Project Summary
During the summers of 2016 and 2017, the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council led a coordinated effort to conduct a shoreline survey for 15 Lakes in the Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed. The surveys were meant to document conditions that could impact water quality, including the three biggest threats to inland lakes: nutrient pollution, habitat loss, and shoreline erosion.
Within the Watershed, shoreline properties have a large connection to the surrounding landscape and can serve as the last line of defense for protecting water quality. Conducted on a parcel-by-parcel basis, survey results indicate that human activity along sections of the shoreline of many Lakes is likely impacting the lake water quality to some extent. Importantly, Lake water quality remains quite high in all Lakes surveyed. The purpose of each survey was meant to identify areas of the shoreline that can be enhanced and improved to prevent nutrient pollution, erosion, increase fish habitat, and help protect and conserve the Elk River Chain of Lakes for future generations.
Improving areas with poor greenbelts will help the character and quality of your Lake by helping to reduce nutrient pollution and sediment input from erosion along the shoreline. Please visit the Michigan Shoreland Stewards (http://www.mishorelandstewards.org/) for more information on healthy lake practices along the shoreline.
Below are individual Lake reports for all lakes surveyed, highlighting greenbelt status, areas of erosion, and the presence of a bioindicator algae, known as “Cladophora”. Clicking a lake name will open the respective report in a new browser window. Please scroll beneath the lake list for a map depicting survey results. A legend for each map layer is shown by clicking the arrow next to the checked layer. Scroll down for information on greenbelts, Cladophora, and erosion from the survey. For individual parcel results, please contact Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council at (231)347-1181.
Title Categories Link hf:doc_categories Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM) Bass Lake, Beals Lake, Bear River, Ben-Way Lake, Birch Lake, Black Lake, Black Lake Watershed, Black River, Boyne River, Burt Lake, Burt Lake Watershed, Carp River Watershed, Cheboygan River, Cheboygan River Watershed, Clam Lake, Crooked Lake, Crooked River, Deer Lake, Douglas Lake, Duncan-Grass Bay Watershed, Elk Lake, Elk River, Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed, Ellsworth Lake, Grand Traverse Bay Watershed, Hanley Lake, Huffman Lake, Intermediate Lake, Lake Bellaire, Lake Charlevoix, Lake Charlevoix Watershed, Lancaster Lake, Larks Lake, Little Traverse Bay Watershed, Long Lake, Marion Lake, Mud Lake, Mullett Lake, Mullett Lake Watershed, Munro Lake, Nowland Lake, Paradise Lake, Pickerel-Crooked Lakes Watershed, Round Lake, Scotts Lake, Silver Lake, Six Mile Lake, Skegemog Lake, Spring Lake, St. Clair Lake, Susan Lake, Thayer Lake, Thumb Lake, Torch Lake, Twin Lake, Walloon Lake, Walloon Lake Watershed, Wildwood Lake, Wilson Lake bass-lake beals-lake bear-river ben-way-lake birch-lake black-lake black-lake-watershed black-river boyne-river burt burt-lake-watershed carp-river-watershed cheboygan-river-rivers-streams cheboygan-river-watershed clam-lake crooked-lake crooked-river deer-lake douglas-lake duncan-grass-bay-watershed elk-lake elk-river elk-river-chain-of-lakes elk-river-chain-of-lakes-watershed ellsworth-lake grand-traverse-bay-watershed hanley-lake huffman-lake intermediate-lake lake-bellaire lake-charlevoix lake-charlevoix-watershed lancaster-lake larks-lake little-traverse-bay-watershed long-lake marion-lake mud-lake mullett-lake mullett-lake-watershed munro-lake nowland-lake paradise-lake pickerel-crooked-lakes-watershed round-lake scotts-lake silver-lake six-mile-lake skegemog-lake spring-lake st-clair-lake susan-lake thayer-lake thumb-lake torch-lake twin-lake walloon-lake walloon-lake-watershed wildwood-lake wilson-lake inland-lakes rivers-streams watersheds 2017 Torch Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys, Torch Lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys torch-lake inland-lakes 2017 Thayer Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys, Thayer Lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys thayer-lake inland-lakes 2017 Skegemog Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys, Skegemog Lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys skegemog-lake inland-lakes 2017 Lake Bellaire Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Lake Bellaire, Shoreline Surveys elk-river-chain-of-lakes lake-bellaire shoreline-surveys inland-lakes 2017 Elk Lake Shoreline Survey Elk Lake, Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys elk-lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys inland-lakes 2017 Clam Lake Shoreline Survey Clam Lake, Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys clam-lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys inland-lakes 2016 Wilson Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys, Wilson Lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys wilson-lake inland-lakes 2016 St. Clair Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys, St. Clair Lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys st-clair-lake inland-lakes 2016 Six Mile Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys, Six Mile Lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys six-mile-lake inland-lakes 2016 Intermediate Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Intermediate Lake, Shoreline Surveys elk-river-chain-of-lakes intermediate-lake shoreline-surveys inland-lakes 2016 Hanley Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Hanley Lake, Shoreline Surveys elk-river-chain-of-lakes hanley-lake shoreline-surveys inland-lakes 2016 Ellsworth Lake Shoreline Survey Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Ellsworth Lake, Shoreline Surveys elk-river-chain-of-lakes ellsworth-lake shoreline-surveys inland-lakes 2016 Ben Way Lake Shoreline Survey Ben-Way Lake, Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Shoreline Surveys ben-way-lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes shoreline-surveys inland-lakes 2016 Beals and Scotts Lake Shoreline Survey Beals Lake, Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Scotts Lake, Shoreline Surveys beals-lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes scotts-lake shoreline-surveys inland-lakes 2010 Elk River Chain of Lakes Profile CWQM Ben-Way Lake, Clam Lake, Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring, Elk Lake, Elk River Chain Of Lakes, Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed, Ellsworth Lake, Hanley Lake, Intermediate Lake, Six Mile Lake, Skegemog Lake, St. Clair Lake, Torch Lake, Wilson Lake ben-way-lake clam-lake comprehensive-water-quality-monitoring elk-lake elk-river-chain-of-lakes elk-river-chain-of-lakes-watershed ellsworth-lake hanley-lake intermediate-lake six-mile-lake skegemog-lake st-clair-lake torch-lake wilson-lake inland-lakes watersheds
Greenbelts
Greenbelts are a natural buffer of native vegetation between the water’s edge and your lawn that helps to reduce erosion by stabilizing the soil, filtering nutrients and other pollution. Greenbelts can also deter geese who prefer well-manicured lawns and unrestricted access to the water.
Erosion Severity
L = Exposed soils, gullies up to 1″ deep. |
M = Exposed soils, gullies greater than 1″ but less than 6″ deep, and/or banks undercut by 6″ (minor slumping) |
H = Exposed soils, gullies greater than 6″ deep, and/or banks undercut by more than 6″ (severe slumping) |
Cladophora Density
To improve your stewardship of the ERCOL, visit the Michigan Shoreland Stewards (MiSS) website. The MiSS program provides recognition for lakefront property owners who are protecting inland lakes through best management practices on their property and provides recommendations for improving your shoreline
