—-————~—.___— ._ ____ _'
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ESTABLISHMENT AND UTILIZATION OF
CRITERIA FOR FLOOD PLAIN USE

A Comprehensive Problem Report for the Degreg of M. L A:

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
RONALD LAWRENCE DRAFT

  
     

  

' LIBRARY
Michigan State
University

TH 2919

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I III III" I II III III III II II L

 

 

ESTABLISHMENT AND UTILIZATION
OF CRITERIA FOR FLOOD PLAIN USE

By
RONALD LAWRENCE DRAFT

A Comprehensive Problem Report

Submitted to the College of Social Science
School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER IN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

I969

G593“)
”/22/67

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wishes to express his appreciation to all those who

have contributed to the completion of this report.

Special thanks must be extended to my advisor, and close friend,
Professor Carl S. Gerlach, who contributed much of his time and
effort to provide the able direction in the completion of this
report. Through his guidance my graduate study has been an

invaluable experience.

Also, much thanks goes to Professor Myles Boylan and the other
faculty in the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture
at Michigan State University who have provided the academic

foundation leading to the completion of this report.

Finally, I am indebted to those persons of the various agencies
and departments in the greater Lansing area who have contributed

their time and resources.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
Acknowledgments ii
List of Figures iv
Introduction I
CHAPTER

'0 The waterShed O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 7

Regional Context 8
Natural Resource Characteristics l6
Man-Made Characteristics 45
Summary 52

II. The Flood Plain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Introduction 56
Red Cedar Flood Plain 56
Summary 59

III. Establishment of Flood Plain Criteria . . . . . . . 60

Introduction 6l
Planned Flood Plain Use 62
Establishment of Criteria 63
Summary 67

IV. Utilization of Flood Plain Criteria . . . . . . . . 68

Site Inventory and Analysis 69
Devel0pment of Chief Okemos Memorial Park 72
Conclusions and Recommendations 77

BIBLIOGRAPHY 87

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

 

l. Location of Grand River Basin in Michigan - - ——-- l0

2. Grand River Basin Showing Location of Red Cedar Watershed --- l3

3. Red Cedar Watershed ----------------------------------------- IS
A. Maximum Development of Continental Glaciation --------------- l8
5. Continental Glaciers ---------------------------------------- l8
6. Moraine Systems of Michigan --------------------------------- l9
7. Geologic Systems of Rock Formations in Michigan ------------- l9
8. Generalized Stream Bed and Bank Soils ----------------------- 25
9. Infiltration Rates for Soils -------------------------------- 26
IO. Presettlement Vegetation ------------------------------------ 31
ll. Existing Woodlots ------------------------------------------- 33
l2. Michigan Seasonal Temperatures ------------------------------ 36
13. Michigan Seasonal Precipitation ----------------------------- 37
IA. Hydrologic Cycle of the Red Cedar Watershed ----------------- #0
l5. Three Basic Flood Plain Use Criteria ------------------------ 66
16. Flood Stages - Chief Okemos Memorial Park ------------------- 80
17. Use Areas - Chief Okemos Memorial Park ---------------------- 8i
l8. Master Plan - Chief Okemos Memorial Park -------------------- 82
l9. Nature Interpretive Center ---------------------------------- 83
20. Fire Pit ---------------------------------------------------- 8h
2l. Hiking Trail ------------------------------------------------ 85
22. Island View ------------------------------------------------- 86

INTRODUCTION

FLOOD CHASES 800 FROM IOWA SUBURB - Sioux City,
Iowa (AP) -- The Big Sioux River chased some 800
persons - the entire population -- from a Sioux
City suburb Wednesday as its rising, snow-fed
waters created 'a vast inland sea.‘ . . .

Across the river in Sioux City, hundreds of
volunteers struggled around the clock to beat

the river's record crest. Officials said dikes
should protect the city of 90,000 from widespread
flooding. . . .

One Sioux City resident described the Big Sioux
River Valley north of Sioux City as 'a vast
inland sea - two to three miles wide as far as
the eye can see.’ Thousands of acres were
inundated. . . .

Forty-one families have been evacuated from Sioux
homes not protected by the new levee extensions. . . .

The Weather Bureau said a record crest of IS feet

over flood stage was expected Friday at Sioux

City. That would put the river level one foot

short of the top of the dikes.I
This is only one example of a common occurrence each spring along
the many streams and rivers of the country. People work around the
clock to protect their property and lives from the advancing waters
of the rivers. Many lives are lost and much property is damaged or

lost needlessly because of senseless settlement of man in the rivers'

flood plains.

The flood plains of rivers, large and small, offer design problems
and design opportunities. To understand the nature of these problems

and opportunities, it is essential that design criteria be established

 

IState News, Vol. 6l, Number ISA; Thur. April l0, I969, from Associated
Press Release, p. l 5 l3.

for optimum development. The natural and manmade characteristics of
flood plains must be thoroughly studied and analyzed so that both
general and Specific criteria can be established and utilized.
Existing or potential flooding problems are known to exist at urban
and rural locations along many river flood plains. Concepts for flood
plain development should include criteria to insure that people and
property are protected from the sporadic raging waters of rivers and
also that the flood plains of these same rivers are protected from
encroachment and damage by man.

