Club restores 5,000+ feet of rivers with volunteer labor

VALPARAISO, Ind. (WLFI) - A university club will spend a work day to help restore river areas along the Indiana-Michigan border this month.

For almost 15 years Valparaiso University’s Biology Club has been one of the northwest-Indiana region’s most effective environmental improvement organization and recently received two federal grants from the Lake Michigan Coastal Program.

The club will head to the Elkhart Conservation Club (ECC) property on Cobus Creek March 24, coinciding with National Water Month.

According to Valporaiso University officials, the ECC has seen dramatic improvements on their trout stream, grounds and facilities thanks in large part to the Biology Club.

Students will take care of building maintenance, monitor the river, remove any log jams and adjust previous improvements (such as bank stabilizers, flow detectors, and trout and macro invertebrate habitats).

We’re proud to have more than 30 hard-core river runners with multiple restoration experiences on our team,” said Grayson Davis, professor of Biology, Valparaiso University and leader of the Biology Club. “In our 14-years of river restoration, we’ve completed over 50 trips with eight more events planned for the spring and summer.”

Although the Biology Club was founded in 1933, it did not start doing river work until 1999. Last year the club performed 10 river restorations with 119 students and 20 non-student residents.

All work is performed at the direction of Rivertenders CEO Joe Mitchell, who plans the projects and obtains the appropriate permits.

In Michigan, the Biology Club has worked on Brandywine Creek, McCoy Creek, Dowagiac River, and Dowagiac Creek. While in Indiana, restorations have been completed on Trail Creek, Little Calumet River, Salt Creek, Baugo Creek, Little Kankakee River and Cobus Creek.

The ECC includes a cabin and a 35,000-trout hatchery responsible for raising more than $1 million worth of brown trout for local rivers at no cost to taxpayers.

Hatchery director Ed Evans says the current crop of brown trout is healthy and growing rapidly. Recent wildlife sightings at the club include turkeys, owls, adult and juvenile bald eagles, sandhill cranes, coyotes, deer and foxes.