Fisheries Special Report 38, Ann Arbor
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ATUR F N AL O R T E N S E O U M R T C R E A S STATE OF MICHIGAN P E DNR D M ICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SR38 March 2006 Conservation Guidelines for Michigan Lakes and Associated Natural Resources Richard P. O’Neal and Gregory J. Soulliere www.michigan.gov/dnr/ FISHERIES DIVISION SPECIAL REPORT 38 MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FISHERIES DIVISION Special Report 38 March 2006 Conservation Guidelines for Michigan Lakes and Associated Natural Resources Richard P. O’Neal and Gregory J. Soulliere MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR) MISSION STATEMENT “The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the State’s natural resources for current and future generations.” NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION (NRC) STATEMENT The Natural Resources Commission, as the governing body for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, provides a strategic framework for the DNR to effectively manage your resources. The NRC holds monthly, public meetings throughout Michigan, working closely with its constituencies in establishing and improving natural resources management policy. MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES NON DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) provides equal opportunities for employment and access to Michigan’s natural resources. Both State and Federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, sex, height, weight or marital status under the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 as amended (MI PA 453 and MI PA 220, Title V of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act). If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility, or if you desire additional information, please write: HUMAN RESOURCES Or MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL RIGHTS Or OFFICE FOR DIVERSITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES CADILLAC PLACE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE PO BOX 30028 3054 W. GRAND BLVD., SUITE 3-600 4040 NORTH FAIRFAX DRIVE LANSING MI 48909-7528 DETROIT MI 48202 ARLINGTON VA 22203 For information or assistance on this publication, contact the MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Fisheries Division, PO BOX 30446, LANSING, MI 48909, or call 517-373-1280. TTY/TDD: 711 (Michigan Relay Center) This information is available in alternative formats. ATUR F N AL O R T E N S E O U M R T C Printed under authority of Michigan Department of Natural Resources R E A S P E DNR D Total number of copies printed 100 — Total cost $613.75 — Cost per copy $6.14 M ICHIGAN Conservation Guidelines for Michigan Lakes Suggested Citation Format O’Neal, R. P., and G. J. Soulliere. 2006. Conservation guidelines for Michigan lakes and associated natural resources. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Special Report 38, Ann Arbor. ii Conservation Guidelines for Michigan Lakes Table of Contents List of Figures......................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables........................................................................................................................... v List of Appendices.................................................................................................................. vi Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Natural Resources of Lakes and Management Considerations.............................................. 3 Characteristics of Michigan lakes............................................................................................ 5 Ecological features and processes of lakes and wetlands...................................................... 7 Water Quality ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Trophic State..................................................................................................................................... 10 Uplands, Including the Shoreline Ecotone........................................................................................12 Littoral Zone ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Pelagial and Profundal Zones........................................................................................................... 14 Bogs .................................................................................................................................................. 15 Beaver Impoundments...................................................................................................................... 15 Wetland Habitats............................................................................................................................... 15 Stresses and Threats to Natural Resources of Michigan Lakes ........................................... 17 Cumulative Effects of Small Modifications to Habitat ....................................................................... 18 Artificial Drainage.............................................................................................................................. 21 Water Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen...................................................................................... 21 Nutrient, Pesticide, and Chemical Pollutants....................................................................................21 Dams and Lake-Level Control .......................................................................................................... 22 Non-indigenous Species ................................................................................................................... 22 Shoreline Development..................................................................................................................... 23 Dredging and Filling .......................................................................................................................... 23 Aquatic Vegetation Control ............................................................................................................... 25 Swimmer’s Itch Control..................................................................................................................... 28 Boating and Shipping........................................................................................................................ 28 Resource Conservation Opportunities and Management Guidelines ................................... 28 Resource Assessments and Management Plans............................................................................. 29 Overall Development ........................................................................................................................ 29 Water Quality .................................................................................................................................... 30 Shoreline Development..................................................................................................................... 30 Dredging and Filling .......................................................................................................................... 31 Aquatic Vegetation............................................................................................................................ 31 Swimmer’s Itch.................................................................................................................................. 33 Dams and Lake-Level Control .......................................................................................................... 33 Non-indigenous Species ................................................................................................................... 33 Research........................................................................................................................................... 33 Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................34 Figures .................................................................................................................................. 35 Tables ................................................................................................................................... 40 References............................................................................................................................ 42 Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 52 iii Conservation Guidelines for Michigan Lakes List of Figures Figure 1. Lacustrine zones. Figure 2. Frequently observed ontogeny of shallow lake systems through marsh and swamp stages to dry landscape or to raised peat bog. Figure 3. Representation of the major pathways of the runoff phase of the hydrological cycle. Figure 4. Typical thermal stratification of a lake. Figure 5. Common ontogeny of four main types of lakes, each indicating general causal mechanisms regulating the trophic state. iv Conservation Guidelines for Michigan Lakes List of Tables Table 1. Water chemistry values for lakes in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the upper Great Lakes area (including