatic Habitat Program grant is $305,000. //
The remaining funds, donated labor talent and equipment, were raised with several partners, including the Barry County Road Commission, Michigan Cat of Grand Rapids and Nieswander Environmental. Pierce Cedar Creek Institute donated the talents of two of its interns; they will/were be overseen by GVSU Professor Dr. Eric Snyder.
“We’ve got a fabulous team working on this; it highlights that conservation is everybody’s business and we can all work together. We’re excited about the project,” Nelson said.
