Thanks for your participation as we strive to help our community stay informed!

Please view the video of the forum below, and feel free to leave a comment.

Local students on a tour of the Platte River

What makes northern Michigan special? What brings tourists back year after year and contributes greatly to the quality of life for our year-round residents? Our water resources are a big factor. Benzie County is endowed with a wonderful variety of beautiful, high-quality lakes and streams that, in addition to providing the water that is essential in our everyday lives, provides opportunities for fishing, boating, paddling, swimming, and a multitude of other recreational pursuits. In stakeholder surveys conducted during the last two years by the Benzie Conservation District, respondents overwhelmingly ranked surface and ground water quality and protection as the top natural resource priority areas for the county.

In order to showcase some of Benzie County’s outstanding waters and educate the public on water issues, the Benzie Conservation District is offering the Waters of Benzie Educational Tour Series. There will be one tour per month starting in April and ending in September. Participants will paddle canoes or kayaks on one of our area lakes or streams while learning about different water themes each month. The series kicks off on Friday, April 13 at 9 a.m. with a tour of the lower Betsie River. This first tour will be the day before the Benzie Water Festival (www.water-festival.org). We’ll be talking about wetland plants, the fate of the black ash trees in the Betsie River swamp, and the Crystal Lake Outlet, in addition to noting wildlife species observed. Other trip locations and dates are listed below. Additional locations include Upper Herring Lake, Crystal Lake at Railroad Point, Pearl Lake, Betsie Bay, and the lower Platte River. Don’t miss these opportunities to experience the “Waters of Benzie” and learn about aquatic plants, lakeshore anatomy, invasive plants, local history, water quality monitoring, glacial geology and spring-fed lakes, our local fisheries, nature preserves and parks, and Great Lakes coastal marshes.

Japanese knotweed near Beulah-January 2012

Japanese knotweed in winter: bamboo-like hollow stems, purplish in color, no leaves

Brought to this country as an ornamental plant, Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) spreads quickly, creating dense monocultures that shade out native plants, reducing available food resources for birds, butterflies, and other wild creatures.  Its strong root system has the ability to damage pavements and foundations.  Funds may be available to manage J. knotweed on your property. Do not attempt removal on your own as improper treatment will most likely spread the plant further.  Report sightings to the Benzie Conservation District at 231-882-4391 or mike@benziecd.org.

Invasive Phragmites along Case Road near Beulah-January 2012

Invasive Phragmites (Phragmites australis) also possesses an extensive root system that has the ability to rapidly displace native vegetation in wet ecosystems as well as drier upland areas.  Creating dense stands of tall grasses up to 15 feet high, invasive Phragmites can obstruct recreational access to shorelines, alter wildlife habitat, and during its dormant period create large quantities of dry biomass making it a fire hazard.  In some downstate areas, including Saginawa Bay and Lake St. Clare, dense invasive Phragmites infestations extend more than 100 yards from the shoreline, completely blocking lake access and reducing lakefront property values.  Work has already begun on several infestations in the Benzie area, including Betsie Bay, Lower Herring Lake, Pearl Lake, and Turtle Lake.  Report Benzie County Phragmites sightings to the Benzie Conservation District at 231-882-4391 or mike@benziecd.org.

For additional information and photos of Japanese knotweed, invasive Phragmites, and other top-priority invasive plants, visit the Invasive Species Network’s website at http://natureiscalling.org/invasive/whats-invasive/top20/.  Invasive plant sightings can also be reported directly online at the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network.

Paddlers and fishermen near Homestead Dam in early fall

Donors, partner organizations, and volunteers are needed to assist with the clean-up effort.  The focus of the clean-up will be from Homestead Dam downstream to River Road.  For more information, contact Mike Jones at 231-882-4391 or mike@benziecd.org.

Location: Rainbow Bend – US Forest Service Manistee River Access Site

Time: 11:00 – 12:00 facility tours

12:00-12:30 Release Ceremony

CONTACT: Natural Resources Department for more details 231.723.1594

Please leave us your thoughts on Big Wind in Benzie County.

Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately.

Benzie Conservation District reserves the right to edit comments for brevity and accuracy.

Views expressed in the forum are independent of the neutral position held by the Benzie Conservation District.