The Gun River Watershed (Watershed) encompasses an area of 73,272 acres in Allegan and Barry Counties, Michigan. The Gun River flows from Gun Lake through agricultural land into the urbanizing area of Otsego Township, Allegan County, where it joins the Kalamazoo River.
Shawn McKenney
Project Manager
Rabbit/Gun River Watershed Projects
Allegan Conservation District
1668 Lincoln Road
Allegan, MI 49010
Ph 269-673-8965 ext. 3
Ph 269-673-9671
Land Use Planning to improve water quality techniques range from the adoption of conservation easements and farmland preservation to the development of model ordinances that recognize additional requirements in sensitive areas (setbacks, slope protection) and low impact development techniques such as reducing impervious surfaces to increase infiltration. These techniques allow for long-term preventive measures that account for changes in land use. Best Management Practices (BMP) can be installed, but when the land use changes, that BMP may no longer address the problem or may be removed. Land Use Planning can bridge the gap between needing to address physical sources impacting water quality BMP’s and a community’s desire to meet future land use needs.
Currently, no townships in the Gun River Watershed have a comprehensive ordinance designed to protect water quality. Township ordinances have the greatest potential for future protection of resources in the Watershed. The Gun River Watershed Project is pursuing multiple grant opportunities to implement the following land use planning principles in the Watershed.
•Overlay maps on a township scale based on existing information that provide overlay districts highlighting sensitive areas that will assist planners with land use decisions and site considerations (setbacks, slope protection).
•Improved storm water management techniques through ordinances that minimize impervious surfaces, reduce runoff, promote infiltration to increase base flow, and maintainriparian corridors, according to low impact development principles.
•Encourage storm water detention policy that allows no more than 0.06 cfs/acre of development to be discharged to the Gun River.
•Model ordinances for water quality protection: floodplain management, high risk erosion area protection, setbacks, green belts, wetland protection, and storm water management ordinances.
Please see the Land Use Download section for more planning information.