ATUR F N AL O R T E N S E O U M R T C R E A STATE OF MICHIGAN S P E DNR D MI N DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES CHIGA FR10 August 2015 Cheboygan River Assessment Neal A. Godby, Jr., Todd C. Wills, Timothy A. Cwalinski, and Brian J. Bury L a k e H u r o n Cheboygan Pellston Onaway Wolverine Gaylord 0 5 10 Miles www.michigan.gov/dnr/ FISHERIES DIVISION FISHERIES REPORT 10 Suggested Citation Format Godby, N.A., Jr., T.C. Wills, T.A. Cwalinski, and B.J. Bury. 2015. Cheboygan River assessment. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Report 10, Lansing. 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 and cultural 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: MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, ATUR F N AL O R Fisheries Division T E N S E O PO BOX 30446 U M R T C LANSING, MI 48909 R E A S P 517-373-1280 E DNR D TTY/TDD: 711 (Michigan Relay Center) M ICHIGAN This information is available in alternative formats. TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... v LIST OF APPENDICES ............................................................................................ vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................... viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................... ix INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 RIVER ASSESSMENT .............................................................................................. 4 Geography ........................................................................................................................... 4 History .................................................................................................................................. 8 Geology ............................................................................................................................. 10 Surface Geology ............................................................................................................. 11 Bedrock Geology ............................................................................................................ 12 Karst Topography ........................................................................................................... 12 Hydrology ........................................................................................................................... 12 Base Flow and Groundwater Inflows .............................................................................. 12 Streamflow Variability ..................................................................................................... 13 Climate ........................................................................................................................... 15 Soils and Land Use ............................................................................................................ 15 Soils and Sedimentation ................................................................................................. 15 Past and Present Land Cover ........................................................................................ 16 Land Use ........................................................................................................................ 17 Oil and Gas Development .............................................................................................. 18 Channel Morphology .......................................................................................................... 19 Channel Gradient ........................................................................................................... 19 Channel Cross Sections ................................................................................................. 22 Dams and Barriers ............................................................................................................. 26 Effects of Dams on Ecosystems ..................................................................................... 27 Effects of Dams on Biota ................................................................................................ 30 Dam Removal ................................................................................................................. 32 Water Quality ..................................................................................................................... 33 General Water Quality, Point- and Non-point-source Issues .......................................... 33 Measures of Water Quality ............................................................................................. 34 Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Issues ................................................................... 35 Fish Contaminant Monitoring .......................................................................................... 35 Stream Classification ...................................................................................................... 36 Special Jurisdictions .......................................................................................................... 37 State and Federally Designated River Segments ........................................................... 37 Inland Lake Levels and Dams Regulated Under State Dam Safety Standards ............. 38 Federally Regulated Dams ............................................................................................. 38 Dredge and Fill Activities ................................................................................................ 38 Water Quality and Floodplain Regulations ..................................................................... 39 i Contaminated Sites ........................................................................................................ 39 Sport Fishing Regulations and Designated Trout Streams ............................................ 39 Blue Ribbon Trout Stream Classification ........................................................................ 39 Special Local Watercraft Controls .................................................................................. 40 Permission to Use State Lands ...................................................................................... 40 2007 Inland Consent Decree .......................................................................................... 40 Local Government .......................................................................................................... 41 Major Public and Private Landowners ............................................................................ 41 Navigability ..................................................................................................................... 42 Inland Waterway ............................................................................................................. 43 Biological Communities ..................................................................................................... 43 Original Fish Communities ............................................................................................. 43 Modifying Factors ........................................................................................................... 45 Current Fish Communities .............................................................................................. 46 Mussels and Aquatic Invertebrates ................................................................................ 48 Amphibians and Reptiles ................................................................................................ 48 Birds