It has often been said that the common sense way to
prevent flood damage is either not to build anything
in the path of floods or to evacuate to higher ground
that devel0pment which is already there. Under this
view, costly engineering structures to protect flood-
ravaged communities would not be required. What this
solution overlooks are the numerous benefits to be
derived from developing certain areas even though they
are subject to flood. In general, if the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages, and there is no serious
threat to health or life, it is more appr0priate to
ask why certain kinds of devel0pment should not take
place in flood plains.

Such a question may be satisfying were it not that
people building on flood plains may subject the local
community and the federal government to considerable
financial loss. If they suffered the entire loss
themselves, it would be of less concern to the various
branches of government except as a moral responsibility
to prevent individuals from suffering because of
ignorance of the hazard. This, however, is rarely

the case. Various government units suffer expense

in flood-fighting, evacuation, and rehabilitation

of the people, their property, and the community's
utilities in times of flood. Heavy public investment
may follow private investment -- in streets, sewers,
power lines, and other utilities. Besides the fact
that flood-prone property is quite often apt to be

a financial drain to cities during an actual flood,
such property is susceptible to deterioration in
value, which causes loss to the city taxrolls and
eventually produces the problems that develop

around slum conditions.

3:

Since it is both impossible and impractical to
prevent or remove all deveIOpment in the flood
plains, intelligent planning and regulating of
development in these areas is imperative so that
damage from floods can be minimized. The primary
emphasis is placed upon regulating currently un-
developed flood-prone areas so that a rising tide
of new develoPments flowing into such areas will
not result in needless new or increased losses.
Secondary consideration is given to the application
of regulating techniques to existing developed areas
that are currently subject to flood damage. With
adequate basic flood data and planning and regu-
lating of development, it may be feasible to cover
the remaining losses with flood insurance.

Man is beginning to realize the necessity for developing criteria

regarding the use of natural resources.

The acceptance of criteria in planning for optimum use is increasing
as officials and the public at large realize the growing complexities
of today's problems. Population changes are bringing about greater
densities and use in occupancy of certain lands, including flood
plains, and these densities are expected to increase. This evidence
makes it apparent that along with other land use controls, there must
be criteria established and utilized for flood plain use.I

#7

The flooding of rivers and streams do much physical damage to man's
environment and to man himself. However, when man settles in the
natural flood plains of rivers and streams, he not only does harm to
himself, but also interrupts the natural ecology of the flood plain.
When the natural ecology of the flood plain is disrupted by pollution,
erosion, removing of the vegetative cover and the extinction of fish and

wildlife, what remains is an environment that is unfit for man or nature.

 

2Regulating Flood-Plain Development, Dept. of Geography Research Paper

No. 56 by Francis C. Murphy, University of Chicago Press, I958,
pp. l0, l2.

Flooding is a temporary destructive force; man's interference with
nature is a more permanent influence that takes only a short time to
induce, but generations to remedy. When man realizes that nature
must take a paramount position in the planning process, he will have
moved in the direction of keeping himself in an equilibrium with

his environment./J

The Red Cedar Watershed was chosen to be used as a case study for

this report because of two factors. First, there is a considerable
amount of data available for the Red Cedar Watershed, and secondly the
existing problems caused by the improper planning and lack of foresight
of the Red Cedar River flood plain provides a typical situation found
in many other flood plains today. The Red Cedar Watershed is located
primarily in Ingham County, with smaller portions in Livingston, Clinton,
and Shiawassee Counties, Michigan. The Red Cedar River is the main
drainage channel for the watershed with many smaller secondary streams.
The portion of the river covered by this report is from the upstream
limit of the Straight Dam at Williamston, Michigan, extending to the
downstream limit of the Michigan State University Dam at East Lansing,

and includes Meridian and Williamston Townships, Ingham County, Michigan.

This report proceeds from the generalized regional influences of the
State and Red Cedar Watershed area upon the Red Cedar River Flood
Plain. It establishes criteria for flood plain utilization, and gives
an example through a proposal demonstrating the implementation of the

criteria in developing a typical site for recreational use.

The report is intended to be directed toward a more comprehensive area
than just the Red Cedar flood plain. Other flood plains, large or
small, will be able to apply the principles and criteria described

in this report for the Red Cedar flood plain.

Formation of a coordinated recreational land use plan for the entire

Red Cedar Watershed is recommended. Desirable areas now in public
ownership should be given prompt consideration by the appropriate
government agencies for retention as Open spaces. It is further
recommended that a comprehensive land use plan be developed and adopted
for the Red Cedar River flood plain, and acquisition of desirable
privately-owned lands be in coordination with this plan. The appropriate
planning and recreational agencies should prepare the detailed site

plans for each area acquired.

