Watershed Summary

The Bear Creek and Bear Lake Watershed is located in west-central Michigan and is approximately 11.5 miles long from its start in Dalton Township down to its mouth at Bear Lake Channel at Muskegon Lake. The Bear Creek and Bear Lake Watershed is approved under the CMI administrative rules and was funded under section 319. Muskegon Lake then flows into Lake Michigan at Muskegon Lake Channel. The Bear Creek and Bear Lake Watershed covers a land area of 19,058 acres or approximately 29 square miles. The watershed lies entirely within Muskegon County and is shared by five local governments: Dalton Township, Laketon Township, Cedar Creek Township, Muskegon Township, and the City of North Muskegon. It improved the water quality of its watershed by reducing nonpoint source pollutants to restore warm-water and cold-water fishery.

MDEQ Nonpoint Source Links

• Watershed Management Plan, report with appendices A & B (5,600 KB PDF) 
• Watershed Management Plan, appendix C part 1 (7,700 KB PDF) 
• Watershed Management Plan, appendix C part 2 (8,700 KB PDF) 
• Watershed Management Plan, appendices D - F (1,800 KB PDF) 
• Bear Creek Watershed Hydrologic Study (730 KB PDF)
• Muskegon River Watershed (a larger watershed management plan encompassing Bear Creek and Bear Lake)

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