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The mission of the Johnson Creek Protection Group is to preserve, protect, restore and enhance the water quality, habitat and function of this cold water stream and its watershed. |
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A Little About Us Why We Are Here: Johnson Creek was home to the second brown trout fish hatchery in North America, established in 1884. In an effort to improve the water quality of Johnson Creek and the Rouge River, Northville Township, with help from several other organizations, facilitated the creation of the Johnson Creek Protection Group. This group is a venue in which to educate residents, businesses, developers/builders, students and local officials how their decisions and action affect water quality and the surrounding environment. All citizens are encouraged to attend our meetings and events to learn how they can help sustain and restore the water quality in our local waterways (lakes, rivers, streams, creeks). ¨ Stream Flow & Flooding ¨ Erosion & Sedimentation ¨ Loss of Natural Features ¨ Citizen Education
Actions We Support: ¨ Implementation of the provisions of the Michigan General Storm Water Permit by the Northville, Salem and Plymouth Townships, the City of Northville and Washtenaw and Wayne Counties. ¨ Implementation of the Washtenaw County & Wayne County Storm Water Ordinances and regulations. ¨ Consistent enforcement of the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Act in the Johnson Creek watershed. ¨ We applaud the passage of a “No Increase” Storm Water Ordinance in Salem Township and the Township’s existing Wetlands Ordinance. ¨ We applaud Northville Township’s Tree Protection Ordinance and encourage the Township to proceed with improvements to its Storm Water Ordinance and passage of a Wetlands Ordinance. ¨ We applaud the City of Northville’s previous involvement with Rouge Rescue activities and encourage the continuation of this activity in the future. ¨ We applaud the communities' initiatives in applying for grant funding to perform water quality and habitat improvement activities.
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities: ¨ Friends of the Rouge Bug Hunt – This volunteer activity is offered by Friends of the Rouge and includes several monitoring sites on Johnson Creek. Volunteers will have the opportunity to further explore and interact with the creek while searching for a variety of critters that serve as sensitive indicators of water quality. Contact Sally Petrella at Friends of the Rouge (313-792-9621, picoordinator@therouge.org) for more information and to register for this event! ¨ Friends of the Rouge Frog & Toad Survey (WatchFrogs)- Wetlands are vital to the health of our watershed. They control flooding, reduce erosion, filter sediment, capture nutrients and provide habitat for fish and wildlife (including frogs and toads!) Michigan has lost over 50% of its wetlands since European settlement. Citizen involvement is imperative if wetlands are to be protected. The WatchFrog program is designed to provide volunteers with the resources and tools to become active in wetland protection at the local level. Discussion topics include wetland types and their functions, wetland regulation, mitigation, and the permitting process, and a call to action portion. This program is a great opportunity for those interested in learning more about wetlands or for those who want to get active in wetland protection! Contact Sally Petrella at Friends of the Rouge (313-792-9621, picoordinator@therouge.org) for more information and to register for this event! ¨ Storm Drain Stenciling Program – This program is aimed at making citizens aware that storm drains discharge to the creek. This is an ideal project for scouting troops, school groups, and anyone else interested in raising public awareness about everyday impacts on the health of Johnson Creek. If you are a Northville Township resident contact Jill Rickard, Northville Township at 248-662-0497, jrickard@twp.northville.mi.us or Demetria Janus at 734-214-1885, demetria.janus@stantec.com for more information.
¨ Conduct open educational workshop for residents, and business owners within the watershed to learn what they can do to protect their local waterways (creeks, river, lakes). ¨ Increase public awareness about Johnson Creek. |