A large portion of the Red Cedar flood plain has significant potential
for outdoor recreation including impoundment possibilities, fishing

and wildlife. The manner in which the latent resources are exploited now
and in the future depends to a certain degree on the number of people
living in and adjacent to the flood plain. With the present population,
there is already a demand for outdoor recreation that exceeds the

supply. It is clear that future demands will be even greater. The
planning and recreational agencies as well as the general public have a
substantial reSponsibility to prepare now for the preservation of

adequate recreation areas as a potential use for the flood plain.

It is the author's intent that this report present criteria for flood
plain utilization emphasizing the recreational resource potential

for the lands abutting rivers. The material in this report should
provide a valuable basis upon which to proceed into the formulization
of a coordinated land use plan for the entire flood plain region.

The necessity to establish and utilize criteria for flood plain use
has been articulated by many interested parties and governmental
agencies. This concern has been generated by the awareness that the
current use criteria is not adequate for present or anticipated
future population growth in the flood plain. This report is intended
to provide the base material and stimulus for further research into
the area of establishing criteria for flood plain utilization for

interested individuals.

 

The

Watershed

 

REGIONAL CONTEXT -
Introduction
Michigan is currently in a period of massive transition. Since the turn
of the century, the state has undergone a major reorientation from a
rural way of life to a highly industrialized and urban pattern of living.
With these changes circumstances have arisen creating problems of state-

wide and regional significance.

lflThe haphazard dispersion of p0pulation on the fringes of cities and in
the remote places on the shores of lakes and streams has resulted in
extensive soil erosion, water pollution, and a general overall lowering
of the quality of these natural resource§}rmAlso, the intensive use of
existing recreational resources has reduéed the State's fund of wildlife

habitat and outdoor recreation resources in areas where they are in

greatest demand?) I
These problems . . . must be met by a combination of
efforts by all levels of government with the state
playing a pivotal role. Local government units have
important reSponsibilities for the provision of
municipal services and orderly development of neigh-
borhoods and communities. But, they depend upon
regional, state and federal agencies for solutions
to problems that overlap or extend beyond local
political boundaries.3

The planning for these watershed areas must be executed at a regional

level with all agencies and units of government adhering to Specific

 

3State Of Wisconsin, Dept. of Resource Development, A Plan For Wisconsin,
p. 5.

.._+'

mu

criteria established for the maximum utilization of existing and
potential recreation resources. This would foster the coordination
of activities and assist in the development and wise use of these

resources:J

Michigan Watersheds

Michigan, as a region, is comprised of various watersheds. The Grand
River Basin, of which the Red Cedar Watershed is a part, belongs in

this group. (See Figure I).

‘-

A watershed or basin is a natural formation of land. It could be
described as an area of land drained by a stream or a river. The term
"watershed“ may be used to mean the extensive area of land drained by the
Mississippi River or a slight depression in the back forty that is drained
by an intermittent stream. The public, however, accepts the idea of a
watershed as a small area of land, not large enough to accommodate the
Ohio, the Colorado or other major river systems. Regardless of size,
because of the complex nature of a watershed, it is very difficult to
determine with any degree of accuracy just where one watershed boundary

ends and the next begins.

In addition to the surface area of a watershed, consideration must
also be given to its depth. The visible river is only a small portion
of the total drainage system. The underground water movements must
also be considered. The character of the soil and the nature of the
geologic formations have much to do in determining the amount of water

retained in the watershed. There would, for instance, be much more

IO

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LOCATION OF GRAND RIVER BASIN
IN MICHIGAN ..‘

FIGURE

 

ll

surface runoff on clay soil than on sandy soil. Geologic formations
such as horizontal strata can carry precipitation falling in one water-
shed to the stream flow of an adjacent watershed -- via underground
movement. Other factors such as vegetation, climate, exposure,
topography and geographic location control the amount of water flowing
out of a watershed. Therefore some watersheds may actually utilize
more water than they receive from precipitationLJ

If,
A watershed ages with time -- its changes may be small, but not too
insignificant for a planner to recognize. The most obvious changes
involve the characten and location of the stream itself, which shows
its age by sometimes threatening or destroying the use of adjoining
lands. Flooding annually claims many lives and millions of dollars of

property loss.

The natural changes are not the only visible signs of an aging watershed.
The cultural characteristics - land use, law (zoning ordinances, etc.),
land ownership and population density and character change literally
overnight as the social needs of the surrounding watershed area expand.
It is only logical to conclude, that, the less variables present -
natural or cultural - the less complicated will be the task of planning

for the orderly development of the watershed:l pp:
PF

Grand River Basin

The Grand River Basin is located in the southern part
of the lower peninsula of Michigan. Forming Michigan's
second largest watershed, the Grand and its major

12

tributaries, the Rogue, Thornapple, Flat, Maple,
Lookingglass, and Red Cedar Rivers, drain an area of
about 5,570 square miles -- roughly l0 percent of
the total land area of Michigan.

