Michigan STATE OF MICHIGAN DNR DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Number 23 October 1998 River Raisin Assessment Kenneth E. Dodge www.dnr.state.mi.us FISHERIES DIVISION SPECIAL REPORT MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES FISHERIES DIVISION Fisheries Special Report 23 October 1998 River Raisin Assessment Kenneth E. Dodge 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 Michigan DNR Total number of copies printed 400 — Total cost $2,406.56 — Cost per copy $6.01 River Raisin Assessment Suggested Citation Format Dodge, Kenneth E. 1998. River Raisin Assessment. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division, Special Report 23. Ann Arbor, Michigan. 2 River Raisin Assessment Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... 6 LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................... 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS....................................................................................................... 10 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 15 RIVER ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................... 18 Geography.........................................................................................................................................18 History...............................................................................................................................................18 Geology and Hydrology....................................................................................................................21 Geology .........................................................................................................................................21 Climate ..........................................................................................................................................23 Annual Stream Flow......................................................................................................................23 Seasonal Flow ...............................................................................................................................23 Daily Flow.....................................................................................................................................25 Flooding.........................................................................................................................................25 Consumptive Water Use, Irrigation...............................................................................................26 Channel Morphology ........................................................................................................................27 Gradient.........................................................................................................................................27 Headwaters to Tecumseh...........................................................................................................28 Tecumseh to Dundee .................................................................................................................28 Dundee to Lake Erie ..................................................................................................................28 Channel Cross Section ..................................................................................................................28 Headwaters to Tecumseh...........................................................................................................30 Tecumseh to Dundee .................................................................................................................31 Dundee to Lake Erie ..................................................................................................................31 Soil and Land Use Patterns...............................................................................................................32 Soil Information ............................................................................................................................32 Soil Type Information, ERDAS.................................................................................................32 Land Use Information ...................................................................................................................32 Biological Communities ...................................................................................................................34 Original Fish Communities ...........................................................................................................34 Factors Affecting Fish Communities ............................................................................................36 Present Fish Communities.............................................................................................................37 Headwaters to Tecumseh...........................................................................................................39 Tecumseh to Dundee .................................................................................................................39 Dundee to Lake Erie ..................................................................................................................40 Saline River ...............................................................................................................................40 South Branch River Raisin ........................................................................................................41 Aquatic Invertebrates ....................................................................................................................41 Amphibians and Reptiles ..............................................................................................................43 Mammals .......................................................................................................................................43 Birds ..............................................................................................................................................43 Other Natural Features of Concern ...............................................................................................44 3 River Raisin Assessment Pest Species................................................................................................................................... 44 Special Jurisdictions......................................................................................................................... 45 Navigability................................................................................................................................... 46 Coastal Zone Designation............................................................................................................. 47 Corps of Engineers Section 404 Jurisdiction................................................................................ 47 County Drain Commissioners....................................................................................................... 48 Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, P.A. 451, Stream Crossings ............................................... 48 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ...................................................................................... 49 Natural Rivers Designation........................................................................................................... 49 Recreational Use............................................................................................................................... 50 Canoeing ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Motor Boat Use............................................................................................................................. 51 Public Access Sites, Lakes in Basin .............................................................................................51 Public Recreational Facilities, River Raisin Mainstem................................................................ 52 Fishing Use ................................................................................................................................... 54 Public