Watershed Summary

Sand Creek is a designated cold-water stream, approximately 22 miles in length, and a tributary of the Grand River. The Sand Creek Watershed is approved under the CMI administrative rules and was funded with CMI NPS funds. It flows primarily southward from Section 35 of Chester Township to the Grand River, west of Grand Rapids. The Sand Creek Watershed encompasses 55 square miles and covers parts of 4 townships, 1 city, and 2 counties: Alpine Township and the City of Walker of Kent County; and Chester, Wright, and Tallmadge Townships of Ottawa County. The watershed is mostly agricultural and includes a mix of forest, residential, and urban areas. Many Nonpoint source pollutants such as sediment, nutrients, thermal pollution, hydrocarbons, and invasive/exotic plants have been reduced to improve the water quality. These pollutants are no longer impairing the designated use of cold-water fishery and threatening the other aquatic life and wildlife use.

MDEQ Nonpoint Source Links

• Watershed Management Plan (1,100 KB PDF)
• Watershed Management Plan Appendices (3,700 KB PDF)
• Sand Creek Watershed Hydrologic Study (1,150 KB PDF)
• Lower Grand River Watershed (a larger watershed management plan encompassing Sand Creek)

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

Watershed Websites

• Watershed Plan on GVSU's website

Suggestions, corrections, or comments? Please contact us .