Mullett Lake, Lower Black/Cheboygan Rivers Watershed

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

March 10, 2025

The purpose of this StoryMap is to educate and inform the public about the history, ongoing efforts, and current status of the Mullett Lake, Lower Black/Cheboygan Rivers Watershed Management Plan. This StoryMap was created wholly or in part by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy's Watershed Council Support funding.

Introduction

What is a watershed?

A watershed as an area of land that channels all the rainfall, snowmelt, and runoff into a body of water like a lake or river. Watersheds can be small and include an area of land that drains into a trickling creek. They can encompass multiple states in the Midwest, all draining into the Mississippi River. Or they can encompass multiple countries draining into the Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) defines these watersheds as “Hydrologic Units" and assigns them hydrologic unit codes. These units vary greatly in scale, from vast water resource regions spanning millions of square miles to small, local tributary systems. There are a total of 90,000 hydrologic unit codes designated across the nation. No matter where you are standing or sitting right now, you are in a watershed. And what you do everyday can help protect your favorite wetland, lake, or stream.

This cross-sectional illustration of a watershed shows various water processes and land uses. It features rain falling and flowing as surface runoff, with groundwater recharge and discharge indicated by arrows. The landscape includes forests, agricultural fields, rural areas, and urban areas. Human activities such as wells, septic systems, urban runoff, and wastewater discharge are depicted. The river collects runoff, groundwater discharge, and wastewater, flowing towards a larger body of water, illustrating the interconnectedness of water processes and human impacts within a watershed.

What is a Watershed Management Plan?

A watershed management plan identifies challenges and threats to water resources and outlines a strategy to address these issues within a specific watershed. Its primary purpose is to guide watershed coordinators, resource managers, policymakers, and community organizations in efforts to restore and protect the quality of lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands within the watershed. The plan serves as a practical tool, providing specific recommendations for practices that can improve and sustain water quality. During the development of a watershed management plan, various resource inventories are conducted to evaluate different types of nonpoint source pollution. These inventories typically include assessments of agriculture, forestry, road stream crossings, and surveys of streambanks and shorelines.

To be eligible for 319 nonpoint source funding, watershed management plans must meet EGLE’s Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI) criteria and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 9 Elements of a Watershed Management Plan. These plans are considered "living documents," meaning they must be reexamined and revised over time to reflect changing conditions and the achievement of goals.

The EGLE Nonpoint Source Program has developed a reference sheet outlining CMI, Nine-Element, and Phase II watershed management plan requirements .

Mullett Lake, Lower Black/Cheboygan Rivers Watershed

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Geography

The Mullett Lake Watershed is large, encompassing 744 square miles. However, the majority of the Watershed is located upstream from Burt Lake . The seven lakes which are found in this area act as nutrient and sediment traps, preventing adverse water quality impacts from the upper portion of the watershed. The immediate watershed of Mullett Lake is of much greater importance to the lake’s water quality. The area of the immediate watershed is also large, about 250 square miles. However, the size of a lake’s watershed relative to the size of the lake is a more descriptive statistic. Lakes in which the ratio of watershed area to lake area is large are more susceptible to nutrient enrichment and other types of pollution from throughout the watershed than lakes with small ratios. The ratio of Mullett Lake’s Watershed to its surface area is 9.74, which indicates that the watershed is not very large in relation to the lake’s size. The watershed-to-surface-area ratio for other nearby lakes ranges from 1.7 to 177.5.

