U.S. Department of the Interior a U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey

Programs in Michigan

For more than 100 years, the United 

States Geological Survey (USGS) has provided earth-science information on which 

managers, scientists, and other interested 

citizens base decisions regarding Michigan’s natural resources and natural hazards. 

The non-regulatory and scientific nature of 

the USGS work ensures that our products 

are technically sound, unbiased, and 

equally accessible and available to all interested parties. The various programs of the 

USGS in Michigan reflect a response to the 

citizens of Michigan and their need for 

geologic, topographic, biologic, and hydrologic information. Much of the work of the 

USGS in Michigan is part of cooperative 

programs in which the diversity of interests 

among local, regional, State, Tribal, and 

Federal agencies is accommodated 

through joint planning and funding.

 Michigan’s Coastal Wetlands

The coastal wetlands of the Great Lakes 

protect the drinking water and shoreline 

communities of Michigan. Many physical, 

climatic, and other processes have been 

interacting to cause the deterioration of 

Lake Michigan’s wetlands since the glaciers melted. Histories of wetlands along 

the Michigan coast are included in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map 

that is being prepared for Lake Michigan. 

Monitoring the changes of wetlands 

through time using these maps will provide a predictive tool for land-use planners, political jurisdictions, and scientists 

who need to understand the geological 

limits on biodiversity. Developing the ability to predict the response of Michigan’s 

coastal wetlands to natural processes and 

human activities has involved close cooperation with Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan 

Geological Survey, Michigan Technical 

University, Michigan State University, the 

University of Michigan, and several other 

Federal agencies.

Contaminant Pathways to the 

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a magnet for the 

visitors who make tourism and recreation a 

14 billion dollar per year industry in Michigan (figs. 1 and 4). Contamination of the 

Great Lakes ecosystem limits recreational 

uses, threatens productivity of commercial 

and sport fisheries, and increases costs of 

water-supply treatment. From 1974 

through 1994, the USGS collected waterquality samples from 24 Michigan tributaries to the Great Lakes as part of the 

National Stream Quality Accounting Network. Currently, two National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program 

studies are underway in Michigan—the 

Western Lake Michigan and the Lake 

Erie–Lake St. Clair.

The long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to describe the status and trends in 

the quality of a large, representative part of 

the Nation's surface- and ground-water 

resources and to identify the natural and 

human factors that affect their quality. The 

NAWQA program provides a wealth of 

water-quality information useful to water 

managers at the local, State, and National 

levels. Recently, the USGS calculated 

annual contaminant loads from major rivers 

tributary to Lake Michigan for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 

and calculated annual contaminant loads to 

the Detroit River from combined sewer 

overflows for the City of Detroit and Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

Collection of Water Data

Michigan has abundant surface-water 

resources. In virtually all parts of Michigan, 

the quantity, quality, and distribution of 

water are critical to the State’s economy. 

The USGS operates and maintains statewide networks of monitoring sites at which 

Index of Subjects

Michigan’s Coastal Wetlands

Contaminant Pathways to the Great Lakes

Collection of Water Data

Biological Studies in the Great Lakes

Ecosystem

Ground-Water Availability

Prehistoric Great Lakes Levels

Submergence of Lake Superior Shorelines

Agricultural Chemicals in Ground Water

Topographic Mapping

Mineral, Oil, and Gas resources

Mineral Resource Information

Earth Science Information

Geologic Mapping–Berrien Co.

Figure 1. North Pier Lighthouse, St. Joseph, Michigan. Photograph courtesy of Michigan Travel 

Bureau.

Earth Science in the Public Service
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EXPLANATION

SURFACE-WATER

STATION

LAKE GAGE

surface-water, ground-water, and waterquality data are collected and recorded on a 

continuous basis. All data are stored in 

computer files, available through the Internet, and published annually. Real-time data 

from more than 40 streamflow monitoring 

sites are available on the Internet.

