Big Lake
Milford Commerce
Commerce Lake
Pinckney
South Lyon Hamburg
Baseline (Flook) Dam Dexter
Chelsea Barton Impoundment Ann Arbor
Ypsilanti French Landing Dam
Belleville
Flat Rock N
W E Lake Erie
S
Figure 1.—The Huron River watershed in Southeastern Michigan. The major reaches of the Huron River mainstem. Reach #1 - Big Lake to Commerce Lake; Reach #2 - Commerce Lake to Baseline (Flook) Dam; Reach #3 - Baseline (Flook) Dam to Barton Impoundment; Reach #4 - Barton Impoundment to French Landing Dam; Reach #5 - French Landing Dam to Lake Erie. 116 140 Headwaters 120 Milford 100 0 Kent Lake Commerce Impoundment River mile 08 Barton Argo 06 Geddes Superior Peninsula Ford 04 Belleville Flat Rock 02 Mouth
1.05 1.00 0.95 0.90 0.85 0.80 0.75 0.70 0.65 0.60 0.55 Figure 2.—Elevation changes, by river mile, from the headwaters to the mouth of the Huron River. Major mainstem dams and the Elevation above sea level in feet (thousands) feet in level sea above Elevation impoundments they create are shown. are create they impoundments
117 Spawning habitat
migrations
migrations
Refuge habitat daily migrations Feeding and growth winter habitat drought
Figure 3.—The basic life cycle of stream fish with respect to habitat use (modified from Schlosser 1991). 118 Milford Commerce
Pinckney
South Lyon Hamburg
Dexter
Chelsea
Ann Arbor Ypsilanti
Belleville
N Flat Rock
W E
Lake Erie S
Figure 4.—Approximate locations of dams in the Huron River watershed. 119 Dec Nov Oct No Storage With Storage Sep Aug Jul Months Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 0
80 60 40 20
200 180 160 140 120 100 Discharge (cubic feet per second) per feet (cubic Discharge Figure 5.—Median monthly Huron River discharge from Kent Lake, with and without the effect of Kent Lake reservoir. Lake of Kent with and without the effect Lake, from Kent discharge Figure 5.—Median monthly Huron River
120 0 e Commerc Ann Arbor Hayes Creek S. Ore Creek Portage Creek Mill Creek Percent exceedence Au Sable 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 5 0 0 0 0 0 0
6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.
median flow median Standardized discharge (Q / 50%Q) / (Q discharge Standardized Figure 6.—Standardized high flow exceedence curves for the mainstem Huron River at Commerce and Ann Arbor and for four major tributaries. tributaries. major four for and Arbor Ann and Commerce at River Huron mainstem the for curves exceedence flow high 6.—Standardized Figure is the discharge; 50%Q is the median discharge. stations for period of record. Q is the discharge; gauge Information from US Geological Survey
121 95 Au Sable 90 85 80 75 70 Percent exceedence 65 e 60 Commerc Ann Arbor Hayes Creek S. Ore Creek Portage Creek Mill Creek 55 50 0 8 6 4 2 0
1. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.
median flow median Standardized discharge (Q / 50%Q) / (Q discharge Standardized Figure 7.—Standardized low flow exceedence curves for the mainstem Huron River at Commerce and Ann Arbor and for four major tributaries. tributaries. major four for and Arbor Ann and Commerce at River Huron mainstem the for curves exceedence flow low 7.—Standardized Figure is the discharge; 50%Q is the median discharge. stations for period of record. Q is the discharge; gauge Information from US Geological Survey
122 0 e i g Commerc Milford New Hudson Hambur Dexter Ann Arbor Ypsilant Percent exceedence Au Sable 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 5 0 0 0 0
4. 3. 2. 1.
Standardized discharge (Q / 50%Q) / (Q discharge Standardized median flow median Figure 8.—Standardized high exceedenceflow curves for locations seven on the Information Huron from River. US Geologicalgauge Survey is the discharge; 50%Q is the median discharge. stations for period of record. Q is the discharge;
123 95 Au Sable 90 85 80 75 70 Percent exceedence 65 e i g 60 Commerc Milford New Hudson Hambur Dexter Ann Arbor Ypsilant 55 50 0 8 6 4 2 0
1. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.
median flow median Standardized discharge (Q / 50%Q) / (Q discharge Standardized Figure 9.—Standardized low flowexceedence curves for seven locations on the Huron Information River. from US Geological Surveygauge is the discharge; 50%Q is the median discharge. stations for period of record. Q is the discharge;
124 US Geological Survey gauging station
Ratio Classes 1.0 - 2.0 very good 2.1 - 5.0 good 5.1 - 10.0 fair > 10.1 poor
Milford Commerce
4.75 4.17 6.87 8.57 4.50
Pinckney
South Lyon Hamburg
25.91 6.64 Dexter
9.3 Chelsea
Ann Arbor
Ypsilanti
10.18 Belleville 6.61
Flat Rock N
W E
Lake Erie
S
Figure 10.—Flow stability patterns in the Huron River watershed, calculated from miscellaneous and short-time frame data from the US Geological Survey. Specific ratios for each gauge station are indicated. 125 3 5 10 7 9 2 4 1 8 6
1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 Low monthly flow yield
8 1 7 5 6 10 4 9 2 3
2.00 1.75 1.50 1.25 1.00 0.75 0.50 0.25 High monthly flow yield
8 1 10 2 3 6 9 7 4 5
40 35 10 5 0 Ratio of high monthly flow yield : low monthly flow yield
1 Huron R. @ Commerce 8 Mill Ck. near Dexter 2 Huron R. @ Milford 9 Huron R. @ Ann Arbor 3 Huron R. @ New Hudson 10 Huron R. @ Ypsilanti 4 South Ore Creek near Brighton N. Br. Kawkawlin River 5 Huron R. near Hamburg near Kawkawlin 6 Portage Ck. near Pinckney White River @ White Hall 7 Huron R. near Dexter Au Sable River @ Grayling
Figure 11.—Low and high monthly flow yields and their ratios for 10 sites in the Huron River watershed and the north branch of the Kawkawlin River, the White River, and the Au Sable River. Solid symbols indicate trout stream. 126 24 16 3-22-90 8 24 Hour 16 3-21-90 8 0
500
2500 2000 1500 1000 Cubic feet per second per feet Cubic Figure 12.—Daily discharge patterns at Ann Arbor, downstream of Argo Dam, for March 21-22, 1990 (data from US Geological Survey) illustrating flow instability at this location. Straight line is the two-day average discharge at this gauge. at this discharge average instability at this location. Straight line is the two-day illustrating flow
127 s 136 Headwater 119 102 93.46 5 River mile h 0 17 34 51 68 8 0 Mout
20 10
100
) Gradient (feet per mile per (feet Gradient Figure 13.—Gradient (elevation change in feet per mile) of the Huron River. Gradient is shown without existing dams or lake-level control structures.
