Programs

*Organize and sponsor the annual Scout Clean-up of the most heavily traveled stretches of the Pere Marquette River.

*Promote and support the Lake County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol in their efforts to control trespassing, rowdyism, and other river user abuses.

*To enhance the quality of life for all Lake County residents, your association makes annual contributions to such events as Troutarama,  the Sounds of the Forest Music Festival, and Hazardous Waste Recycling Day.

*Work closely with other Lake County organizations to preserve and protect the fragile environmental qualities of our streams and rivers.

*Members receive periodic mailings outlining current areas of association involvement as well as any negative or positive “news” that might affect the rights of our members.

*Need a plumber, electrician, or builder?  Members receive an “Approved Provider List” of local service and supply organizations recommended by satisfied customers.

*Annual meeting held for all members to elect volunteer Board of Directors, with speakers of interest, and free lunch.

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Annual Scout Pere Marquette River Clean Up

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   2025 will mark the 61st year for this event.  The event has been held every year with the exception of 2020, due to COVID, and 2005, when the water level in the Pere Marquette River was extremely high and deemed unsafe.  Over the years, as many as 80 scouts have participated in the event.

    This event is a collaborate effort on the part of several groups, all of whom provide an important element to ensure the success of the event.  The Gerald R. Ford Council of Boy Scouts provides the scouts and leaders who canoe identified stretches of the river and collect the trash.  The scouts work in teams to clean a roughly 25 mile stretch of the Pere Marquette, between M-37 and Upper Branch Bridge. 

    In addition to the scouts, the event receives support from key local groups. 

• The Baldwin Canoe Livery provides the canoes and all the equipment. 

• The Dunrovin Conference Center welcomes the arriving scouts with a continental breakfast prior to the launch. 

• During the breakfast, the US Forest Service provides an orientation to the river, covering personal safety and what to expect while canoeing the PM.  The Forest Service also provides an overnight campground site at Bowman’s Bridge for those scouts and leaders who choose to spend the night.  The Forest Service also disposes of all of the litter which has been collected by the scouts.

• The LCRPOA coordinates the event and hosts a lunch for the scouts at Baldwin Canoe Livery. 

• Houseman Foods provides a donation towards the cost of the lunch.  During the lunch, each scout is presented with embroidered patches created by Karen McIntyre of Riventree and donated to the event.  For scouts who have helped in previous years, they receive a patch with the year on it. 

• New this past year is Jone's Ice Cream which provides an ice cream treat for all the scouts, and Baldwin Ace Hardware who donated bug repellant and sunscreen.

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    This year the event is scheduled for Thursday, July 24.  Volunteers from members of the LCRPOA are welcomed to help with car spotting or lunch.