The Clinton River Watershed Council received a grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) in June 2000 to develop a management plan for the Stony Creek subwatershed. MDEQ has established a Watershed Planning Process to aid citizens and local governments in protecting water resources by reducing pollution and engaging in restoration and stewardship projects. The management plan was completed in December 2003 and is now available online. CRWC recieved a second grant in 2004 to develop a plan for Paint Creek, update Stony Creek's plan and implement several projects that were identified as a result of the planning process. Visit the Stony/Paint Subwatershed page for more details on current planning efforts and view the current watershed plan for Stony and Paint Creek Subwatersheds.  Details on Stony Creek implementation projects will be posted soon.

Stony Creek - A Hidden Jewel Stony Creek is a tributary of the Clinton River that flows through portions of Oxford, Addison, Bruce, Oakland, and Washington townships and the cities of Rochester Hills and Rochester before entering the Clinton River just east of downtown Rochester. The subwatershed spans nearly 74 square miles (Download map in PDF format). Between the Main and West branches, Stony Creek is over 35 miles long, with many more miles of smaller tributary streams.

The Stony Creek subwatershed features pristine natural areas, such as the Lakeville Swamp in Addison Township and north unit of Bald Mountain State Recreation Area in Oakland Township, as well as Stony Creek Metropark in western Washington Township. Because much of the land area of the watershed is in private ownership, many people are unfamiliar with the creek (view the Photo Gallery for a glimpse of all Stony Creek has to offer). In fact, Stony Creek and its tributaries flow through more than 2,000 private parcels of land. Stony Creek also has a rich cultural history, with many old mill sites and the historic Van Hoosen Farm, now Rochester Hills Museum. As development advances across this watershed, it is imperative that we protect the beautiful vistas, high quality aquatic ecosystem, and pristine wetlands of Stony Creek.

A Collaborative Effort
The Stony Creek Stewardship Committee was formed several years ago to assist CRWC in a wetlands assessment project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (see Stony Creek Wetlands Assessment Project). The same members agreed to serve on the steering committee for the watershed planning project. The Stewardship Committee consisted of representatives from each of the communities through which Stony Creek flows, as well as county and state agencies, land conservancies, conservation districts, the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, and other watershed stakeholders.