Cooks Run

Cooks Run Historic Cabin and Rearing Pond

Sixteen miles west of Iron River along US highway 2, a popular trout stream named "Cooks Run" crosses beneath the highway on its way to feed into the South Branch of the Paint River. A short distance upstream, south of the highway lies a federally listed historic site: a log cabin built as a public works project in the late 1930s, which operated as a fish rearing facility from it construction until 2005. Owned by the county since 1961, fish reared at this facility were annually planted in Iron County lakes and streams.

Over the past two decades the facility and cabin have been in disuse, while County government faces the challenge to either preserve the site or find a way to give authority for its preservation and public use over to another entity. The state of Michigan stipulated in a reverter clause that, "the lands herein described shall be used solely for public purposes, and when same ceases to be used for such purposes, it shall revert to the state of Michigan"; thereby preventing the county from selling any portion of the property to a private interest.

As of 2022, Iron County's Recreation Plan includes Cooks Run historical site on its list of seven county owned properties that have potential for recreational opportunities. Two other parcels, Camp Batawagama and Pentoga Park, already developed and widely used by county residents
and non-residents alike, have been and continue to be a priority for County allocated funding.

Meanwhile, the passage of time is taking its toll on the Cooks Run Cabin in particular, but also the condition of the access drive and the rearing pond infrastructure. The Iron County Watershed Coalition is Interested in contributing in some way to resolving the dilemma of Cooks Run historical site. Through the creation of community supported natural resource education, recreation and historic preservation opportunities of local, regional and national interest, we are confident that the realization of the Cooks Run site's full potential for public use will pay big dividends in strengthening pride in our natural areas and unique historic features that no other locally can boast of.

Stay tuned to see what may come of Cooks Run!

Letter to Iron County Commissioners

Iron County Watershed Coalition

P.O. Box 367

Iron River, Michigan 49935

April 4, 2025

Iron County Board of Commissioners

2 South Sixth St., Suite 7

Crystal Falls, MI 49920

Dear Iron County Commissioners,

The Iron County Watershed Coalition is writing this letter regarding the Iron County owned property in Section 2 (T.43N .- R.37W.) and the Cooks Run stream where it traverses this property. We are aware that there is discussion of timber harvest on the County property and the comments we make in this letter are germane to that planning activity.

The Iron County Watershed Coalition was a supporter and participant in the 2024-25 assessment of ecological conditions of the Cooks Run in the vicinity of the old fish rearing facility. The project was intended to provide scientifically collected information to inform decision making regarding human activities (for example, stream improvement) that might occur in the future along this stretch of the Cooks Run. In planning this study, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources was consulted and provided questions of particular interest to Fisheries Division.

The Cooks Run project was funded by Wilderness Shores Mitigation and Enhancement Fund. The MEF was established by We Energies and funds projects intended to mitigate, improve and enhance fish and wildlife habitat around Wilderness Shores Settlement Agreement hydroelectric projects, which includes portions of Iron, Dickinson and Menominee counties.
The Cooks Run project was conducted by biologists at White Water Associates. The field work took place in 2024 and the final report (Ecological evaluation of the defunct Cooks Run Fish Hatchery and its influence on the stream) was submitted in March 2025. The Iron County Watershed Coalition participated by reviewing project plans, providing historical information, and reviewing project findings and report.

The Iron County Watershed Coalition agrees with the findings of the Cooks Run ecological evaluation and is confident that the evaluation has important and timely application for guiding activities on the County-owned property and in the Cooks Run stream. The following eleven bullets are important statements from the report's concluding chapter.

The Cooks Run in the vicinity of the study area is a high quality and productive coldwater stream as evidenced by spawning brook trout, temperature, habitat, and invertebrate community.
The wetland area bounded by the Diversion Ditch and Cooks Run historic stream channel contributes cool water to the Cooks Run and is a rich wildlife area that benefits the adjacent terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and should be protected from any disturbance.
The concrete abutments that remain from the historic structures are neutral to the Cooks Run channel from an ecological standpoint. Removal of these structures could cause more harm than good.
The Diversion Ditch provides the best habitat conditions for coldwater stream organisms within the study area.
The unnamed tributary is an important source of cold, oxygenated water for the Cooks Run and is a cool water refuge for fish during periods of extreme heat.
Aquatic plants are present in the Cooks Run channel. Even though some of these plants are non-native, all serve to stabilize the sediment and provide habitat for fish and aquatic insects.
Chemical composition of the sediment presents no risk to downstream areas.
Existing old roadways in the study area form the basis for an excellent walking trail system for better public access.
The area has a complex forested riparian area that is critical to the health of the Cooks Run. It provides shade from the sun and contributes woody structure and crucial organic material to the stream. This should be protected from disturbance.
The evaluation did not show evidence of thermal impact from beaver dams.
From an ecological standpoint no restoration efforts are required for the study area. The wetland complex and broad riparian forest should be protected from forest harvest and other invasive activities.

In addition to being familiar with the Cooks Run ecological evaluation, members of the Iron County Watershed Coalition spoke with the White Water biologists who conducted the Cooks Run study. Although it was not part of the MEF study, these biologists observed high quality forested wetland and riparian habitat at the site over the multiple times and seasons that they visited in 2024. This habitat had diverse tree species and age classes. The biologists report that habitat is ideal for a variety of bird species and is very likely to harbor State of Michigan listed species such as Northern Goshawk (threatened), Merlin (threatened), Evening Grosbeak (threatened), Cerulean Warbler (threatened), and Golden-winged Warbler (threatened). This is also potential habitat for the Northern long-eared bat (threatened) and Little brown bat (threatened). There is also good quality habitat for Wood Turtle (threatened).

We ask the Iron County Board to take our comments into consideration in your deliberations regarding activities at the Cooks Run property.

Sincerely,