Mullett Creek
Watershed: Mullett Lake Watershed
Length: 11 miles
Headwaters: Southeastern Munro Township of Cheboygan County
Mouth: Mullett Lake
Description
Mullett Creek is the third largest tributary of Mullett Lake, behind the Pigeon River and the Indian River. It is fed by cold groundwater streams at its headwaters, making it a coldwater stream with good brook trout fishing. Along with brook trout, deer, coyote, turkeys, grouse, woodcock, and rabbits are also harvested in the Mullett Creek Watershed. The 62-mile North Central State Trail, which runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City, crosses the creek by its mouth, and is regularly used by walkers, joggers, and bikers. The surface of the trail is crushed limestone.
Length: 11 miles
Headwaters: Southeastern Munro Township of Cheboygan County
Mouth: Mullett Lake
Description
Mullett Creek is the third largest tributary of Mullett Lake, behind the Pigeon River and the Indian River. It is fed by cold groundwater streams at its headwaters, making it a coldwater stream with good brook trout fishing. Along with brook trout, deer, coyote, turkeys, grouse, woodcock, and rabbits are also harvested in the Mullett Creek Watershed. The 62-mile North Central State Trail, which runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City, crosses the creek by its mouth, and is regularly used by walkers, joggers, and bikers. The surface of the trail is crushed limestone.
Mullett Creek runs through lowland forests with large cedar, hemlock, and birch trees along its banks. Although the riparian areas of the creek are well vegetated, there is much agriculture in the watershed away from the creek corridor, including beef, dairy, and rotational crops. This agriculture has the potential to negatively impact the health of Mullett Creek; therefore, the creek’s great water quality is dependent on agriculture using Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to limit nutrient and sediment pollution into the creek and its tributaries.
Known Aquatic Invasive Species
Invasive Phragmites
Other Threats to Water Quality
Invasive Phragmites
Other Threats to Water Quality
- Nonpoint Source Pollution
- Eroding riverbanks
- Agriculture
- Road/stream crossings
- Residential development
Monitoring
Biological monitoring is performed by volunteers in Mullett Creek each spring and fall as part of the Watershed Council’s Volunteer Stream Monitoring (VSM) Program.
Biological monitoring is performed by volunteers in Mullett Creek each spring and fall as part of the Watershed Council’s Volunteer Stream Monitoring (VSM) Program.
Additional Resources
Mullett Lake Area Preservation Society (MAPS)
The purpose of MAPS is to represent the best interests of its members toward the pursuit of practical lake management to protect and preserve the material character and water quality of Mullett Lake and its surrounding watershed.
Information about Threatened, Endangered, and Special Concern species in this stream’s watershed is available on the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) website.
Discharge data for this stream is available online through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Low Flow Discharge Data Base.
USGS Current Water Data for Michigan provides stream flow conditions.
A wide variety of maps, including Vegetation circa 1800, National Wetlands Inventory, Land Cover Change 1800’s to 1978, Wetland Change 1800’s to 1980, and many other resources for this area are available online in the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) Data Resources page.
Learn about safely eating fish from this river in the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory.
Publications
Mullett Creek Tributary Water Quality Monitoring Project (2008)
Mullett Creek Watershed Plan (2012)
Volunteer Stream Monitoring 2012
Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Report (2014)
Mullett Lake Area Preservation Society (MAPS)
The purpose of MAPS is to represent the best interests of its members toward the pursuit of practical lake management to protect and preserve the material character and water quality of Mullett Lake and its surrounding watershed.
Information about Threatened, Endangered, and Special Concern species in this stream’s watershed is available on the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) website.
Discharge data for this stream is available online through the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Low Flow Discharge Data Base.
USGS Current Water Data for Michigan provides stream flow conditions.
A wide variety of maps, including Vegetation circa 1800, National Wetlands Inventory, Land Cover Change 1800’s to 1978, Wetland Change 1800’s to 1980, and many other resources for this area are available online in the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) Data Resources page.
Learn about safely eating fish from this river in the Michigan Fish Consumption Advisory.
Publications
Mullett Creek Tributary Water Quality Monitoring Project (2008)
Mullett Creek Watershed Plan (2012)
Volunteer Stream Monitoring 2012
Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Report (2014)
