Elk River Chain of Lakes Are Included in This Report
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Elk River 2010 Report Bellaire Lake Ben-way Lake Clam Lake Elk Lake Elk River Ellsworth Lake Hanley Lake CIntehrmediateaLake Siixminle Lake Skeogemog Lfake St. LClaire Laake Torckh Lake eWilson Ls ake What attracts people to Northern Michigan? In general, 20 years. The Volunteer Lake Monitoring program was people come north to enjoy the natural beauty of the area's started in 1984 and has relied on hundreds of dedicated pristine ecosystems, but if asked for one specific landscape volunteers who monitor water clarity, algae abundance, feature, most would undoubtedly say our "lakes". Lakes define phosphorus levels and more. We are pleased to cooperate with the landscape of Northern Michigan and sustain local many lake associations in the area that have monitoring economies, providing stunning views, abundant fisheries, programs as well. In addition to monitoring, the Watershed and tremendous recreational opportunities. Council has worked with lake shoreline owners and lake organizations on a variety of projects to protect the lakes In the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council service area there scattered throughout Northern Michigan. Projects carried are nearly 60 lakes greater than 100 acres in size, and 14 out on these lakes have ranged from comprehensive of these are among the State’s largest with over 1,000 aquatic plant surveys to shoreline restoration projects. acres of lake-surface area. The region also boasts some of Details about recent water resource management initiatives the State’s deepest lakes with five lakes having maximum in the Elk River Chain of Lakes are included in this report. depths of 100 feet or more. A few of these “giants” are found within the Elk River Chain of Lakes, including Torch Lake We hope you find this report both informative and helpful. with over 18,000 acres of surface area and 300 feet of If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please depth and Elk Lake with over 8,000 acres and 200 feet contact Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council at (231) 347-1181 deep. In fact, all 14 lakes in the chain have qualities that or visit our website at www.watershedcouncil.org . allure and captivate residents and visitors fortunate enough to experience the enchanting natural beauty of these aquatic treasures first hand. The Elk River Chain of Lakes drains a 321,000-acre watershed , beginning at its serene headwaters near East Jordan and emptying into the majestic deep blue waters of East Grand Traverse Bay at Elk Rapids. The sinuous chain first flows north from Beals to Scotts, through Sixmile and on to St. Clair Lake. Near the town of Ellsworth, the chain turns 180 degrees and heads south through Ellsworth, Wilson, Ben-way , Hanley and Intermediate Lakes. South of the town of Bellaire, the chain begins to open up, jogging south, west, south and west again through typically larger lakes, from Lake Bellaire to Clam and Torch Lakes, then to Lake Skegemog and Elk Lake before emptying into Lake Michigan. The combined surface area of all fourteen lakes is 34,420 acres – a veritable wealth of water resources! Over the last few decades, the Watershed Council has put forth great effort to preserve the Elk River Chain of Lakes an d ensure it remains a high quality resource for the enjoyment of future generations. Water quality of the region’s lakes, both large and small, has been monitored by staff and volunteers alike, providing valuable data on the overall health of our waters. Our cornerstone water quality monitoring programs include Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring and Volunteer Lake Monitoring. The Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring program is run by Watershed Council staff who have monitored water quality of Northern Michigan’s lakes and streams for over Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring the state. Data collected from the Elk River Chain of Lakes Water Quality Trends show that pH levels consistently fall within this range, with in the Elk River Chain of Lakes a minimum of 6.76 (Ellsworth, 1992) and a maximum of 8.56 (Ben-way, 2001). Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council has consistently monitored water quality throughout the Elk River Chain of Lakes since Dissolved Oxygen 1992. Starting on just 10 lakes in 1987, the Watershed Oxygen is required by almost all organisms, including those Council’s Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Program that live in the water. Oxygen dissolves into the water from has expanded to include over 50 lakes and rivers throughou t the atmosphere (especially when there is turbulence) and Northern Michigan. An incredible amount of data has been through photosynthesis of aquatic plants and algae. State law generated from this program and utilized by the Watershed requires that a minimum of 5 to 7 parts per million (PPM) be