BLACK LAKE AND ITS WATERSHED

Black Lake is one of the largest and most strikingly beautiful lakes in the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council service area. In fact, in terms of surface area, Black Lake at over 10,000 acres is the 9th largest inland lake in the State of Michigan. It is located in the northeast corner of the Lower Peninsula; in both Cheboygan and Presque Isle Counties. The lake's shoreline measures approximately 19 miles and depth maps show the deepest point, about 50 feet, in the southwest section of the lake. Although not pronounced, there are two distinguishable basins in Black Lake; the northwest end characterized by broad shallow areas that deepen gradually while the southeast end is much deeper, wider and has a more pronounced drop-off, particularly on the western side.

The largest inlet to Black Lake is the Black River, flowing in on the west side, just north of Five-mile Point. The next largest tributary is the Rainy River, which enters in the southeast corner of the lake. Several smaller streams, including Stony, Stewart, and Fisher Creeks in the south, Mud Creek in the west and Cain's Creek to the north, also flow into Black Lake. These rivers and streams deliver great quantities of dark tannin-stained waters that give the lake its name. Tannins are natural, coming from plants, and do not pose a threat to water quality. The only outlet from the lake is the Lower Black River, which empties out of the northwestern corner.

The Black Lake watershed is quite large, encompassing more than 350,000 acres of land and water. The watershed to lake area ratio is 34:1, meaning that there are 34 acres of land in the watershed for each acre of Black Lake water surface. Compared to other lakes in Michigan, this ratio is quite high and indicates that the large size of the Black Lake watershed provides a protective buffer for lake water quality; i.e., it would require considerable landscape development (in terms of area) to negatively impact water quality. Land cover statistics from the year 2000, obtained from the Coastal Great Lakes Land Cover, show the watershed to be relatively pristine with a very small percentage of land cover classified as urban or agriculture (~4%).

Black Lake Watershed Land Cover.

The Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council has coordinated water quality monitoring programs on Black Lake for many years. Through the Volunteer Lake Monitoring program, volunteers have monitored water clarity, algae abundance and water temperature throughout each summer since 1987. Watershed Council staff also began monitoring the lake in 1987 as part of the Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring program, resulting in the collection of supplemental data including nutrients, chloride, dissolved oxygen and pH. Data collected in these programs indicates that water quality remains quite high.

In addition to water quality monitoring endeavors, the Watershed Council has collaborated extensively with the Black Lake Association and other stakeholders/partners in the watershed to develop a watershed management plan and perform additional surveys. In 2002, the Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Plan was completed as part of the Black Lake Watershed Stewardship to protect and improve water quality by addressing nonpoint source pollution concerns. In 2005, the Black Lake Association contracted the Watershed Council to perform an aquatic plant survey and a shoreline nutrient pollution survey. Through collaborative efforts, the Watershed Council, Black Lake Association, and other partners are making progress in our mutual goal of protecting and improving the waters of Black Lake and its tributaries for generations to come.

Contact Us|Search