GRASS RIVER & TRIBUTARIES RESTORATION ASSESSMENT: 2011 FINDINGS Three Lakes Association PO Box 689 Bellaire, MI by Roger Barber, Carrick Conway, David Witt, and Erik Youmans and TLA Volunteers 2011

Determine if human practices are affecting the health of Grass River and its tributaries and warrant corrective intervention Macroinvertebrate population Barriers to fish passage Road - stream crossings Long term temperature monitoring Stream flow measurement

LAKE BELLAIRE CLAM LAKE PRIMARY AREA OF STUDY GRASS RIVER 2.5 MILE LENGTH <0.5 FT ELEVATION DROP FLOW APPROX. 269 CFS NO ROAD CROSSINGS 3 MAJOR TRIBUTARIES SHANTY CREEK 2.75 MILE LENGTH 146 FT ELEVATION DROP FLOW APPROX. 13 CFS 10 ROAD CROSSINGS NO MAJOR TRIBUTARIES COLD CREEK 2.5 MILE LENGTH 40 FT ELEVATION DROP FLOW APPROX. 33 CFS 6 ROAD CROSSINGS 1 MAJOR TRIBUTARY LAKE OF THE WOODS FINCH CREEK 6.5 MILE LENGTH 443 FT ELEVATION DROP FLOW APPROX. 30 CFS 8 ROAD CROSSINGS 2 MAJOR TRIBUTARIES

Macroinvertebrate Sampling Gary, David, Erik in Finch Creek Roger, Braden, David in Cold Creek

Macroinvertebrate Scores

Road Stream Crossing Evaluation Trish and David in Cold Creek Jim, David, Dean, Carrick in Finch Creek

Effect of Undersized Culvert

Flow Measurements Roger, Dennis, Braden in Grass River Dr Richards and Carrick in Shanty Creek

Long Term Temperature Monitoring Carrick and Erik in Cold Creek Completed installation in Shanty Creek

Temperature Data Plot

LAKE BELLAIRE CLAM LAKE FINCH CREEK COLD CREEK SHANTY CREEK LAKE OF THE WOODS PINEBROOK STORM WATER MANAGEMENT REQUIRED GOOD POPULATION SCORE FOR MACROINVERTEBRATES GRASS RIVER UNDERSIZED CULVERT UNDERSIZED CULVERT 13 CFS 33 CFS 30 CFS Conclusions

Conclusions (1) Based on the spring sampling of macroinvertebrate population scores: – Only the upper reach of Cold Creek could be classified as good. –The macroinvertebrate population scores for Shanty Creek, Finch Creek, and the lower reach of Cold Creek indicated fair water quality.

Conclusions (2) Barriers to fish passage were identified: –(1) an abandoned hydropower dam on Shanty Creek, –(2) a small dam with a footbridge that may have been a sand trap on Shanty Creek, –(3) a perched culvert on Alden Highway on Finch Creek, –(4) perched culvert on Elder Road on the east branch of Finch Creek, and (5) perched culvert on Comfort Road on Cold Creek.

Conclusions (3) Several road-stream crossing culverts appeared to be undersized based on observations of upstream dead trees. Examples include: –Elder Road on east branch of Finch Creek –Comfort Road on Cold Creek.

Conclusions (4) Stream flow measurements were similar to those made in Lack of storm water management is an area of concern on Shanty Creek in the Pine Brook development.

Acknowledgements Left to right, Roger Barber, Carrick Conway, Erik Youmans, David Witt Thank you to the Three Lakes Association for providing this summer internship opportunity, especially the volunteers who guided us: Fred Sittel, Gary Knapp, Trish Narwold, Becky Norris, Dean Branson, Norton Bretz. Thank you to the college level mentoring from Jim Kelderhouse, Braden Ackerman, Professor Paul Richards. Thank you to Jim Argo for providing us the opportunity to overfly our study area and take aerial photos. Thank you to the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation for grant money to help provide stipends to us for our summer work and experience.