The Godfrey lee Public school district
Godfrey Lee Public Schools sit squarely in the footsteps of the former industrial hub of Wyoming, Michigan. At a time, the very street that runs in front of Lee Middle and High school was a burgeoning railroad line, bringing business and livelihood to the area. As times have changed, the manufacturing industry that once attracted a growing community of workers, slowly dwindled, leaving behind the infrastructure of a past age. As the tell-tale sings of many post-industrial neighborhoods, the landscape of the Godfrey Lee District bears the scars of humanity's short sighted decisions--poor urban planning, strip malls and crumbling buildings, cement gardens and improper drainage, flood-prone "plains" and urban dump-sites in the last remaining "green" spaces. Yet a heart still beats under the once-buried steel rails; a vein runs through this ravaged landscape, carrying with it a new possibility for life. Groups of prideful students walk into our classrooms daily, while others leave theirs, coming in from the outskirts with a vision for a different future. As one of the most polluted watersheds in Michigan, our backyard stream is in the eyes of many who seek to care for it. But don't they know that it is us?
Plaster Creek Basics
The Plaster Creek Watershed occupies approximately 58 square miles, all in metropolitan Grand Rapids, Michigan. The creek itself is about 14 miles long. Its headwaters originate south and east of Grand Rapids, with many of the tributaries coming from agricultural areas around Dutton and Caledonia. The creek flows through commercial and residential areas of the city, and finally through industrial areas and low-income neighborhoods before emptying into the Grand River, a mile south of the city center. (source: LGROW.org)
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Our History, Our Problem
Plaster Creek WATERSHED Stewards:
What is a watershed? A watershed is the area of land where all of the water drains into the same river, lake, or stream.
What does this mean to me? This means trash, oil, manure, and other pollutants eventually end up in our lakes and streams. It also means you and your family are swimming, fishing, and kayaking with all of that junk!
What can I do? You can start by being a good steward. Recycle or dispose of all garbage, chemicals, and everything else properly.
What does this mean to me? This means trash, oil, manure, and other pollutants eventually end up in our lakes and streams. It also means you and your family are swimming, fishing, and kayaking with all of that junk!
What can I do? You can start by being a good steward. Recycle or dispose of all garbage, chemicals, and everything else properly.
What's the big deal?
The below pictures of Plaster Creek were taken less than 24 hours apart. They illustrate the rapid change in water level that occurs after a rain event, this is called a stormwater surge. Stormwater surges on Plaster Creek are unnatural events that exist because of the way we deal with stormwater -- we pipe it directly to our streams and waterways as quickly and efficiently as possible. These surges can create dangerous flash floods, but it's not just the change in water level we're concerned about: higher levels of E. coli bacteria, sediment(see how brown the water is in in the picture on the right?!), nutrients from fertilizer, industrial metals, and other pollutants. (source: PCWStewards) |