The main stem of the Grand River rises in the northeast
corner of Hillsdale County, flows northward through the
cities of Jackson and Lansing, then flows westward through
Grand Rapids before emptying into Lake Michigan at Grand
Haven. The eastern third of the basin is exceedingly flat
and has poor natural drainage which is typical of Michigan's
lower peninsula. The remainder of the basin is generally
hilly with many swampy sections scattered throug out.

Many small lakes and ponds dot the entire basin. (See
Figures l and 2).

Red Cedar Watershed

The Red Cedar River, an important tributary of the Grand
River, has a watershed area at its mouth of 463 square
miles. The Red Cedar originates in Livingston County
near Fowlerville where the east and middle branches join
to form the main river. The river then flows westerly
through the city of Williamston, Williamston Township,
Meridian Township, Okemos and East Lansing, and joins
the Grand River in the city of Lansing. The larger
portion of the Red Cedar River Watershed is within
Ingham County with lesser areas in Livingston, Clinton
and Shiawassee Counties. The upstream limit of this
study is the Straight Dam in Williamston with 2hl.8
square miles of watershed tributary to this point.

The drainage area above the Michigan State University
Dam, the lower limit of this study, is 356 square miles.
The Red Cedar watershed is rectangular in shape, 30
miles long and approximately l8 miles wide. The

terrain varies from flat plains to gently rolling

hills. A large portion of the area is devoted to
agricultural or related uses.

The northerly and southerly boundaries of the watershed

are gently sloped glacial moraines while the interior of

the Basin is predominantly a flat glacial till plain.

The highest elevation in the Basin is l050 feet above

mean sea level, and the average elevation of the south-

erly hills is 950 feet. The northerly divide has an average
elevation of 900 feet, dropping to 850 feet in the Lake
Lansing area. The total fall in the Red Cedar River from

 

I"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Grand River Basin, Michigan; Comprehensive
Water Resource Planninq Study; Information Booklet (Detroit U.S.
Army Engineer District, Detroit: I963), p. A.

l3

 

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NVDIHDIW

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FIGURE 2- GRAND RIVER BASIN SHOWING
OCATION OF RED CEDAR WATERSHED

lh

its headwaters to the upper limit of the study area in
Williamston is 90 feet with an average fall of 3.6 feet
per mile. In the l.6 mile study reach, the Red Cedar
River has an average fall of 1.7 feet per mile.

Significant tributaries of the Red Cedar River within
the study reach include the Lake Lansing Drain, Sloan
Creek, Coon Creek, Herron Creek, and Deer Creek. The
Red Cedar River is a winding channel in flood plains
which range from a few hundred feet to more than 2,500
feet in width. The flood plain in the Williamston
area is about l,300 feet in width. West of William-
ston, the flood plain narrows to a few hundred feet
until it reaches Okemos where it broadens to more
than 2,500 feet in width, then continues to East
Lansing. However, the areas inundated by a severe
flood would spread out much farther.5 (See Figures

2 and 3).

Summary
The need exists to create comprehensive planning for the utilization of
the water and related land resources in the Grand River Basin, as well

as in all the basins of Michigan.

Water needs exist . . . for flood and erosion control,
drainage, municipal and industrial water supply, assimi-
lation and transportation of water borne waste, irri-
gation, fish and wildlife conservation, recreation,

and various other uses.

The primary purpose of a basin planning program is to
plan for the utilization of the water and related land
resources in such a manner as to promote the economic
and social well being of the people.

 

5Ibid, Flood Plain Information Red Cedar River, lnqham County, Michigan
(March, I968), pp. 9-l0.

6Ibid, Grand River Basin, Michigan; Comprehensive Water Resource Planning
Study, p. A.

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NATURAL RESOURCE CHARACTERISTICS

Introduction

When developing a plan for a watershed, certain facts about natural
resources are needed. These facts involve geology, soils, topography,
vegetation, climate, wildlife, and any other natural and man-made

characteristics which may be present in a watershed.

In determining the activity capabilities of a site in the watershed,
the natural features are of major importance. They are controlling
factors in the process of determining the overall potential of the
watershed to the final selection of a site based on the value of the
natural resources present. The recreational potential of any given
site is of even greater importance. Resources for recreational use
might be called the ”raw materials" of outdoor recreation. They are
those natural and cultural features which appeal to the human senses
and improve the physical and spiritual well-being of the individual.
The most fundamental recreation resources are those supplied by nature
in the form of climate, geologic character, and plant and animal life,

all of which provide interest and scenic quality.

