Sand Creek Watershed Project Sand Creek Watershed Management Plan Prepared for Grand Valley Metropolitan Council as part of the Lower Grand River Watershed Project To integrate research, education, and outreach to enhance and preserve freshwater resources Grand Valley Metropolitan Council 40 Pearl St NW, Suite 410 Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 Phone: (616) 77-METRO (776-3876) Fax: (616) 774-9292 Annis Water Resources Institute Grand Valley State University Lake Michigan Center 740 West Shoreline Drive Muskegon, MI 49441 Phone: (616) 331-3749 Local: (231) 728-3601 Fax: (616) 331-3864 www.gvsu.edu/wri This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the assistance agreement to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. SAND CREEK WATERSHED PROJECT SAND CREEK WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN MR-2003-113 Submitted by: Annis Water Resources Institute Grand Valley State University 740 West Shoreline Drive Muskegon, MI 49441 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 3 DESCRIPTION OF WATERSHED...................................................................... 9 3.1 STUDY AREA ............................................................................................ 9 3.2 CLIMATE.................................................................................................... 9 3.3 PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES .............................................................. 13 3.4 POPULATION........................................................................................... 24 3.5 LAND USE................................................................................................ 27 3.6 LOCAL WATERSHED AGENCIES AND INTEREST GROUPS.......... 32 CHAPTER 4 REPORTED CONDITION OF THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED ............... 34 4.1 CONDITIONS REPORTED IN PREVIOUS STUDIES........................... 34 4.2 CONDITIONS REPORTED IN CURRENT STUDIES ........................... 37 CHAPTER 5 DESIGNATED USES ......................................................................................... 46 5.1 DESIGNATED USES IN THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED .............. 46 5.2 PRIORITIZATION OF DESIGNATED USES......................................... 47 5.3 IMPAIRED DESIGNATED USES ........................................................... 47 5.4 IMPAIRMENTS TO DESIGNATED USES............................................. 48 CHAPTER 6 DESIRED USES.................................................................................................. 59 CHAPTER 7 WATER QUALITY GOALS .............................................................................. 60 7.1 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................... 60 7.2 FINAL WATER QUALITY SUMMARY ................................................ 63 CHAPTER 8 CRITICAL AREAS............................................................................................. 64 CHAPTER 9 PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES ............................................. 68 9.1 RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................... 68 9.2 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.................................................................... 68 CHAPTER 10 INFORMATION AND EDUCATION STRATEGY.......................................... 79 CHAPTER 11 METHODS OF MEASURING AND EVALUATING PROJECT..................... 86 11.1 PLANNING PHASE EVALUATION....................................................... 86 11.2 IMPLEMENTATION PHASE EVALUATION ....................................... 91 CHAPTER 12 SUSTAINABILITY............................................................................................. 92 GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................. 95 BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................................................................................................... 96 APPENDICES I FIGURES FIGURE 1 STUDY AREA .................................................................................................... 11 FIGURE 2 SUBBASINS ....................................................................................................... 12 FIGURE 3 TOPOGRAPHIC RELIEF................................................................................... 15 FIGURE 4 TOPOGRAPHIC SLOPE .................................................................................... 16 FIGURE 5 SOIL TEXTURE ................................................................................................. 17 FIGURE 6 HYDROLOGIC SOIL GROUPS ........................................................................ 18 FIGURE 7 EROSION POTENTIAL (K)............................................................................... 19 FIGURE 8 PRIME FARMLAND SOILS.............................................................................. 20 FIGURE 9 SOILS SUITABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT....................................................... 21 FIGURE 10 POPULATION DENSITY .................................................................................. 25 FIGURE 11 POPULATION CHANGE................................................................................... 26 FIGURE 12 PRESETTLEMENT VEGETATION.................................................................. 28 FIGURE 13 LAND USE/COVER ........................................................................................... 29 FIGURE 14 NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY............................................................ 30 FIGURE 15 WETLAND RESOURCES.................................................................................. 31 FIGURE 16 AVERAGE MACROINVERTEBRATE SCORES IN SAND CREEK, 1993-2003............................................................................................................ 38 FIGURE 17 SAND CREEK AVERAGE WEEKLY WATER TEMPERATURE AND RANGE................................................................................................................ 43 FIGURE 18 MONITORING SITES........................................................................................ 57 FIGURE 19 CRITICAL AREAS............................................................................................. 67 II TABLES TABLE 1 TOWNSHIPS AND COUNTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED......................................................................................... 9 TABLE 2 SOILS IN THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED................................................. 22 TABLE 3 LOCAL WATERSHED AGENCIES & INTEREST GROUPS ......................... 33 TABLE 4 DESIGNATED USES FOR SURFACE WATERS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN......................................................................................................... 46 TABLE 5 DESIGNATED USES OF THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED....................... 46 TABLE 6 PRIORITY OF DESIGNATED USES IN THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED..................................................................................................... 47 TABLE 7 MET, IMPAIRED, OR THREATENED DESIGNATED USES OF THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED........................................................................... 47 TABLE 8 SOURCES AND CAUSES OF POLLUTANTS AFFECTING DESIGNATED USES OF THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED....................... 49 TABLE 9 OPEN LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK SITES IN THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED .................................................................. 53 TABLE 10 PART 201 SITES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION IN THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED .................................................................. 54 TABLE 11 SAND CREEK WATERSHED E.COLI DATA ................................................. 58 TABLE 12 DESIRED USES IN THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED ................................ 59 TABLE 13 SHORT TERM GOALS TO ENHANCE DESIRED USES OF THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED........................................................................... 59 TABLE 14 WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED..................................................................................................... 61 TABLE 15 CRITICAL AREA RANKING SCORES FOR SUBBASINS IN THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED........................................................................... 66 TABLE 16 RECOMMENDED IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES FOR THE SAND CREEK WATERSHED........................................................................... 69 TABLE 17 SCHEDULE, COST ESTIMATES, AND POTENTIAL PARTNERS FOR IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES.......................................................... 74 III TABLE 18 PLANNING PHASE EVALUATION TOOLS OPTIONS................................. 87 TABLE 19 POTENTIAL PROJECT EVALUATION QUESTIONS AND TOOL OPTIONS ............................................................................................................ 88 TABLE 20 EVALUATION TECHNIQUES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE................................................................................................................. 91 IV APPENDICES APPENDIX A BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF SAND CREEK APPENDIX B ROAD STREAM CROSSINGS INVENTORY APPENDIX C HYDROLOGIC