U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Effects of Residential Development on the Water 

Quality of Higgins Lake, Michigan

1995-99

Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4055

In cooperation with Gerrish and Lyon Townships, 

Roscommon County, Michigan, Higgins Lake Property Association and 

Higgins Lake Foundation
Effects of Residential Development on the Water 

Quality of Higgins Lake, Michigan

1995-99

By Russel J. Minnerick

U.S. Geological Survey

Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4055

Lansing, Michigan

2001

 
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GALE A. NORTON, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Charles G. Groat, Director

For additional information write: Copies of this report can purchased from:

District Chief U.S.Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services

6520 Mercantile Way, Ste. 5 Box 25286

Lansing, MI 48911-5991 Denver, CO 80225-0286 
Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Purpose and scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Description of the study area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Study design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Study Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Water-quality sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Water elevations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Residential density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Water-quality characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Shallow ground water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Near-shore lake water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Inlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Deep basins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Effects of residential development on water quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Summary and conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

References cited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

FIGURES

1. Map showing study area and location of data collection sites at and near Higgins Lake, 

Roscommon, Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

FIGURES 2-9 Graphs showing:

2. Relation between total phosphorus and E. Coli in ground water at sampling 

site 33, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3. Temperature and oxygen profiles for Higgins Lake, June 1996 to September 1996 . . . . . . . . . 16

4. Specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and water temperature, during maximum 

stratification in late summer, North and South basins in Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

5. Tropic-State Indices for Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

6. Relation between buildings per acre and (A) median dissolved chloride in near-shore Lake 

water, (B) turbidity in near-shore lake water, and (C) linear feet of roads per acre of study 

plots, Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

7. Relation between building density and selected nutrients in lake water and ground

water at near-shore sampling sites around Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

8. Relation between buildings per acre and E. Coli bacteria in ground water at near-shore

sampling sites around Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

9. Monthly maximum and minimum stages for Higgins Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

CONTENTS



iii
TABLES

1. Site number and identifier, location, and type of data-collection sites, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . 7

2. Building density and lineal feet of road per acre, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

3. Summary of selected water quality constituents in ground water below lake bottom in 

Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

4. Summary of nutrients in the near shore lake water in Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

5. Median values of selected constituents collected from upstream and downstream

sites on Big Creek, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

6. Instaneous phosphorus loading to Higgins Lake computed at sampling sites on 

Big Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

7. Summary of water quality in the North Basin, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

8. Summary of water quality in the South Basin, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

9. Selected chemical characteristics of water in lakes in Grand Traverse County . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

10. Summary of secchi and chlorophyll a depth observations collected from the 

photic zone in the North Basin, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

11. Summary of secchi and chlorophyll a depth observations from the 

photic zone in the South Basin, Higgins Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CONTENTS--Continued



iv
CONVERSION FACTORS, VERTICAL DATUM, AND ABBREVATIONS

For use of readers who prefer the International System of Units (SI), the conversion factors for terms used 

in this report are listed below.

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in) 2.54 centimeter 

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter 

Area

acre 4.047 square hectometer

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer 

 square mile (m2) 2.59 square kilometer 

Volume

cubic foot (ft3) 0.02832 cubic meter

acre foot 1,233.5 cubic meter 

Flow

cubic foot per second (ft3/sec) 2.832 liter per second

	



		
	



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MRL, minimum reporting level

LT-MDL, long term method detection level

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col/100 ml, colonies per 100 milliliters (of sample water)

S/cm, microSiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius

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Figure 1. Study area and location of data-collection sites at and near Higgins Lake, 

Roscommon County, Michigan. 

