The Macatawa Watershed Association is the operating name of the Lake Macatawa Shoreline Association, an organization established in 1975 to protect natural resources around Lake Macatawa and to educate members and the general public on matters of ecology. Membership in the Association is open to all people concerned about the water quality of Lake Macatawa and the Macatawa Watershed.

We are a citizen advocacy group committed to improving the Watershed's water quality and enhancing the experiences of all the Watershed's users. Our approach is to work with other interested stakeholders and units of government in devising and implementing sustainable practices for improving the health of the Watershed. We are particularly concerned with beach closures on Lake Macatawa, and with eliminating sources of E Coli infiltration into the Watershed's waters.

2009/10 Association
Board of Directors

Russell Radford	President
Jerry Baarman	Past President
Fred Kelley	Treasurer
Judy Beltman	Secretary
Dave Altena	Member

How We Work

Education. We work with urban and rural residents and associations to help improve land management practices. Changing behaviors one person at a time will lead in the long term to the most significant reduction in nitrate and phosphate levels in Lake Macatawa and its tributaries.

Legislation. We work to ensure municipalities, counties, and the State Legislature enact and implement legislation that encourages stewardship of all waters within their respective jurisdictions. Carrots to support appropriate new behaviors are important, but sticks to help eliminate old, undesirable behaviors also have their place.

Volunteering. We volunteer our time working in partnership with other groups on improving the regional environment. We also volunteer to monitor water quality and work on programs that focus on eliminating pollutants from Lake Macatawa and the watershed.