The Upper Black River Council is a non-profit conservation organization focused on the continued restoration of the Upper Black River which finds its headwaters in western Montmorency County and eastern Otsego County in Michigan's lower peninsula. The Upper Black River flows through Otsego, Montmorency, Presque Isle and Cheboygan Counties in the northern portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula and i
s the only river in lower Michigan exclusively managed for its brook trout population. Originally established in 1993 as the Upper Black River Watershed Restoration Committee, what is now known as the Upper Black River Council is committed to the UBRC’s mission of “restoring and maintaining the outstanding water resources and natural brook trout fishery of the Upper Black River Watershed.”
Since its inception, the UBRC has operated as a collaborative effort between local, state and national agencies, municipalities, non-profit conservation organizations, private landowners and private citizens. These include county road commissions, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), US Fish & Wildlife Service, Northeast Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG), Huron Pines RC&D Council, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Otsego and Montmorency Conservation Districts, Montmorency County Conservation Club, Sturgeon for Tomorrow, Headwaters, Paul H. Young and Vanguard Chapters of Trout Unlimited, Michigan Fly Fishing Club, Pigeon River Country Association, Canada Creek Ranch, Black River Ranch and numerous private citizens. The partners of the UBRC have historically met at least two times each year to share information on activities taking place within the river system. UBRC partners review plans for work to be performed within the system and/or evaluate progress on projects which have already taken place. These meetings offer opportunities for collaboration between project partners and for setting short and long term priorities for future work within the system as funding becomes available. The meetings have historically been chaired by a non-agency individual. UBRC Past:
The first thing the organization did was conduct a survey of the Upper Black River watershed from its headwaters in Otsego and Montmorency counties to Black Lake in Cheboygan County. The purpose of this survey was to develop a list of needs for the system and implement a plan for addressing those needs. The focus of the survey was to identify sites in need of erosion control, sediment reduction, beaver control and in-stream habitat improvement. These were identified, photographed and described in the UPPER BLACK RIVER STREAMBANKS EROSION INVENTORY in 1993. Funding for work efforts to repair the erosion sites became available through a series of grants from US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Inland Fisheries grant program, and a variety of other public and private sources. The work was performed by volunteer laborers with direction from natural resource professionals. As progress was shown and funding levels increased, a seasonal river crew was created, underwritten by grants from UBRC partners and administered by the Cheboygan County Conservation District. The appropriate permits were secured from Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources for the work on the river. The crew’s activities consisted of streambank stabilization employing a variety of techniques, installation of large woody debris structures in the river to improve in-stream habitat for brook trout, aquatic insects and macro invertebrates. The crew works 10-12 weeks during the spring and summer months. Administration of the river crew was subsequently transferred to the Montmorency Conservation District. In addition to work performed by the river crew, UBRC project partners also engaged in numerous sedimentation control and fish passage projects. These included road/stream crossing improvements such as replacement of undersized and/or perched culverts, changing the grade of roadbeds to reduce sediment loading into the river during spring run-off and storm events, bridge redesign and replacement. Funding for these projects was made available through grants from public and private sources, and county road commission contributions of personnel, materials and/or equipment. Administration of these larger projects has historically been performed by such UBRC partners as Huron Pines and/or Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. Sand traps were also installed to remove excess sand bedload, improving stream morphology and improving aquatic insect and other macro invertebrate habitat and spawning habitat. These were funded through public and private grant funds and have historically been installed and maintained by UBRC partner, Montmorency County Conservation Club. Beaver activity has historically presented challenges within the watershed. Fisheries biologists determined that a high beaver population has a strong adverse effect on brook trout in the Upper Black River. Beaver control methods which include trapping and dam removal have been employed since the mid-1990's and continue to this day with authorization from MDNR. Dam removal is done by the river crew and trapping is handled by private trappers who are recruited to focus their efforts on the Upper Black River. The UBRC has also worked together with MDNR Fisheries Division professionals in gathering temperature data from within the watershed. UBRC partners have provided funding for the acquisition of dozens of temperature loggers over the years which have been used by the MDNR to monitor the health of the river system. Volunteers assist with the installation and removal of the temp loggers each spring and fall. This practice continues on an annual basis. In an effort to share information about the Upper Black River system and introduce the Upper Black River Council, a number of educational tools were employed. A brochure was printed, public presentations were made by UBRC partners and outreach through volunteer work bees on the river took place. UBRC Present:
Within the last two years, the UBRC has continued its collaborative focus on restoring and maintaining the water resources and the brook trout fishery of the Upper Black River. The longtime Chair and original catalyst behind the formation of the UBRC, Bud Slingerlend, stepped down from this role in 2008 (due to health reasons) and was replaced by the current Chair, Carol Moncrieff Rose. The name of the organization was changed from Upper Black River Watershed Restoration Committee to the Upper Black River Council., Inc. when the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws were adopted on December 14, 2010. A new logo was developed. Educational outreach has expanded to include a website (www.upperblack.org) and Power Point presentations are developed annually to chronicle the work of the river crew. New maps of the Upper Black River watershed have also been developed. UBRC partner organizations also highlight their efforts within the river system on their own web sites and in area publications. Work bees involving volunteers from area schools, members of TU Chapters and other conservation organizations continue each year and are promoted in local and statewide publications. Temperature data within the river system continues to be gathered by UBRC partners and analyzed by MDNR Fisheries professionals. In an effort to fill the gaps left by shrinking local, state and federal budgets for natural resource projects, grant writing has intensified in recent years as has pursuit of new funding sources. While the river crew activities have historically focused on those portions of the river which flow through publicly-owned land, in recent years the crew has also done contract work for two large private landowners who are UBRC partners: Canada Creek Ranch (CCR) and Black River Ranch (BRR). Permits for this work were secured and paid for by CCR and BRR and all expenses related to the work performed by the crew on CCR and BRR were paid by those entities. To ensure the longevity of funding for the river crew and other projects such as stream bank stabilization, road crossing improvements, educational outreach, etc., the UBRC has secured 501c3 status as a stand-alone entity. Having 501c3 status will improve the UBRC’s ability to secure funding, as well as provide tax benefits to its donors. Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation have been approved, a board of directors has been assembled, officers elected and bank accounts have been established
UBRC Future:
In the coming years, the UBRC will continue to pursue its mission to restore, maintain and enhance the brook trout fishery of the Upper Black River watershed. To ensure that funding will be available to sustain a seasonal river crew on an annual basis, the UBRC will avail itself of all legal opportunities for raising funds. Our website will be expanded and enhanced to make it more informative, interactive and specific to the work being done by the partners of the UBRC. Finally, the UBRC will continue to be the voice of and advocate for the Upper Black River watershed.
