Collaborators:

Cadmus Group
US Environmental Protection Agency Region V
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Annis Water Resources Institute
Project Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency Region V
 

Products:

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality TMDL for Bear Lake
AWRI Technical Report: Bear Lake Nutrient Study

 

Project Description:

An investigation of Bear Lake and its watershed was conducted to monitor the loading of nutrients and TSS and fluctuations in hydrology. Bear Lake is partially within the Manistee National Forest and discharges into Muskegon Lake. Bank stabilization best management practices were installed in the watershed, however, Bear Lake was still identified as impaired and included on Michigan's 2006 303(d) list because of high nutrient concentrations. Excessive nutrient loading from internal and external sources, in addition to shallow lake conditions (12 foot maximum depth), were considered the main factors which are facilitating the dense growths of rooted aquatic plants and periodic nuisance algal blooms. The investigation examined the external loading of nutrients from 4 tributaries to Bear Lake. Limnological and sediment chemistry data also were collected to examine internal nutrient loading. Finally, land cover and topographic information were analyzed to determine their influence on water quality. The data from this project was used to develop the phosphorus TMDL for Bear Lake.