Water Bodies

The primary tributaries of Mullett Lake , in descending order of size, are the Indian , Pigeon , Little Sturgeon, and Little Pigeon Rivers and Mullett Creek. Numerous smaller streams also flow into Mullett Lake in various locations. The watershed boundary west of Mullett Lake runs approximately halfway between Burt and Mullett Lakes. In the north part of the watershed, the surface drainage comes to within about one-half mile of Douglas Lake . Mullett Creek drains this portion of the watershed and discharges near the mid-point of the western shore. The northeastern boundary of the watershed lies between Mullett and Long Lakes. The watershed attains its greatest width here, nearly 13 miles. Southeast of Mullett Lake, four small lakes are located within the watershed. Devereaux and Cochran Lakes are seepage lakes, while Silver and Roberts Lakes are drainage lakes with surface connections for Mullett Lake. Four of Mullett Lake’s five major tributaries flow into the south end of the lake. The longest of these tributaries is the Pigeon River , whose headwaters lie approximately 35 miles south of its mouth. The Mullett Lake Watershed has its greatest length here, 46 miles on a north-south axis. The Pigeon River discharges into Pigeon Bay after flowing through a wetland area. The mouth of the Little Sturgeon River discharges into the Indian River just downstream from the town of Indian River. The Sturgeon River was formerly a tributary of Mullett Lake, also emptying into the Indian River, but its channel was diverted into Burt Lake to facilitate navigation on the Inland Waterway. The Little Pigeon flows into Mullett Lake near the mouth of the Pigeon River. The Indian River is formed from the surface outflow from Burt Lake. It flows through a large cattail marsh, called the Indian River Spreads, before discharging into Mullett Lake. The outlet of Mullett Lake is the Cheboygan River . In approximately 1922, a dam was constructed on the river four miles downstream from Mullett Lake. The damming caused the lake level to rise, resulting in increased shoreline erosion, which is still occurring at the present time. The damming also resulted in flooded bays and inlets, and some areas of submerged timber. The dam is equipped with a lock to allow boat traffic to access Lake Huron. The Watershed has been divided into six subwatersheds. Five of the sub-watersheds are areas drained by the lake’s major tributaries, and the sixth subwatershed consists of shoreland areas with no major surface streams.

Inland Waterway

The Mullett Lake Watershed includes the last half of the Inland Waterway, one of Michigan’s longest chains of rivers and lakes. It begins with Crooked Lake and extends to Lake Huron via the Crooked River, Burt Lake, Indian River, Mullett Lake, and the Cheboygan River. The Mullett Lake Watershed includes Indian River, Mullett Lake, and Cheboygan River. Historically, the Inland Waterway was used by Native Americans and trappers as a fast route across Northern Michigan instead of the longer, more dangerous passage through the Straits of Mackinac. Today, the Inland Waterway provides recreational boaters with nearly 40 miles of navigable waters, plus direct access to four of Michigan’s most beautiful and popular lakes.

Land Cover

The land cover in the Watershed encompasses almost 230,000 acres, over half of which is forest/grass/scrub followed by wetlands with the next highest land use (almost 20%). These high-quality waters are protected by the low impact land use types that make up most of the land use. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Change Analysis Program shows that between 1985 and 2016, the largest change in land cover occurred in forested lands, at an almost 1% loss, and a gain in urban area of 0.5%.

Soils

In the United States, soils are assigned to four hydrologic soil groups: A, B, C, and D. This describes their rate of water infiltration when the soils are not protected from vegetation, are thoroughly wet, and receive precipitation from long‐duration storms.

The Mullett Lake direct subwatershed consists of soils that are largely group A, which have high infiltration rates.

The Lower Black/Cheboygan Rivers subwatershed consists of soils that are well drained or moderately well drained on the outer watershed boundaries. There are large tracts of poorly drained soils located at the southeastern portion of the subwatershed and most of Cheboygan consists of poorly drained soils.

Groundwater

Groundwater is critically important for water quality and ecosystem integrity of lakes, streams, and wetlands. Rain, melting snow, and other forms of precipitation move quickly into and through the ground throughout much of the Watershed due to highly permeable (sandy) soils. Gravity causes vertical migration of groundwater through soils until it reaches a depth where the ground is filled, or saturated, with water. This saturated zone in the ground is called the water table and can vary greatly in depth. The map illustrates groundwater recharges areas throughout the Watershed based on their respective infiltration rates.

Implementation Tasks

Implementation tasks are strategic actions designed to achieve specific goals within a watershed management plan. These tasks focus on improving water quality, protecting natural resources, and promoting sustainable land use practices.

