Innovative infrastructure will aid stormwater management
With over 55% of the land area in the watershed covered by impervious surfaces, stormwater management is the biggest challenge facing the Clinton River. When rain falls on hard surfaces like roads, parking lots, or buildings, water flows across the land, carrying pollutants like salt, oil, fertilizer, and sediment. This stormwater runoff degrades water quality as untreated water overflows into rivers and streams. Stormwater management systems are unable to cope with more frequent and intense precipitation from climate change. This can lead to increases in turbidity, bacteria, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Poor water quality can lead to fish consumption advisories, which threaten food security for subsistence anglers reliant on these resources. Flooding is also a serious concern exacerbated by stormwater challenges. Without gray and green infrastructure solutions that help capture and slow down stormwater before entering storm drains, the human and ecological impacts of flooding will remain major concerns for communities.
CRWC is working with stakeholders to implement solutions to sustainably manage stormwater and increase climate resilience. Innovative techniques that combine natural and engineered elements are being used to build bioswales, naturalize bioretention ponds, increase tree canopy cover, and help property owners install best rain management practices (like the rain garden in the photo to the right). These efforts will improve water quality across the watershed, but continued effort and funding is vital.
Collaboration is key to improving community and river health
Restoration projects (orange circles) in the Clinton River Watershed completed as part of the Area of Concern project.
CRWC works collaboratively with residents, schools, local, state, and federal governments, businesses, and other non-profit organizations to build partnerships and lead projects that address threats to the ecosystem, water quality, wildlife, people, and economy. Improving water quality, reducing pollutants, and restoring green spaces directly benefit people’s health and improve quality of life. For more information on the actions that CRWC is taking in the Clinton River watershed, visit crwc.org
Since the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative began, over $40 million has been invested in the Clinton River Area of Concern (AOC) to complete 11 habitat restoration projects. Through the AOC, CRWC leads a workgroup to tackle harmful algal blooms that hurt tourism and degrade water quality. CRWC also leads projects to remove invasive species, manage large woody debris, restore fish passage, and re-establish native plant communities.
The health of the Clinton River watershed has improved since the 1960s—a direct reflection of the positive impact of collaboration and a roadmap for the future.
Access to river recreation is expanding
Recreational access in the Clinton River watershed continues to improve as recreation on local waterways and within green spaces becomes more physically and socioeconomically accessible. Led by CRWC, the Clinton River became a designated state water trail in 2020. CRWC continues to lead efforts to improve access and safe recreation opportunities along the water trail, updating safety signage, launching and managing a Paddling App for the Clinton, and working with communities and CRWC River Stewards to keep the river passable for kayakers.
However, many communities within the watershed continue to be disproportionately impacted by persistent and systemic environmental injustices that affect access to the outdoors. Barriers to entry such as cost, access to equipment, knowledge of activities, and availability of accessible and safe green spaces can make it difficult or impossible for people living in these communities to engage in recreation. To start addressing these challenges, CRWC is working alongside communities to steward more parks and trails, update walking and boating infrastructure to increase physical access, and make educational resources available in Spanish and Arabic (the two languages spoken most frequently in the watershed after English). While much work remains to break down barriers to access, CRWC is committed to increasing programming, partnerships, and resources in authentic partnerships with communities across the watershed.