Allegan Conservation District

About

The Upper Rabbit River Watershed, located in rural Allegan, Barry, and Ottawa Counties encompasses 91,210 acres of agricultural, urban and forested land. The Upper Rabbit River Watershed is approximately 60 percent agricultural land. The Rabbit River originates east of Wayland, MI, in Leighton Township, and flows westerly to join the Kalamazoo River at New Richmond, which then flows on to Lake Michigan. The Rabbit River is a State Designated Trout Stream, as are several of its tributaries. Very few rivers in southwestern Michigan are designated trout streams, making the Rabbit River a unique resource in our area.

Streams in the Upper Rabbit River Watershed have suffered impairments due to human derived land based activities. Biosurveys conducted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) indicate that habitat and biological communities in the Rabbit River and tributaries are significantly degraded due to nonpoint source pollution. Streams in the watershed are included on MDEQ non-attainment list. The Rabbit River Watershed is listed as one of eight watersheds on MDEQ’s Michigan’s Unified Watershed Assessment and Watershed Restoration Priorities. In addition, the Rabbit River Watershed is ranked third out of twenty-eight in the sate of Michigan as a Conservation Priority Area for the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) to reduce non-point source pollution. Significant water quality impairments include degraded indigenous aquatic habitat and biotic diversity, reduced fish populations and flooding. Major NPS pollutants include sediment, excessive nutrients, and high flow. Occasional spikes in fecal coliform bacteria have also been noted, raising concerns about water-body contact. Development is steadily increasing in the watershed as open space and agricultural land is re-zoned to residential and industrial. Allegan County’s population has increased more than ten percent since 1990 (according to the 2000 census).

The goal of the project is to improve water quality and reduce NPS pollution through implementation of land-use planning, zoning, and ordinance review strategies, and by increasing awareness of water quality and watershed issues through information and education.

For more information on water quality in your watershed please visit the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Webiste at: michigan.gov/non-point

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