Implementation Tasks Include:

Best Management Practices (BMPs): Implement BMPs to control nonpoint source pollution, such as agricultural runoff and urban stormwater.
Partnerships and Collaboration: Develop strong partnerships with local governments, community groups, and stakeholders. Collaborate on projects to protect the watershed.
Information and Education: Launch educational programs to increase public awareness about water quality issues.

Specific Categories Covered by Implementation Tasks Include:

Water Quality Monitoring: Conduct regular monitoring of physical, chemical, and biological parameters to track changes in water quality and identify areas needing intervention.
Wetlands Protection: Preserve existing wetlands and restore degraded ones to enhance biodiversity, improve water filtration, and provide wildlife habitats.
Shoreline and Streambank Protection: Implement erosion control measures and establish vegetative buffer zones along shorelines and streambanks to prevent erosion and protect aquatic habitats.
Stormwater Management: Monitor stormwater discharge and implement best management practices to manage stormwater.
Planning and Zoning: Utilize the recommendations of the Cheboygan County Gaps Analysis (2014) to encourage adoption of model standards in zoning ordinances to protect water quality.
Land Use: Promote and implement best management practices in designated critical areas.
Road/Stream Crossing: Implement priority road/stream crossing projects for improved hydrology, erosion control, and fish passage in the Mullett Lake, Lower Black and Cheboygan River Watersheds.
Land Protection and Management: Protect priority parcels to restore habitat and protect water quality.
Ecosystem Health: Protect and restore critical habitat within the Watershed's priority areas to support fish and wildlife populations.
Recreation, Safety and Human Health: Monitor public beaches for potential health hazards, promote clean boating practices, and provide information and feedback to local and state governments regarding their recreational planning efforts.
Hydrology and Groundwater: Compile existing groundwater information, identify problems, determine data gaps, and develop a strategy for long-term monitoring.
Threatened, Endangered, and Species of Concern: Protect and restore wild rice habitat, and Hungerford's Crawling Water Beetle, through education and research methods.
Aquatic Invasive Species: Implement projects and programs to stop the introduction, spread and distribution of invasive species within the Watershed.
Septic Systems: Conduct monitoring and develop a septic systems outreach campaign to educate the public on septic system maintenance.
Emerging Threats: Mitigate and monitor emerging threats such as climate change, oils pills, microplastics, PFAs/PFOAs and harmful algal blooms (HABs).

Water Quality

Over the past several decades, extensive water quality data have been collected from the Mullett Lake, Lower Black and Cheboygan Rivers Watersheds by various organizations. The majority of the water quality data analyzed in the plan was collected by TOMWC as a part of the planning process. Where there were data gaps, data was obtained from EGLE, TOMWC programs, and the District Health Department Number 4.

Parameters Monitored

Multiple parameters are monitored when developing a watershed management plan. Monitoring includes over 40 physical and chemical parameters, including nutrients, aquatic macroinvertebrates, E. coli bacteria, pH, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductivity.

Aquatic macroinvertebrate monitoring, Rainy River 2023

Nutrients: Phosphorus and nitrogen levels are monitored in lakes and streams to assess nutrient pollution and its potential impact on water quality and aquatic life.
Aquatic Macroinvertebrates: Insects in their nymph and larval stages, such as dragonfly and stonefly nymphs, aquatic beetles, and water mites, are monitored to gauge stream health and biodiversity.
E. coli Bacteria: This coliform bacteria indicates fecal contamination in the water, which can pose health risks and affect recreational water quality.
pH: Monitoring pH levels ensures the water quality supports fisheries and other wildlife by maintaining a balanced aquatic environment.
Dissolved Oxygen: DO levels are critical for supporting fisheries and other aquatic organisms, with healthy levels indicating good water quality.
Specific Conductivity: Conductivity is monitored as it indicates the presence of dissolved salts and pollutants in the water.

