Huron Creek Watershed Management
Introduction
The Huron Creek Watershed (see figure) is located (lat. 47 deg 07' N long. 88 deg 34' W) in Houghton County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The roughly three-square-mile watershed encompasses much of the new commercial development for the City of Houghton and Portage Township. Land use in the Huron Creek watershed is predominately forested land (40%), commercial and residential property (20%), and wetlands (20%). Huron Creek empties into the Portage Canal. Huron Creek is on the Further Evaluation section of the MDEQ 303d list, primarily due to water quality concerns associated with landfill leachate and commercial development upstream.
Infrequent water quality monitoring has taken place within the watershed over the past decade. The majority of the sampling efforts have focused on the former Houghton City landfill located next to the stream. In a 2002 bioassay that included sites downstream of the landfill, the MDEQ rated the macro-invertebrate community within Huron Creek as poor. Leachate from the landfill is visibly seeping into the creek in at least six locations along Huron Creek. The discharging leachate contains elevated concentrations of iron (20,000 ppb), ammonia (NH3-400 ppb), and total dissolved solids (530,000 ppm). Downstream of the landfill, mercury (19.6 ppb) and total copper (39 ppb) concentrations have been measured that exceed Rule 57 aquatic life protection values. Excessive iron concentrations of 1400 ppm also have been recorded downstream from the landfill. Orange staining of the creek bottom by iron floc (known as yellow boy) is obvious for a quarter mile downstream of the landfill. The iron floc is likely responsible for the poor to none-observable ratings of macro-invertebrate quality in the vicinity and downstream of the landfill. In addition to water quality concerns associated with the landfill, mining residuals, stream modification, and failing septic tanks may also be contributing metals, sediments, and harmful bacteria.
Watershed Advisory Council
List of Members
Resources
