Over 60 volunteers braved a wet and blustery Saturday morning to conduct a special clean up effort on September 19.  The Cass River was especially low due to construction of the Fish Passage project, which required temporarily dropping the water level upstream of the dam.

​The Cass River Greenway Committee and the Frankenmuth Parks and Recreation Department teamed up to sponsor this once in a lifetime opportunity to pick up trash from the exposed riverbanks.
Volunteers were divided into five teams and they walked the riverbanks from Tuscola downstream to the Frankenmuth Covered Bridge.  Overall the group removed approximately eight cubic yards of trash and another six cubic yards of steel and tires.

With the construction on the Frankenmuth dam/rock ramp and the low water level in the river above the dam, the Cass River Greenway Committee is taking advantage of this opportunity to also clean up the river.  The group is planning a special river clean-up on Saturday, September 19 and is looking for volunteers to help.  

Volunteers will meet at the Frankenmuth boat launch on Tuscola St. at 8:00am, divide up into groups, and then head out to certain sections of the river. The cleanup is expected to be done by noon. The committee hopes to clean approximately six miles of river from the Frankenmuth dam upstream to Tuscola. Volunteers are needed primarily to walk along the sides of the river to pick up trash, tires, and other debris.  Because of the low water levels and the bottom of the river being exposed, it is expected to be very muddy.  Volunteers are encouraged to wear old clothes and shoes or hip boots/waders. 

Individuals that are interested in helping in this ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event are asked to contact Frankenmuth Parks and Recreation at 989-652-3440 or parks@frankenmuthcity.com.  For the last seven years, the Cass River Greenway Committee has held an annual river cleanup in July.  During that time, section by section, they have cleaned more than 35 miles of river from Caro to Bridgeport.  This special cleanup is being done in addition to those annual cleanups because of the abnormally low water levels. 

The Cass River Greenway Committee is a group of local volunteers, assisted by professional resources and municipal leaders, working to enhance recreational opportunities and the environmental well-being of the Cass River corridor. For more information about the group and its activities visit www.CassRiver.org

Many thanks to the Saginaw Bay RC&D for helping spread the word about Cass River Greenway's work! Featuring details on CRG's streambank stabilization efforts in the Cass River, the newsletter article provides many thanks to the project parters and supporters. Read below!

The Saginaw Bay Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Area and the Cass River Greenway Committee recently received a Christmas present of sorts with the announcement the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) has allotted an additional $20,000 to streambank stabilization in the lower Cass River. “These funds double the amount of work which can be done” said Jim Hergott Executive Director of the RC&D. “We will focus our efforts in the Lower Cass River Watershed, which starts at Vassar and extends downstream to the Saginaw River” Hergott said.  “It includes Cole, Perry, Dead and Millington Creeks, as well as the main channel of the Cass River. There have been 23 stream bank erosion sites identified in Cole creek alone!” Initial efforts will be focused on conducting field visits, developing plans and securing permits with plans for construction in coordination with the Frankenmuth Dam upgrades next summer which WIN is also associated with. WIN is a volunteer organization which includes citizens and organizations focusing on the social, environmental and economic aspects of projects which improve and sustain the quality of life in the Saginaw Bay and its’ Watershed. Local Community Foundations and Corporations provide funding to WIN, which in turn distributes the funds and includes: Bay Area Community Foundation, Consumers Energy Foundation, Harry A. and Margret D. Towsley Foundation, Midland Area Foundation, Rollin M Gerstacker Foundation, Saginaw Community Foundation, The Dow Chemical Compnpay Foundation, The Herbert H. and Grace A Dow Foundation, The SC Johnson Fund, the Cook Family Foundation, C.S. Mott Foundation, and the Saginaw Bay Foundation. The RC&D and Cass River Greenway Committee recently received funding from various groups including: Bay Area Community Foundation (under the Saginaw Bay Restoration Fund) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, with commitments from Star of the West Milling Company and Frankenmuth Conservation Club.  Stream bank stabilization efforts reduce sedimentation, improve fish habitat and enhance recreational activities in the Cass River Watershed. To learn more please contact Cass River Greenway Committee at www.cassriver.org, Saginaw Bay RC&D at www.saginawbayrcd.org or email the RC&D at saginawbay@aol.com. To contact by telephone, please see above contact information.

Saginaw Bay RC&D, Cass River Greenway Committee and other partners recently completed a Watershed Management Plan for the Cass River Watershed. The watershed management plan identifies sources of pollutants including: stream bank erosion, on-site septic management and agricultural associated runoff. The RC&D and Cass River Greenway Committee recently received funding from various groups including: Bay Area Community Foundation (under the Saginaw Bay Restoration Fund) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, with commitments from Star of the West Milling Company and Frankenmuth Conservation Club. We will focus our efforts in the Lower Cass River Watershed, which starts at Vassar and extends downstream to the Saginaw River. It includes Cole, Perry, Dead, and Millington Creeks, as well as the main channel of the Cass River. There have been 23 stream bank erosion sites identified in Cole creek alone! Our initial efforts will be focused on contacting landowners with the most erosive sites and conducting field visits from now until Spring of 2015. Plans for construction will be in coordination with the Frankenmuth Dam upgrades. Stream bank stabilization efforts reduce sedimentation, improve fish habitat and enhance recreational activities in the Cass River Watershed. 

To learn more about the Watershed Management Plan, please contact Cass River Greenway Committee at www.cassriver.org or Saginaw Bay RC&D at www.saginawbayrcd.org or email the RC&D at saginawbay@aol.com or contact Jim Hergott, 989-450-0567 or Robert Zeilinger, RJZEI@aol.com. 

 The second annual Bavarian Inn Experience Triathlon took place on August 2nd, which drew a large crowd to the Cass River! 403 athletes from 14 various states, and even Canada, participated in the event. 

The swim consisted of two distances, the 1500 meter Olympic and 500 meters Sprint. Spectators were able to watch the race from the banks of the Cass as well as the bridges above the route. After the swim, athletes biked throughout the city and then completed the race with a run! 


 

A dedicated group of volunteers gathered at Enos Park on M-46 to help clean up a 7-mile stretch of the Cass River Saturday! Nearly 50 volunteers, mainly from Frankenmuth and surrounding areas, cleaned large amounts of debris from the banks and river bed. 

They accomplished removing a washing machine, shopping carts, and a large amount of vehicle tires. This annual event helps keep the river clean for recreational use, such as kayaking and canoeing. 

The 3rd Annual Paddle & Swim on the Cass River took place on Saturday, June 21 under near-ideal weather conditions.  At total of 25 canoe and kayaks, two pontoon boats and 10 swimmers participated, departing from the canoe launch in Tuscola and disembarking at the Frankenmuth canoe launch at Heritage Park in Frankenmuth.

One participant swam non-stop, a 4½-mile swim, in 2 hours.

The next major swim event is the Tri-for-Life Triathlon scheduled for August 2 in Frankenmuth.