Critical and Priority Areas

Critical Areas

Critical areas within the Watershed are regions where management measures need to be implemented to reduce nonpoint source pollution. These areas have been identified through resource inventories, Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis, and reports from resource managers. The main sources of nonpoint pollution include agriculture, urban stormwater, shoreline management, hydrologic manipulation, road/stream crossings, and malfunctioning septic systems. Critical areas are divided into general and acute categories. General critical areas are broader regions requiring attention, while acute critical areas are high-priority locations needing immediate action. Key acute critical areas include the Indian River Watershed, City of Cheboygan, Tannery Gully, Mullett and Long Lake shorelines. Critical waters include Cheboygan, Little Sturgeon, Lower Black, and Little Pigeon Rivers, as well as Laperell, Kimberly, and Mullett Creeks.

Priority Areas

Priority areas are those most vulnerable to development and other land uses, including steep slopes, riparian areas, groundwater recharge areas, and wetlands. Protecting these features ensures long-term water quality in the watershed. Steep slopes are prone to erosion, riparian areas are crucial for water quality, groundwater recharge areas support cold water fisheries, and wetlands offer various ecological benefits. The Priority Parcel Analysis conducted by TOMWC, with data from Little Traverse Conservancy, Huron Pines, Cheboygan and Otsego Counties, evaluated land parcels based on ecological criteria and ranked them for protection efforts. Nearly 200 parcels scored high priority for water resource protection, with another 2,474 in the medium priority tier.

Accomplished and Ongoing Projects

Long Lake Shoreline Survey

2021

GLC Emerging champions-GSI Cheboygan

Long Lake Shoreline Survey

2021

Project Lead: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

A survey of Long Lake was conducted in 2021 to determine shoreline conditions. Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council staff set out in kayaks to survey each property's shoreline on the lake, looking at shoreline hardening, greenbelts, erosion, and Cladophora.

Project Partners: Long Lake Association

Project Cost: N/A

GLC Emerging champions-GSI Cheboygan

2021

Hungerford's Crawling Water Beetle Surveys

2022

Cheboygan Fishing Piers

2022

Project Lead: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

The purpose of installing the two fishing piers was to increase access to the Cheboygan River as well as improve the ease of access. The piers and trails are ADA compliant. The Cheboygan River and Lake Huron are considered some of the City’s greatest resources. This project fits under a variety of different planning documents such as the City’s Draft Master Plan (2017), The Cheboygan County Recreation Plan (2016) and the MDNR Cheboygan River Assessment. The site was chosen based on its suitability for fish habitat, priority for anglers, proximity to other public spaces, proximity to other natural features, physical characteristics that made it suitable for construction, and location on public land. Public engagement throughout the design phase yielded positive responses from the community.

Project Partners: Great Lakes Fishery Trust, City of Cheboygan, Department of Natural Resources, and Michigan Disability Network

Project Cost: $324, 172

MAPS Chloride Study

2022

Project Lead: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

For this project chloride was monitored by Mullett Area Preservation Society (MAPS) volunteers in Indian River and Mullett Creek. Of the 5 sites with chloride levels ≥ 30 ppm, Site 1 had levels of 83 ppm, 43 ppm, 43 ppm, and 49 ppm, from the first fall sampling event to the second winter sampling event, respectively. While these levels are not in exceedance of the State of Michigan aquatic maximum value of 320 mg/L, they are higher in comparison to what we may refer to as ‘ambient’ freshwater chloride levels within the Mullett Lake Watershed.

Project Partners: Mullett Area Preservation Society (MAPS)

Project Cost: $3,522

Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM)

Ongoing

Project Lead: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

The Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Program was launched by Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council in 1987. Initially, physical and chemical data were collected on 10 lakes but the program has progressively expanded to 58 lakes and rivers. Typically, data for nine parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, clarity, total phosphorous, total nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, and chloride) are collected at the surface, middle and bottom of the water column in each water body. This highly-accurate water quality data for lakes and rivers in Northern Michigan, collected consistently for the last 20+ years, have been compiled into a single database that can be used by staff to evaluate aquatic ecosystem health, examine trends within or among water bodies, and identify specific problems. Find more information and program data here .

