A recreational project that brought together 14 units of government from both urban and rural areas across Michigan’s Great Southwest has garnered the prestigious Graham Woodhouse Intergovernmental Effort Award for 2020 as presented by the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission (SWMPC). The award was presented to the Paw Paw River Water Trail (PPRWT) Project.
The award itself was actually presented during a remote meeting held back in mid-December, and is awarded annually for projects that exemplify cooperation between and among governments, non-profits, and private entities. It was established to recognize and reward the partners who execute complex, regional problem-solving that optimizes the use of limited resources. That kind of problem-solving is often much more difficult than traditional methods but the rewards tend to be greater and more far-reaching. The partners involved were deemed deserving for their resourcefulness, dedication, and persistence.
The Paw Paw River Water Trail project involves the establishment and maintenance of a water trail for paddlers along the Paw Paw River. Unlike other water trails on larger rivers, the Paw Paw River flows unobstructed through an extensive floodplain forest corridor for 68 miles from Maple Lake Dam in Paw Paw to its confluence with the St. Joseph River in Benton Harbor, thereby providing a unique nature and wildlife viewing opportunity to paddlers all along the way.
The primary objective of the project was the creation of a regional recreational feature to benefit both local residents and visitors that would be funded, maintained and promoted by a consortium of governmental and non-governmental entities through annual voluntary contributions.
The project brought together 14 units of government from both rural and urban areas. Their collaboration was essential to the project’s success.
Recreational paddling is one of the fastest growing outdoor activities and the PPRWT provides more than 20 different segments ranging from Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced levels of paddling skills. Usage surveys suggest that thousands of paddlers are using the water trail, predominantly from local communities but some from other areas of Michigan and out-of-state. The water trail benefits the local communities and their businesses, and is a significant recreational amenity making these communities more attractive places to live and visit.
The 2020 Graham Woodhouse award was given to the project partners:
- Village of Paw Paw
- Paw Paw Township
- Waverly Township
- Lawrence Township
- Village of Lawrence
- Hartford Township
- City of Hartford
- Pokagon Band of Potawatomi
- Watervliet Township
- City of Watervliet
- Coloma Township
- City of Coloma
- Hagar Township
- Benton Township
- Cornerstone Alliance
- Two Rivers Coalition
- Van Buren Road Commission
- Berrien County Road Department
- Sarett Nature Center
