Effects of Residential Development on the Water Quality of Higgins Lake

Higgins Lake lies in the north-central lower peninsula of Michigan. The two townships that the lake predominantly lies in, Gerrish and Lyon, have experienced population growth of up to 246 percent from 1970 to 1990. This rapid population growth created a concern with local government and concerned citizen groups that with increased residential development of the shoreline around Higgins lake, changes in water quality may occur, resulting from influences of septic systems, fertilization of lawns and runoff from roads.

In 1995 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Gerrish Township began a sampling program to monitor changes in water quality that were believed to be occurring as a result of increased development around the lake. To understand the relationship of residential development and the water quality of Higgins Lake, water quality characteristics of the ground-water and lake-water near shore were compared with the building and road density around the lake.

It was found that the quality of the lake water near shore has been affected by rapid residential development. The concentration of chloride and turbidity in lake water near shore increases with increases in building and road density. Nitrogen concentration in lake water near shore also has the greatest increases in areas where buildings exceed a density of 0.50 buildings per acre. Ground water beneath the lake showed higher concentrations of phosphorus, nitrogen, chloride and boron than in lake water. E.Coli bacteria was found in ground water once building density exceeded 0.40 buildings per acre, indicating water from septic systems is leaching to the ground water that flows to the lake.