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Muskegon River Watershed Assessment

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Muskegon River Watershed Assessment Michigan STATE OF MICHIGAN DNR DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Number 19 July 1997 Muskegon River Watershed Assessment Richard P. O’Neal www.dnr.state.mi.us FISHERIES DIVISION SPECIAL REPORT MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FISHERIES DIVISION Fisheries Special Report 19 July, 1997 MUSKEGON RIVER WATERSHED ASSESSMENT Richard P. O’Neal The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, (MDNR) provides equal opportunities for employment and for access to Michigan’s natural resources. State and Federal laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, disability, age, marital status, height and weight. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility, please write the MDNR Equal Opportunity Office, P.O. Box 30028, Lansing, MI 48909, or the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, 1200 6th Avenue, Detroit, MI 48226, or the Office of Human Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington D.C. 20204. For more information about this publication or the American Disabilities Act (ADA), contact, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division, Box 30446, Lansing, MI 48909, or call 517-373-1280. Printed under authority of Michigan Department of Natural Resources Total number of copies printed 150 — Total cost $987.56 — Cost per copy $6.58 Muskegon River Watershed Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ......................................................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ 7 List of Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 9 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................ 10 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. 11 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 16 Watershed Assessment......................................................................................................................... 19 Geography ........................................................................................................................................ 19 History .............................................................................................................................................. 19 Biological Communities................................................................................................................... 20 Original Fish Communities .......................................................................................................... 20 Present Fish Communities............................................................................................................ 23 Aquatic Invertebrates.................................................................................................................... 25 Amphibians and Reptiles .............................................................................................................. 26 Mammals and Birds...................................................................................................................... 26 Other Natural Features ................................................................................................................ 27 Pest Species................................................................................................................................... 27 Geology and Hydrology ................................................................................................................... 28 Geology and Soils ......................................................................................................................... 28 Stream Discharge ......................................................................................................................... 28 Stream Velocity............................................................................................................................. 31 Channel Morphology........................................................................................................................ 31 Soils and Land Use Patterns............................................................................................................. 33 Land Development ........................................................................................................................ 33 Designated Drains ........................................................................................................................ 35 Irrigation....................................................................................................................................... 35 Logging ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Floodplain Use ............................................................................................................................. 36 Gas and Oil Storage ..................................................................................................................... 36 Special Jurisdictions......................................................................................................................... 36 Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Code, Public Act 451, 1994 ........................... 36 Federal Regulation Over Dredged and Fill.............................................................................. 36 Michigan Coastal Zone Management Program........................................................................ 37 Michigan Natural River Designation........................................................................................ 37 Michigan Water Quality Standards .......................................................................................... 37 Identification of Land and Water Contamination Sites ............................................................ 37 Designated Trout Streams......................................................................................................... 38 Blue Ribbon Trout Streams........................................................................................................... 38 Designated Drains ........................................................................................................................ 38 Navigable Waters.......................................................................................................................... 38 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission...................................................................................... 39 2 Muskegon River Watershed Assessment International Joint Commission Areas of Concern.......................................................................40 Public Lands..................................................................................................................................40 Public Health Advisories on Eating Fish......................................................................................40 Recreational Use ...............................................................................................................................41 Dams and Barriers.............................................................................................................................41 Offer of Settlement for Hydroelectric Dam Issues ........................................................................43 Water Quality....................................................................................................................................44 Fisheries Management ......................................................................................................................50 Fisheries and Management Programs ..........................................................................................50 Higgins Lake to Big Rapids.......................................................................................................50 Big Rapids to Croton .................................................................................................................53 Croton to Muskegon Lake..........................................................................................................55 Muskegon Lake ..........................................................................................................................58 Avian, Mammal and Fish Interactions..........................................................................................58 Beaver, Wildlife Floodings, and Coldwater Fish......................................................................59 Bald Eagle, Mink, River Otter and Potamodromous Fish ........................................................59 Potential for Improvements and Expanded Sport Fisheries .........................................................63 Citizen Involvement..........................................................................................................................66 Management Options............................................................................................................................67
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