Council, lake and stream associations, local governments maintained depending on the lake type. Dissolved oxygen and regulatory agencies in an effort to protect and improve levels recorded at mid-depth and at the surface in the Elk the water resources that are so important to the region. River Chain of Lakes have consistently exceeded State minimums, ranging from 5.1 PPM (Ben-way, 1998) to 13.6 Every three years, Watershed Council staff head into the PPM (Elk, 2007). On several occasions, dissolved oxygen field as soon as ice is out to monitor lakes and rivers spread levels near the bottom of the smaller lakes have been below across the tip of the mitt. Over 60% of the region’s lakes 5 PPM. Oxygen depletion at the bottom is typical for many lakes, greater than 100 acres in size, and all major rivers are included though it can be an indicator of water quality impairment. in the program. In each of these water bodies, the Watershed Council collects a variety of data, including parameters such Conductivity as dissolved oxygen, pH, chloride, phosphorus and nitrogen. Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to conduct an Information gathered in the Comprehensive Water Quality electric current, which is dependent upon the concentration Monitoring Program has proven to be very useful. The data are of charged particles (ions) dissolved in the water. Research used by the Watershed Council and others to characterize shows that conductivity is a good indicator of human impacts water bodies, identify specific problems and examine trends on aquatic ecosystems because levels usually increase as over time. One obvious trend found by analyzing data from population and human activity in the watershed increase. this program is that chloride (a component of salt) levels Readings on lakes monitored by the Watershed Council have increased significantly in many water bodies during have ranged from 175 to 656 microSiemens ( µS), and in the the last 22 years. Why? We need not look any farther than Elk River Chain of Lakes, ranging from a low of 246 µS (Torch, ourselves to find the answer as we use salt in everything 2007) to a high of 536 µS (St. Clair, 1998). Conductivity levels from de-icing to cooking. increase throughout the Upper Chain and then drop considerably downstream of Bellaire. This phenomenon The following pages contain descriptions of the types of may be the result of heavy groundwater inputs in the Upper data collected in the program as well as select data from Chain because groundwater in this area tends to have the Elk River Chain of Lakes. We have also included charts relatively high conductivity as compared to surface water. to provide a graphic display of trends occurring in the lake. For additional information about the Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Program please visit our web site at www.watershedcouncil.org/protect Parameters and Results pH pH values provide a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of water. Measurements above 7 are alkaline, 7 is considered neutral, and levels below 7 are acidic. When pH is outside the range of 5.5 to 8.5, most aquatic organisms become stressed and populations of some species can become depressed or disappear entirely. State law requires that pH be maintained within a range of 6.5 to 9.0 in all waters of 2 tions in streams discharging into lakes not exceed 50 parts pe r billion (PPB). Phosphorus is normally found at concentrations of less than 10 PPB in high quality surface waters. In the Elk River Chain of Lakes, total phosphorus concentrations have nearly uniformly decreased over time. For example, total phosphorus levels in Wilson Lake have dropped dramaticall y from an average of over 20 PPB in 1995 to less than 5 PPB in 2007. This drop may be partially due to greater awareness on the part of watershed residents regarding impacts of nutrient pollution and a consequent decrease in inputs. However, invasive zebra mussels have now colonized all water bodies in the Chain from Sixmile Lake downstream and are known to disrupt the natural nutrient cycling process , Kevin Cronk, Monitoring & Research Coordinator for Tip of the Mitt Watershed Counci,l collecting data in the Chain of Lakes area. which often leads to decreased phosphorus concentrations in open water. Chloride Chloride, a component of salt, is present naturally at low levels in Northern Michigan surface waters due to the marine origin of bedrock (typically < 5 PPM). Chloride is a “mobile ion,” meaning it is not removed by chemical or biological processes in soil or water. Many products associated with human activities contain chloride (e.g., de-icing salts, water softener salts, and bleach). Although most aquatic organisms are not affected until chloride concentrations exceed 1,000 PPM, increasing chloride concentrations are indicative of other pollutants associated with human activity (such as automotive fluids from roads or nutrients/bacteria from septic systems) reaching our waterways.