MUSKEGON, Mich. — Muskegon Lake is set to be delisted as an Area of Concern (AOC) after nearly 40 years, creating new opportunities for recreation and economic development in the community.
WATCH: 'New opportunities': Restoration celebration for Muskegon, lake set to be delisted as Area of Concern
"Today we're here to celebrate all of the investments that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made in Muskegon Lake," said Kathy Evans, Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership board member.
Earlier this month, FOX17 spoke with Erin Kuhn, Executive Director at the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission.
Kuhn shared the restoration project has successfully cleaned up at least 84 acres of wetlands and over 20,000 feet of shoreline, transforming the once-polluted lake into a recreational destination.
WATCH: Muskegon Lake to be removed from Areas of Concern list after decades of restoration
The lake's restoration is also playing a crucial role in Muskegon's downtown redevelopment efforts.
"Developers started coming to Muskegon when they heard that we were making progress as an Area of Concern," Evans said.
Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson emphasized the lake's historical importance to the community's economy.
"From an economic perspective, we're getting new opportunities now, thanks to all of this collaborative effort," Mayor Johnson said. "As we're moving forward with development, it's important that we're not developing every square inch of the shoreline, that we're preserving space for green space."
Mayor Johnson believes the legacy of pollution and heavy contamination kept people away from the lake for years, making these redevelopment efforts crucial for reconnecting the community with this natural resource.
"That's the most critical and fundamental piece of the cleanup of Muskegon Lake," Mayor Johnson said.
The cleanup is not complete, but Evans hopes Muskegon Lake will officially be delisted as an AOC this year.
"We have cleaned up a lot of the contamination that was historical here, but we also now have more opportunities for interaction with the lake, a healthy interaction," Evans said.
This healthy interaction includes fishing from shore, kayaking, and swimming – activities that were once limited due to environmental concerns.
"Cleaning up the environment associated with Muskegon Lake has really spurred on social and economic benefits, more recreational uses, more development in the downtown as well as along the shoreline, more opportunities for people to enjoy Muskegon Lake," Evans said.
Evans is currently working on a Watershed Management Plan to continue community collaboration in the cleanup efforts.
"The story is really about the people and how we learn to work together as a community to get things done," Evans said. "And that's what we're still going to do."
The Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership is in the process of updating their action plan. So, community members with ideas for projects, more public access, or cleanup efforts between now and the end of the year can click here.
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