Huron Creek Watershed Management Plan

1
Huron Creek Watershed Management Plan
Public Input on Draft Watershed Management
Document The Draft Watershed Management Plan
document can be viewed at the Portage Lake
Library or at http//www.geo.mtu.edu/asmayer/Huro
nCreek/ HuronCreek.htm Comments can be submitted
via email mtcws_at_mtu.edu or by mail at CWS, Dept.
GMES, Michigan Tech, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton,
MI 49931

• Introduction
• The Huron Creek watershed is located in
  north-central Houghton County near the City of
  Houghton, Michigan (Figure 1). The watershed
  includes portions of the City of Houghton and
  Portage Township. Land use in the watershed
  consists of roughly 40 forest, 20 commercial
  and residential developments, and 20 wetlands.

• Critical Areas
• Critical Areas, or physical locations to be the
  focus of management recommendations have been
  identified
• Ray Kestner Waterfront Park Streambank erosion
  and aesthetic concerns
• Former Houghton Landfill Area Landfill
  leachate, erosion, stamp sands
• Shopping Cart Creek Erosion
• Wetland Mitigation /Creek Re-Route Areas
  Habitat, invasive species, stamp sands
• Dakota Heights Neighborhood of Portage Township
  Septic systems
• Assorted Small-Scale Erosion Locations

Watershed Advisory Council (WAC) The Huron Creek
Watershed WAC was formed by identifying critical
stakeholders such as businesses, government
agencies, residents, and relevant community
organizations. Approximately 20 individuals were
invited to join the WAC and met from summer 2006
through spring 2007. The WACs accomplishments
include formulating a vision statement (see
below), analyzing existing information on the
creek ,and identifying the most critical problems
and areas facing the creek and its watershed.
Recommended Actions Recommended actions for
improving the critical areas are as follows.
Huron Creek Watershed Advisory Council Vision
Statement We see Huron Creek and its watershed
as valuable to the residents of Houghton County
in maintaining a sense of place compatible with
the areas character. In particular, we desire a
watershed and stream that 1. Is visually
attractive and includes a stream-side vegetation
buffer that is visible on the landscape 2.
Provides habitat for a healthy ecosystem within
an urban setting 3. Provides opportunities for
human interactions with the stream ecosystem,
with the Houghton Waterfront park and the former
Huron Lake being prime sites for interaction 4.
Has water quality that is consistent with the
previous three goals 5. Provides opportunities
for community education (including schools,
business owners, and the public in general) on
the importance of healthy watersheds and in the
historical uses of this particular watershed,
with interpretive signs at sites of interaction
being one possible form of education.
Figure 1 Huron Creek Watershed

• Physical Improvements
• Bank stabilization in Ray Kestner Waterfront Park
• Connection of Dakota Heights homes to sanitary
  sewer
• Slope and stamp sand stabilization in the former
  Houghton landfill area
• Stabilization and repair of streambank in
  Shopping Cart Creek
• Installation of a stormwater detention pond at
  the head of Shopping Cart Creek
• Invasive species management and habitat
  enhancement in the wetland mitigation areas

The watershed has been the focus of various water
quality-related concerns for decades. Historical
mining activities, aging septic systems and
closed landfills. Commercial development in the
watershed since the mid-1970s is some of the
most concentrated and rapidly growing in the
western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, resulting in
significant areas of impervious surface in the
watershed.

1. Wetland restoration
2. Stabilization of identified critical erosion
   locations

Public concerns with regard to the creek have
intensified in the last several years. These
factors have catalyzed the development of a
watershed management plan, which is a plan of
action formulated to address water quality issues
as well as any other related items the community
deems important. The lead organization
responsible for preparing the Huron Creek
watershed management plan is the Michigan
Technological University Center for Water
Society (CWS).
Designated Uses   These studies indicated that
designated uses for the watershed and creek were
either impaired or threatened, as indicated in
Table 1.

• Data Collection
• A series of chemical, physical and biological
  studies were conducted by CWS from fall 2007
  through spring 2008, including
• Water Quality Monitoring
• Land Use Survey
• Hydrologic Modeling
• Storm Drainage Survey
• Geomorphology Survey

• Monitoring Plans
• Water quality monitoring
• Erosion and geomorphologic monitoring
• Invasive vegetative species monitoring

• Information and Education 
• Wetland Education Station in the wetland
  mitigation area
• Educational, historical signage
• Volunteer water quality monitoring
• Informing public of implementation of recommended
  actions

Table 1 Designated Uses Table 1 Designated Uses Table 1 Designated Uses
Designated Use Status of Designated Use Pollutants or Problems Associated with Designated Use Status
Aquatic Life and Wildlife Habitat Impaired Metals (Copper, Iron), Nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Ammonia), Sediment, Flashy Flow, and Invasive Plant Species
Partial Body Contact Recreation Threatened Metals, Bacteria
Total Body Contact Recreation Threatened Metals, Bacteria
Ordinances Stormwater ordinances for the City of
Houghton and Portage Township
Acknowledgement The development of the Huron
Creek Watershed Management Plan has been funded
by the Michigan Department of Environmental
Qualitys Nonpoint Source Program.