LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED PROTECTION PLAN January 2002 UPDATED JUNE 2010 Written By: Sarah U’Ren, Yarrow Wolfe, Matt Heiman, Wayne Swallow For: Lake Leelanau Lake Association, Leelanau Conservancy Lake Leelanau Watershed Protection Plan Final Draft Approved 9-14-2010 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED PROTECTION PLAN 2010 Update Prepared By: Yarrow Wolfe, and Matt Heiman, Leelanau Conservancy; Sarah U’Ren, The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay; Wayne Swallow, Lake Leelanau Lake Association 2002 Edition Prepared By: Matt Heiman, Leelanau Conservancy and Walt Neilson 2002 Edition Contributors: Lake Leelanau Lake Association Mapping: Leelanau Conservancy Layout: Leelanau Conservancy Financial Contributors: Leelanau Conservancy Lake Leelanau Lake Association Many thanks to the Lake Leelanau Watershed Steering Committee: Hugh Farber, Mary Taylor, Wayne Swallow and John Fitzpatrick- Lake Leelanau Lake Association; Steve Christensen- Leelanau County Drain Commissioner; Matt Heiman- Leelanau Conservancy; Sarah U’Ren- The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay; Brett Fessel and Desmond Berry- Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; Patty O’Donnell - Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route/Northwestern Michigan Council of Governments LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED PROTECTION PLAN PARTNERS The Watershed Center of Grand Traverse Bay Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Lake Leelanau Lake Association and Friends of the Lake Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Resource Alliance Leelanau Conservancy Leelanau Conservation District Natural Resources Conservation Service NW Michigan Council of Governments (NWCOG) Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route Leelanau County Bingham, Centerville, Cleveland, Elmwood, Kasson, Leelanau, Leland, Solon, and Sutton’s Bay Townships ii Lake Leelanau Watershed Protection Plan Final Draft Approved 9-14-2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................1 CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION................................................................................8 CHAPTER 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED................10 3.1 LOCATION AND SIZE .......................................................................................11 3.2 WATER BODIES...............................................................................................11 3.3 JURISDICTIONS................................................................................................14 3.4 POPULATION ...................................................................................................16 3.5 LAND USE/LAND COVER ................................................................................17 3.6 GEOLOGY AND SOILS......................................................................................20 3.7 HYDROLOGY AND GROUNDWATER RECHARGE ..............................................24 3.8 WETLANDS .....................................................................................................24 3.9 FISHERIES .......................................................................................................28 3.10 EXISTING WATER QUALITY INFORMATION AND RESULTS FOR LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ...............................................................................................29 3.11 HUMAN HISTORY ..........................................................................................42 3. 12 ECONOMY, TOURISM, AND RECREATION ......................................................44 3.13 STEERING COMMITTEE INVOLVEMENT, STAKEHOLDER SURVEY SUMMARY AND RESULTS….…………………………………….……………………...…....47 3.14 LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED PLAN SUCCESSES SINCE 2002………………50 CHAPTER 4 DESIGNATED AND DESIRED USES .................................................55 4.1 DESIGNATED USES IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN.............................................55 4.2 IMPACTED DESIGNATED USES IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ..................................................................................................61 4.3 DESIRED USES ................................................................................................61 CHAPTER 5 WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS .......................................................63 5.1 THREATENED DESIGNATED USES: POLLUTANTS, SOURCES AND CAUSES.......63 5.2 PRIORITY POLLUTANT RANKING ....................................................................67 iii Lake Leelanau Watershed Protection Plan Final Draft Approved 9-14-2010 5.3 PRIORITY AND CRITICAL AREAS………………………………………………70 5.4 POLLUTANTS OF CONCERN……………………………………………………74 5.5 SPECIAL SOURCES OF CONCERN: STORMWATER, LACK OF RIPARIAN BUFFER, AND MASTER PLANS AND ZONING ORDINANCES…………………………………………………………………..89 5.6 UNDERSTANDING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS……………………………….102 CHAPTER 6 WATERSHED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES………………………… 104 CHAPTER 7 