Free Seminar Tonight on Stormwater Treatment Techniques

Suttons Bay, MI – The Inland Seas Education Association will present a seminar focusing on stormwater treatment within the Great Lakes watershed at 7:00pm on Tuesday, November 8th, at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay. The program will be presented by Sarah U’Ren, Program Director at the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay. This seminar is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Outfall of Broadway Street Drain in Suttons Bay

Plume of contaminated water in Suttons Bay from Broadway Drain after rain event.

The Watershed Center is a non-profit organization located in Traverse City, dedicated to the protection of our water resources in Grand Traverse Bay. They work within the entire 1,000 square mile watershed to advocate for clean water through public education and on-the-ground projects. One such project currently underway is working towards improved runoff filtration systems in Suttons Bay and Traverse City. Land use management within the watershed is an important aspect of maintaining water quality, as poor land use practices can lead to public health concerns and degraded ecosystem health. “By managing runoff from the three largest storm drains in Suttons Bay, we hope to drastically decrease public health risks at local beaches associated with runoff,” says U’Ren.

Sign Up Now for Tall Ship Birding Cruise

Ruins of the Ustick Cottage on Gull (Bellow) Island

On June 5th we will sail to Gull Island in Grand Traverse Bay to see the nesting colonies of herring gulls, double crested cormorants, and Caspian terns.  A guest faculty of experts will share their knowledge of these birds, the island and the fascinating history of attempted human settlement.  For more information and booking, go to the Leelanau BirdFest website or call the Leelanau Chamber of Commerce at 231-271-9895. 

Cormorants nesting in dead elm tree (now fallen)