Geology

The bedrock strata underlying Michigan today were formed during the

Paleozoic Era, between 2,000 and 5h0 million years ago. Michigan was

l7

then a basin-shaped sea which was gradually filled in by vegetation

and animal life sediments. This left a succession of shallow bowl-shaped
rock formations as is shown in Figure 7. The Red Cedar Watershed

itself is located over bedrock of the Pennsylvanian Period, formed during
a time when reptiles, amphibians, primitive insects and primitive conifers
first appeared. During this era, glaciers covered Michigan four times
under blankets of ice two to four miles thick. It was the last advance,
the Wisconsin glacier, which is of interest to us. It was this glacier
which left us the land forms we see today. It began on the high plateau
between James Bay and Labrador and terminated I600 miles south of its
center, at the present Ohio River, as illustrated in Figure A. As the
glacier moved southward, it followed the gorges already cut in the
ancient rocks, forming lobes which acted as independent glaciers. These
lobes were named after the Great Lakes and Bays which later occupied the

depressions they left, and are labeled in Figure 5.

When the ice retreated, it Spread its debris more evenly forming areas
of ground moraine between moraines and its melt waters deposited
stratified drift. The end result, then, has been a series of belts

of moraines interSpersed with ground moraines, outwash plains and
glacial channels left by each lobe as it receded. Figure 6 shows the

pattern these left in Southern Michigan.

As vegetation began to grow in and around the lakes formed by the large
chunks of ice left by the retreating glaciers, they began to fill

themselves in. The size and depth of the lakes, the water table fluctuations,

-'J

   

HUDSON BAY CENTER
LABRADORIAN CENTER

FIGURE 4 —

MAXIMUM DEVELOPMENT OF CONTINENTAL
GLACIATION

 

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SOURCE:

ROBERT W. KELLEY,
THE GLACIAL LAKES
SURROUNDING
MICHIGAN

  

prior to the development of the
first known lakes.

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20

and the influence of man have affected the rate of these changes. Bodies
of water in this region can be found in various stages of being filled in:

lakes, ponds, marshes, bogs, wet low-lands, peat, and finally muck soils.

Surface features of the watershed area are shown in Figure 6. Two promi-
nent recessional moraines have a general East-West trend. Eskers were
deposited in a North-South direction. It may therefore be concluded that
the Saginaw Ice Lobe (Figure 5) reSponsible for these deposits melted
back Northward.

The Red Cedar River and its tributaries are almost

completely channeled in glacial drift of Pleistocene

age with the exception of minor bedrock exposures . . .

It is this glacial drift veneer over the underlying

bedrock surface, that influences the surface water

drainage pattern of this watershed to a great extent.7
One of the major geologic features left by the receding glaciers in
the Red Cedar Watershed was the abundance of swamp land. These swampy
areas were recorded quite vividly in many accounts of the early settlers.
South of Webberville along Kalamink Creek, a pioneer referred to the
"creek and surrounding swamp" as ”the breeder of chills and fever.“
Another pioneer was "convinced it was the climate combined with the
malaria in the swamps" that was the source of their difficulties. Road-

ways across the low areas were often waterbogged the‘year around making

crossing difficult if not impossible.

Another prominent feature of the Red Cedar Basin is the appearance of
numerous eskers. One of the largest concentrations of eskers is found

between Lansing and Howell. They are often referred to as "hogbacks"

 

7Anatomy of a Watershed, Red Cedar River, Michigan, C. R. Humphrys,
ed. (Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan: l96h), p. 23.

2]

because they are so sharply defined. The Mason esker south of Lansing
is one of the longest and most conspicuous instances. These eskers

were formed by streams running in tunnels near the base of ice sheets.
They eventually became clogged with the sand and gravel carried by the

stream. When the ice melted, the stream bed was left as a ridge.

The economic importance of these eskers as a source of building and
roadbed material was not realized until I866 when a railroad was built
through the region. The Mason-Lansing esker was described as one of
the largest deposits of gravel in the state. For over thirty years
after the first settlements were made here, the abundant supply of
sand and gravel went unnoticed and the pioneers went to the costly and
painstaking operation of building corduroy causeways and plank roads.
From this information, it can be deduced that the morainic Slopes of
the watershed will generally be gravelly and dry, while the lowlands
are organic and wet.

The ancestral Red Cedar River was over three-quarters of
a mile wide in places and was probably quite a swift
stream as is noted by the presence of boulders up to
four feet in diameter in and near the present channel.
The erosive power of this stream was great enough to
cut a channel through two moraines deposited a little
later in the Lansing-East Lansing area of the water-
shed. As the glacier continued to retreat, the volume
of water carried by this stream may have diminished
somewhat in favor of streams Coming into existence
North of the watershed.

As the volume of water carried by the ancestral Red
Cedar River diminished, the velocity and sediment
tranSporting capacity of the stream diminished causing
the heaviest and coarser sediments to be deposited

in and near the center of the channel while the finer
and lighter sediments were deposited nearer the margins
and in other channel areas where the velocity was
negligible.

