Three River Raisin Jewels

by Sybil Kolon

n the past two years we have told you about two CREP (1) conservation easements on the River Raisin the RVLT has accepted. We can now tell you about the third and fourth easements (the fourth being an extension of the first), completing a project that was initiated in 2000. The RVLT now holds easements on three parcels with a mile-and-a-half of frontage on the banks of the River Raisin in Lenawee County (Palmyra, Blissfield, and Deerfield Townships).

Think of the River Raisin as a showy necklace tossed in a drawer, its many curves highlighting countless gems of nature, in various hues of green. One place may seem more special than another, depending on whether you are a hunter of deer or mushrooms, an observer of birds or herbaceous plants, or a meandering canoeist. The three properties the RVLT helped to preserve must surely be counted on our list of favorites.

Each easement consists of a former agricultural field that has been planted to perennial grasses, and the adjacent wooded area along the banks of the Raisin. The 63 acres of fields and 39 acres of riparian woods will continue to be flooded frequently in the spring, but the water will not carry away the bushels of topsoil that it previously did after the fields were plowed each year.

Considering that the River Raisin is about 150 miles long, and multiplying that by two to account for both banks of the river, these easements represent only one-half percent of the total riverbank. But they are within six miles of each other, and should be counted as more than a symbolic effort to improve water quality and maintain our rural character.

Although these easements were initiated before our Buffer Project (Spring 2006 newsletter), they are our first easements on the Raisin, and they fulfill its intent. We plan to continue to work with landowners and other groups to ensure that more of these treasures will be preserved. Please contact us if you would like more information about these efforts.

River Raisin CREP Conservation Easements near Blissfield. Click to enlarge.

RVLT Easement Facts & Figures

(1) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program - compensates farmers who take environmentally sensitive land out of farming (Winter 2007 newsletter)

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