Inventories and Surveys

Our water resource inventories and surveys are one of many approaches that the Watershed Council uses to protect Northern Michigan's water resources. We have a long history of performing inventories and surveys for watershed management planning or as a service to lake associations, local governments, riparian property owners and others.

Aquatic Plant Surveys

We perform detailed aquatic plant surveys and use results to assist lake associations and others with aquatic plant management plans for, using survey results. These surveys are typically done lake-wide and provide information and maps about the location and densities of aquatic plant communities, aquatic plant diversity, invasive plant species, and fish habitat.

GreenBelt Surveys

Road/Stream Crossing (RSX) Inventories

RSX inventories serve as a useful watershed management tool. They help identify sediment pollution entering surface waters from poorly designed, maintained, or aging stream crossing infrastructure. Inventories also reveal fish passage barriers due to perched culverts, as well as altered stream hydrology from inadequately designed or installed crossings. Performing regular RSX inventories allows road commissions and resource managers to note changes in stream and structure conditions over time, as well as rank RSXs as minor, moderate, or severe, as a means of prioritizing them for improvements or replacement.

RSXs that are improperly designed or installed, structurally failing, or no longer accommodate current stream conditions affect stream health. They can affect stream hydrology, prevent fish and other aquatic organisms from reaching up-and downstream reaches, increase water temperatures, and are sources of nutrients, sediments, bacteria, heavy metals, and other nonpoint source pollutants. In Northern Michigan, sediments pose the greatest threat to rivers and streams. Sedimentation can adversely impact fish and aquatic organisms by degrading their habitat and reducing water quality.

Shoreline Surveys

Shoreline surveys are typically performed for lake associations to provide a lake-wide assessment of the shoreline. Every property is surveyed for signs of nutrient pollution, erosion, greenbelts, altered shorelines, and other relevant factors. Survey information is used to work with individual property owners to address any problems on the shoreline. Information about individual properties is kept confidential. View results of recent shoreline surveys below:

Shoreline Surveys - Find Your Score

Shoreline Survey Reports