22

A double stream bank or one stream bank approximately
one to four feet above the present one in some places,
may indicate this stream was wider and existed at a
higher level in the immediate past, prior to becoming
intrenched at its present level. Perhaps this double
stream bank indicated what the river was like before
the area was brought under cultivation or maybe before
the present system of dams was established . . .

Presently, the Red Cedar River appears to be well into
maturity, characterized by a meandering channel, wide

flood plains, and low stream gradient. Little erosion
is presently being done by the stream as indicated by

vegetation growing to the water's edge.

The flood plains of the Red Cedar Watershed are composed
of stratified sediments with the coarsest sediments
being nearest the stream and the finer sediments increasing
in percentage as the outwash distance from the active
channel increases. Much of the flood plains are covered
by a veneer of fine sediments indicating how the finer
sediments could be deposited nearer the channel as

the river went down and the velocity decreased. The
maximum width of the flood plains, using the flood of
I947 as a recent maximum, was approximately 6,000

feet (Board of Water and Light Commissioners, I9A7

flood map) in an area south of Frandor between Lansing
and East Lansing.

As this information indicates,{£he flood plain of a river can vary

greatly depending on the amount of water present and the condition of

the soils at the time. In planning for the use of the flood plain, an
important aSpect to consider is the possible future occurrence of floods
of the size of those that have occurred in the past. Hazardous conditions
may occur during a very large flood as a result of quick rise in the river,
a high velocity, and deep flows. This variance in the size of the flood

plain at predetermined intervals must be a major consideration in any plan.I

-2

Soils
The soils of Michigan differ because of five groups of factors that

influenced their formation: climate, vegetation, parent material,

 

8Ibid.. pp. 25-26.

23

topography, drainage, and time. The humid climate of Michigan has
resulted in the removal of the easily soluble constituents from the

upper layers of the soils and their deposition in the subsoil.

In the Red Cedar Watershed, the vegetation has affected the various

soil types. In the forested areas, the annual leaf fall is added to the
immediate surface, where it decays and is mixed with the mineral soil

to a shallow depth. Differences in textures of parent material are
visible in the soils formed from them. Many of the parent materials of
Michigan soils contained free lime, but great local soil variations
resulted from the varied texture, fabrics, and mineralogical compositions
of glacial till. Over most of the state these thick unconsolidated

rock materials were the parent materials from which the mineral soils

were formed.

The topography and drainage of Michigan contribute much to the soil
variability. Organic solids have deveIOped in the swamps and wet low-
lands. The properties of these soils are largely dependent on the kinds
of plants from which they were formed. Also, poorly drained mineral
soils were formed in those low areas where water did not cover the soil
completely enough to make an organic soil possible. Organic matter was
better preserved in these soils and mixed with the mineral soil to
greater depths than their well-drained timbered associates.

Soils in the Red Cedar Watershed, like those of most

of Michigan, are the heritage of the Pleistocene

Period of glaciation. Although the underlying bed-

rock has had some influence on the soil development,

it was the glacial debris that predominated as the

parent material of the present day soils. The almost
infinite variety of combinations of mineral materials

24

located in diverse settings of natural topography and
micro-climate have resulted in a great number of soil
types.

These individual soils are classified on the basis

of their parent mineral material, texture, and the
actual soil profile development as it was dictated

by the covering vegetation, the slope, and the

moisture conditions. Michigan soils in general fall
into two Great Soil Groups, the Podzol dominating

North of a line from Ottawa to St. Clair County

and the Gray Brown Podzolic dominating South of

this line. Both of these groups have the following
characteristics: they deveIOped in cool, moist climates
and have a profile with a surface veneer of organic
matter over a gray, leached horizon underlain by another
leached horizon, under which is the subsoil where there
is an accumulation of iron and humus. It is the
difference in the basic soil profile that results in

the Two Great Soil Groups and the large number of

soil series . . .

The Generalized Stream Bed and Bank Soils map shown

in Figure 8, relates the distribution of loames,

sandy loams, mucks, and peats within the watershed . . .
There has been very little attempt to drain or utilize
the peat soils for agricultural purposes other than, to
a small extent, for pasture and wild hay.

A drop of rain reaching the surface may I) fall on
a water surface, 2) be intercepted by vegetation,
or 3) fall directly to the soil. This water may
I) be returned directly to the sky by evaporation,
2) flow overland toward a stream, or 3) enter the
ground by infiltration. The amount of evaporation
from either land or water surfaces during a storm
is negligible because of high relative humidity.
Surface runoff does not begin until the soil
surface is thoroughly wet and shallow depressions
are filled. Downward movement of water through the
soil starts with the first drops of rain. This
downward movement is called infiltration.9

The infiltration rates for the soils of the Red Cedar Watershed are
shown in Figure 9. These are broken down into i) those with a high
infiltration rate, 2) those with a medium infiltration rate, and 3)
those with a low infiltration rate. Because of the character of the

surface geology previously described, the majority of the soils are of

 

9Ibid., p. 30.

