A Healthy River and Community. What does that look like for the area’s BIPOC community? It’s straightforward impacting everyone. The goal is water quality monitoring and restoring the river’s habitat. Improving water quality entails the incorporation of green stormwater infrastructure and there’s also a focus on working with communities advancing environmental justice.
Reaching these outcomes includes achieving equity in regional water quality by partnering with southside Grand Rapids communities committed to cleaning adjacent river and tributaries. On a larger scale, the development of a river water quality report card. The reintroduction of native aquatic plants and sturgeon into the Grand River. Growing a tree canopy covering 40% of the corridor’s riverbanks.
When it comes to new public and private projects, the framework specifies green stormwater infrastructure or traditional ecological knowledge practices that must be incorporated.
Finally, protecting and promoting clean water means local, state, and federal environmental laws will be enforced.
For more information, log on at www.downtowngr.org/our-work/projects/grand-river-network.