Upper South Branch Thunder Bay River
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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 SR37 February 2006 Thunder Bay River Assessment Tim A. Cwalinski, Neal A. Godby, Jr., and Andrew J. Nuhfer www.michigan.gov/dnr/ FISHERIES DIVISION SPECIAL REPORT 37 Above: Thunder Bay River below Seven Mile Dam, May 2, 1924. Photo courtesy of Brian McNeill, Alpena, Michigan. Cover photo: Log drive atop the Thunder Bay River; location is between Four Mile and Ninth Street dams, but before these dams existed. Photo courtesy of Brian McNeill, Alpena, Michigan. MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FISHERIES DIVISION Special Report 37 February 2006 Thunder Bay River Assessment Tim A. Cwalinski, Neal A. Godby, Jr., and Andrew J. Nuhfer 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 325 — Total cost $4,985.40 — Cost per copy $15.34 M ICHIGAN Thunder Bay River Assessment Suggested Citation Format Cwalinski, T.A., N.A. Godby, Jr., and A.J. Nuhfer. 2006. Thunder Bay River Assessment. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Special Report 37, Ann Arbor. ii Thunder Bay River Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................................iii LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................vii LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................ix LIST OF APPENDICES .............................................................................................xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .........................................................................................xii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................... xiii INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 RIVER ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................. 4 Geography ........................................................................................................................... 4 Mainstem Thunder Bay River - Headwaters to Hillman Dam........................................ 4 Mainstem Thunder Bay River - Hillman Dam to Confluence with the Upper South Branch Thunder Bay River...................................................................................... 5 Upper South Branch Thunder Bay River - Headwaters to Fletcher Pond Dam ............ 5 Upper South Branch Thunder Bay River - Fletcher Pond Dam to mainstem Thunder Bay River.............................................. 5 Mainstem Thunder Bay River - Upper South Branch Thunder Bay River confluence to Four Mile Dam.................. 5 North Branch Thunder Bay River - Headwaters to Montmorency–Alpena County Line ................................................. 6 North Branch Thunder Bay River - Montmorency–Alpena County line to Quinn Creek ................................................. 6 North Branch Thunder Bay River - Quinn Creek to mainstem Thunder Bay River ....... 6 Hubbard Lake tributary - headwaters to Hubbard Lake Dam........................................ 6 Lower South Branch Thunder Bay River - Hubbard Lake Dam to Wolf Creek.............. 6 Wolf Creek - Headwaters to Lower South Branch Thunder Bay River.......................... 6 Lower South Branch - Wolf Creek to confluence with mainstem .................................. 7 Mainstem Thunder Bay River - Four Mile Dam to Ninth Street Dam ............................ 7 Mainstem Thunder Bay River - Ninth Street Dam to Lake Huron–Thunder Bay........... 7 History.................................................................................................................................. 7 Geology ............................................................................................................................. 11 Surface Geology............................................................................................................. 11 Bedrock Geology............................................................................................................ 12 Hydrology........................................................................................................................... 12 Annual Streamflows........................................................................................................ 12 Base Flow and Groundwater Inflows.............................................................................. 13 Streamflow Variability..................................................................................................... 14 Climate ........................................................................................................................... 15 Soils and Land Use Patterns ............................................................................................. 16 Soils and Sedimentation................................................................................................. 16 Past and Present Land Cover ........................................................................................ 17 Land Use ........................................................................................................................ 17 Oil and Gas Development .............................................................................................. 18 iii Thunder Bay River Assessment Channel Morphology.......................................................................................................... 18 Channel Gradient ........................................................................................................... 18 Mainstem Thunder Bay River...................................................................................... 19 Upper South Branch Thunder Bay River..................................................................... 20 North Branch Thunder Bay River................................................................................ 20 Lower South Branch Thunder Bay River..................................................................... 20 Wolf Creek .................................................................................................................. 20 Channel Cross Sections .................................................................................................... 21 Mainstem Thunder Bay River...................................................................................... 21 Upper South Branch Thunder Bay River..................................................................... 22 North Branch Thunder Bay River................................................................................ 22 Lower South Branch Thunder Bay River..................................................................... 22 Wolf Creek .................................................................................................................. 22 Other Tributaries ......................................................................................................... 22 Dams and Barriers............................................................................................................. 23 Effects of Dams on Ecosystems..................................................................................... 24 Temperature/Dissolved Oxygen.................................................................................