I'd

25

 

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27

a medium infiltration rate. This would be the obvious conclusion to
draw from the particular type of surface geology present in the Red
Cedar Watershed. The low infiltration rate soils are generally along
the streams and rivers, with only minor occurrences of areas with a

high infiltration rate. In conclusion, the soils of the Red Cedar
Watershed are an important factor in the establishment of criteria for
the development of the flood plains. The flood plain soils are not
conducive to any major development without a tremendous economic invest-
ment. This is a definite argument in favor of preserving the flood

plains of the watershed for recreational and low development use.

Topography

The topography has a marked influence on the pattern of urban development
in a watershed. The basic land forms have had considerable control on
past and present development and will influence future development. The
topography affects drainage, utility layout, street construction, and
site devel0pment. For example, a sharply rising and falling topography
would dictate a complex street pattern with some parcels of steep,
unbuildable property. A relatively flat or gently rolling topography

would not cause major development problems.

Slope is the amount of rise in elevation over a Specified horizontal
distance. It is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, an
area that rises ten feet in elevation in one hundred feet of horizontal
distance has a l0 percent slope. In order to drain properly, land must
have a minimum amount of slope. When it does not, surface water will

not flow off, and flooding results. The installation of sewer systems

28

is also a problem in very flat areas, for it is difficult to get the
proper SIOpe for gravity flow of sewerage. ln steep areas, slope causes
other kinds of problems. It affects street design, utility layout, and
site preparation, increasing the cost of development and the difficulties
of servicing. Urban development is limited where the terrain is steep

or is very flat. These areas should be devoted to recreation or some

nonstructural urban use.

Urban uses have different slope requirements. While land with an easy
grade is suitable for most uses, it is desirable to devote level areas

to more intensive land uses. Slopes 2 to 5 percent are preferable for
commercial and industrial development. Residential development is
possible in areas where the slope is from S to l5 percent. The steeper
slopes which are more eXpensive to develop are only suitable for scattered
residential construction. The amount and type of urban development is
limited in areas where the slope is greater than l5 percent. Excessively
steep areas may be used for recreation or remain vacant as Open green

Spaces.

The Red Cedar Watershed is limited in topographic variations, therefore
any area that possesses a sl0pe greater than l0 percent and is in con-
junction with a possible water surface should be evaluated for its
recreational potential. It would be difficult to farm extensively on

such areas, and because of the general flatness of the region, these areas
would not be in competition for such uses. The streams within the water-
shed, besides providing the contrasting element of water, also provides

some local relief that is formed by the erosion of the channel bed.

29

Drainage is another natural environmental factor that is a result of the
existing topography and affects land use. The river and streams of the
Red Cedar Watershed occasionally overflow their banks and can cause damage
to crops and buildings in the flood plains. There is recorded information
about flooding along the Red Cedar River. The U.S. Geological Survey has
maintained a stream gaging station in East Lansing at the Farm Lane

bridge since l93l. U.S. Weather Bureau staff gage records are available

for most years.

The principal residential devel0pment of East Lansing is on high ground
north of the river, but there are commercial, institutional (Michigan

State University), and residential deveIOpments on low lands near the
river from East Lansing to Okemos. Meridian Township residential deveIOp-
ment, east of Okemos, is on high ground and unaffected by even large
floods. Williamston Township remains mostly agricultural, with scattered
residential development adjacent to the river. In the city of Williamston,
some residential areas are in flood plain sections of the river. The city's
sewage treatment plant and composting plant are situated near the river

in the westerly part of town. Portions of this land have been inundated
by floods of the past, and a substantially greater area is within reach

of the potentially greater floods of the future.

When urban deveIOpment occurs, roofs of buildings and expanses of paving
increase the amount of water that runs off. The natural drainage

facilities along which excess water should flow may become overtaxed. A
system of gutters, ditches, and in some cases underground pipes to carry

surface water is needed to supplement the natural drainage. It is very

30

important to insure that the natural drainage channels will continue to
perform their function of carrying water out of the urbanized area.
Encroachment by unsuitable land uses and modifications of stream channels
that will interfere with the natural flow of water should be prevented.
To protect natural drainage channels and to facilitate maintenance, it

may be necessary to establish drainage easements.

Topography relates to the slope and relief of land. It is a factor which
influences the nature and the types of activities which are possible.
When analyzing any watershed for its potential best utilization, the
tapography has a substantial influence on what types of use are possible
and desirable. Because of its close relationship with drainage and water,
it is considered here as basic information needed to eventually establish

criteria for flood plain use.

Vegetation

At one time in the early history of the country and more Specifically
the Red Cedar Watershed, there existed an abundant supply of forest
cover. As farming became the major industry and then later with urban
eXpanSion, most of the timber land was cleared. The Red Cedar Watershed
was once very heavily covered with forest, approximately 95 percent of
the land area, but with a growing pOpulation and economy, less than 10
percent forest cover remains.

