INVESTIGATIONS INTO ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF LAND-USE DECISIONS - A STUDY OF INLAND LAKE WATERSHEDS IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN^ TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 1 John E. Gannon and Mark W. Paddock in cooperation with project staff of the Northern Michigan Environmental Research Program The University of Michigan Biological Station Pellston, Michigan 49769 December 1974 Reprinted June 1978 l~hisinvestigation was supported by grant no. AEN72-03483 (formerly GI-34898) from the National Science Foundation, and this publication represents a progress report of research completed to date. Any opinions, findings or conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. TABLE.. OF CONTENTS Page I . STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES . Need for Research .... 1 I1 . DESCRIPTIONOFSTUDYAREA ............. 6 111 . METHODS AND MATERIALS ............... 15 A . Aquatic .................... 15 Morphometric Features ........... 15 Physical-Chemical Parameters ........ 21 Biological Parameters ........... 25 Data Storage. Retrieval and Manipulation . 2 7 B . Terrestrial .................. 44 Site Selection ............. 44 Lab Analyses .............. 48 C . Social .................. 50 Definition of the Population to be Studied .............. 50 Estimating the Number of Housing Units . 51 Delineation of Study Area ........ 52 Sampling ............... 54 Listing ................. 57 Selecting the Respondent ........ 57 IV . RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . PROGRESS TO DATE ..... 62 A . Aquatic ................... 62 Natural Resource Inventory ......... 62 Lake Watersheds ............. 63 Morphometric Features of Lakes ...67 Water Quality Characteristics .... 87 Page Lake Ranking Based Upon Sensitivity to Human Impact .............. 118 Historical Perspectives ......... 119 Paleolimnological Indicators of Change . 123 Lake Ranking .............. 128 Early Indicators of Water Quality Change 141 B . Terrestrial .................. 161 Ground Water Nutrient Analyses ....... 161 Groundwater .............. 162 Lake Shoreline Soils ............ 176 Information Sources and Compilation ... 177 Current and Future Work ......... 178 A Preliminary Nitrogen and Phosphorus Budget for Selected Watersheds ..... 181 Nutrient Input by Precipitation ..... 183 Nutrient Input by Stream Drainage .... 185 Septic Tank Drainage .......... 189 C . Wetlands .............. 203 Relationship of Wetlands to Lake Water Quality ................. 203 D . Social .................... 216 Sampling ................. 217 Designing the Instruments ......... 219 Conducting Interviews ........... 221 Code Development and Data Preparation ... 221 Next Steps During the Grant Period ....222 UTILIZATION .................... 224 Background ................. 224 Page Usercommittee ............... 227 Michigan Department of Natural Resources . 229 Upper Great Lakes Regional Commission ..232 Regional Planning and Development Commissions ............... 232 Cheboygan County .............. 233 Emmetcounty ................ 234 Townships ................. 235 Lake Associations ............. 236 The Michigan Lake and Stream Association . 239 Bonnett Waste Disposal Project ....... 240 LakeKathleen ............... 242 TwinLakes ................. 243 Environmental Associations ......... 244 Field Contacts ............... 245 The Media ................. 245 Othercontacts ............... 245 Publications ................ 247 VI . CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........... 248 VII . REFERENCESCITED ................. 251 A . Aquatic. Wetlands. and General ........ 252 B . Terrestrial .................. 257 VIII . APPENDICES .................... 260 A . Coding Instructions for RANN Data Indices . 262 B . Instructions for Use of RANN . A Conversa- tional Data Retrieval System ........ 265 C . Preliminary Data From the Survey of Lake- Oriented Residents ............. 271 I. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES - Need for Research Northern Michigan's land and water resources have long been held in economic and aesthetic esteem,and for just such reasons, subject to exploitative pressure from the human element, eager to live, work and play in such scenic and naturally abundant surroundings. Further, with today's modern society enjoying increased leisure time, greater mobility and affluence, our prime environmental resources as well as those of Wisconsin, Minnesota and other scenic, water-rich areas are faced with heavy and growing pressure from man's activities. Michigan's sparsely populated northland becomes correspon- dingly attractive to urban dwellers as cities increase in population, pollution and crime. Consequently, lakes and rivers important to the north's unique ecology become highly desirable as "get-away" spots; increasing the danger of rapid "cultural eutrophication", an unnatural and man-made speeding up of a water body's pollution and aging process. Canals and wetland filling projects appear in an effort to capitalize on and cater to the area's influx of population, both seasonal and permanent. Often such land developments are not planned with area ecology in mind. Proposed sewage systems may be inadequate; the wetlands may be of primary importance to a lake or river's "health", integrity and virtual existance. New industry may be lured to the area in a race for in- creased tax base and employment opportunities, with little P thought for proper placement or control. The recreation industry provides products and places for play and the instigation to use them. However, snowmobiles, trail bikes and other off-the-road recreational vehicles are used irresponsibly; tearing up vital dune grass, disturbing wildlife habitat and shattering the serenity of the woods in all seasons. Highly aware of these and other environmental, economic and recreational problems, northern scenic areas are struggling to provide adequate legislative, planning and consulting resources to their communities. There is an unquestioned necessity in these areas to "demonstrate creative rather than destructive skills if we are to replicate nature or to manage it (McHarg, 1971)." Fortunately, in Northern Michigan's threatened environment, there is opportunity to take creative and preventive action; action which is less costly than rehabilitative programs in the long run, both monetarily as well as aesthetics-lly. As evidence of north-area community and governmental readiness and need for action, a recent (1972) amendment was made to the Michigan Inland Lakes and Streams Act of 1965, giving the Department of Natural Resources control over major modifications of shoreline and submerged lands. Also, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has established an Office of State Land Use Planning to identify areas of critical environmental concern, Northern Michigan among them. Wisconsin, in a recent Supreme Court decision, (Just vs. Marinet Co.), upheld legislation which may be seen as representing a new environmental ethic in its societal protection of natural values. Also, the Upper Great Lakes Regional Commission along with Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources recently completed a five-year program of research and implementation in lake renewal and re- habilitation, related policy issues, and public awareness education. However, as much as there is now the needed trend toward organized zoning regulations, land-use advisory boards and conscientious legislation, planning commissions and the like, such organizations cannot function effectively without facts. They need water quality data, sewage systems advisement, soil analysis, and knowledge of land use characteristics; as well as a meter of the public attitude toward lakeland pollution and progress toward rectifying it. They need to know: Where is the major recreational opportunity in the area? How much human impact can that area withstand? Where is the agricultural heartland? Where are the best forest locations? Where are the best sites for urbanization? It is here that the University of Michigan Biological Station can intercede with historical, aquatic, terrestrial and social data accumulated from our program concerned with ecological and sociological determinations of land-use decisions. Our program objectives relate to Northern Michigan's land use problems on three separate yet integrated levels: aquatic, terrestrial and social. Thus far, our study has allowed for accumulation of valuable data in all three areas. It may be noted, however, that more information has been collected in aquatic sections; stemming from the fact that aquatic research was included in the pilot program, whereas social and terrestrial research areas have been more recently implemented. With progression of the study, nutrient budget analysis of specific inland watersheds have come to demand close cooperation between the aquatic and terrestrial portions of the study, Social science research has found it necessary to integrate both aquatic and terrestrial resources into assessing lake and river property owners1 perception of their environment. Both the terrestrial and social science areas have been augmented by additional historical research, and to the social science area has been added the resources of CRUSK (Center for Research and Utilization of Scientific Knowledge), part of the University's Institute for Social Research complex. Such a resource will give much needed assistance in putting scientific knowledge across to potential users in understandable terms. Our public information scientist has been established as a community consulting resource and has already felt