IMPLEMENTATION TASKS…………………………………………112 7.1 SUMMARY OF IMPLEMENTATION TASKS……………………………………...112 7.2 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES……………………………………………..113 7.3 LIST OF IMPLEMENTATION TASKS BY CATEGORY…………………………….121 7.4 INFORMATION AND EDUCATION STRATEGY…………………………………..141 7.5 EVALUATION PROCEDURES…………………………………………………...158 CHAPTER 8 FUTURE EFFORTS………………………………………………….162 CHAPTER 9 CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………………...164 REFERENCES CITED……………………………………………………………….165-168 APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………..169 iv Lake Leelanau Watershed Protection Plan Final Draft Approved 9-14-2010 FIGURES FIGURE 1 LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED BASE MAP ......................................13 FIGURE 2 PUBLIC LANDS/PROTECTED LANDS IN THE WATERSHED .................15 FIGURE 3 LAND USE IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ............................19 FIGURE 4 LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED TOPOGRAPHY ..................................22 FIGURE 5 SOIL ASSOCIATIONS OF THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ...........23 FIGURE 6 COMPOSITE WETLANDS OF THE WATERSHED ................................27 FIGURE 7 SAMPLING LOCATIONS IN THE WATERSHED....................................30 FIGURE 8 MEAN SECHI DISC TRANSPARENCY BY MONTH IN NORTH LAKE LEELANAU ......................................................................................40 FIGURE 9 MEAN SECHI DISC TRANSPARENCY BY MONTH IN NORTH LAKE LEELANAU ......................................................................................40 FIGURE 10 DESIGNATED TROUT STREAMS IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ........................................................................................................57 FIGURE 11 PRIORITY AREAS.............................................................................72 FIGURE 12 CRITICAL AREAS.............................................................................73 FIGURE 13 PHRAGMITES LOCATIONS ON SOUTH LAKE LEELANAU…………. 76 FIGURE 14 ROAD STREAM CROSSING LOCATIONS .............................................86 v Lake Leelanau Watershed Protection Plan Final Draft Approved 9-14-2010 TABLES TABLE 1 PERCENT OF EACH TOWNSHIP W/IN THE WATERSHED ......................14 TABLE 2 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LAND IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED… ........................................................................................................14 TABLE 3 POPULATION AND POPULATION CHANGE ........................................17 TABLE 4 LAND USE/COVER IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ..............18 TABLE 5 GROUPED LAND USE/COVER ..........................................................18 TABLE 6 COMPOSITE WETLAND AREAS IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ...................................................................................26 TABLE 7 NUTRIENT BUDGET FOR SOUTH LAKE LEELANAU (1992-1995) .....37 TABLE 8 NUTRIENT BUDGET FOR NORTH LAKE LEELANAU (1992-1995).....38 TABLE 9 POLLUTANT LOADING FOR PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN FOR LAKE LEELANAU TRIBUTARIES .................................................................39 TABLE 10 LAKE LEELANAU SWIMMERS ITCH QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE….. 45 TABLE 11 STAKE HOLER SURVEY RESULTS SUMMARY TABLE………………..49 TABLE 12 DESIGNATED USES FOR SURFACE WATERS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN........................................................................................55 TABLE 13 SECTIONS OF WATERSHED SUPPORTING DESIGNATED USES..... 58-60 TABLE 14 THREATENED DESIGNATED USES IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ...................................................................................61 TABLE 15 GENERAL DESIRED USES FOR THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ...................................................................................62 TABLE 16 POLLUTANTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS AFFECTING DESIGNATED USES IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED..............63 TABLE 17 POLLUTANTS, SOURCES, AND CAUSES OF WATER QUALITY DEGRADATION IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED (COMPREHENSIVE WATERSHED PROTECTION TABLE) ............. 65-67 TABLE 18 POLLUTANT PRIORITIES FOR THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ..................................................................................68 TABLE 19 POLLUTANT SOURCE PRIORITY RANKING.......................................69 TABLE 20 ROAD STREAM CROSSING HIGH AND MEDIUM PRIORITY LOCATIONS IN THE LAKE LEELANAU WATERSHED ................................................. 84-85 vi Lake Leelanau Watershed Protection Plan Final Draft Approved 9-14-2010 TABLE 21 TYPICAL STORMWATER POLLUTANT CONCENTRATIONS FROM LAND USES IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN ...........................................90 TABLE 22 LAND USE PLANNING TECHNIQUES ................................................96 TABLE 23 MASTER PLAN AND ZONING ORDINANCE STATUS