In Leelanau County, we have almost 20,000 acres of wetlands not including our major water bodies or lakes. Wetlands are vital to our clean water and protect important habitat for plant and animals. Some of our highest quality land protection projects arein the Cedar River Preserve which hosts over 260 species of native plants.
To date, we have protected over 2300 acres of wetlands and over 47 miles of stream or lake frontage in Leelanau County. In order to do this work, the Conservancy has partnered with Lake Associations and other organizations to help write watershed protection plans for the major watersheds in Leelanau County. These plans are a guide to help watershed residents maintain and improve the health of their watershed. They are written to meet both the State (Department of Environmental Quality or DEQ) and Federal (Environmental Protection Agency) criteria in order to be eligible for various grants and funding resources related to water quality and watershed protection. The Conservancy has been a successful partner with these plans by protecting important upland recharge areas, wetlands and lake/stream frontage using Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI) funding. Learn more about CMI Funding here.
Protected Wetlands Map
