RIVER WATERSHED INITIATIVE

Prepared By:

Northeast Council of Governments 121 E. Mitchell St. PO Box 457 Gaylord, MI 49734

Funding provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality THUNDER BAY RIVER WATERSHED INITIATIVE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One: Getting to Know the Thunder Bay River Watershed………………1-1 Overview………………………………………………………………………..1-1 Location………..………………………………………………………...1-1 Size………...…...……………………………………….………………..1-1 Characteristics…...... ………………………………….………………….1-2 Demographics……..……………………………………………….…….1-2 Housing Units………..…………………………………………………..1-3 Alpena County……………………………………………………1-4 Montmorency County……………………………………………1-4 Recreation…………..……………………………………………………1-5 Geology……..……………………………………………………………1-5 Land Use..…..…...…………………………………….…………………1-6 Hydrology…..…...…………………………………….…………………1-7 Soils……..…..…...…………………………………….…………………1-7 Governmental Units…..……………………………………………….…1-8 Chapter Two: Designated Uses and Water Quality Summary……………………..2-1 Steering Committee………….…………………………..………………2-1 Technical Committee………..……………………………………….…..2-1 Meetings…….……….…………………………………………………..2-2 Designated Uses and Water Quality Summery………………………………..2-2 Introduction……..……………………………………………………….2-2 Designated and Desired Uses of the Thunder Bay River.….……………2-2 Additional Studies………….…..……………………………………..…2-3 Initial Water Quality Summary………..………..…………………….…2-4 Known and Suspected Pollutants…..……………………………..……..2-4 Water Quality Threats or Impairments..………………………….……..2-7 Initial Thunder Bay River Watershed Goals..…………..……………….2-7 Chapter Three: Critical Area………………..……………………………………….3-1 Critical Area Determination……………………………………………………3-1 Chapter Four: Thunder Bay River Nonpoint SourceInventories …..……..………4-1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………4-1 Streambank Erosion Inventory………………………………………….4-1 Methodology……………………………………………………..4-1 Results……………………………………………………………4-1 Road/Stream Crossing Inventory.………………………………………4-2 Methodology……………………………………………………..4-2 Results……………………………………………………………4-3 Agriculture Inventory…………………………………………………..4-3 Methodology……………………………………………………..4-3 Results……………………………………………………………4-4 Stormwater Inventory…………………………………………………..4-4 Methodology……………………………………………………..4-4 Results……………………………………………………………4-5 Land Use Inventory…………………………………………………….4-7

II Methodology……………………………………………………..4-7 Results……………………………………………………………4-8 Summary………………………………………………………….…..4-10 Septic System Inventory………………………………………….…..4-10 Methodology……………………………………………………4-10 Results………………………………………………………….4-10 Area of Contamination……………………………………..…………4-11 Methodology……………………………………………………4-11 Results………………………………………………………….4-11 Oil and Gas Inventory……………………….………………………..4-11 Methodology……………………………………………………4-12 Results………………………………………………………….4-12 Chapter Five: Priority Pollutants Their Sources and Causes….……...….………..5-1 Priority Pollutants………….….………………………………………….……5-1 Designated Use Pollutants………….…………………………………….……5-1 Sources of Pollution.………….….……………………………………….……5-2 Causes of Pollution……..….….………………………………………….……5-3 Chapter Six: Thunder Bay River Projects, Programs & Ordinances…….………..6-1 Overview……….………………………………………………………………6-1 Land Use Regulations…….………………………………………..….6-2 Chapter Seven: Thunder Bay River Goals, Objectives, Recommendations…...….7-1 Goals and Objectives……….………………………………………………….7-1 Recommendations………….………………………………………………….7-2 Streambank Protection Recommendations…..…..……………………7-4 Road/Stream Crossing Recommendations.……..….…………………7-5 Agriculture Recommendations………….……..…….………………..7-6 Shoreline Protection-Riparian Landowner Recommendations..…..…..7-7 Stormwater Recommendations.….………..………….……………….7-8 Land Use Recommendations………..………….…………...……….7-10 General Education Practices……..……….………………………….7-11 Information/Education Strategy…….…………….…………………………7-13 Evaluating Success….……………...………………………………………..7-15 Chapter Eight: Final Water Quality Summary…….……………………………...8-1 Coldwater Fisheries………….….……….……………………….…………...8-1 Aquatic Life and Wildlife Habitat…….…..…………………………………..8-1 Recreation Total/Partial Body Contact…..…………………………………...8-2 Navigation…………………..………………………………………..…….…8-2 Public Water Supply………..………………………………………………...8-3 Appendix A…………………………………………………………………………...A-1 Streambank Erosion Inventory Data Sheet..…………...………….…………A-2 Streambank Erosion Severity Index…………………………………….……A-4 Appendix B…………………………………………………………………………...B-1 Road/Stream Crossing Field Data Sheet………………………………….….B-2 Road/Stream Crossing Severity Index……………………………………….B-4 Appendix C…………………………………………………………………………...C-1 Agricultural Inventory Data Sheet.…………………………………………..C-2

III LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Population Trends 1-3 Table 2: Total Housing Units 1-3 Table 3: Seasonal Housing Units 1-3 Table 4: Households and Persons Per Household 1-4 Table 5: Threatened Designated Uses 2-4 Table 6: Desired Uses 2-4 Table 7: Known and Suspected Pollutants 2-5 Table 8: Water Quality Threats/Impairments 2-7 Table 9: Initial Watershed Goals 2-7 Table 10: Streambank Inventory 4-2 Table 11: Road/Stream Inventory 4-3 Table 12: Stormwater Runoff-Atlanta 4-5 Table 13: Stormwater Runoff-Hillman 4-6 Table 14: Stormwater Runoff-Alpena 4-6 Table 15: Land Use Classifications 4-8 Table 16: Thunder Bay River Priority Pollutants 5-1 Table 17: Designated Use Pollutants 5-1 Table 18: Sources of Pollution 5-2 Table 19: Pollutant Sources and Causes 5-3 Table 20: Zoning and Master Plan Adoptions 6-2 Table 21: Alpena County-Zoning Ordinances 6-4 Table 22: Montmorency County-Zoning Ordinances 6-5 Table 23: Streambank Protection Recommendations 7-4 Table 24: Road/Stream Crossing Recommendations 7-5 Table 25: Agriculture Recommendations 7-6 Table 26: Shoreline Protection-Riparian Landowner Recommendations 7-7 Table 27: Stormwater Recommendations 7-8 Table 28: Land Use Recommendations 7-10 Table 29: General Education Recommendations 7-11 Table 30: Information/Education Strategy 7-13

IV LIST OF MAPS

Map 1: Thunder Bay River Location Map 1-1 Map 2: Thunder Bay River Watershed Map 1-1a Map 3: Public-Private Land Map 1-2a Map 4: General Soils Map 1-7a Map 5: Governmental Jurisdiction Map 1-8 Map 6: Critical Area Map 3-1 Map 7: Fletcher Creek Flooding Map 4-7 Map 8: Land Use Map 4-8a Map 9: Oil and Gas Location Map 4-12a

V Thunder Bay River Watershed Initiative

CHAPTER ONE: GETTING TO KNOW THE THUNDER BAY RIVER WATERSHED

Overview

The Thunder Bay River Watershed is a vast river system well known for its high water quality and aesthetically pleasing scenery. Year-round outdoor recreational opportunities within the watershed are seemingly endless and include canoeing, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, golfing, wildlife viewing, skiing, swimming and snowmobiling. The area is also unique in the fact that the western half of the watershed is host to the only elk herd population in Michigan.

Major portions of the headwater tributaries lie within the system, which provides the majority of public lands within the watershed. Many of the tributaries are designated as coldwater fisheries and support a viable trout population. Historically, the Thunder Bay River provided a natural corridor between inland fisheries and . The presence of dams throughout the watershed has limited fish passage; however species such as walleye, brown trout, and salmon can still be found in the lower reaches of the Thunder Bay River.

Even though the area is primarily rural, there has been a steady increase in second family and retirement homes. These homes are also being converted into year-round residences as retirees are establishing permanent residency in the area. The major population centers in the watershed are Atlanta, Hillman and Alpena. All three communities are located on the banks of the Thunder Bay River, creating certain development issues from a water quality perspective.

Location

Located in northeastern Michigan, the Thunder Bay River Watershed covers two-thirds of Montmorency and Alpena Counties, one third of Alcona County and small portions of Presque Isle County and Oscoda County. The total watershed (see Map 1) encompasses approximately 1,200 square miles (768,000 acres).

Size

Due to the vast size of the watershed, this planning phase (Phase One) of the Thunder Bay River Watershed Initiative includes only the Main Branch of the Thunder Bay River, from its headwaters west of Atlanta to its discharge at the City of Alpena. These tributaries which drain directly into the Main Branch are also included: Crooked Creek, Hunt Creek, Gilchrist Creek, Miller Creek, Brush Creek, Truax Creek, Gaffney Creek and Bean Creek. The subwatershed enco