Watersheds

A watershed is the land area that drains to a common point (lake, river mouth, etc.). Watersheds connect the land to our waterways and what lives in them. We help land owners and managers implement conservation practices on the land to improve water quality in the waterways of Kent County. Encouraging responsible use and treatment of water where it falls on the land ensures that our watershed will supply healthier water to the Grand River and ultimately Lake Michigan, as well.

Our grants and programs provide cost-share dollars for conservation practices that benefit our watershed, including nutrient management planning, cover crops, buffer strips along agricultural drains, forested stream buffers, erosion control structures, grassed waterways, and streambank stabilization, to name a few.

Cover Crops

Project Highlights:

Outreach and Innovative Best Management Practices in Mill Creek Watershed

Mill Creek is a sub watershed of the Grand River, flowing through Comstock Park into Downtown Grand Rapids. It starts on the Fruit Ridge at Cranberry Lake, which has been impaired by historic and current nutrient loading that cause harmful algal blooms and high E. coli counts, as well as degraded stream habitat for fish. We are working with residents surrounding Cranberry Lake and farmers in the Mill Creek Watershed to install conservation practices and natural shoreline to reduce runoff and erosion into the lake and creek. We hope this project will improve recreational opportunities in the lake and fish habitat in the lake and creek, while maintaining the use of Mill Creek as county drain. This is supported by a Section 319 grant from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

Rogue River Watershed Support Grant (and Nash Creek Restoration Project)

The Kent County Drain Commission is working hard to restore riparian areas along tributaries of the Rogue River, such as the Nash Creek Intercounty Drain. The Rogue River Watershed Partners, Kent Conservation District, Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW), and others are engaging in collaborative efforts with residents and farmers to stabilize the banks, reduce erosion, and improve water quality. For example, we have awarded many mini-grants for riparian restorations and plantings. We have also worked with several farmers to install buffers along the Ball Creek and Nash Creek county drain systems, to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff from fields. We hope all of this work will ultimately lead to a healthier Rogue River, including better trout habitat and recreational opportunities for all.

Nash Creek is a sub watershed of the Rogue River and is utilized and maintained by the Kent County Drain Commission. It is one of Michigan’s more than 1,000 Intercounty Drain Systems, its watershed spanning >10,700 acres and extending about 8.3 miles before joining the Rogue River in Sparta, Michigan. Intercounty drains such as this one on Nash Creek play important roles in the development of community infrastructure as they remove excess soil moisture and reduce flooding impacts. Unfortunately, ongoing issues with soil erosion and increased sedimentation have decreased water quality within Nash Creek and in the Rogue River itself, leading to potential impacts on aquatic invertebrates, fish, wildlife, and humans. Partnering with watershed residents and farmers, the County Drain Commission is making a huge investment to improve this creek, including the creation of two stage ditches and buffers along much of the creek and its main tributary, the DeBoer Drain. We are eager to partner on this project. For questions about upcoming projects or to get involved, contact the Rogue River Watershed Partners at rrwpartners@gmail.com.

No-till Farming
Several years ago, together with the Rogue River Watershed Partners, we received a grant to help purchase a No-Till Drill. In most cases, no-till farming provides many benefits to water quality compared to other forms of tillage. For example, it allows for crop residue to be left on the surface, which protects the soil from the erosive potential of rain and runoff. It also improves soil structure and health over time, as it minimizes the disturbance to the soil and allows for increased infiltration of rainwater and snowmelt, and therefore less runoff of nutrients and erosion into adjacent waterways. Over the years, we have promoted no-till farming through several field days, workshops, and through NRCS farm bill programs. Please see our no-till drill rental page for more info or to rent our drill!

Rogue River and Indian Mill Creek RCPP

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a USDA NRCS program that partners with local conservation groups to in specific areas to get conservation practices on the ground. From 2018-2023 we we a major partner in one of these projects focused on the Rogue River and Indian Mill Creek watersheds. Our staff worked with farmers to install over $1 million dollars of conservation practices that benefitted the watershed, including 100s of acres of cover crops, several grassed waterways and grade stabilizations to reduce erosion and nutrient runoff, nutrient management plans, reduced tillage, livestock manure storage structures, livestock fencing, and more. Many of these conservation practices are ongoing and our staff are still assisting these landowners in maintaining the benefits.

Map of Watersheds of the Lower Grand River, Michigan

Open pdf in new tab for larger view and/or download.

Check out these links to learn more from our partners involved in this work:

If you want to find out if your property is eligible for farm bill program dollars, call your local National Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) office today at: (616) 222-5802.