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The Betsie River Watershed
The Betsie River is a Michigan Natural River, and is well known for its steelhead and salmon fishery. With its headwaters starting in Green Lake, the Betsie meanders through Grand Traverse, Manistee, and Benzie Counties where it then flows into Betsie Lake and Lake Michigan near the towns of Frankfort and Elberta. The Betsie River is connected to Grass Lake and Crystal Lake, and is home to the Betsie River Pathway trail system. The Betsie River mainstem is 52 miles long and drains a surface area of 259 square miles. The largest tributaries are the Little Betsie and Dair Creek, both valuable for trout spawning habitat with their colder water temperatures and heavily forested corridors.
The Betsie River Watershed Restoration Committee formed in 1991 and is a partnership comprised of 34 private and public organizations, agencies and municipalities that helps oversee conservation-based projects in the watershed.