The Muskegon Wasterwater Again...Why you Ask?

I really do owe you an explanation of why I can spend hours at the Wastewater site.
It's a lot more than the beauty of the scenery.

Part of it's appeal to me is the wonder of the technology that the site has. The ability to take the worst water we can pipe out to it and the worst of the worst waste the factories and foundries sent to it and using the best and most advanced science and advanced safety precautions treat it and return it to the environment, good as new, to be used again. The water from this state of the art facility is as good and sometimes better than the water we started with.

The Wastewater facility even has on site technology that is testing the possibility of this being the first location in Muskegon for a wind farm to produce wind energy for powering homes and businesses with wind turbines.

But really that's a small part of why I love this place so much. The Wastewater uses the land as a final place to clean the water, because of this it has created a working farm and that brings back fond memories of the old homestead Daddy always took us to see when we went to Tennessee to visit family. Plus the uniqueness of the lagoons and the sprinklers, the fields of crops that rotate to enrich the land, the ditches that carry the water to a central location that enhances the oxygen levels of the water before it enters the river and even the huge turbine that creates energy that helps power the Wastewater facility as the last rush flows into the river are all things that create a very unique environment at the Muskegon Wastewater Facility.

This unique environment is different from what you would expect in Muskegon or even the surrounding area because the facility in the process of doing what it does so well created it's own environment. Rich in water resources, and a food supply for both those that eat vegetation and grain and those that are meat eaters. The fields are rich with mice and voles that attract a large variety of hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Goshawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawks are common, Northern Harriers, falcons and shrikes are often seen.

I have seen, Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Short Eared Owls, Screech Owls, Snowy Owls, Whooping Cranes, Sandhill Cranes, Mute Swans, Trumpter Swans, Tundra Swans, Canadian Geese, Snow Geese, Blue Geese, Deer, Coyote, Raccoons, Mink, Opossum, Blue Heron's, many kinds of ducks, and birds, many varieties of butterflies and dragonflies and many other things.

Here I am able to experience habitat, birds, wildlife and a natural environment unique to West Michigan, but still a part of Muskegon County.

Birds watchers from across the state and even the country have traveled here to experience the unusual wildlife attracted to this area because of the Wastewater.

I never get tired of the beauty or the surprises.

I will start with some of my shots from today then some of my favorites that keep me coming back so you will see why I love it so much.

I hope to see you out there some day, wave me down, I would love to give you the guided tour of my favorite  place to enjoy nature.

Susie

 

Here are some of my shots from years past that keep me coming back.