It has been said that, “if you want to go quickly, go alone – but if you want to go far, go together.”  It is widely believed that the Leelanau Conservancy has been and continues to be a wonderful and vital partner in our mission to preserve and protect our watershed.  They use tools like “conservation easements” and “donated land” that turn into preserves to help us protect our surface and groundwater resources. 
 
For example, the Leelanau Conservancy has helped us preserve a large part of the wetlands that make up our Hatlem Creek Preserve sub-watershed which affords clear, clean water flowing into Big Glen. Further, the Palmer Woods Preserve in the uplands of our watershed has been managed in such a way that it will be protected from development thereby protecting valuable groundwater that ends up in our lakes. In addition, some of the Crystal River Wetlands are now protected from development and combine with the boundaries of the national park giving our delicate Crystal River the protection that it deserves as evidence by the clear water that some of us take for granted.
 
The conservancy also can work with individual landowners in our watershed in an effort to preserve the natural shorelines that filter out excess nutrients that can cause our lake to deteriorate. If you would like to consider a “conservation easement” (a legal agreement between a landowner and the conservancy that permanently limits a propter’s use in order to protect its conservation values) for your property, why not consider setting up a meeting with their staff and consider how you, too, might contribute to the mission of preserving and protecting our watershed.
 
For more information, click here.