Appendix A – Supporting Analysis Table of Contents A.1 PARK SETTING .............................................................................................................................. 2 A.2 DEMOGRAPHICS .......................................................................................................................... 4 A.3 HISTORY OF THE REGION ............................................................................................................. 7 A.4 HISTORY OF TAHQUAMENON FALLS STATE PARK ..................................................................... 10 A.5 LAND OWNERSHIP ..................................................................................................................... 12 A.6 LEGAL MANDATES ..................................................................................................................... 15 A.7 REGIONAL RECREATION RESOURCES ......................................................................................... 20 A.8 RECREATIONAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................................... 30 A.9 NATURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................ 34 A.10 HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................... 40 A.11 EDUCATION AND INTERPRETATION .......................................................................................... 42 A.12 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ........................................................................................... 44 A.13 PARK USE STATISTICS ................................................................................................................. 46 A.14 RESOURCE MAPS ....................................................................................................................... 49 Tahquamenon Falls State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 1 A.1 PARK SETTING Park Profile Area: 48,169 acres Tahquamenon Falls State Park County: Chippewa, Luce Township: Whitefish, McMillan Latitude: 46.6 Longitude: -85.2 Address: 41382 W. M 123 Paradise, MI, 49768 Phone #: (906) 492-3415 Location & Community Tahquamenon Falls State Park is located in Whitefish Township, Chippewa County and McMillan Township, Luce County, in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, approximately one and one-half hours north of the Mackinac Bridge. M-123 is a federally designated scenic byway, which provides access to the three main areas of the park: Rivermouth Campground and day use area 5 miles south of Paradise, the Lower Falls 10 miles west of Paradise and the Upper Falls 14 miles west of Paradise. The Village of Newberry is located approximately 30 miles southwest of the park. Tahquamenon Falls State Park encompasses over 48,000 acres stretching over 13 miles and is the second largest state park in the system. Most of the park is undeveloped woodland without roads, buildings or power lines. The centerpiece of the park is the Tahquamenon River with its waterfalls. The Upper Falls is one the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. It has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across. A maximum flow of more than 50,000 gallons of water per second has been recorded flowing over Aerial of the Lower Falls. these falls. Four miles downstream is the Lower Falls, a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island. The falls can be viewed from the Tahquamenon Falls State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 2 river bank or from the island, which can be reached by rowboat rented from a park concession. The island walk affords a view of the falls in the south channel. There are plans under consideration to enhance the access to the island, see Section A.12. The park also includes approximately four miles of Lake Superior shoreline at the mouth of the Tahquamenon River. The Newberry Unit of the Lake Superior State Forest is located north and west of the park and shares a common boundary in the northeast of the park. The Hiawatha National Forest is located southeast of the park. Park Features Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a popular year-round tourist destination, hosting over 500,000 visitors per year. Although most of the visitors come to see two of Michigan's most beautiful waterfalls, the park also offers more than 40 miles of hiking trails, 13 inland lakes, 24 miles of the Tahquamenon River and a proposed 20,000 acre Natural Area. Hiking trails within the park include 27 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST), a congressionally designated trail that stretches 4,600 miles from New York to North Dakota. The hiking route of Michigan’s Iron elle Trail from elle Isle in Detroit to Ironwood on the Wisconsin border, shares the NCNST through the park. Camping, hiking, fishing, canoeing and photography are popular activities in the spring and summer. In fall, many people enjoy hunting and viewing the beautiful autumn colors. Winter provides opportunities for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the miles of marked trails. The Upper Falls, popular tourist destination, drops nearly 50 foot. Tahquamenon Falls State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 3 A.2 DEMOGRAPHICS Population centers in and around the park are small. The small town of Paradise (Chippewa County) and the Village of Newberry (Luce County) are the only significant population centers. In 2013, the estimated population of Chippewa County was 38,696. This is a decrease of 0.5% compared to the 2010 census estimate of 38,520. The population density from the 2010 census was just 24.7 people per square mile. In 2012, the per capita personal income in Chippewa County was $20,410, significantly lower than the state of Michigan’s per capita income of $25,547. hippewa County also has a prominent American Indian and Alaskan Native population of 15%. A reported 26% of the housing units in the county are for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. U.S. Census Data for Chippewa County People QuickFacts Chippewa County Michigan Population, 2013 estimate 38,696 9,895,622 Population, 2012 estimate 38,777 9,882,519 Population, 2010 (April 1) estimates base 38,520 9,883,701 Population, percent change, April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 0.5% 0.1% Population, percent change, April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012 0.7% Z Population, 2010 38,520 9,883,640 Persons under 5 years, percent, 2012 5.0% 5.8% Persons under 18 years, percent, 2012 19.8% 22.9% Persons 65 years and over, percent, 2012 15.2% 14.6% Female persons, percent, 2012 44.7 50.9% White alone, percent, 2012 (a) 72.4% 80.1% Black or African American alone, percent, 2012 (a) 6.9% 14.3% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, 2012 (a) 15.0% 0.7% Asian alone, percent, 2012 (a) 0.8% 2.6% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent, 2012 (a) 0.1% Z Two or More Races, percent, 2012 4.8% 2.2% Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2012 (b) 1.7% 4.6% White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2012 71.2% 76.2% Living in same house 1 year & over, percent, 2008-2012 80.9% 85.4% Foreign born persons, percent, 2008-2012 2.9% 6.0% Language other than English spoken at home, pct age 5+, 2008-2012 5.2% 9.0% High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2008-2012 89.2% 88.7% Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2008-2012 17.7% 25.5% Tahquamenon Falls State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 4 Veterans, 2008-2012 4,078 692,582 People QuickFacts Chippewa County Michigan Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16+, 2008-2012 16.5 23.9 Housing units, 2012 21,135 4,525,141 Homeownership rate, 2008-2012 71.0% 72.8% Housing units in multi-unit structures, percent, 2008-2012 11.8% 18.0% Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2008-2012 $102,400 $128,600 Households, 2008-2012 14,662 3,818,931 Persons per household, 2008-2012 2.23 2.53 Per capita money income in past 12 months (2012 dollars), 2008-2012 $20,410 $25,547 Median household income, 2008-2012 $41,114 $48,471 Persons below poverty level, percent, 2008-2012 18.5% 16.3% Geography QuickFacts Chippewa County Michigan Land area in square miles, 2010 1,558.42 56,538.90 Persons per square mile, 2010 24.7 174.8 FIPS Code 033 26 Metropolitan or Micropolitan Statistical Area Sault Ste. Marie, MI Micro Area U.S. Census Data for Luce County Luce County is very sparsely populated, with a 2010 population of just 6,631. The 2013 estimate is for a reduction in population to 6,502. This results in a population density of 7.4 persons per square mile. Per capita income is also lower than that of Chippewa County, and significantly lower than the state of Michigan. The data also shows a larger than average percentage of persons over the age of 65 and a smaller number of residents under the age of 18 years. 36% of the 4,343 housing units in the county are reported to be for seasonal, occasional or recreational use. People QuickFacts Luce County Michigan Population, 2014 estimate NA 9,909,877 Population, 2013 estimate 6,502 9,898,193 Population, 2010 (April 1) estimates base 6,631 9,884,133 Population, percent change - April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014 NA 0.3% Population, percent change - April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 -1.9% 0.1% Population, 2010 6,631 9,883,640 Tahquamenon Falls State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 5 Persons under 5 years, percent, 2013 4.5% 5.8% Persons under 18 years,