Ben-Way Lake
Watershed: Elk River Watershed
Primary Inflows: Intermediate River
Surface Area: 127 acres
Shoreline: 2.8 miles
Maximum Depth: 42 feet
Description:
Like other long, slender lakes in the upper Elk River Chain of Lakes, Ben–Way Lake is shallow near its inlet and deeper toward the outlet end of the lake. This is likely the result of the ‘upstream’ end gradually filling with sediments that wash in from the inlet river.
There are large expanses of wetland at the northwestern end of Ben–Way Lake (where it is fed by the Intermediate River from Wilson Lake) and the southern end of the lake (where it empties through the Green River into Hanley Lake). The limited development in these areas helps protect the lake’s water quality and preserve aquatic plant and animal life.
Ogletree Creek is a small tributary that enters Ben–Way Lake near the lake’s outlet. Due to the amount of sediment transported by the creek, a sand delta has formed at its mouth. Sediments naturally wash into creeks, but the process is often accelerated by landscape development. Eroding soils from construction sites, foot paths, and road-stream crossings are examples of sediment sources that occur following landscape development.
Ben–Way Lake supports a healthy warm-water fish community that includes northern pike, black crappie, yellow perch, yellow bullhead, black bullhead, smallmouth bass, walleye, Iowa darter, johnny darter, bluntnose minnow, common shiner, bluegill, cisco, rock bass, pumpkinseed, longnose gar, and white sucker.
Primary Inflows: Intermediate River
Surface Area: 127 acres
Shoreline: 2.8 miles
Maximum Depth: 42 feet
Description:
Like other long, slender lakes in the upper Elk River Chain of Lakes, Ben–Way Lake is shallow near its inlet and deeper toward the outlet end of the lake. This is likely the result of the ‘upstream’ end gradually filling with sediments that wash in from the inlet river.
There are large expanses of wetland at the northwestern end of Ben–Way Lake (where it is fed by the Intermediate River from Wilson Lake) and the southern end of the lake (where it empties through the Green River into Hanley Lake). The limited development in these areas helps protect the lake’s water quality and preserve aquatic plant and animal life.
Ogletree Creek is a small tributary that enters Ben–Way Lake near the lake’s outlet. Due to the amount of sediment transported by the creek, a sand delta has formed at its mouth. Sediments naturally wash into creeks, but the process is often accelerated by landscape development. Eroding soils from construction sites, foot paths, and road-stream crossings are examples of sediment sources that occur following landscape development.
Ben–Way Lake supports a healthy warm-water fish community that includes northern pike, black crappie, yellow perch, yellow bullhead, black bullhead, smallmouth bass, walleye, Iowa darter, johnny darter, bluntnose minnow, common shiner, bluegill, cisco, rock bass, pumpkinseed, longnose gar, and white sucker.
Known Aquatic Invasive Species:
Click the link below to learn how to prevent the spread of these aquatic invasive species.
- Zebra mussels
- Purple Loosestrife
Click the link below to learn how to prevent the spread of these aquatic invasive species.
- Zebra mussels
- Purple Loosestrife
Monitoring and Research:
Ben–Way Lake is monitored every three years through the Watershed Council’s Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM) Program for dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, pH, nitrate-nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chloride levels.
Water transparency, chlorophyll-a, and water temperature are also monitored in Ben–Way Lake each summer by volunteers as part of the Watershed Council’s Volunteer Lake Monitoring (VLM) Program. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer on another lake in the Chain, please contact the Watershed Council at 231-347-1181.
Ben–Way Lake is monitored every three years through the Watershed Council’s Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM) Program for dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, pH, nitrate-nitrogen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chloride levels.
Water transparency, chlorophyll-a, and water temperature are also monitored in Ben–Way Lake each summer by volunteers as part of the Watershed Council’s Volunteer Lake Monitoring (VLM) Program. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer on another lake in the Chain, please contact the Watershed Council at 231-347-1181.
Publications:
Elk River Chain of Lakes – Lake Profile (2010)
Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan (2005)
Fish of the Elk River Chain of Lakes (2001) - Hard Copy only. $ Call 231-347-1181 for details.
Elk River Chain of Lakes – Lake Profile (2010)
Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan (2005)
Fish of the Elk River Chain of Lakes (2001) - Hard Copy only. $ Call 231-347-1181 for details.
Additional Resources:
A wide variety of maps for this area are available online at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) Data Resources page.
A wide variety of maps for this area are available online at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) Data Resources page.
