CLINTON RIVER WATERSHED COUNCIL'S 31ST ANNUAL MEETING FOCUSESON WATER RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2004

Contact: Dan Keifer, Development Director
248-601-0606 dan@crwc.org

One hundred and seventy guests were in attendance for the Clinton River Watershed Council’s (CRWC) Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner on Thursday, April 1st, at Cherry Creek Golf Club in Shelby Township. Activities for the evening focused on the progress made in 2003 to protect and enhance the Clinton River, its watershed, and Lake St. Clair. “It is wonderful to see such a diverse turnout of individuals, groups, public agencies and businesses who share a common purpose…respecting and protecting our wonderful local water resources,” said Jessica Pitelka Opfer, CRWC Executive Director.

CRWC recognized a number of individuals who made special contributions to the health and protection of our watershed resources in the past year. This year’s award recipients are:

Jerry Carvey Volunteer of the Year Award: The Clinton River Coldwater Conservation Project Team, consisting of Trout Unlimited’s four local chapters (Challenge, Clinton Valley, Paul Young & Vanguard), City of Auburn Hills, and Oakland County Planning & Economic Development Services. Volunteers working on this project spent over 2,000 hours assessing 25 miles of the Clinton River and its tributaries for potential expanded fishing recreation.

Johanna Roskopp Awards: Jim Francis, Fisheries Biologist, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, who contributed substantially to Clinton River fisheries programs during 2003, including the annual steelhead trout planting in Shelby Township and the Coldwater Conservation Project; and the Delia Park Soft Engineering Project Team, a restoration project on Gibson Drain in Sterling Heights that demonstrates innovative streambank stabilization techniques using natural materials (team members included the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation & Development Council, Macomb Conservation District, Macomb County Planning Department, Macomb County Public Works Office, Macomb County Road Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Service, City of Sterling Heights, and Tilton & Associates, Inc.).

Robert Muller of the Royal Oak Nature Society delighted the audience with his presentation about native fish in the Clinton River and its tributaries, reminding us of the river’s unique qualities to be protected and preserved. Meeting attendees also learned valuable information about protecting and enhancing our water resources from two dozen business, public agency, and non-profit exhibitors.

General Motors Corporation provided major event underwriting for the event. Table sponsorships were provided by Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc., Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick, Inc., Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc., and Tetra Tech MPS.

The Clinton River watershed covers 760 square miles through four counties (Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer, and St. Clair). Over 1.4 million people live in the 60 communities through which the Clinton River flows before reaching Lake St. Clair. CRWC is a non-profit environmental organization that protects, enhances, and celebrates the Clinton River, its watershed, and Lake St. Clair.