USGS data networks are critical for longterm management and day-to-day administration of water resources. Long-term data 

from the 140 stream gages in Michigan 

(fig. 2) are used by various agencies to 

design bridges and culverts, for predicting 

peak flows, and for floodplain mapping to 

minimize flood damages. Hydroelectric 

utility operators, wastewater-treatmentplant operators, and the National Weather 

Service use streamflow data on a daily 

basis. Additionally, managers of fisheries 

and wildlife sanctuaries use USGS streamflow data during periods critical to maintaining suitable habitats for the fauna and 

flora they manage. A historical record of 

water data provides a foundation on which 

to build future investigations and a firm 

basis for planning

Biological Studies in the Great 

Lakes Ecosystem

The USGS Biological Resources Division (formerly the National Biological Service) provides scientific information for 

restoring, enhancing, managing, and protecting living resources and their habitats in 

the Great Lakes ecosystem. The USGS 

Great Lakes Science Center in Ann Arbor 

investigates Great Lakes fish communities, 

aquatic habitats, coastal and wetland habitats, and develops ecosystem-models using 

long-term data bases to assess disturbances 

on the Great Lakes. In addition to the Ann 

Arbor Laboratory, the Center operates 

seven field stations and five large research 

vessels, one on each of the Great Lakes, to 

facilitate research conducted over this large 

geographic area.

Major research programs include fishstock assessment and community dynamics, aquatic habitat and food-web interactions, nearshore and wetland habitats, 

terrestrial ecology, and exotic species. 

Long-term research is conducted on Great 

Lakes fish populations to identify the factors impeding restoration of native species. 

Research on aquatic and wetland habitat is 

used to assess the effectiveness of ecological restoration efforts and to evaluate alternative management actions to minimize 

adverse effects on the diversity and sustainability of native communities. Researchers 

use a combination of field, laboratory, and 

modeling studies to provide information 

pertinent to prevention, containment, and 

control of exotic species such as the zebra 

mussel, ruffe, and sea lamprey. Terrestrial 

research is primarily conducted in Great 

Lakes National Parks and Lakeshores with 

emphasis on protection and restoring 

unique Great Lakes habitats, including 

sand dunes, grasslands, and savannas.

Other research is being conducted in the 

State through USGS Environmental Technical Management Center, which is collaborating with the Michigan Department of 

Natural Resources and others in a regional 

effort to map current vegetation and terrestrial vertebrate distribution. This study is 

in support of the Upper Midwest Gap 

Analysis Program to identify significant 

ecological areas and gaps in biodiversity 

conservation.

Ground-Water Availability

Ground water is the major source of 

drinking water for domestic supplies in 

Michigan and for municipal supplies in 

Lansing, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and 

Jackson. Throughout Michigan, the availability of ground water is a significant issue 

because of competing uses, particularly 

during periods of drought. The USGS has 

investigated the availability of ground water 

in many counties, including Grand 

Traverse, Huron, Kalamazoo, Marquette, 

Monroe, Oakland, and Washtenaw. In the 

Greater Lansing Area, the USGS developed 

a computer model of ground-water flow to 

more than 200 municipal wells. The model 

is being used by the Tri-County Regional 

Planning Commission Groundwater Management Board to develop a wellhead protection plan and to predict the effects of 

future water-supply development.

Prehistoric Great Lakes Levels

USGS studies show that prehistoric levels of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron 

exceeded modern-day fluctuations (Fig. 3). 

Prehistoric variations in the levels of Lake 

Michigan have exceeded (by as much as a 

factor of 2) the 1.6-meter range of fluctuation that spanned the 1964 low level and 

the 1985-87 high level. One documented 

high-level episode occurred in the 17th 

century before the region was widely settled. Lake Superior levels show a similar 

history, although the range of prehistoric 

fluctuation exceeded 2 meters in comparison with the modern range of 1.0 meter. 

Studies by the USGS and the Michigan 

Sea Grant Program conducted at Bay 

Mills, Michigan, on the south shore of 

Lake Superior, near Sault Ste. Marie have 

documented episodes of low lake levels 

over the past 2,000 years with mean levels 

1.5 meters lower than the present mean 

level of 183.4 meters. Such episodes of 

higher and lower levels resulted from natural climate changes in the region. Greater 

and lesser lake-level fluctuations related to 

future natural climatic changes are not 

only possible, but are probable. The impact 

of possible global warming on the magnitude and frequency of water-level changes 

remains uncertain.

Figure 2. USGS stream-gaging network.
YEARS BEFORE 1990

12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0

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Data shown in B

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Post-1900

average lake level

Data shown in C

C

LAKE LEVEL, IN METERS LAKE LEVEL, IN METERS

YEARS BEFORE 1990

YEAR

1830 1870 1910 1950 1990

Submergence of Lake Superior 

Shorelines

The most recent period of glaciation 

loaded and depressed the land surface in 

the Great Lakes area until about 9,000 

years ago. With the melting of the glaciers, 

the region is slowly tilting from northeast 

to southwest as the land surface 

“rebounds” from the weight of the former 

ice. Lake Superior is being tilted in a similar manner. Here, however, the outlet 

channel to the lake at Sault Ste. Marie is 

rising more rapidly than most other points 

along the U.S. shore of the lake. As the 

outlet spillway, which controls the level of 

lake rises, the south shore of the lake is 

progressively inundated from east to west. 

