Watershed Summary

The Gun River Watershed encompasses 107 square miles of agricultural, urban, and forested land in Allegan and Barry Counties. The Gun River Watershed is approved under 319 and CMI administrative rules and was funded under section 604b. The Gun River flows into the Kalamazoo River, which empties into Lake Michigan. The Gun River is one of the few rivers in southwest Michigan that is a State Designated Trout Stream. The watershed has been significantly altered from its presettlement conditions. Water quality issues include: 1) biological surveys in the Gun River indicate significantly degraded aquatic habitat due to nonpoint source pollution and hydrologic modification and 2) the Gun River ranks as the third highest contributor of phosphorus loads to the Kalamazoo River/Lake Allegan system.

MDEQ Nonpoint Source Links

• Gun River Watershed Planning Project fact sheet (150 KB PDF)
• Gun River Transition Project (470 KB PDF)
• Watershed Management Plan (2,100 KB PDF)
• Watershed Management Plan Figures (6,100 KB PDF)
• Watershed Management Plan Appendices (1,400 KB PDF)
• Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analysis (2,800 KB PDF) Note: images have been rescaled.
• Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analysis - Appendices 1-4 and 6 (5,100 KB PDF) 

(A current version of Adobe Reader  or Adobe Acrobat may be needed to open PDF documents.)

Watershed Websites

• Gun River Watershed, Allegan County Conservation District
• Watershed Management Plan

For a copy of the complete watershed management plan with unaltered appendices, contact the Allegan Conservation District or Julia Kirkwood, MDEQ.

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