The northern tip of the lower peninsula of Michigan contains some of the most pristine and healthy surface waters in the world. The high quality of the lakes and rivers reflect the largely natural state of the watersheds to which they pertain. Continuous non-disturbed terrestrial ecosystems, commonplace in Northern Michigan due to expansive areas of protected lands combined with sparse human settlement, are the foundation of the healthy aquatic ecosystems typical of the area. Land-cover statistics (for 2006), as determined by the NOAA Coastal Change Analysis Program, show that human impact remains low in the region with but 4% urban and 11% cultivated. However, US Census Bureau statistics reveal a gradual, yet steady population increase. In the forty year period between 1960 -2000, the number of inhabitants in the northern counties of the Lower Peninsula has doubled. Furthermore, agricultural and urban land use each increased by over 1% from 2000 to 2006 (1% = 19,000 acres). This trend of increasing human populations and resultant landscape development stresses the need for monitoring the precious and valuable aquatic resources of the region.
The Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Program was launched by Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council in 1987, with subsequent field data collection in 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, and 2010. Initially, physical and chemical data were collected on 10 lakes but the program has progressively expanded and, as of the 2010 field season, 143 samples were collected from 60 sites on 55 lakes and streams. Typically, data for nine parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, clarity, total phosphorous, total nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, and chloride) are collected at the surface, middle and bottom of the water column in each water body. This highly-accurate water quality data for lakes and rivers in Northern Michigan, collected consistently for the last 20+ years, have been compiled into a single database that can be used by staff to evaluate aquatic ecosystem health, examine trends within or among water bodies, and identify specific problems.
The water quality data is now available to the general public. The map below displays all water bodies sampled in Northern Michigan by Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. The entire database can be downloaded by clicking "CWQM Database" button at the top of this page. We hope that the information made available via this web page can be used not only by Watershed Council members, but water resource professionals and other concerned individuals to further our common goal of protecting the water resources in Northern Michigan. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact us at [email protected]
Macroinvertebrate Surveys
Our staff assess stream health by conducting aquatic macroinvertebrate surveys. Surveys provide baseline data and can detect changes from suspected pollution sources, such as sewage, stormwater, or hydraulic fracturing operations.
Our staff assess stream health by conducting aquatic macroinvertebrate surveys. Surveys provide baseline data and can detect changes from suspected pollution sources, such as sewage, stormwater, or hydraulic fracturing operations.
