Gun River Watershed Project
The Gun River 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.
Video of the Gun River Watershed
The Gun River and its tributaries are impaired by nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. Previous studies have identified pathogens, phosphorus, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, nutrients, and poor macroinvertebrate communities as degrading the water quality in certain waterbodies within the Watershed. Other significant water quality impairments include degraded indigenous aquatic habitat, a decline of biotic diversity, and reduced fish populations caused by sedimentation.
Best Management Practices (BMPs) to address NPS pollutants present in the Watershed have been identified and quantified to estimate costs of reducing impairments in the Watershed. Estimates of the desired load reductions to meet water quality standards have been determined in designated areas and all significant water quality problems have been addressed. A schedule for implementing the BMPs was developed. The following goals have been developed for the Watershed:
Reduce soil erosion and sedimentation by 10%
Reduce nutrients by 10%
Establish a TotalMaximum Daily Load (TMDL) in designated areas
Stabilize stream flows to moderate hydrology and increase base flows
Manage instream obstructions
Attain water quality standards for Total Body Contact Recreation from May 1st – October 1st in Gun Lake
Maintain the coldwater fishery
Minimize fragmentation of habitat
Land Use Planning in the Gun River Watershed
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 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.
For more information on the Gun River Watershed Project please call the Allegan Conservation District.
Gun River Watershed Project Downloads
| Name | Description | Size | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| GUN_EDUCATION.pdf | General Gun River Watershed information. | 219KB | 417 |
| EPA_GunRiverWMP.pdf | WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLAN | 2MB | 535 |
| LID_NEWS#1.pdf | Gun River Land Use Management news | 234KB | 457 |
| LID_NEWS#2.pdf | Gun River Land Use Management news | 327KB | 414 |
| FREE_SOIL_TESTING.pdf | INFORMATION REGARDING THE FREE SOIL TESTING PROGRAM | 444KB | 380 |
| GUN_WATERSHED_MAP.pdf | Watershed Map | 875KB | 322 |
| LID_NEWS#3.pdf | Gun River Land Use Management news | 293KB | 299 |
| HYDROLOGIC_STUDY_GUN.pdf | GUN RIVER HYDROLOGIC STUDY | 206KB | 376 |
| GUN-SEPTEMBER-2008.pdf | NEWSLETTER | 459KB | 252 |
| GUN-FEB-2009.pdf | February 2009 newsletter | 305KB | 255 |