Svensson Park in Whitehall is one of the nine habitat restoration sites as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative on White Lake. This view shows a part of the natural filter system for stormwater runoff before it enters the lake.

The celebration will include a closing event and tours for the White Lake Shoreline Habitat Restoration Project.

The closing ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at the Ellenwood Landing Marina Clubhouse, 8560 Ellenwood Estates Drive, Montague. Confirmed speakers for the closing event include: Richard Hobrla, Michigan Office of the Great Lakes; Jeff Auch, executive director of the Muskegon Conservation District and chair of the White Lake Public Advisory Council; Ken Mahoney, chairman of the Muskegon County Commission and vice-chair of the White Lake Public Advisory Council; Kevin Erb, mayor of the city of Montague; Scott Huebler, city manager for the city of Whitehall; Joe Branch of OxyChem/Glenn Spring Holding; David Schultz of Schultz Land and Water Consulting, Inc., and a representative of Weesies Brothers Farms, Inc.

There will also be 30-minute tours of the sites that are scheduled throughout the day. Attendees can take one, several or all of the tours and are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and be present at the sites at the scheduled times. The tours will take place regardless of weather, unless conditions are unsafe, with dangerous winds, lightning, and/or heavy rain. There is no cost for the tours and RSVPs are not required.

The tours will be rescheduled for the same times on Saturday, October 27 if weather conditions cause a postponement.

Led by the Muskegon Conservation District, in partnership with the White Lake Public Advisory Council, the U.S. EPA and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the $2.1 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative project restored valuable fish and wildlife habitat at nine public and private sites on White Lake’s shoreline. Completion of the project will result in increased diversity of wetland plants, healthier habitat for fish and wildlife, improved water quality, and more aesthetically pleasing shorelines. It will also address two problems, or Beneficial Use Impairments identified for White Lake – Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat and Degraded Fish and Wildlife Populations.

The 18-month project also helps to remove White Lake from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. White Lake is one of 14 Areas of Concern in Michigan. See the Muskegon Conservation District website, www.muskegoncd.org, for more information about the project.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades, developed by a task force of 11 federal agencies to address: cleaning up toxics and Areas of Concern; combating invasive species; promoting nearshore health by protecting watersheds from polluted runoff; and restoring wetlands and other habitats.