115 Ontonagon River Assessment Figure
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Ontonagon River Assessment Urban/Industrial 0.1% Open water 4.5% Wetland 15.0% Barren 0.6% Agriculture 5.4% Grassland 0.2% Forest 74.2% Figure 19.–Percent land use in the Ontonagon River watershed. Michigan data from Michigan 1992 NLCD Shapefile by County (2002). Wisconsin data from WISCLAND Land Cover (1998). 115 Ontonagon River Assessment Lake Superior Ontonagon N Rockland 0 2 4 6 Bergland Miles Bruce Crossing Kenton Watersmeet Michigan Wisconson Figure 20.–Stream crossings in the Ontonagon River watershed (includes roads, railroads, and utilities). Stream crossing data derived from MIRIS Base Data (1998). 116 Ontonagon River Assessment 1800 Crooked Lake 1600 Mex-i-min-e Falls Bond Falls dam Watersmeet 1400 1200 Agate Falls 1000 Trout Creek West Branch confluence confluence Elevation above sea level (ft) 800 East Branch Lake confluence Superior Baltimore River confluence 600 0 20 40 60 80 100 River mile Figure 21.–Elevation changes by river mile for the Middle Branch and main stem Ontonagon rivers. 117 Ontonagon River Assessment 18 Impoundment 16 30.6% River 14 28.7% 12 10 20.8% 8 18.2% River miles 6 4 2 1.8% 0 0.0-2.9 3.0-4.9 5.0-9.9 10.0-69.9 >70 (chutes (poor) (fair) (good) (excellent) & waterfalls) Gradient class (ft/mi) Figure 22.–Stream gradient distribution for the Middle Branch Ontonagon River from the origin at Crooked Lake to Agate Falls. Fish habitat ranking in parentheses. 118 Ontonagon River Assessment 16 14 ) 2 12 10 8 6 Specific power (watts/m 4 2 0 5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95% Exceedence Figure 23.–Specific power for the Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Paulding. 119 Ontonagon River Assessment 16 51.4% 14 46.1% 12 10 8 River miles 6 4 2 2.5% 0 0.0-2.9 3.0-4.9 5.0-9.9 10.0-69.9 >70 (chutes (poor) (fair) (good) (excellent) & waterfalls) Gradient class (ft/mi) Figure 24.–Stream gradient distribution for the Middle Branch Ontonagon River from Agate Falls to the confluence with the East Branch Ontonagon River. Fish habitat ranking in parentheses. 120 Ontonagon River Assessment 16 14 ) 2 12 10 8 6 Specific power (watts/m 4 2 0 5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95% Exceedence Figure 25.–Specific power for the Middle Branch Ontonagon River near Trout Creek. 121 Ontonagon River Assessment 14 49.0% 12 10 38.8% 8 6 River miles 4 12.2% 2 0 0.0-2.9 3.0-4.9 5.0-9.9 10.0-69.9 >70 (chutes (poor) (fair) (good) (excellent) & waterfalls) Gradient class (ft/mi) Figure 26.–Stream gradient distribution for the main stem Ontonagon River. Fish habitat ranking in parentheses. 122 Ontonagon River Assessment 16 14 12 ) 2 10 8 6 Specific power (watts/m 4 2 0 5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95% Exceedence Figure 27.–Specific power for the main stem Ontonagon River upstream of the confluence with the West Branch. 123 Ontonagon River Assessment 35 30 ) 2 25 20 15 10 Specific power (watts/m 5 0 5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95% Exceedence Figure 28.–Specific power for the main stem Ontonagon River downstream of the confluence with the West Branch. 124 Ontonagon River Assessment 1600 Upper Dam Lake Gasley Lake 1400 Kenton 1200 Sparrow Rapids 1000 USGS streamflow Jumbo River confluence gauge Onion Falls Elevation above sea level (ft) 800 Middle Branch confluence 600 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 River mile Figure 29.–Elevation changes by river mile for the East Branch Ontonagon River. 125 Ontonagon River Assessment 40 52.2% Impoundment River 30 37.2% 20 River miles 10 10.3% 0.2% 0 0.0-2.9 3.0-4.9 5.0-9.9 10.0-69.9 >70 (chutes (poor) (fair) (good) (excellent) & waterfalls) Gradient class (ft/mi) Figure 30.–Stream gradient distribution for the East Branch Ontonagon River. Fish habitat ranking in parentheses. 126 Ontonagon River Assessment 16 14 ) 2 12 10 8 6 Specific power (watts/m 4 2 0 5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95% Exceedence Figure 31.–Specific power for the East Branch Ontonagon River near Mass City. 127 Ontonagon River Assessment 1700 Kakabika Falls 1600 Cisco Lake 1500 1400 1300 Confluence of Cisco Branch Wolverine Falls and Tenmile Creek to form South Branch 1200 Flannigan Rapids 1100 Elevation above sea level (ft) 1000 West Branch confluence 900 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 River mile Figure 32.