Why it Matters: The Two Hearted River watershed in Luce County provides a unique opportunity for The Nature Conservancy to demonstrate effective conservation of an entire watershed. The watershed is a critical target for conservation because it contains more than 180 square miles of high-quality wetlands, forests, small lakes, streams and rivers–diverse terrestrial and aquatic systems– that sustain myriad species in the Northern Great Lakes region.

The Two Hearted River watershed makes up part of a much larger forested system spanning the entire width of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the top third of the Lower Peninsula. As a result of prior industrial timber harvesting, the Two Hearted forests lacks the habitat diversity and maturity necessary to support biodiversity. We are employing sustainable forestry practices in order to restore diversity to these forests.

Also threatening the health of the Two Hearted watershed are poorly designed road stream crossings that impair waterway connectivity, increase sediment loads in the river and negatively impact fish populations, water quality, and the health of the river as a whole.