Lake Michigan
Approximate demarcation
of Southern Basin East
and Southern Basin West,
Iwaukee
Aurora 1
Napqpvtlle
- Joliet
Southern Basin East is located in the southeast portion of Lake Michigan,
comprised of the southwest coast of Michigan and a 45-mile long stretch
along the northwest coast of Indiana, including the industrial area near
Gary.
Southern Basin East includes some of the most rare and diverse remnant
dune and swale complexes. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. one of the
most biologically rich U.S. National Parks, hosts the largest system of
freshwater dunes in the world. Its shorelines provide food and shelter for
millions of migrating birds every year. Southern Basin East is also home to
Saugatuck Dunes, located at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River along the
Michigan coastline. A variety of nearshore habitats provide spawning or
nursery grounds for many fish species, supporting important fisheries.
Urbanization in the southernmost portion of Southern Basin East
contributes to some shoreline hardening due to urban infrastructure.
Collaboration among partners in the Southern Basin East area is needed to
implement key actions that will maintain and increase the viability of
biodiversity and abate identified threats to biodiversity. For simplicity, the
Southern Basin was divided into East and West at the Illinois/Indiana state
line, but the ecosystem is not as neatly organized, and partners will need to
work together across the East/West boundary.
The Lake Michigan Lakewide Action and Management Plan (LAMP) is a
collaborative, adaptive management program where federal, state, tribal and
local governments along with other partners work together to protect and
restore Lake Michigan. The LAMP shares responsibility for implementing
many aspects of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA),
which seeks to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological
integrity of the Waters of the Great Lakes '- One commitment under the
GLWQA is to develop and implement lakewide habitat and species
protection and restoration strategies.
Threats to Biodiversity
In an assessment of threats to biodiversity, numerous experts rated the current viability status of an array of targets using recognized
Key Ecological Attributes and indicators of viability (Table 1). Critical threats to biodiversity in the Southern Basin region include
alterations to the shoreline; urban, household, agricultural, and forestry pollution; aquatic and terrestrial invasive species; industrial
pollution; climate change; and housing and urban development. Invasive species can alter ecosystem attributes, such as water clarity
and nutrient levels, and present serious tlireats to native species. Most Great Lakes fish utilize coastal wetlands for part of their life
cycle. Physical alteration of the shoreline from urban development lias a critical impact on the nearshore zone, which supports diverse
fish and invertebrates, and on coastal terrestrial systems, including barrier beach, cliff/bluff, and dunes. Loss of sand to the littoral
drift tlireatens habitat for wildlife at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and other areas. Agricultural non-point source pollution
carries sediments, nutrients, and pollutants into surface waters, disrupting aquatic ecosystems.
Table 1. Viability Assessment Summary for Southern Basin
TARGET CATEGORY
Nearshore Zone
Aerial Migrants
Coastal Terrestrial Systems
Coastal Wetlands
Islands
Native Migratory Fish
Offshore Zone
ASSESSMENT
Fair
Fair
Fair
Fair
Good
Poor
Fair
THREAT STATUS
Very High
High
Very High
Very High
High
High
High
Source: Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, 2013.
Great Blue Heron, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Photo: National Park Service
Lake Michigan Southern Basin East Biodiversity
Revised September 2014

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Strategies Needed to Conserve Biodiversity
A number of actions can be taken by agencies, tribes, municipalities, planning
commissions, and other partners concerned with biodiversity in the Southern Basin
East area. The following strategies are recommended. For additional details, see
Chapter 6 of the Lake Michigan Biodiversity Conservation Strategy.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (www.glri.us/) has supported habitat and species protection and restoration efforts and will
continue to serve as an important mechanism for implementing biodiversity conservation strategies in the Southern Basin East area.
Key Next Steps
Support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mass
marking initiative and Lake Trout and Cisco restoration
efforts.
Identify areas of critical habitat in the nearshore and
offshore zones.
Protect coastal dunes, wetland, and other habitat from
increasing development and alteration, and explore
habitat enhancement projects.
Continue to monitor any changes from annual fish
assessments and partner with the Great Lakes Fishery
Commission to implement adaptive management
recommendations.
Key partners should work together to address sand
management.
Promote widespread adoption of The Urban
Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds and continual
implementation of the North American Waterfowl
Management Plan, in light of the added stress of climate
change on species and habitats.
Continue and expand efforts to train and certify green
practices for marinas and ports
(www.miseagrant.umich.edu/greenmarina).
Protect priority areas, large sites with some remnant
communities, and land that connects or expands existing
natural areas, as outlined in the Lake Michigan
Biodiversity Strategy, and regional reports on natural
areas.
Determine roles and responsibilities in your area in the
education, surveillance and standardization of
procedures to aid in meeting the GLWQA Amiex 6
Aquatic Invasive Species Goal of development and
implementation of an early detection and rapid response
initiative by 2015.
To preserve and restore wetlands from the dangers of the
invasive common reed I'hvaginites, it is important to
consult the current maps and management efforts at
www. greatlakesohragmites.net for an interactive forum
for stakeholders working on control of this wetland
problem.
For More information
www.epa.qov/qreatlakes/lake-michiaari
LAMP Partners:
Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources
Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality h
Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management
The Nature Conservancy
I www.in.gov/dnr/lakemich
www.michigan.gov/deq
rowww.in.gov/idem/
www.nature.org
U.S. EPA, Great Lakes National Program Office
Elizabeth Hinchey Malloy
Lake Michigan Manager
Phone: (312) 886-3451
hinchey.elizabeth@epa.gov
Align projects among states bordering Lake Michigan to implement
common policies, risk assessments, and funding that will minimize
invasive species.
Support the continual development of early detection and rapid response
plans for invasive species.	Photo: National Park Service
Address issues related to sand loss at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Develop a partnership to monitor and develop a shared database on changes and movements of sand in this area.
Improve land use practices to minimize detrimental impact:
o Work with key partners to identify target audiences and to identify conservation practices that reduce non-point
source pollution from urban, agricultural, and forestry sources.
Continue efforts to restore and protect biodiversity at designated Areas of Concern (AOCs):
o Continue remediation at the Kalamazoo River (MI) AOC. such as removing toxic substance fill material and cement
channel walls, and Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs).
o At the Grand Calumet River (IN) AOC, continue habitat restoration and monitoring, and removal of contaminated
sediment to restore the remaining BUIs.
o Address lower level sediment concerns and protect high quality littoral material from impacts.
Lake Michigan Southern Basin East Biodiversity
Revised September 2014

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