128 10.0-69.9 Great Lakes Hydro Impoundment River 5.0-9.9 Gradient class (ft/mi) Gradient 3.0-4.9 0.0-2.9
0.0
90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 River miles River Figure 14.—Gradient classes and length of river in each, separated by water type, for the Huron River. in each, separated by water Figure 14.—Gradient classes and length of river
129 70.0-149.9 Impoundment Flowage River 10.0-69.9 5.0-9.9 Gradient class (ft/mi) Gradient 3.0-4.9 0.0-2.9
5.0 0.0
35.0 30.0 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 River miles River Figure 15.—Gradient classes and length of river in each, separated by water type, for the Huron River mainstem from Big Lake to Commerce Lake.
130 10.0-69.9 Impoundment River 5.0-9.9 Gradient class (ft/mi) Gradient 3.0-4.9 0.0-2.9
5.0 0.0
35.0 30.0 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 River miles River Figure 16.—Gradient classes and length of river in each, separated by water type, for the Huron River mainstem from Commerce Lake to Baseline (Flook) Dam.
131 5.0-9.9 River 3.0-4.9 Gradient class (ft/mi) Gradient 0.0-2.9
5.0 0.0
35.0 30.0 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 River miles River Figure 17.—Gradient classes and length of river in each, separated by water type, for the Huron River mainstem from Baseline (Flook) Dam to Barton Impoundment.
132 10.0-69.9 Hydro Impoundment River 5.0-9.9 Gradient class (ft/mi) Gradient 3.0-4.9 0.0-2.9
5.0 0.0
35.0 30.0 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 River miles River Figure 18.—Gradient classes and length of river in each, separated by water type, for the Huron River mainstem from Barton Impoundment to French Landing Dam.
133 5.0-9.9 Great Lakes Impoundment River 3.0-4.9 Gradient class (ft/mi) Gradient 0.0-2.9
5.0 0.0
35.0 30.0 25.0 20.0 15.0 10.0 River miles River Figure 19.—Gradient classes and length of river in each, separated by water type, for the Huron River mainstem from French Landing Dam to Lake Erie. Dam to Lake
134 Metro Park
State Recreation Area Indian Springs State Game Area Highland Pontiac Lake
Island Lake Huron Meadows
Brighton Milford Gregory Pinckney Unadilla
Pinckney Proud Lake
South Lyon Kensington
Hudson Mills Dexter
Lower Huron Ann Arbor
Ypsilanti
Delhi Dexter-Huron Belleville Waterloo Chelsea
Flat Rock Willow N
Oakwoods
W E Lake Erie
S Point Mouillee
Figure 20.—State of Michigan and Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority lands in the Huron River watershed. 135 Pontiac Lake
Milford
Kent Lake Stocked trout fishery Proud Lake
Hudson Mills - Delhi Smallmouth bass fishery Barton Argo Geddes Dexter Superior
Ann Arbor Ford Ypsilanti Belleville
Angler days per year Belleville *(Following rotenone + restocking)
100,000 Flat Rock 50,000
Potamodromous fishery 10,000 downstream of Flat Rock
Figure 21.—Fishing pressure along the Huron River. Data from Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division, creel census. 136 17, 43, 69, 73, 75, 76 23 Commerce Milford 77
55, 62, 74 4 21 25, 26 5 46 Pinckney 3, 15, 41 South Lyon Hamburg
50 8, 22, 59
Dexter 20, 31, 33, 37, 60, 65 24 Chelsea 58 6, 13, 19, 32, 35, 42, 44, 48, 54, 64, 67, 71, 72, 78, 79, 80 57 14, 16, 39, 63 Ann Arbor
Ypsilanti 7, 9, 10, 11, 34, 45, 51, 52, 66, 68 12, 29, 30, 40 Belleville
61 1, 27, 47, 49 Flat Rock N 56
W E 53 70 Lake Erie 2, 18, 28, 36 S
Figure 22.—Locations of point source discharges subject to National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Numbers correspond to the companies listed in Table 21. 137 Second quality cold water
Top quality warmwater
Second quality warmwater
Milford Commerce
Pinckney
Hamburg South Lyon
Dexter
Chelsea
Ann Arbor
Ypsilanti
Belleville
Flat Rock N
W E Lake Erie
S
Figure 23.—Fisheries Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, stream classifications, 138