Friends of the St. Clair River (Friends) has been a steadfast champion for our local waterways, wading into the crucial work of improving water quality, tagging lake sturgeon, providing environmental youth education, and fostering collaborations with local stakeholders. As we reflect on the significant strides made, the question naturally arises: What does the future hold for our water resources and the dedicated individuals who champion their health?
Anyone who has participated in an advocacy initiative, an educational experience, or a community awareness event hosted by Friends understands the powerful ripple effect – quite literally – that even the smallest investment can generate. Their science-driven, hands-on stewardship is a commitment that will shape the environmental quality of our community for generations.
Sheri Faust, Friends’s Executive Director, articulates a clear vision for our local waterways: “A healthy watershed is characterized by a thriving diversity of fish species, the restoration of vital wetlands, and beaches that are open and safe for public enjoyment. However, the concept extends beyond these ecological indicators. It encompasses recreational and economic values as well. Several factors determine the overall health of a watershed – including human health, infrastructure, a thriving local economy, recreational opportunities, and, of course, the quality of the water itself. A healthy watershed is fundamental to making our Blue Water communities attractive places for people to live, work and play.”
The designation of the St. Clair River as a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC) has served as a long-standing benchmark for measuring the progress achieved by Friends. We invite the local community to join this dedicated team as they continue to address the ever-urgent needs of our region’s unique biodiversity and the network of its waterways.
Points of progress
The ecological health of our region has undergone a remarkable transformation since Friends’ inception in 2007. The organization emerged from a genuine and pressing need to safeguard the very viability of water bodies. “Looking back at the period from the 1970s through the 1990s, pollution in our rivers was uncontrolled,” Faust recounts. “There was a lack of dedicated funding for water protection initiatives, crucial species like lake sturgeon were not part of the conversation and iconic wildlife such as beavers and bald eagles were absent. Also, public access to the St. Clair River shoreline was severely limited.” However, with the establishment and sustained impact of Friends, our water resource conditions have shifted dramatically. “Today, we are witnessing the return of these keystone species, and a cultural shift towards embracing our local environment is becoming increasingly evident.”
Collaborative partnerships
Kris Lee, the Canadian Co-chair for the St. Clair River Binational Public Advisory Council (BPAC) and a founding member since its formation in 1988, offers a historical perspective: “Things were drastically different in those early years, and it has taken nearly four decades of dedicated effort to finally see a tangible ‘light at the end of the tunnel.’
Sheri Faust further clarifies that across the Great Lakes region, there are 43 designated locations where focused action is imperative to control and remediate pollution. These are the Areas of Concern (AOCs). The St. Clair River is on this list “due to the significant historical pollution problems stemming from both industrial and agricultural activities.”
While the political, industrial, and recreational landscape has evolved over these four decades, the fundamental purpose of Friends remains: conduct research, implement monitoring programs, and collect transparent data, disseminating findings through comprehensive reports, all in the pursuit of ensuring healthy and thriving communities. “The Great Lakes Area of Concern program is our longest-standing and most significant initiative,” Faust explains. “Over the past 14 years, we have been fortunate to receive consistent state funding, channeled through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the early stages of Friends’ work, our efforts were primarily focused on addressing frequent beach closings, the environmental impacts of dredging activities, and the challenges posed by contaminated sediment. We have greatly benefited from the AOC program, which provided an important boost to our work. The Blue Water River Walk in downtown Port Huron serves as a compelling example of a successful AOC project, illustrating how effective remediation leads to ecological restoration, which in turn fosters community revitalization. The cleanup efforts along the Blue Water River Walk have allowed people to rediscover the shoreline as a valuable community asset, now providing a multitude of recreational and economic benefits.”
A passion for our waterways
Consider the basic pleasures many in St. Clair County enjoy: a relaxing day at a local beach, a memorable fishing excursion with family or a scenic tour aboard the Huron Lady. Perhaps you or your friends are passionate sailing enthusiasts, eagerly anticipating the annual racing season on Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. Or maybe you simply appreciate the spectacular, ever-changing views offered by our shoreline. Regardless of your personal connection to the water, Friends of the St. Clair River plays a fundamental and often unseen role in safeguarding that very experience.