–Elevation changes by river mile for the Cisco Branch and South Branch Ontonagon rivers. 128 Ontonagon River Assessment 18 44.5% 16 14 33.4% 12 10 21.4% 8 River miles 6 4 2 0.6% 0 0.0-2.9 3.0-4.9 5.0-9.9 10.0-69.9 >70 (chutes (poor) (fair) (good) (excellent) & waterfalls) Gradient class (ft/mi) Figure 33.–Stream gradient distribution for the Cisco Branch Ontonagon River. Fish habitat ranking in parentheses. 129 Ontonagon River Assessment 16 14 ) 2 12 10 8 6 Specific power (watts/m 4 2 0 5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95% Exceedence Figure 34.–Specific power for the Cisco Branch Ontonagon River near the Cisco Lake outlet. 130 Ontonagon River Assessment 25 69.2% 20 15 River miles 10 19.8% 5 11.0% 0 0.0-2.9 3.0-4.9 5.0-9.9 10.0-69.9 >70 (chutes (poor) (fair) (good) (excellent) & waterfalls) Gradient class (ft/mi) Figure 35.–Stream gradient distribution for the South Branch Ontonagon River. Fish habitat ranking in parentheses. 131 Ontonagon River Assessment 16 14 ) 2 12 10 8 6 Specific power (watts/m 4 2 0 5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95% Exceedence Figure 36.–Specific power for the South Branch Ontonagon River at Ewen. 132 Ontonagon River Assessment 1300 1200 Bergland Dam/ Lake Gogebic South Branch Cascade Creek confluence 1100 confluence 1000 Victoria Dam 900 800 Elevation above sea level (ft) 700 Main Stem confluence 600 0 10 20 30 40 River mile Figure 37.–Elevation changes by river mile for the West Branch Ontonagon River. 133 Ontonagon River Assessment 18 Impoundment 47.6% 16 River 14 12 10 25.7% 8 River miles 6 16.2% 4 8.3% 2 2.2% 0 0.0-2.9 3.0-4.9 5.0-9.9 10.0-69.9 >70 (chutes (poor) (fair) (good) (excellent) & waterfalls) Gradient class (ft/mi) Figure 38.–Stream gradient distribution for the West Branch Ontonagon River. Fish habitat ranking in parentheses. 134 Ontonagon River Assessment 40 35 30 25 20 15 Specific power (watts/m2) 10 5 0 5% 15% 25% 35% 45% 55% 65% 75% 85% 95% Exceedence Figure 39.–Specific power for the West Branch Ontonagon River near Bergland. 135 Ontonagon River Assessment Lake Superior Ontonagon N Rockland 17 0 2 4 6 Bergland 11 15 Miles 12 Bruce Crossing 5 16 Kenton 6 7 1 10 2 4 14 13 8 3 Watersmeet 9 Michigan Wisconson Figure 40.–Registered dams in the Ontonagon River watershed. (See Table 11 for dam descriptions.) 136 Ontonagon River Assessment Lake Superior Ontonagon 8 7 N Rockland 24 22 23 21 6 0 2 4 6 5 Bergland 17 Miles 11 Bruce Crossing 4 16 Kenton 10 18 13 3 9 19 20 15 2 12 14 1 Watersmeet Michigan Wisconson Figure 41.–Waterfalls in the Ontonagon River watershed. (See Table 12 for waterfall descriptions.) 137 Ontonagon River Assessment Lake Superior Ontonagon N Rockland 0 2 4 6 Bergland Miles Bruce Crossing Kenton Watersmeet Michigan Top quality coldwater Wisconson Second quality coldwater Figure 42.–Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division 1967 classification of the Ontonagon River watershed. 138 Ontonagon River Assessment Lake Superior Ontonagon N Rockland 0 2 4 6 Bergland Miles Bruce Crossing Kenton Cold large Cold medium Watersmeet Cold small Cool large Cool medium Cool small Michigan Cool very large Wisconson Warm large Warm medium Figure 43.–Valley segments of the Ontonagon River watershed classified by stream temperature and catchment area (Baker 2006). Mean stream temperature during the first three weeks of July: cold = <66°F, cool = 66–72°F, and warm = >72°F; catchment area at the midpoint of the segment: small (headwater) = 10–40 mi2, medium = 40–179 mi2, large = 180–620 mi2, and very large = >620 mi2. 139 Ontonagon River Assessment Lake Superior Ontonagon N Rockland 0 2 4 6 Bergland Miles Bruce Crossing Kenton Watersmeet Recreational Michigan Scenic Wisconson Wild Wilderness area Figure 44.–Federal wild and scenic rivers within the Ontonagon River watershed and the Sylvania Wilderness Area in the Ottawa National Forest. 140 Ontonagon River Assessment Lake Superior Ontonagon N Rockland 0 2 4 6 Bergland Miles Bruce Crossing Kenton Watersmeet Michigan Ottawa National Forest lands Wisconson State Forest lands Figure 45.–Public land within the Ontonagon River watershed. 141 Ontonagon River Assessment This page was intentionally left blank. 142 .