Plaster Creek Stewards is a collaboration of Calvin University faculty, staff, and students working with local schools, churches, and community partners to restore the health and beauty of the watershed. We focus on research, education, and on-the-ground restoration (working directly to restore the watershed).
The Plaster Creek Watershed occupies approximately 58 square miles, all in metropolitan Grand Rapids, Michigan. The creek itself is about 14 miles long. Its headwaters originate south and east of Grand Rapids, with many of the tributaries coming from agricultural areas around Dutton and Caledonia. The creek flows through commercial and residential areas of the city, and finally through industrial areas and low-income neighborhoods before emptying into the Grand River a mile south of the city center. By the time the creek enters the Grand River is it considered one of the most impaired waterways in West Michigan (read more about the state of Plaster Creek). For more information, view The Story of Plaster Creek, an interactive GIS database of the watershed created by the Geology, Geography, and Environmental Studies department.
“Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.” —Wendell Berry