In the coming years you are going to hear much about the restoration of our river, and when you come to fish, you are going to see, and hopefully experience, the benefits. You therefore should know more about the Au Sable River Watershed Restoration Committee (ASRWRC).
In 1987, shortly before The Anglers was formed, the Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited requested the assistance of the Huron Pines Resource Conservation and Development Council ((RC&D ) to evaluate the status of erosion along the banks of the Au Sable and its tributaries. An inventory would assist Trout Unlimited, The Anglers, and other concerned private organizations and public agencies to prioritize and coordinate the repair of eroded sites.
Accomplishing an inventory of this magnitude required the cooperation of numerous public agencies and private groups. Huron Pines RC&D established a steering committee in December 1987 when inventory strategy sessions began. Inventories were completed in 1991 and some 487 erosion sites were identified on the Mainstream and its tributaries.
In order to effectively address the repair of such a large number of sites, all parties need to work together. A partnership agreement was developed which identified interested groups and defined their roles in the restoration process.This agreement led to the development of the ASRWRC, chaired by Bob Andrus of Grayling.
The Committee is composed of two federal agencies, two state agencies, eleven county agencies, one property owners association, five user groups, five conservation groups (including The Anglers), one county consortium, one state university, one private company, and, most importantly, the Huron Pines RC&D.
It is a nonprofit partnership dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Au Sable River watershed as a highly prized resource. The two established goals are (1) survey the river and major tributaries to identify, locate, describe, and rank active erosion sites that deliver sediment to the river, and (2) provide relevant documentation as a basis both for the engineering the repair of these sites and to solicit necessary funds from the public and private sectors. (For additional information, you may write Dan Sikarskie at the Huron Pines RC&D Council, 501 Norway, Grayling, MI 49738, or call 517-348-9319.) RWOL
© Copyright 1997 - , Anglers of the Au Sable, Inc. All rights reserved. Last modified: January 20, 2005
