Streams and Waterbodies in Michigan

The National Hydrography Dataset

This map displays the pattern of different surface water feature types across the
state of Michigan, including perennial, intermittent and ephemeral streams.
Perennial streams generally contain water throughout the year, except for periods
of extreme drought. Intermittent streams contain water for only part of the year,
while ephemeral streams flow only in response to precipitation events. Although
the intermittent and ephemeral stream classifications are distinguished from each
other in the dataset, many ephemeral streams are included in the "intermittent"
category. In addition, some ephemeral streams in the Southwest have been
classified as washes. Only recently, and mainly on U.S. Forest Service land, have
streams been added to the dataset under the "ephemeral" category. No streams in
the state have yet been classified in the ephemeral category (data current as of
October 2009). The map highlights the distribution of intermittent and
ephemeral streams across the state. Of the 69,620 miles of linear streams in
Michigan, 20 percent (13,999 miles) are intermittent or ephemeral. Thirty six
percent of streams are ditches (25,230 miles), which are not classified by their
flow duration in the dataset.

SURFACE WATER FEATURES

~	STREAM/RIVER - PERENNIAL

~	STREAM/RIVER - INTERMITTENT

~	STREAM/RIVER - UNCLASSIFIED

~	CANAL/DITCH

~	LAKE/POND OR RESERVOIR

~	SWAMP/MARSH

~	PLAYA

~	WASH

EZI STATE BOUNDARY

The water features on the map are from the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)
at high resolution (1:24,000 scale or higher). Many smaller waters are not
included in the NHD because they could not be detected on the original aerial
photos used to create the dataset or were excluded from the maps from which the
dataset originates. The majority of perennial and most intermittent streams are
captured at this resolution. However, most ephemeral streams are not captured
unless they are in the arid west. Additional information on the NHD can be
obtained from the NHD website at https://nhd.usgs.gov.

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science for a changing world



Prepared by INDUS Corporation under contract with
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water - Washington, DC
October 2013

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This map relies exclusively on USGS data for mapping water resources such as streams and other waterbodies. Due to the resolution of the
map, it does not distinguish effectively between land and water and thus makes waters appear more prevalent than is actual. This map does not
depict the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act or the scope of waters that would be protected under the Army/EPA proposed
rule. This map has not been used for any regulatory purpose.

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