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Looking Glass River Watershed Management Plan - Greater ...

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<strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong><br />

The <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>River</strong> is a major tributary to the Grand <strong>River</strong>, located in<br />

Central, Lower Michigan (Figure 1-1). The <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>River</strong> discharges<br />

into the Grand <strong>River</strong> in Portland, Michigan (Ionia County), which continues<br />

on west and drains into Lake Michigan.<br />

Approximately 80,000 acres of the total number of acres that comprise the<br />

<strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> are included in this watershed management plan<br />

(WMP). Within the watershed there are about 183 miles of rivers and<br />

streams. The two largest are the <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>River</strong> and Vermilion Creek.<br />

There are also approximately 900 acres of lakes within the watershed, with<br />

the largest lake being Park Lake (182 acres), Round Lake (87 acres), Lake<br />

Geneva (58 acres), and Perch Lake (35 acres).<br />

Purpose of the <strong>Watershed</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>Plan</strong><br />

On March 10, 2003 any municipality within the Lansing Urbanized Area<br />

(UA) was required to submit a NPDES Phase II storm water permit. In<br />

Michigan, permittees were given the choice of submitting a jurisdictional or a<br />

watershed based permit. Michigan is the only state to offer this permitting<br />

option. With over 300 communities in Michigan needing to apply for Phase<br />

II permit coverage, over 250 have decided to use the watershed planning<br />

option, due to its many benefits over a traditional permitting program.<br />

Participating NPDES<br />

Permittees<br />

• Bath Township<br />

• Clinton County Drain<br />

Commissioner<br />

• Clinton County Road<br />

Commission<br />

• DeWitt, City of<br />

• DeWitt Public School<br />

District<br />

• DeWitt Township<br />

• East Lansing, City of<br />

• Ingham County Drain<br />

Commissioner<br />

• Lansing, City of<br />

• Lansing Public School<br />

District<br />

• Lansing Township<br />

• Meridian Township<br />

• Watertown Township<br />

Some benefits of the watershed approach include: access to grant funding,<br />

including the State Bond Fund known as Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI),<br />

expanded schedules for watershed management planning, and choices on<br />

how and when implementation will occur. A watershed approach involves<br />

coordination with both public and private sectors focusing efforts to address<br />

the highest priority problems.<br />

As a result of this watershed permit approach, the <strong>Greater</strong> Lansing Regional<br />

Committee on Phase II Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention (GLRC) was<br />

created. The GLRC has developed this plan to address the requirements<br />

outlined in the Phase II permit and to improve and protect the ecological,<br />

hydrological, and cultural resources of the <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong>.<br />

1-2 <strong>Looking</strong> <strong>Glass</strong> <strong>River</strong> <strong>Watershed</strong> April 2007

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