On the Ground: Volunteers Remove Hundreds of Pounds of Trash from the Manistee River

Kristina Kennedy • July 21, 2022

A young volunteer claims his raffle prize donated by Steelhead Manifesto at the Manistee River Clean-Up on Saturday, July 16, 2022.

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, 52 OTG volunteers gathered in partnership with Steelhead Manifesto at the High Bridge Boat Launch in Brethren to clean-up trash from the Manistee River by boat, kayak, and on foot. Those with boats welcomed others onto the water and worked together to gather trash from Rainbow Bend in Manistee to Tippy Dam in Brethren.

In total, these dedicated volunteers helped pick-up about 300 hundred of pounds of trash including fishing line, camp chairs, t-posts, treated wood, grill parts, and abandoned buoys. They hauled all of this waste back to the High Bridge Boat Launch where it was properly disposed of by the US Forest Service. By removing trash from the river and surrounding public land, volunteers improved over 15 river miles of fish and wildlife habitat. They also helped make the river safer for anglers and other river recreationists!

We greatly appreciate all of the hard work that volunteers put in to improve the aquatic ecosystem of the Manistee River this past weekend. Make sure to join us again next year in cleaning-up the Manistee!

Our next OTG project will be cleaning-up the Bay Mills Area by removing trash from illegal forested dump sites and cleaning-up the beach along the Whitefish Bay of Lake Superior. Check out the OTG webpage at mucc.org/on-the-ground/ for upcoming events and volunteer registration.

Recent Posts

By Justin Tomei October 7, 2025
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) will convene for its October meeting on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Michigan Technological University’s Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts in Houghton, MI. This monthly gathering brings together commissioners, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff, and the public to discuss policy decisions and updates impacting the state’s natural resources, wildlife, and outdoor recreation opportunities. The meeting will begin with Coffee with Commissioners from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., followed by the formal session at 9:30 a.m. Attendees can park for free in Lot 10, located east of the Rozsa Center. The meeting will open with a presentation from DNR leadership, including several notable updates and informational reports: Spring Turkey Regulations: Wildlife Division staff will present proposed changes to spring turkey hunting regulations for 2026. Wildlife Habitat Grants : Program leads will outline new habitat grant initiatives and highlight ongoing restoration efforts across the state. Moose Population Monitoring: A presentation will cover results from the most recent moose survey and discuss ecological and environmental factors limiting population growth. White-Nose Syndrome: The Wildlife Division will provide the latest data on the spread and impact of white-nose syndrome on Michigan’s bat populations. New Business The commission will consider a range of new proposals and action items, including: Oil and Gas Lease Auction: Approval for a proposed October 21, 2025, lease auction for energy development on state-managed lands. Land Transactions: Consideration of multiple land sales, acquisitions, and donations, including parcels in Tuscola, Wayne, St. Clair, and Luce counties. Wildlife Orders: Review of spring turkey regulations for the 2026 hunting season . Old Business The NRC will also revisit several regulatory items from previous meetings, including proposed amendments to a number of Fisheries Orders. This includes an amendment further expanding underwater spearfishing to larger portions of the Great Lakes. All orders and amendments for consideration can be found at the NRC agenda, HERE .
By Justin Tomei October 3, 2025
Early Friday, morning, the Michigan Legislature approved a budget for the 2026 fiscal year. The two chambers and the governor agreed to a deal earlier this week and passed a stopgap to keep the state government open while work on the omnibus bill was finalized. The DNR budget is highlighted by some minor cuts, and new boilerplate language: No license fee increases were included No recreation passport opt-out was included Nature awaits program was removed as an on-going program Reduces 4.0 FTE positions for Fish Production and 15.0 FTE positions for Fisheries Resource Management Reduces 20.0 FTE positions and $200,000 for Wildlife Management Reduces invasive species prevention and control by $1.2 million Appropriates $2.8 million GF/GP (one-time) for fish production and stocking in Great Lakes and inland fisheries Reduces wetland restoration, enhancement, and acquisition funding by $1 million. In-person work prioritization New DNR scorecard and reporting requirements Prohibition on utility scale solar and wind projects on public lands An authorization to increase restricted fund appropriations if a license fee bill is passed The House Fiscal Analysis of the budget can be found HERE . To ensure our natural resources remain protected and managed thoughtfully, and our outdoor heritage defended, join Michigan United Conservation Clubs today: http://bit.ly/JoinMUCC .
By Olivia Triltsch October 2, 2025
History
More Posts