MUSKEGON, Mich. — Muskegon Lake was officially removed from the list of 'Areas of Concern' this September, after nearly four decades. The delisting marks a major milestone in the lake's restoration, but community leaders say the work is far from over.
WATCH: Muskegon Lake officially removed from 'Areas of Concern' list after nearly 40 years
"We're not done. We have a lot more happening now in this watershed than maybe ever before," said Kathy Evans, a board member of the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership.
Muskegon Lake was designated as an 'Area of Concern' in 1987 due to decades of industrial pollution and environmental degradation.
Now, the delisting opens new opportunities for recreation on the lake and development in downtown Muskegon. An estimated $85 million was invested in the restoration efforts that led to the lake's removal from the list.
"The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership has always worked on projects that were beyond the area of concern. Remedial work, we've always done more restoration and public access than probably people realize," Evans said.
The restoration efforts have been extensive, including the restoration of at least 84 acres of wetlands and over 20,000 feet of shoreline. Despite this progress, the next major project involves finalizing a Watershed Management Plan to continue community collaboration in cleanup efforts.
Mayor Ken Johnson emphasized the lake's importance to the community's identity and economy.
"Muskegon Lake is the heart of our community, and it has been the economic engine of Muskegon since the founding of this city," Mayor Johnson said.
The mayor adds economic development efforts are expanding beyond the lake's immediate shoreline.
"We just launched an economic transformation Action Plan, which is a 10 year blueprint to guide economic development and growth, as well as freshwater stewardship throughout the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River region," Mayor Johnson said.
This plan focuses on developing a green-oriented, blue water-based economy for residents while maintaining the community's core values.
"We're talking about the evolution of Muskegon, the ongoing evolution of Muskegon. We're not looking to transform our community away from something that has been because our community is good at its core, and we have a lot of greatness here," Mayor Johnson said.
The Watershed Management Plan will address ongoing contaminants and environmental concerns while building on the restoration success already achieved.
Neighbors interested in joining the Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership or sharing their thoughts on future restoration efforts can find more information here.
Additionally, this isn't the only project FOX 17 is following involving Muskegon Lake. There's an effort to expand public access through a proposed property realignment.
A portion of the Mart Dock property would become public space and its port operations would be re-located to Fisherman's Landing.
That site's boat ramps, fishing area and most parking spaces would be preserved, but the campground would be removed.
The plan also includes acquiring a 52-acre lot near Fisherman's Landing.
A public Q&A session on this project is set for October 21st.
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