Stream of Consciousness, Spring 2025

This year, the Huron River Watershed Council celebrates our 60th anniversary! We have invested six decades in the protection and restoration of the Huron River, and we are committed to a healthy Huron for all—no matter the political winds of our time. This organization has a rich history of working across political boundaries to build partnerships, negotiate solutions to sticky situations, and devise impactful strategies to address the issues that threaten the watershed.

1959: Ann Arbor News PLAN RIVER’S FUTURE: William G. Hayes of Pittsfield Township, Wallace Bowman of the Washtenaw County Planning Commission and William Scheel, chairman of the Washtenaw Board of Supervisors, are key figures in the Huron River Watershed Intergovernmental Committee.

The Huron River Watershed Council was the first of its kind in Michigan. Established in 1965, the council had a part-time executive secretary and a budget of $8500, generated entirely from dues paid by the 24 local units of government that became members. Today, HRWC employs 18 staff and has an annual budget of over $2.6 million. We have 39 member governments, though now dues are leveraged more than 35:1 as we have very successfully diversified and grown our sources of revenue.

At our 50th anniversary, HRWC published a series of articles that chronicled the history and achievements of the organization. In revisiting those articles and reflecting on the ten years since, I am in awe of the impact of this organization. With the wind in our sails from six decades of dedicated staff, board and volunteers, I feel energized looking to the road ahead.

Storylines over our sixty-year history that stood out for me:

  • We have accomplished a lot, without any jurisdictional or regulatory authority. It’s amazing what can be done in partnership when shared values are found!
  • We are a data-driven organization. We have the most data by far for any watershed in the state. HRWC has 20+ years of chemistry and hydrology data, 30+ years of invertebrate data, and geomorphological, fish and mussel data too. We have terrestrial ecosystem data from 20 years of our natural areas program, plus some of the earliest data on microplastics, PAHs in sediments and PFAS in fish. Much of this is shared with the public at HRWC.org/maps.
  • Our expertise extends beyond the Huron River, influencing state-level policies like the ban on water-polluting phosphorus lawn fertilizers, management of inland lake levels to consider river health, and establishing protocols for public wastewater systems that are now federally mandated.
  • We have persisted and achieved meaningful outcomes no matter the priorities or agendas of the federal administration or state legislature at the time. There is always a way to get good work done if you are looking for it.
A group of people stand shin-deep in a creek with dipnets on a chilly autumn day.
2001 Adopt-A-Stream Event. Volunteers have been the backbone of HRWC’s water quality studies since their inception over 30 years ago.

With so much to be proud of, let’s celebrate!

Throughout the year you will see opportunities to do just that. Our Thursday, March 13th River Givers Gathering will be a party! With Trivia in the Watershed afterward. All are welcome to join us!

We have special Suds for the River in store for you. We will launch fund and friend-making campaigns that will keep us working hard on our mission. And in November, the State of the Huron conference returns, bringing together experts and advocates to assess current river health and plan for future impact.

Thanks to your support, and belief in HRWC, we are preparing for an even greater impact in the next 60 years!

This blog post is also published in the Huron River Report, Spring 2025.