The amount of inundation is greatest at 

Duluth, Minnesota where as much as 5.4 

meters of inundation has occurred over the 

past 2,000 years. Maximum inundation 

over this period for the Michigan shore 

occurred near Ontanogan where as much 

as 3 meters is noted. 

Agricultural Chemicals in 

Ground Water

Agriculture and related products are a 37 

billion dollar per year industry in Michigan. 

About 29 percent of Michigan's land is used 

for agriculture. Agricultural chemicals 

greatly enhance the productivity of cropland, yet are potential threats to safe, drinkable ground-water supplies. Agricultural 

and health agencies need to know the susceptibility of ground-water resources to 

contamination from agricultural chemicals 

to develop stewardship practices. The 

USGS, in cooperation with county health 

agencies in Huron, Grand Traverse, Kalamazoo, Monroe, and Van Buren Counties 

completed water-resources studies in five 

major agricultural counties. In Kalamazoo 

County, which relies on a shallow glacial 

deposits for all its water, the USGS sampled wells, located areas of contamination, 

and mapped the susceptibility of the aquifer 

to contamination. The Kalamazoo County 

Health Department used the USGS findings 

to recommend deeper wells in some areas, 

the expansion of municipal water systems, 

and to develop a ground-water protection 

strategy for the County. In Kent County, the 

USGS is working cooperatively with the 

Michigan Department of Agriculture to 

determine the susceptibility of ground 

water to contamination by pesticides.

Topographic Mapping

Among the most popular and versatile 

products of the USGS are its topographic 

maps at the scale of 1:24,000 (one inch on 

the map represents 2,000 feet on the 

ground). These maps depict basic natural 

and cultural features of the landscape, such 

as lakes and streams, highways and railroads, boundaries, and geographic names. 

Contour lines are used to depict the elevation and shape of terrain. Michigan is covered by 1,282 maps at this scale, which is 

useful for civil engineering, land-use planning, natural-resource monitoring, and 

other technical applications. These maps 

have long been favorites with the general 

public for outdoor uses, including hiking, 

camping, hunting, exploring, and backcountry fishing expeditions.

Michigan has established a multi-agency 

effort to support computer mapping and 

data exchange known as Improving Michigan’s Access to Geographic Information 

Networks (IMAGIN). The IMAGIN consortium, which involves the Library of 

Michigan, Michigan State University, the 

Department of Natural Resources, and the 

Legislative Service Bureau, is working to 

support the use of geographic information 

systems (GIS) in Michigan. Functions of 

IMAGIN include developing methods and 

standards for geographic data exchange, 

expanding access to geographic information, and increasing public visibility of GIS 

products through the state’s library system. USGS representatives participate in 

IMAGIN activities by providing workshops 

sponsored by the Federal Geographic Data 

Committee and holding topical forums. 

The USGS also works with Federal, State 

and local agencies in Michigan to produce 

and provide cartographic data for a variety 

of GIS applications.

The USGS is cooperating with the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, 

to produce digital elevation models 

(DEM’s), digital line graphs (DLG’s), and 

digital orthophotoquads (DOQ’s) in southeastern Michigan. The digital data will provide the Engineering and Planning Division 

with digitized terrain information (DEM’s), 

map features such as roads, streams and 

lakes (DLG’s), and recent aerial photographs in computer format (DOQ’s) to be 

used in project planning, spatial analysis 

and other GIS applications.

The USGS is cooperating with the Wayne 

County Department of the Environment to 

produce digital elevation data in southeastern Michigan. These data will support 

Wayne County’s research efforts for the 

Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project by providing topographic 

data used in surface modeling.

The USGS is cooperating with the U.S. 

Forest Service and the Natural Resources 

Conservation Service to produce DOQ’s for 

several areas in Michigan. The DOQ’s for 

the Ottawa and Hiawatha National Forests 

in the Upper Peninsula will provide an 

image base or “snapshot” of the region that 

will be used for natural resource planning. 

Orthophotos are planned for parts of Marquette, Alpena, Montmorency, Otsego, 

Kalkaska, Clinton and Monroe counties to 

serve as a base for digital soil-mapping 

activities.

