From the Superior

Watershed Partnership

MARQUETTE — The Superior Watershed Partnership Land Conservancy has announced a new program to permanently protect over four miles of the wild Sturgeon River.

This unique 944-acre parcel includes over 21,000 linear feet of riverfront property. The SWP has launched an international campaign with Canada to raise $2.1 million to complete the purchase of this iconic northwoods property that includes whitewater rapids, waterfalls, old-growth forest, sheer granite cliffs and more. The property also includes a variety of important terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

The current landowner is a strong conservationist and has requested that the SWP Land Conservancy protect the property in perpetuity. That includes addressing threats from potential mining, so the purchase includes the mineral rights. Mining companies have already conducted preliminary exploration flights over the Sturgeon River corridor, including this tract, and have identified geologic conditions similar to other sulfide-based ore bodies being actively developed or mined in the region.

The SWP said the Environmental Protection Agency has categorized the northern Great Lakes watershed as one of the most active mining exploration regions on the planet.

The Sturgeon River flows south into the Menominee River before the merged waters reach Green Bay on Lake Michigan.

Protecting this property also protects Great Lakes water quality and indirectly benefits over 30 million people living downstream, the SWP said.

The land is currently private but once the campaign is completed, the land will be open to the public year-round. The SWP and the Great Lakes Conservation Corps plan several miles of hiking trails, kayak launches and environmental education kiosks.

The Superior Watershed Partnership Land Conservancy is a local nonprofit organization and a regional leader in Great Lakes protection and restoration. SWP staff possess expertise in conservation planning, environmental restoration, pollution prevention, field monitoring and project management.

SWP Land Conservancy properties include Great Lakes coastal lands, riparian corridors, community forests, rare habitats and historic structures, including the Stannard Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior.

For more information or to donate, contact SWP Executive Director Carl Lindquist at carl@superiorwatersheds.org or 906-228-6095 ext. 14, or visit superiorwatersheds.org.