23

23

HIGGINS LAKE

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27

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29

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04120478

Little Creek

20

EXPLANATION

Lake gage

Lake-w easurement site number and identifier ater-quality m

“The Cut”

Flag Point

Point 

Detroit

Inlet-water-quality measurement site number and identifier

Ground-water-quality measurement site number and identifier

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water at sampling site 33, Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

E. Coli 

June 8, 1998

August 11, 1999

May 19, 1999

0.00

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0.1 1 10 100 1,000

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E. COLI , COLONIES PER 100 MILLILITERS 

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 Roscommon County, Michigan, June-September 1996.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

June 

July 

August 

September 

June 

July 

August 

September 

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

June 

DISSOLVED OXYGEN

DISSOLVED OXYGEN

WATER TEMPERATURE

WATER TEMPERATURE

July 

August 

September 

June 

July 

August 

September 

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28

WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

DEPTH, IN FEET, BELOW LAKE SURFACE

Higgins Lake South Basin

0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28

WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS

DEPTH, IN FEET, BELOW LAKE SURFACE

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

Higgins Lake North Basin

EXPLANATION

EXPLANATION
17

205 225 245 265

1

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

97

105

115

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, IN MICROGRAMS 

PER CENTIMETER AT 25 DEGREES CELSIUS

South Basin

North Basin

0 5 10 15

1

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

97

105

115

DISSOLVED OXYGEN, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

South Basin

North Basin

7 7.5 8 8.5 9

1

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

97

105

115

pH, IN STANDARD UNITS

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North Basin

0 10 20 30

1

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

97

105

115

WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS

South Basin

North Basin

Figure 4. Specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and water temperature during maximum stratification in late 

summer, Roscommon County, Michigan, September 4, 1996. North and South basins in Higgins Lake, DEPTH BELOW LAKE SURFACE, IN FEET DEPTH BELOW LAKE SURFACE, IN FEET DEPTH BELOW LAKE SURFACE, IN FEET DEPTH BELOW LAKE SURFACE, IN FEET
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Figure 5. Trophic-State Indices for Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Eutrophic

Oligotrophic

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DEC 94 JUNE 95 DEC 95 JUNE 96 DEC 96 JUNE 97 DEC 97 JUNE 98 DEC 98 JUNE 99 DEC 99

0

10

20

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40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Eutrophic

Oligotrophic

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Total phosphorus

Chlorophyll a

Secchi-disc depth

TROPHIC-STATE INDEX
23

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

DISSOLVED CHLORIDE IN

MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

0.0

0.5

1.0

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2.0

2.5

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

TURBIDITY AS NTU

0

50

100

150

200

250

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

LINEAR FEET OF ROADS PER

ACRE

Figure 6. Relation between buildings per acre and ( ) median dissolved chloride

in near-shore lake water, ( ) turbidity in near-shore lake water, and ( ) linear feet

of roads per acre of study plots, Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

A

A

B

C

B C
24

0.38 0.44 0.50 0.81 0.93 1 0.38 0.44 0.50 0.81 0.93 1.50 1.56 1.69

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

.50 1.56 1.69

0.31 0.38 0.44 0.50 0.81 0.93 1.50 1.56 1.69

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

Figure 7. Relation between building density and selected nutrients in lake water

and ground water at near-shore sampling sites around Higgins Lake, 

Roscommon County, Michigan.

0.001

0.01

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1

10

0.00 0.12 0.25

TOTAL PHOSPHORUS IN

MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

0.001

0.01

0.1

1

10

0.00 0.12 0.25

TOTAL PHOSPHORUS IN

MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

0.001

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1

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0.001

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10

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TOTAL NITROGEN AS NITRITE

Plus NITRATE, IN MILLIGRAMS

PER LITER

Surface water

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Figure 8. Relation between buildings per acre and E. Coli bacteria in ground water

at near-shore sampling sites around Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.

BUILDINGS PER ACRE

E. COLI IN COLONIES PER  100 MILLILITERS
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Minimum elevation Missing record

STAGE , IN FEET ABOVE AN ARBITRARY DATUM

Maximum elevation

Figure 9. Monthly maximum and minimum stages for Higgins Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan.
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