The Rogue River Watershed Partners (RRWPs) is a community-based nonprofit working to protect, preserve, and promote the Rogue River, its tributaries, and its watershed, which spans 234-square-miles across five counties in west Michigan. The river’s lower 12 miles are designated a State of Michigan Natural River in recognition of the Rogue’s ecological value and its importance to recreation, cold- and warm-water fisheries, and community well-being.
Founded in 2001, RRWPs focuses much of its work in northern Kent County, advancing its mission through education, hands-on stewardship, and collaborative projects. They host open monthly meetings, special events such as their annual spring Rogue River cleanups, and volunteer opportunities that connect residents, students, landowners, and partner agencies with practical tools to care for land and water. In recent years, two Watershed Council grants from EGLE’s Non-Point Source program (along with Kent Conservation District (KCD) as fiduciary) have helped expand these efforts side by side with partners such as Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW), Rockford Sustainability Committee, Kent County Parks, Trout Unlimited, and others, including local agricultural producers.
A recent project highlight: from 2022–2024, RRWPs awarded more than $10,000 in mini-grants to landowners to install riparian buffers that reduce erosion, filter runoff, and improve wildlife habitat. In 2023 RRWPs supported the purchase of a 12-foot no-till drill by the Kent Conservation District to help producers adopt soil- and water-friendly practices. As a result of EGLE grant funding RRWPs was also able to provide watershed education programs reaching over 1,200 K-12 students across northern Kent County with support from LGROW, the Michigan Association of Environmental Professionals (MAEP), and the Sparta Community Foundation.
RRWPs believe in the importance of pairing outreach with on-the-ground science. In partnership with LGROW and MiCorps (Michigan Clean Water Corps), volunteers conduct spring and fall macroinvertebrate surveys that track stream health. The organization also maintains six EnviroDIY water-quality sensors across the watershed – with support from Trout Unlimited – which have tracked temperature, depth, conductivity, and turbidity since 2022. Community members and resource managers use this information to view real-time conditions as well as gather data on long-term trends. Additional field initiatives include the watershed’s first native freshwater mussel sampling (2024) and Clean Boats, Clean Waters outreach to prevent aquatic invasive species—complete with new AIS awareness signs installed at five public access sites and one private site in the watershed (2025).
From river cleanups to riparian plantings, from classroom lessons to community science, RRWPs is cultivating a growing network of local stewards who care for the Rogue today—and safeguard it for future generations. To explore current projects, view live sensor data, or find upcoming volunteer events, visit the Rogue River Watershed Partners at rogueriverwp.org. For questions or to get involved, email rrwpartners@gmail.com.
West Michigan Conservation Network 