FACT SHEET
– OVER–
What Is a Watershed?
A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common point.
What Is the PortageLake Watershed?
The Portage Lake Watershed is located in Manistee County, Michigan, and encompasses 21 square miles (15,808 acres) including portions of Onekama, BearLake, Manistee, and Brown townships as well as the Village of Onekama. PortageLakecomprises 13 percent of the total surface area of the watershed. Seven named creeks and several unnamed creeks and drains feed Portage Lake,which is connected to Lake Michigan by a manmade channel on its west side.
Why Is Watershed Planning Important?
Almost every activity on the land has the potential to affect the quality of water in a community. The rationale for watershed management is that if we properly manage land activities on the sides and valleys of the watershed, we will protect the water within. Watershed planning brings together people within the watershed to address those activities regardless of existing political boundaries.
The Portage Lake Watershed is one of the few areas in Michigan without a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)-approved watershed management plan in place. Once a plan is approved by the MDEQ, local units of government and nonprofit organizations will be eligible to apply for grant funding to implement the plan.
What Is Involved in Developing a Watershed Plan?
Guidelines from the MDEQ and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be used to develop the Portage Lake Watershed Forever Plan. Watershed management plans are living documents. No two plans are alike because they are based on the perspective of the local community. In general, watershed planning will include the following steps,whose order will vary depending on the community’s needs. Some steps will occur simultaneously and others will be repeated.
1)Informing and involving the public
2)Identifying and networking with local agencies and citizens
3)Getting to know your watershed—designated and desired uses; sources and causes of pollutants; overall goals
4)Defining a critical area
5)Surveying the watershed to inventory your critical area
6)Prioritizing sources and causes of pollution
7)Determining objectives for your watershed goals
8)Identifying systems of Best Management Practices (BMPs) needed
9)Identifying and analyzing projects, programs, and ordinances
10)Developing an evaluation process
11)Assembling your watershed plan
12)ACT! Creation of a plan is just the beginning.
The planning process will take approximately 12–15 months and an estimated $50,000–$75,000 to complete.
What Will Be in the Plan?
The Portage Lake Watershed Forever Plan will engage the community in finding common ground and prioritizing shared goals for the future of the watershed, identifying current and potential problems, developing locally driven solutions, engaging the community through outreach and education, leveraging resources, and enabling the community to ACT!
This plan will be a living document that will protect the natural resources within the watershed; however, the quality of the natural resources has an impact on all quality-of-life issues in the surrounding community and will be included in the development of the plan. These aspects include youth and schools; arts, humanities and culture; public health; government and infrastructure; and economic development.
This plan will be approved by the MDEQ and the US EPA, making it eligible for sources of grant funding for implementing the plan. It will also provide a unique opportunity for the community to build a compelling case for support to other potential funders for a broad range of needs and issues identified through the planning process.
How Will the Plan be Different from Others Completed in the Past?
The Portage Lake Watershed Forever Plan will include information gathered and created through past planning efforts. However, updated plans are critical since nearly 15 years has passed since the last comprehensive study of the Portage Lake Watershed.
Between 1990 and 2000, the population of ManisteeCounty increased by 15.3 percent, more than double the state’s growth rate of 6.9 percent. Population in OnekamaTownship increased nearly 20 percent. Updated planning documents are needed to guide the community’s decisions regarding wise growth and management of the watershed.
A portion of the Portage Lake Watershed was unintentionally left out of past planning efforts. The boundaries of the Portage Lake Watershed have been redefined based upon closer examination of groundwater movement, resulting in an increase in the size of the watershed.
What Has Been Accomplished So Far?
More than 40 people, organizations, agencies, and businesses have signed the Portage Lake Watershed Forever Partnership Agreement, expressing their support for the watershed planning process. Anyone is welcome to sign this non-legal document.
A Portage Lake Watershed Forever Endowment Fund has been established at the Manistee County Community Foundation () to provide support for the plan and its implementation. A goal of $500,000 has been set for the endowment fund,with over $15,000 raised to date. Additional private dollars in the amount of $43,000 and a $14,500 grant from the MDEQ Coastal Management Program are supporting the planning efforts.
The Manistee Economic Development Office (MEDO) is serving as a nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) hub for financial, grant, and contract management for the planning process. The MEDO has engaged a neutral facilitator, Public Sector Consultants Inc.( of Lansing, Michigan, to assist the community in developing the plan. Research and efforts to gather information from members of the community about their desired uses for the watershed and their concerns are underway. PSC is currently assisting the community in establishing the Portage Lake Watershed Forever Committee and Executive Committee to guide the planning process, both of which will include representation from all watershed interests.
How Can I Get Involved?
Your involvement is needed to ensure that this plan is a success. You can get involved by joining the Portage Lake Watershed Forever Committee and attending its meetings, learning more about Best Practices for watershed landowners, donating to the Portage Lake Watershed Forever Endowment Fund, and talking with friends and neighbors about the importance of watershed planning.
Questions?
Plan coordinator, Laura Heintzelman, can be reached at or (231) 409-0211. You may also contact the chair of the Portage Lake Watershed Forever Executive Committee, Mike Acton, at or (231) 889-3708.