DAM, DAM, DAM! I’VE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO ITS LOOK…

 
The Boardman River and the current status of reforming and transitioning that has and is yet to occur was the topic of the day. Introduced by Marsh Smith, Frank Dituri and Kim Balke representing the Boardman River Project, were our speakers for the first of two presentations over as many weeks.  Dituri is the chair of the Boardman River Dams Project Implementation Team. With more than 20 years of experience in civil and environmental engineering, Dituri has spent the last four years as an Ecologist/Project Manager at the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Natural Resource Department. This affords him the opportunity to guide the future of the river that functions as the life blood of our lakes and land.  Kim Balke is a project manager and biologist with the Conservation Resource Alliance (CRA). CRA is the project manager hired by Grand Traverse County to coordinate dam removal and fundraising.  Kim has been with CRA for 19 years managing restoration work on the Betsie, Boyne, Platte, Jordan, Pere Marquette and Boardman Rivers. 
 
Dituri gave a general review of the long-term project (2005 to date and beyond) and Balke spoke specifically to the Cass Bridge movement (now through 2017) to a new site, the timeline for it and the takedown and timeline of the dam at the old bridge site.
Goals of the Boardman: A River Reborn project:
  • Remove decommissioned, unsafe dam structures
  • Restore 3.9 plus miles of cold water stream
  • Reconnect 160 miles of habitat to the Great Lakes
  • Restore 50 acres of wetlands and 50 acres of upland habitat, and
  • Maintain effective Aquatic Species management to the region
Key points about the project:
  • Innovative public-driven process to decide the fate of the four dams on the Boardman River – began in 2005
  • Over 1,000 people participating in over 180 meetings
  • Unique collaboration between the City and the County, joining together on removing three of the dams and modifying the fourth (Union St.)
Dituri also thanked Rotary and spoke to the role played by the club:
  • Interest as a landowner in the Boardman River watershed
  • Stewardship and access to natural resources as core values
  • Understanding the importance of a neutral convener and the unique role our foundation could play to support the public process (not many other funders support this type of work)
  • Funding:
    • 2006: $10,000: first money in for formation of the Boardman River Dams Committee
    • 2008: $20,000: to support civic engagement process
    • 2009-2010: $50,000 to support the leadership role for the Implementation Team (Todd Kalish time, granted to the County)
    • 2010: $45,000: “so what funding” to support the development of the Boardman River Prosperity Plan, the first-ever watershed plan in the state to incorporate social and economic aspects of the watershed
    • 2014: $25,000: to support the Cass Road crossing, specifically to incorporate wildlife and pedestrian passage under the newly constructed bridge (note: philanthropy generally considers infrastructure as the responsibility of government, but acknowledges financial constraints and will provide enhancement funding)
  • Staff time to support the Boardman Prosperity Plan, fund development, and funder relationships. Also act as the fiscal agent for DTE and Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation grants to support the project.
Rotary and its charitable support is making a difference, yet again in the watershed that supports the area in so many ways, practically, environmentally and recreationally.