GLEN LAKE - CRYSTAL RIVER HYDROLOGIC ASSESSMENT LEELANAU COUNTY, MICHIGAN Prepared for Leelanau County Circuit Court - Technical Committee National Park Service Leelanau County Drain Commissioner Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Crystal River Preservation Association Glen Lake Association Prepared by Hope Croskey, P.E. Gary F. Croskey, P.E., LLC Steve Miller, P.E., MTO, LLC November 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank the following Technical Committee representatives for their support in completing this hydrologic assessment of the Glen Lake and Crystal River Hydrology. Steve Yancho, National Park Service Steve Christenson, Leelanau County Drain Commissioner Mike Stifler, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Vik Theiss, Crystal River Preservation Association Jim Dutmers, Glen Lake Association (GLA) John Kassarjin, GLA Water Level Committee In addition, we have enjoyed and appreciated the assistance of Marlio Lesmez, MDEQ Hydrologic Studies Unit Chief for his review of the groundwater watershed delineation; Bill Klein, Michigan State University Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Station, for his dedication to collecting pan evaporation data; and Vik Theiss for his time in providing exceedingly large volumes of documentation, records, and data needed for completion of this project. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................. iii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................... iv Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................ v Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................................... v Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Objectives ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Glen Lake and Crystal River Watersheds ..................................................................................................... 2 Hydrologic Related Data Maps ..................................................................................................................... 6 System Water Balance ................................................................................................................................ 11 Groundwater Recharge (GWI) ................................................................................................................. 12 Storage (ΔS) ............................................................................................................................................ 13 Precipitation (P) ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Evaporation (E) ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Groundwater Discharge (GWO) .............................................................................................................. 14 Crystal River Flow below Dam (DamD) ................................................................................................. 15 Results ......................................................................................................................................................... 16 Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 24 References ................................................................................................................................................... 26 Appendix A: MDEQ Approval of Groundwater Watershed ..................................................................... A1 Appendix B: NWS Maple City Precipitation Data ................................................................................... B1 Appendix C: Daily and Average Monthly Flows at Dam ......................................................................... C1 Appendix D: USGS Monthly Statistics for Platte River ........................................................................... D1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Glen Lake – Crystal River Groundwater Watershed ..................................................................... 3 Figure 2. Glen Lake – Crystal River Surface Drainage Watershed .............................................................. 4 Figure 3. Platte River and Glen Lake and Crystal River Groundwater Watersheds ..................................... 5 Figure 4. Crystal River Watershed Hydrologic Soil Classifications ............................................................. 7 Figure 5. Crystal River Watershed Land Use ............................................................................................... 8 Figure 6. Crystal River Watershed State Quaternary Geology ..................................................................... 9 Figure 7. Distribution of Alluvium, Dune Sand, and Glacial Deposits ...................................................... 10 Figure 8. 2005 (Dry) Water Balance Groundwater Recharge vs Platte River Recharge ............................ 17 Figure 9. 2006 (Average) Water Balance Groundwater Recharge vs Platte River Recharge ..................... 17 Figure 10. 2007 (Dry) Water Balance Groundwater Recharge vs Platte River Recharge .......................... 18 iii Figure 11. 2008 (Wet) Water Balance Groundwater Recharge vs Platte River Recharge .......................... 18 Figure 12. 2005 (Dry) Glen Lake Water Balance ....................................................................................... 21 Figure 13. 2006 (Average) Glen Lake Water Balance ................................................................................ 22 Figure 14. 2007 (Dry) Glen Lake Water Balance ....................................................................................... 22 Figure 15. 2008 (Wet) Glen Lake Water Balance ....................................................................................... 23 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Groundwater and Surface Drainage Watershed Areas.................................................................... 2 Table 2. Little Glen, Glen and Fisher Lakes Surface Areas .......................................................................... 2 Table 3. USGS Gaging Stations for Similar, Nearby Watersheds .............................................................. 12 Table 4. Monthly Change in Glen Lake Water Surface Elevations (inches) .............................................. 13 Table 5. Maple City Annual Precipitation (inches), Rank, and Rating ....................................................... 13 Table 6. Maple City Monthly Precipitation ................................................................................................ 13 Table 7. Northwest Horticultural Research Station Monthly Pan Evaporation .......................................... 14 Table 8. Historical Monthly Average Low and High Lake Michigan and Glen Lake Water Levels ......... 15 Table 9. Average Monthly Lake Michigan and Glen Lake Water Levels 2005 through 2008 ................... 15 Table 10. Average Monthly Discharges at Dam, DamD ............................................................................. 15 Table 11. 2005-2008 Calculated GWI Compared to Platte River Yield ...................................................... 16 Table 12. Calculated GWI compared to Yield based on Platte River .......................................................... 16 Table 13. 2005 (Dry) System Water Balance ............................................................................................. 19 Table 14. 2006 (Average) System Water Balance (inches) ........................................................................ 20 Table 15. 2007 (Dry) System Water Balance (inches) ............................................................................... 20 Table 16. 2008 (Wet) System Water Balance (inches) ............................................................................... 21 Table 17. Historic Monthly Average Low and High Groundwater Outflow Estimates.............................. 23 Table 18. Outflow Components Discharging from Glen Lake in July and August .................................... 24 iv ABBREVIATIONS cfs cubic feet per second ft feet ft2 square feet msl mean sea level mi2 square miles sec seconds ACRONYMS GLA Glen Lake Association DEM Digital Elevation Model MDEQ Michigan Department of Environmental Quality NREPA Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act NWS National Weather Service USDA United States Department of Agriculture USGS United States Geological Survey v INTRODUCTION The Crystal River Dam was purchased and repaired by lake riparians in 1937 (Hanes 1949). The “natural height” and level of Glen Lake was first established at 596.75 “above sea level” in 1944, and reaffirmed in 1945, and again in 1954 (in a decree responding to a complaint) under Act 377, Inland Lake Levels, of Public Acts of 1921 as the Glen Lake Level Control