Project Partners: N/A

Project Cost: N/A

Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLM)

Ongoing

Project Lead: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

Volunteers monitor water quality on their lakes annually during the summer months. Lake monitors use a Secchi disk to determine water clarity weekly, and a composite sampler to take a chlorophyll-a sample bi-weekly. These two sampling methods allow the Watershed Council to determine a Trophic Status Index (TSI) score for the lakes monitored. The TSI score can be used to track trends and compare lakes across the Watershed. Find more information and data here .

Lakes monitored in 2024:

Long
Mullett
Twin

Project Partners: Lake associations, and MSU Extension

Project Cost: N/A

Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program (VSM)

Ongoing

Project Lead: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

Volunteer teams monitor the water quality of wadeable streams two times a year, during the spring (May) and fall (September). While volunteers note relevant information on the survey form, collectors use a net to vigorously sample all habitats in the stream reach for macroinvertebrates. The macroinvertebrates collected are identified and used as bioindicators to determine health of the streams monitored in the Watershed. VSM data is used to compare sites and identify trends over time. Find more information and program data here .

Streams monitored in 2024:

Cheboygan River
Lower Black River
Mullett Creek
Pigeon River
Indian River
Sturgeon River

Project Partners: MiCorps

Project Cost: N/A

Watershed Academy

Ongoing

Project Lead: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

The Watershed Academy program provides high school science students an opportunity to become experts in their local watershed. The Watershed Academy is a great opportunity for these students to learn about their local watershed and assume leadership roles in their community through volunteering time, knowledge, and skills.

Students in the program conduct stream monitoring through the same methods as the Volunteer Stream Monitoring program. In addition to collecting macroinvertebrates, students test nutrients, chloride and other parameters.

Streams monitored in 2024:

Sturgeon River

City of Cheboygan ( https://www.cheboygan.org/ )

Cheboygan County Planning & Zoning ( https://www.cheboygancounty.net/departments-services/planning-zoning/ )

Cheboygan County Planning Commission ( https://www.cheboygancounty.net/departments-services/planning-zoning/planning-commission/ )

Cheboygan County Road Commission ( https://www.cheboygancounty.net/departments-services/cheboygan-county-road-commission/ )

Cheboygan River Preservation Association ( https://www.cheboyganriver-crpa.com/ )

Headwaters-Trout Unlimited ( https://headwaterstu.org/ )

Huron Pines ( https://www.huronpines.org/ )

Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians ( https://ltbbodawa-nsn.gov/departments/natural-resources-department/ )

Little Traverse Conservancy ( https://landtrust.org/ )

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) ( https://www.michigan.gov/egle)

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) ( https://www.michigan.gov/dnr )

Mullett Area Preservation Society ( https://mullettlakemaps.org/ )

Sturgeon for Tomorrow ( https://www.sturgeonfortomorrow.org/ )

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council ( https://watershedcouncil.org/ )

University of Michigan Biological Station ( https://lsa.umich.edu/umbs )

References

Conservation Ontario. "Watershed Labeled." Conservation Ontario, www.conservation-ontario.on.ca/source_protection/files/watershed_labeled_hor.jpg .

Hay-Chmielewski, E. M., and G. E. Whelan, editors. 1997. Lake sturgeon rehabilitation strategy. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Special Report 18, Ann Arbor

Johnson, N.S., Twohey, M.B., Miehls, S.M., Cwalinski, T.A., Godby, N.A., Lochet, A., Slade, J.W., Jubar, A.K., Siefkes, M.J., 2016a. Evidence that sea lamprey complete their life cycle within a tributary of the Great Lakes. J. Great Lakes Res. 42, 90– 98.

Rochard, E., G. Castelnaud, and M. Lepage. 1990. Sturgeon (Pisces: Acipenseridae); threats and prospects. Journal of Fish Biology 37 (Supplement A): 123-132.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters.” EPA, www.epa.gov/nps/handbook-developing-watershed-plans-restore-and-protect-our-waters .

U.S. Geological Survey. "Watersheds and Drainage Basins." Water Science School, U.S. Geological Survey, www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/watersheds-and-drainage-basins .

Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). "Developing a Watershed Management Plan." EGLE, https://www.michigan.gov/egle/about/organization/water-resources/nonpoint-source/developing-a-watershed-plan .