Past Projects & Publications
The Kearsley Creek watershed is comprised of 115 square miles of land located primarily in the southeast corner of Genesee County and portions of Oakland and Lapeer Counties. Kearsley Creek is approximately 23 miles long from the headwaters in northwest Oakland County to its mouth where it joins with the Flint River. Researchers from CAER provided content and expertise for the Education Plan.
View the Kearsley Creek Watershed Management Plan.
Swartz Creek
The Swartz Creek Watershed (SCW) is 129 square miles of land located in southern Genesee and northern Oakland Counties. The Swartz Creek flows north approximately 15 miles from its headwaters in Oakland County into Genesee County, and ultimately to its confluence with the Flint River in the City of Flint. Concerns about the water quality and impacts of current and historic land use practices in the Swartz Creek Watershed led stakeholders in the watershed to initiate the development of a watershed management plan. The following plan was created through a collaborative effort between local units of government, Flint River Watershed Coalition, the University of Michigan - Flint’s Center for Applied Environmental Research (CAER), concerned citizens and several other partners.Swartz Creek Watershed Management Plan: Chapters 1-3 Chapter 4 Chapters 5-6 Chapters 7-8 & 10 Chapter 9 Chapters 11-12
Gilkey Creek
The Gilkey Creek Watershed drains 15 square miles of land primarily in the cities of Burton and Flint. Gilkey Creek connects many important natural and cultural assets through the city of Flint including the Flint Farmer's Market, Kearsley Park, Applewood Estate, and Mott Community College. Much of the Gilkey Creek watershed is densely developed, and the Gilkey Creek has been restored through the Daylighting Project at Applewood Estate.
Gilkey Creek Watershed Management Plan: Watershed Plan Table of Pollutant Sources Education Table Table of Best Management Practices
South Branch Flint River
The South Branch Watershed (SBW) begins in Oxford Township in northern Oakland County and flows north through Metamora, Dryden and Lapeer Townships. The stream also conveys water carried by streams that drain portions of Addison Township in Oakland County and Attica Township in Lapeer County. The purpose of the South Branch Watershed Management Plan is to catalog the current conditions impacting the water quality and to identify actions that can be taken to resolve existing problems and prevent future degradation of water resources. The health of the watershed and its location in rapidly developing southeast Michigan places the watershed at great risk of degradation.
South Branch Flint River Watershed Managment Plan: Watershed Plan Table of Best Management Practices
Flint River Trail
The Flint River Trail is a linear park that currently follows the Flint River from downtown Flint northeast to Bluebell Beach in the Genesee County Recreation Area. The Greater Flint Health Coalition, Flint River Trail Committee, through a Ruth Mott Foundation grant, contracted with CAER to develop and conduct social marketing research to guide initiatives aimed at improvement, beautification and promotion of the Flint River Trail. The research contained in the report was gathered and analyzed during summer and fall 2006. Community members within and near the City of Flint in Genesee County, Michigan and current Flint River Trail users were identified as the target population for data collection. The research included a Flint River Trail Needs Assessment Survey, User Survey and Focus Groups. Though each research method had a slightly different focus in terms of the trail, some general trends were observed when results from the three research methods were compared. View Final Report
Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission: 2007 Capital Improvements Study
During the summer of 2007, CAER conducted on-site focus groups and an online survey of Genesee County park users. Researchers from CAER conducted the study under contract with the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission. The study provides direction for the Geneseee County Parks and Recreation Commission to formulate a Capital Improvements Plan to identify and prioritize potential County Park projects to be included in the Five-Year County Parks and Recreation Plan, updated in 2008.
View 2007 Capital Improvements Study
- Appendix A: Focus Group Material
- Appendix B: Focus Group Results
- Appendix C: Online Survey Material
- Appendix D: Online Survey Results - Section 1
- Appendix E: Online Survey Results - Section 2a
- Appendix F: Online Survey Results - Section 2b
- Appendix G: Online Survey Results - Section 2c
- Appendix H: Online Survey Results - Section 3
Genesee County Drain Commission Office: Public Education Campaign
CAER assists in the implementation of public education activities under contract with the Genesee County Drain Commissioner’s Office and the Genesee County Water Quality Consortium. These activities include the creation and management of education materials and workshops, community outreach activities, website coordination, and overall program coordination. The primary components of this project are the development of newsletters, coordination of information booths at community events, website programming, and development of direct mailings and workshops for community stakeholders. In addition CAER provides the Public Education and Participation Sub-Committee (PEP) with overall coordination and support that includes timeline development and monitoring, program output monitoring, media consultant coordination, and reporting assistance.
