Kalamazoo River Watershed Land Conservation Plan (2014)
- Kyle Alexander, MS Environmental Policy and Planning
- Jamie Jackson, MS Behavior, Education and Communication
- Fumi Kikuyama, MS Environmental Informatics
- Ben Sasamoto, MS Environmental Policy and Planning
- Alison Stevens, MS Environmental Informatics
The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) would like to engage a team of SNRE master's students to develop a Land Conservation Plan for the Kalamazoo River Watershed. The goal of the plan is to provide long term conservation of the Kalamazoo River through permanent land protection.
The Kalamazoo River watershed is located in the southwest portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and drains about 2,020 square miles from 10 counties including Allegan, Barry, Calhoun, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Ottawa, and Van Buren. The watershed is about 162 miles long and varies in width from 11 to 29 miles. Despite the historical pollution problems along the mainstem the watershed has relatively natural forest, wetlands, and grasslands because of its overall rural nature, the abundance of isolated wetlands that could not be drained for agriculture, and the widespread abandonment of agricultural activity on more marginal lands that were too sloped, erosion prone, or sandy. In addition, the broad floodplains of the Kalamazoo River valley have returned to a more natural state in many reaches. These natural features, together with land that is still in agriculture, provide important ecosystem services that are often underappreciated, including recreational opportunities, maintenance of groundwater recharge, clean water, wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. For more information about the Kalamazoo River Watershed visit the Council's website at www.kalamazooriver.org.
The Conservation Plan will identify the most important lands to conserve in the watershed based on natural resource characteristics and an outreach plan to landowners within those areas. The Plan will also be used to apply for grants to purchase land and development rights in the future.
Components of the Plan:
- Overview of the Kalamazoo River Watershed, environmental issues, current threats
- Natural resources analysis of current conserved land within the watershed
- A GIS natural resource based mapping analysis to identify priority conservation areas. The analysis should contain "priority" tiers based on conservation value. The conservation values are determined by combining available GIS data, Kalamazoo River Watershed Reports, the Department of Natural Resources BioStewardship Areas, the Department of Environmental Quality Wetland Functionality Analysis and other available data.
- The model should be ground-truthed for verification and accuracy.
- A map should be included with identified priority conservation areas. Then the natural resource attributes of each conservation area should be described.
- Landowner contact information (mailing list of landowners in the high priority conservation areas)
- Landowner outreach ideas and examples (events, meetings, tours, handouts, seminars etc.) to educate landowners about the land protection tools available to preserve environmentally sensitive land in the watershed.
The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is the 3rd largest regional land trust in the State of Michigan. Students will have the opportunity to learn about land conservation and gain experience with a land trust. They will also have the opportunity to work with the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. There will be many opportunities to make professional connections through both of these organizations. The students will be expected to present to the Board of Directors of both organizations. The products that the students produce will be useful in providing to potential employers as examples of professional work. This project will also give you the opportunity to refine and enhance technical skills, especially with GIS software and data.
If there is interest in this project we will apply for a small grant from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and look for other funding sources to help cover associated costs.
A final Land Conservation Plan for the Kalamazoo River Watershed, and executive summary of the plan. Written press releases and written information for both SWMLC and KRWC websites. A list of landowners with contact information in high priority areas. Outreach materials for those landowners, project partners, and other stakeholders. Presentation to the SWMLC and KRWC Board of Directors on the process, findings, and next steps. Possible coordination of landowner outreach meetings and presentations.
GIS analysis and modeling skills, knowledge of stream systems and how human activities influence rivers and watersheds, excellent communication to coordinate with multiple partners, and familiarity with Michigan flora, fauna, and natural communities.