Restoring a coldwater tributary to the Au Sable River Watershed
 Indian Creek is a small, coldwater tributary to the Au Sable in Iosco County. The stream passes through USDA Forest Service Land and a power line corridor, which is also crossed by a designated off-road vehicle (ORV) trail. While most users stay on the legal trail, a few cross into the power line, digging ruts on the sandy hills and through the wetland surrounding the stream. In doing this, the users are loosening sand and other sediments and destabilizing the streambank. Sediment runoff is the number one threat to fish habitat in our area, and related streambank erosion is close behind. Fish use small tributaries like Indian Creek to spawn, so it is important to keep the habitat quality high throughout the smaller streams in a large watershed so that the overall fishery is healthy.
In addition, reducing disturbances improves habitat for deer, birds, and many others like the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. This power corridor is ideal for the snake, which basks on the hot, sandy hills in the summer and lives in the wetland in the winter. Huron Pines staff found one of these snakes a few feet from the stream while photographing the site. In addition, staff have seen showy ladyslipper orchids near the stream and a large brook trout using the biolog as cover during spawning season.
The Indian Creek Stream Restoration Project is a partnership between Huron Pines, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, USDA Forest Service and Consumers Energy. Through an ORV Restoration Grant from MDNR, Huron Pines organized a project to restrict access to the power line corridor and restore the streambank. Components of the access restriction included:
- 600 feet of cedar post-and-rail fencing and livestock gates (with locks to allow access for power line maintenance)
- 200 feet of metal guardrail
- 200 feet of large stumps arranged as a barrier
- signage telling that the old access road is closed and the power corridor is private property
Once access to the power line was restricted, restoration of the damaged hills and streambanks occurred. The restoration included:
- 140 yards of topsoil
- 20,000 square feet of mulch blanket and grass seed
- 4 Biologs
- 1 truckload of native plants
Work was completed in September  2009 by Huron Pines staff along with Lee Jacques Excavating and J&N Construction. Many of the native plants were donated by the Oscoda Conservation District along with cedar seedlings from Cedars of the Au Sable. Stumps for the stump barrier were donated by the Iosco County Road Commission. Now, the only tracks in the power line belong to whitetails.
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