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U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey

Effects of Residential Development on the Water Quality of Higgins Lake, Michigan1995-99

Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4055

In cooperation with Gerrish and Lyon Townships, Roscommon County, Michigan, Higgins Lake Property Association and Higgins Lake Foundation

Effects of Residential Development on the Water Quality of Higgins Lake, Michigan1995-99

By Russel J. Minnerick

U.S. Geological SurveyWater-Resources Investigations Report 01-4055

Lansing, Michigan 2001

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GALE A. NORTON, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Charles G. Groat, Director

For additional information write: Copies of this report can purchased from:

District Chief U.S.Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services 6520 Mercantile Way, Ste. 5 Box 25286 Lansing, MI 48911-5991 Denver, CO 80225-0286

�� CONTENTS

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Purpose and scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Description of the study area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Study design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Study Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Water-quality sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Water elevations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Residential density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Water-quality characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Shallow ground water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Near-shore lake water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Inlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Deep basins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Effects of residential development on water quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Summary and conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

References cited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

FIGURES

1. Map showing study area and location of data collection sites at and near Higgins Lake,

Roscommon, Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

FIGURES 2-9 Graphs showing:

2. Relation between total phosphorus and E. Coli in ground water at sampling

site 33, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3. Temperature and oxygen profiles for Higgins Lake, June 1996 to September 1996 . . . . . . . . . 16

4. Specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and water temperature, during maximum

stratification in late summer, North and South basins in Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

5. Tropic-State Indices for Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6. Relation between buildings per acre and (A) median dissolved chloride in near-shore Lake

water, (B) turbidity in near-shore lake water, and (C) linear feet of roads per acre of study

plots, Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

7. Relation between building density and selected nutrients in lake water and ground

water at near-shore sampling sites around Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

8. Relation between buildings per acre and E. Coli bacteria in ground water at near-shore

sampling sites around Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

9. Monthly maximum and minimum stages for Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

��CONTENTS--Continued

TABLES

1. Site number and identifier, location, and type of data-collection sites, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . 7

2. Building density and lineal feet of road per acre, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3. Summary of selected water quality constituents in ground water below lake bottom in

Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4. Summary of nutrients in the near shore lake water in Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

5. Median values of selected constituents collected from upstream and downstream

sites on Big Creek, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

6. Instaneous phosphorus loading to Higgins Lake computed at sampling sites on

Big Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

7. Summary of water quality in the North Basin, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

8. Summary of water quality in the South Basin, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

9. Selected chemical characteristics of water in lakes in Grand Traverse County . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

10. Summary of secchi and chlorophyll a depth observations collected from the

photic zone in the North Basin, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

11. Summary of secchi and chlorophyll a depth observations from the

photic zone in the South Basin, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CONVERSION FACTORS, VERTICAL DATUM, AND ABBREVATIONS

For use of readers who prefer the International System of Units (SI), the conversion factors for terms used in this report are listed below.

Multiply By To obtain

inch (in) foot (ft)

Length 2.54 0.3048

centimeter meter

Area acre mile (mi) square mile (m2)

4.047 1.609 2.59

square hectometer kilometersquare kilometer

cubic foot (ft3) acre foot

Volume 0.02832 1,233.5

cubic meter cubic meter

cubic foot per second (ft3/sec) Flow 2.832 liter per second

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Sea level��

ABBREVIATIONS (in addition to those above) MRL, minimum reporting level LT-MDL, long term method detection level TSI, trophic-state index col/100 ml, colonies per 100 milliliters (of sample water) �S/cm, microSiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius �� g, microgram mg, milligram L, liter <, less than

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North Basin

Shallow Water Zone

South Basin

Treasure Island

0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 FEET

0 1,000 2,000 METERS

Higgins Lake

Base from U.S. Geological Survey National Aerial Photography Program,1993 and 1994.

Big Creek

04120478

Little Creek

The Cut

Flag Point

Point Detroit

44280584411001

04120481

MICHIGAN

EXPLANATION 23

Lake-water-quality measurement site number and identifier

Ground-water-quality measurement site number and identifier

Inlet-water-quality measurement site number and identifier

Lake gage

Figure 1. Study area and location of data-collection sites at and near Higgins Lake,

Roscommon County, Michigan.

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June 8, 1998

August 11, 1999

May 19, 1999

0.1 1 10 100 1,000

E. COLI , COLONIES PER 100 MILLILITERS

Figure 2. Relation between total phosphorus and E. Coli in ground water at sampling site 33, Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

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WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS

4 8 12 16 20 24 28D

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

Higgins Lake North Basin

WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS

EXPLANATION

DISSOLVED OXYGEN

August

September

WATER TEMPERATURE

August

September

4 8 12 16 20 24 28

0 EXPLANATION

DISSOLVED OXYGEN

20 June

40August

September60

WATER TEMPERATURE

80June

July 100

August

120 September

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

Higgins Lake South Basin

Figure 3. Temperature and oxygen profiles for Higgins Lake, June 1996 to September 1996,

Roscommon County, Michigan, June-September 1996.

South Basin

North Basin

105 105

115 115

205 225 245 265 0 5 10 15

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, IN MICROGRAMS DISSOLVED OXYGEN, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

South Basin

North Basin

PER CENTIMETER AT 25 DEGREES CELSIUS

EET 20

10 South Basin

North Basin10

South Basin

North Basin

105 105

115 115

7 7.5 8 8.5 9 0 10 20

pH, IN STANDARD UNITS WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS

Figure 4. Specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and water temperature during maximum stratification in late summer, North and South basins in Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan, September 4, 1996.

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101000

Eutrophic

Mesotrophic

Total phosphorus

Chlorophyll a

Secchi-disc depth

Oligotrophic

101000

6060Eutrophic

Mesotrophic

Oligotrophic

DEC 94 JUNE 95 DEC 95 JUNE 96 DEC 96 JUNE 97 DEC 97 JUNE 98 DEC 98 JUNE 99 DEC 99

Figure 5. Trophic-State Indices for Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

Figure 6. Relation between buildings per acre and ( ) median dissolved chloride A

in near-shore lake water, ( ) turbidity in near-shore lake water, and ( C

) linear feet B

of roads per acre of study plots, Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

0.10.1

0.00. 101

0.000. 1001

Surface water

Ground water

0.00 0.12 0.250.00 0.12 0.25 0.31 0.38 0.44 0.50 0.81 0.93 1.50 1.56 1.690.31 0.38 0.44 0.50 0.81 0.93 1.50 1.56 1.69

BUILDINGS PER ACREBUILDINGS PER ACRE

Surface water

Ground water

0.10.1

0.00. 101

0.000. 1001

0. 0.12 0.2 0.31 0.38 0.44 0.50 0.81 0.930.38 0.44 0.50 0.81 0.93 11.50 1.56 1.1.69 690.0000 0.12 0.25 0.31 .50 1.56

BUILDINGS PER ACREBUILDINGS PER ACRE

Figure 7. Relation between building density and selected nutrients in lake water and ground water at near-shore sampling sites around Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

Figure 8. Relation between buildings per acre and E. Coli bacteria in ground water at near-shore sampling sites around Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

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Dec-94 June-95 Dec-95 June-96 Dec-96 June-97 Dec-97 June-98 Dec-98 June-99 Dec-99

Minimum elevationMissing record

Maximum elevation

Figure 9. Monthly maximum and minimum stages for Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

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