Mineral, Oil, and Gas Resources

Economic growth and development in 

Michigan depends, in part, on the availability of local sources of minerals, oil, and gas 

for use in industry, manufacturing, and 

Figure 3. Lake-level history for Lake Michigan 

and Lake Huron at Bay Mills Michigan. A; In the 

last 12,000 years, the lake has experienced 

dramatic change due to changing outlets and 

crustal tilting. B; For the past 5,000 years, 

climatically controlled fluctuations have been 

superimposed on a general falling trend. C; For 

the last 160 years, lake level has fluctuated, but 

each peak of this century has been higher than 

the last.
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Information

maintaining and upgrading the region's 

infrastructure. The USGS has developed an 

integrated digital geologic, geochemical, 

geophysical, and mineral resource database 

and assessment of undiscovered mineral 

resources for Michigan. This database can 

be used to address regional land use, environmental, and mineral-resource issues. 

One recent product is a new digital bedrock 

geologic map for the tri-state area of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The 

USGS has also recently assisted the EPA in 

reviewing the permit application for solution mining at the White Pine mine in 

northern Michigan.

New potential gas resources in fractured 

shales located in the deepest part of the 

Michigan geologic basin (centered in the 

Lower Peninsula of Michigan) have been 

investigated by the USGS. This study 

assesses the geologic structure, stratigraphy, fracturing, and reservoir characteristics, as well as the potential quantity and 

production from the Michigan basin. Such 

knowledge is extremely important for identifying this region's contribution to the 

Nation's supply of clean-burning fossil fuel.

Mineral Resource Information

The USGS Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS) is a digital database of more 

than 110,000 mineral sites in the United 

States and worldwide. MRDS provides upto-date information on mineral occurrences 

and related data to support USGS research 

and mineral-resource assessments. MRDS 

also is a principal tool for providing mineral-related information to Federal and 

State agencies, industry and the public. 

The records in this database are compiled 

from the findings of USGS studies and 

other published data. MRDS contains 

information on more than 180 sites in 

Michigan that mostly describe occurrences 

of iron and copper. A CD-ROM of the 

database is being prepared.

Earth Science Information

The Earth Science Information Centers 

(ESIC’s) provide information about USGS 

programs, products and technological 

developments to the public. The ESIC in 

Lansing was established under a cooperative agreement between the USGS and the 

Michigan Department of Natural 

Resources. As part of the National ESIC 

network, this office provides information 

on such natural-science topics as biology, 

cartography, geography, digital data, 

remote sensing, geology, geophysics, 

geochemistry, hydrology, geohydrology, 

aerial photography, and land use. It is supported by the USGS with reference materials, technical assistance, training and 

outreach activities, and access to USGS 

data bases.

Surface Geology–Berrien Co.

 The USGS recently conducted a surficial geologic mapping school that included 

a team mapping exercise around Benton 

Harbor in Berrien County, Michigan, a site 

that contains a “renaissance zone” for urban 

renewal in the Benton Harbor area, an 

actively eroding coastal margin, dynamic 

flood plains, and an extensive agricultural 

base. The mapping team was composed of 

geologists from both the USGS and state 

geological surveys of the Great Lakes 

states. The geologists mapped and interpreted the three-dimensional architecture of 

glacially transported materials and subsequent deposits resulting from modern erosion and deposition. This team gathered and 

assembled data in a GIS format in a short 

time while in the field. Managers and planners in the Benton Harbor area can use the 

digital spatial information to resolve planning issues including resource assessment, 

aquifer modeling, ground-water quality, and 

hazard mitigation. A poster with maps displaying the results of the field work is available from the USGS State Representative.

USGS state representative

6520 Mercantile Way, Suite 5

Lansing, Michigan 48911-5991

Phone: (517) 887-8903

Fax: (517) 887-8937

Email: dc_mi@usgs.gov

Additional natural science

information can be found by

accessing the USGS Home Page

on the World Wide Web at

http://www.usgs.gov/

For more information on

all USGS reports and products

(including maps, images,

and computerized data), call

1-800-USA-MAPS

The USGS provides maps,

reports, and information to help

others meet their needs to manage,

 develop, and protect America’s water,

energy, mineral, biological, and land

resources. We help find the natural

resources needed to build tomorrow,

and supply the scientific understanding needed to help minimize or mitigate the effects of natural hazards

and environmental damage caused

by natural and human activities. The

results of our efforts touch the daily

 life of almost every American.

U.S. Geological Survey

Figure 4. Tahquamenon Falls, Paradise, Michigan. Photograph courtesy of Michigan Travel Bureau. Fact Sheet FS-022-96