“We have a deep love for the water,” shares Dustin Walker, owner and Captain of the Huron Lady sightseeing tour vessel and a lifelong resident of St. Clair and Macomb Counties. “The BLUE water is paramount. If Friends’ core mission is to maintain its cleanliness and ensure its protection, then that directly aligns with the best interests of every resident in our region. When you travel over rivers like the Ohio or the Mississippi, or countless others, the water is often brown and murky. We are uniquely positioned as one of the few places in the United States, outside of our vast oceans, that boasts consistently blue water, where you can witness massive international shipping vessels in the very heartland of America. It is an incredibly unique spectacle. These are essentially inland oceans, offering breathtaking sights, diverse wildlife and impressive freighters, not to mention a world-renowned sailboat race unlike any other.”
Strategic partnerships, such as the enduring collaboration with the Huron Lady, are central to Friends’ comprehensive outreach strategy. “The truth is that people are drawn to live in areas that possess healthy and vibrant natural resources,” Faust emphasizes. “In our own distinct ways, we are all working to shape the kind of communities where families want to raise their children, that attract tourists, and that boost property values.
“There are numerous impactful local initiatives underway, and Friends is just one vital part of this collective effort,” notes Kris Lee. “It is the combination of efforts from different communities that has driven significant improvements. These groups have been equally responsible for the remarkable restoration of the St. Clair River watershed, extending from Wallaceburg and Mitchell’s Bay all the way to Sarnia.”
MaryJanet Shinske, a dedicated longtime volunteer with Friends, eloquently describes the appeal of the organization’s work: “Friends of the St. Clair River immediately drew me in with their collaborative community efforts aimed at restoring and enhancing the public riverfront. This investment encompasses everything from the design of hardscape shorelines for both aesthetic beauty and ease of public access, to the rejuvenation of natural garden landscapes within and along the riverbanks. This encourages and supports the return of native vegetation and the diverse wildlife along the river.”
Sheri Faust highlights further milestones in the group’s progress: “We have experienced several rewarding ‘full circle’ moments. The St. Clair River has directly benefited from tens of millions of dollars in crucial federal funding through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), specifically allocated for vital habitat rehabilitation projects. This GLRI funding has lead to tangible progress in achieving cleaner water that is safe for swimming, drinking, and fishing. Ourlocal efforts in sturgeon awareness, conservation, and education are proving highly successful. This is particularly significant because the thriving lake sturgeon population represents more than a decade of dedicated fish restoration efforts.”
The need and the mission continue
In 2024 Friends created an endowment fund (https://stclairfoundation.org/fund/friends-of-the-st-clair-river/) with the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to establish support for its ongoing mission. This fund has become more necessary than ever given the frequent fluctuations and uncertainty in funding at the federal, state, and local levels. Friends recognizes the critical need to develop sustainable and innovative ways to address these complex long-term projects and ensure continued success. “As we consider the future, we are embracing the powerful concept of ‘think and act like a sturgeon,’” Faust explains. “This inspiring idea is rooted in the remarkable life cycle of a species that can live for up to an impressive 100 years. Lake sturgeon have inhabited these waters for far longer than we have, so the concept of ‘thinking like a sturgeon’ prompts us to consider: what would it truly mean to adopt such a profound long-term perspective regarding our impact on the Blue Water Area?”
MaryJanet Shinske poignantly shares her personal connection: “Friends of the St. Clair River is exactly what I am – a friend of the St. Clair River! The St. Clair River and I forged this friendship as I grew up in the 1950s, ’60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, enjoying countless hours of fun on its waters, and entrusting my thoughts and feelings to its gentle flow as I simply watched the water pass by. I fell deeply in love with this extraordinary river.”
Join Friends of the St. Clair River
To gain a deeper understanding of current priorities, challenges being actively addressed, and notable celebrations of progress, please visit scriver.org. “You can support Friends of the St. Clair River in a multitude of meaningful ways, from providing behind-the-scenes advocacy through donations to its endowment, to becoming an active participant, literally getting your hands dirty in and around the river,” MaryJanet Shinske encourages. “It truly takes a dedicated community – a village – to keep our cherished friend, the river, vibrant, healthy, and alive.”
Sheri Faust offers practical ways for everyone to contribute: “In your own home, you can make a difference by planting milkweed to support monarch butterflies or by actively enjoying local trail systems. Within your community, you can engage your family in stewardship workdays and make your voice heard by urging your local leaders to prioritize the protection of our vital land and rivers.”
As the St. Clair River Area of Concern steadily approaches its restoration milestone, which is a direct result of Friends’ dedicated efforts, the primary focus is set on sustaining the environmental work that has already been accomplished. As new and evolving threats to the health of the Great Lakes continue to emerge, the core mission of Friends of the St. Clair River will always remain deeply rooted in the essential work of restoring, protecting, and enhancing the St. Clair River and its interconnected watersheds for the benefit of all.