Huron River Watershed Council

10/21/2026

Never flush prescription or over-the-counter medications down the toilet or sink. Protect our waterways, and dispose of your medications with care. Wastewater treatment facilities are not equipped to “filter out” drugs and personal care items.

Dispose of them through take-back programs. Drug Takeback Day is October 25th!

Find a drop off location near you...https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/Organization/Materials-Management/hazardous-waste/drug-disposal

Protect your drinking water by keeping these products out of our rivers, waterways, and groundwater.

10/19/2026

Free rain garden workshop in Belleville! Join us THIS WEDNESDAY, October 21 at 6 PM at the Belleville Area District Library to learn how a rain garden can reduce flooding on your property and keep our local waterways healthy. 🌱🌧️

Join Kate Laramie, Watershed Ecologist with the Huron River Watershed Council, for an informative session on the benefits of rain gardens and how they can help protect local waterways. Learn how these eco-friendly gardens capture and filter stormwater, reduce flooding, and enhance the beauty of your landscape—all while supporting native plants and pollinators.

If you’re a homeowner living on the lake, a rain garden can be a powerful tool for improving water quality by reducing runoff and preventing erosion along the shoreline. This session will provide practical tips on designing, installing, and maintaining a rain garden to protect both your property and the health of our local lakes and rivers.

📅 Wednesday, October 21
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 Belleville Area District Library | 167 Fourth St. Belleville, MI 48111

Learn more at www.HRWC.org/calendar

HRWC’s Rain Catchers Collective program is funded by the DTE Foundation, the Americana Foundation and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. This support funds the growth of HRWC’s rain garden assessment program and related education, activities and other programming within the Huron River watershed. www.HRWC.org/raincatchers

10/16/2026

News to Us: States sue feds over endangered species rollbacks

A coalition of 20 states, including Michigan, recently filed a lawsuit challenging recent federal efforts to weaken the Endangered Species Act. The lawsuit argues that the changes, which narrow how habitat impacts are considered during regulatory decision-making, would make it more difficult to conserve threatened and endangered species, such as the freshwater mussels mentioned above. The rollbacks would affect how development and infrastructure projects are reviewed and, in turn, impact habitat protection and species conservation efforts across the U.S.

Read the full article here: https://michiganadvance.com/2026/09/10/repub/states-sue-feds-over-endangered-species-rollbacks/

Read more News to Us: https://www.hrwc.org/news-to-us-180/

A coalition of state attorneys general filed a pair of lawsuits Wednesday challenging the Trump administration’s rollbacks of protections for endangered species. The lawsuits, filed by 20 states and the District of Columbia, seek to reinstate rules that protect the habitat that endangered species ...

10/15/2026

Imagine this: you spot someone dumping into a curbside storm drain or ditch. What now? Our interns walk through exactly how to report it, because that call is doing real work to protect our water.

Report illegal dumping at 1-800-292-4706. Hazardous chemical or flammable spills? Call 9-1-1 immediately.

Learn more about steps you can take to protect the Huron River at www.HRWC.org/take-action

10/14/2026

There’s much to be said for leaving fall leaves. With the help of a mulching mower, they become a natural fertilizer for your lawn. A 3-5 inch leaf layer around garden plants inhibits weeds, preserves soil moisture, and nourishes plants as leaves break down. A layer of leaves left intact provides important habitat for wildlife and insects. To reduce neighborhood flooding, keep leaves and other yard waste away from storm drains. Learn more at www.hrwc.org/lawncare

10/09/2026

Free rain garden workshop in Belleville! Join us on Wednesday, October 21 at 6 PM at the Belleville Area District Library to learn how a rain garden can reduce flooding on your property and keep our local waterways healthy. 🌱🌧️

Join Kate Laramie, Watershed Ecologist with the Huron River Watershed Council, for an informative session on the benefits of rain gardens and how they can help protect local waterways. Learn how these eco-friendly gardens capture and filter stormwater, reduce flooding, and enhance the beauty of your landscape—all while supporting native plants and pollinators.

If you’re a homeowner living on the lake, a rain garden can be a powerful tool for improving water quality by reducing runoff and preventing erosion along the shoreline. This session will provide practical tips on designing, installing, and maintaining a rain garden to protect both your property and the health of our local lakes and rivers.

📅 Wednesday, October 21
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 Belleville Area District Library | 167 Fourth St. Belleville, MI 48111

Learn more at www.HRWC.org/calendar

HRWC’s Rain Catchers Collective program is funded by the DTE Foundation, the Americana Foundation and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. This support funds the growth of HRWC’s rain garden assessment program and related education, activities and other programming within the Huron River watershed. www.HRWC.org/raincatchers

10/07/2026

Thank you River Roundup Volunteers!!

Last weekend, 120 volunteers had the most gorgeous fall weather imaginable as they set out across the Huron River watershed to search our creeks and rivers for benthic macroinvertebrates. While many teams were stymied by high water conditions and insects even more hidden than normal, morale was high as they returned to the HRWC offices for debriefing and snacks.

Thank you to Pure Oakland Water - POW, the KLA Foundation and the Toyota Foundation for supporting this important work to monitor the health of our waterways.

10/06/2026

Late September, we planted a bioswale at Trinity Health Ann Arbor. In this reel, David Clipner of Copper Bear Native Landscaping walks you through what we got done that day 🌱

The bioswale is part of a bigger project to restore 103 acres of natural areas along the Huron River, in partnership with Trinity Health Ann Arbor, PlantWise, and Copper Bear Native Landscaping. The goals: 1) Remove invasive plant species, 2) Restore trails and trail signage, and 3) Build a network of employees, volunteers, and community members who care about ecological restoration.

You can learn more about this project at www.HRWC.org/restoring-riverside-natural-areas-at-trinity-health/

10/05/2026

News to Us: Michigan dam removal prompts relocation of thousands of Huron River mussels

This summer, HRWC and project partners relocated threatened and endangered freshwater mussel species in preparation for the removal of Peninsular Paper Dam (Pen Dam) in Ypsilanti. Project partners and dozens of volunteers relocated approximately 3,000 mussels to reduce the risk of sediment impacts during dam removal. This work builds on the mussel monitoring work from 2024 that HRWC coordinated. The removal of Pen Dam is expected to restore river connectivity, improve water quality, and create conditions that support healthier mussel populations and aquatic ecosystems in the long run.

Read the full article here: https://bridgemi.com/outdoors-life/michigan-dam-removal-prompts-relocation-of-thousands-of-huron-river-mussels/

Read more News to Us: https://www.hrwc.org/news-to-us-180/

Around 3,000 mussels were relocated below the Peninsular Paper Dam to help them better survive temporary sediment expected to kick up after the dam is removed. The dam is currently decommissioned and expected to be taken down as early as 2027.