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The Huron River Worth Billions Of Dollars To Local Economy New Report Reveals

Huron River Watershed Council

You may drive by it, kayak or fish in it, but have you ever thought about how much the Huron River is worth to the local economy?  A new report has been released that puts a price tag on that and 89.1 WEMU's Lisa Barry spoke with Elizabeth Riggs, deputy director of the Huron River Watershed Council about the new findings.

According to Riggs, the Huron River and all of its related natural systems has an economic impact worth close to $4 billion.

The Huron River Watershed Council commissioned Dr. Paul Isleyof Grand Valley State University and his team of researchers for the study.

Now Riggs plans to use the information from the report to make people think about the river system in a new way, from conservation to development.

“It is important information for talking to some of our local decision makers when they make planning decisions and different development decisions to really take into account that the natural systems along the river are playing an important function,” says Riggs.

Riggs says she hopes the report is another big step in changing the discussion about the Huron River.  The council hopes to make it a point of pride among the 650,000 Michigan residents that live within its watershed and cities like Ann Arbor that use it for drinking water.

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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu

Lisa Barry was a reporter, and host of All Things Considered on 89.1 WEMU.
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