Michigan Waterways Stewards

Join Us On Our Mission

With your help we will make Michigan's waterways the envy of America's industrial states. It is amazing the ease and joy in which we can accomplish great things when working together.

Treasure Michigan's Precious Waterways.

Michigan is blessed with an abundance of fresh water, more than any other state. We have access to four Great Lakes; Michigan, Superior, Huron and Erie. Running through our state we have approximately 51,438 miles of river, of which 656 miles are designated as wild and scenic.

Yet, in our capital city our waterways were under threat. There may be no greater example than with our Grand River, our state's largest river at 252 miles.

Less than two miles from our state's capital building there were terrible examples of water pollution and stretches of river that had been allowed to worsen for years. So bad, areas were often difficult and some times dangerous to navigate. It was hard to imagine how such conditions were allowed to exist 50 years after the enactment of the Clean Water Act and during the year Governor Whitmer declared as the Year of Clean Water.

Our rivers' conditions were so bad, it led to our creating Michigan Waterways Stewards. A Lansing area non-profit dedicated to caring, protecting and improving our treasured and vulnerable waterways.

With the support of local business and industry, schools and churches, social and civic clubs, passionate individuals, and local government, river-wide obstructions were removed, large pools of pollution cleared, and miles of river and river trails cleaned. Lansing are rivers were transformed. We now present the most scenic, varied, and pleasant urban waterways experience in Michigan.

We have been thrilled by the interest, excitement, and offers to help. During our first year we managed nearly 80 projects. Over 50 organizations and more than 600 volunteers have joined us in our effort. Most of all, we are excited about the results and humbled by the many compliments:
• “River Stewardship is Healthy Again.”
• “Michigan Waterways Stewards is the best thing that has ever happened to our local rivers.”
• “Your organization is exactly what we need in the State of Michigan.”
• "Such an incredible transformation. I am blown away by the grass root efforts."
• "We are so stoked and happy to be a part of such an important event and movement!"

The best is yet to come. Our plans are to leverage our learnings, improve our programming, and take our campaign across the state. Join us. Experience the joy and ease in which we accomplish great things when working together.

A Special Thanks To Our Partners, Sponsors, and Volunteer Oganizations.
Thank you to the more than 40 organizations and over 400 volunteers who made our inaugural year's flagship event, Lansing Rivers and River Trail Cleanups, such a huge success. The City of Lansing reports it was the largest volunteer initiative in years.