Partners involved: Conservation Resource Alliance, Michigan

Department of Natural Resources, National Fish and

Wildlife Foundation, Upper Manistee Watershed

Restoration Committee, US Fish & Wildlife Service,

Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, Trout

Unlimited Chapters,

Best Management Practices:

Installation of over 165 LWD

structures along ~6,000 lineal feet of

N. Branch Manistee River

Project Benefits:

Woody debris provides hiding and

resting cover for a variety of fish and

wildlife species

Woody debris provides substrate for

aquatic insects

Secured woody debris and platform

structures will help divert the current

away from sensitive streambanks

By protecting sensitive streambanks,

woody debris work will help decrease

excessive sedimentation of mainstem.

Woody debris restores natural function

and channel form to rivers

Location Sections 25, 26, 35, 36

Excelsior Twp.

Kalkaska County, MI

N44.695093 degrees

W-85.000108 degrees

Contributors:

Michigan Department of Natural

Resources Fisheries Division Habitat

Improvement Account

Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Restoration

Act Grant - U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service

Great Lake Restoration Initiative

Trout & Salmon Foundation

Elliott Donnelly Chapter of Trout

Unlimited

Paul Young Chapter of

Trout Unlimited

Sustain Our Great Lakes Grant

administered by the National Fish and

Wildlife Foundation

Conservation Resource Alliance

Telephone: 231-946-6817

Email: info@rivercare.org

www.rivercare.org

The North Branch of the Manistee River in Kalkaska County is a unique cold,

groundwater-fed tributary to the Manistee River and is a state designated

Natural River providing habitat for numerous federal and state

endangered/threatened species. It has a naturally reproducing population of

brook trout and a small brown trout population. This phase of the project

focused on incorporating approximately 165 large woody debris structures on

over 6,000 lineal feet of the North Branch Manistee River providing

instream habitat for a variety of aquatic species. Woody debris structures

were constructed underwater along streambanks with larger pieces secured

at the water’s surface. CRA worked with Kanouse Outdoor Restoration to

restore over 1 mile of river that was negatively impacted from the trout farm

and associated dams.

Flowing Well Trout Farm

Large Woody Debris Instream Habitat Restoration

North Branch Manistee River

Before

Exposed Flowing Well Trout Farm impoundment bottomlands post dam removal

North Branch Manistee River lacking instream woody debris

During LWD Installation

After LWD Installation

Log/tree fish cover structures with brush installed

Deep pool formation

Exposed pockets of gravels starting to reappear in stream bottom

Over 165 LWD structures were placed and secured helping to restore ~1 mile of river benefitting many

aquatic and terrestrial species