"The accompanying map (Figure l0) represents the distri-

bution of natural associations of tree Species comprising

the presettlement forest of Michigan . . . The compilation

of such a map is from the outset beset with perplexities
because of the inherent nature of the original forest . . .

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32

During the slightly more than l25 years that have

elapsed since intensive settlement of the state by

white men, large areas have been decimated by lum-

bering and fires, and a large proportion of the land

has been cleared of the original tree cover for

agricultural purposes, urban development, and for

other various uses. However, notwithstanding the

extensive modification and obliteration, providen-

tially a few large tracts, along with a number of

widely scattered very small lots, virgin or near

virgin in character, remain, and these together

with large tracts of second growth, not devastated

by fire following lumbering, and the many wood lots

on farms, provide clues as to the nature of the

presettlement forest as a whole . . ."10
The Red Cedar Watershed contains some of the best farmland in this area,
subsequently most of the area has been cleared for farms, cities, and
industrial development. There are only a few extensive forest areas

remaining, the majority being in woodlots and usually on wet sites.

A study of Ingham and Livingston Counties by the Soil Conservation
Department (USDA) of a 2 percent random sampling of l60-acre plots, of
which #0 plots of the survey are located in the area covered by the
Red Cedar Watershed, shows that 6.h percent of this area is in forest.
This percentage includes areas with commercial timber only. (See

Figure ll).

The principal Species in the area were red, white and black oak, hickory,
beech, sugar maple, silver maple and swamp white oak. In places, walnut,
butternut, black cherry, sycamore, cottonwood, hackberry, and tulip

(popular) grew in small stands.

 

Iolbid” p. 180.

33

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34

The principal trees in the peat swamps were tamarack, aspen, red maple,
elm, willow, and some black Spruce. Dogwood, winterberry, huckleberry,

and chokecherry were common associates on the wetter Sites.

In marshy land, the characteristic growth was wire grass, sedge,
bluejoint, different varieties of carex, cypress and juncue. In bogs,

leatherleaf, blueberry and Sphagnum mosses were present in abundance.

The present vegetative cover is somewhat the same except it has changed
where swamps are concerned. This change can be attributed to the
drainage of some of these swamps, and also to the advancement in the
stage of succession. The swamps support more aspen and willows than
any other species. Tamarack has almost disappeared in the watershed.
The vegetation yet remaining, besides adding landscape attractiveness
to the countryside, provide relief from the hot summer temperatures

and the cold winter winds. It also is very important in stabilizing

the soil and preventing erosion.

Vegetation acts as a space definer, a visual screen, a wind break or

a physical barrier. It is impossible to place a price tag on the
inherent value of a plant. There are countless tangible values, as
mentioned, without listing the intangibles. There are so few good
stands of mature trees and other forms of vegetation remaining, that

we cannot afford to let them go the path of their predecessors.
Vegetation, in any form, is a factor which must be given a high priority

in the planning process.

35

Climate

Since Michigan is surrounded by the Great Lakes, its climate is naturally
affected by the lakes. The interior of the state, including the Red
Cedar Watershed, has a climate that alternates between continental and
semi-marine, depending on the direction and force of the winds. The
lakes have a stabilizing effect on temperature, reducing extremes of

heat and cold. Michigan seasonal temperatures are shown in Figure l2,
and it can be noted that the Red Cedar Watershed is located in the

warmest section of the state.

The Red Cedar Basin lies in the pathway of storms that move across the
Great Lakes Region, characterizing its climate with frequent and rapid
changes in weather. The fact that precipitation is modified by

nearness of the water bodies, can be seen in Figure l3. Precipitation

in the spring and fall months is usually caused by cyclonic storms, and
in summer by local Showers or thunderstorms. Precipitation must be
taken into account when building and removing vegetation on steep slopes,
since if proper drainage is not planned for, erosion will take over.

The number of precipitation days are an important design factor when

considering the number of days outdoor activity can take place comfortably.

The vegetative cover, tOpography, and orientation of the site affect its
microclimate. The natural cover of the terrain tends to moderate extreme
temperatures and stabilizes conditions because of the reflective qualities
of the leaf surfaces. It lowers the temperature, due to shading and
maintains uniformity of humidity during the day. At night temperatures

are uniform and humidity is high, but uniform. On a rainy day, the dense

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MICHIGAN SEASONAL TEMPERATURES

SOURCE:
EICHMEIR, CLIMATE OF MICHIGAN

37

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38

vegetation, such as a forested area, reduces wind, maintains a uniform

temperature and has a high relative humidity.

Topography affects microclimate in several ways. Since cold air is
heavier than warm air, a cold air layer forms near the ground surface
at night, flowing down hills and collecting in low Spots. If a hill
or structure obstructs this flow, a pool of cold air develops. In the
case of a valley or depression, the highland and the lowland will be
cold, but the higher sides of the slope will remain warm. This is
usually referred to as the “warm slope zone” and is the most desirable

and advantageous location for placing a dwelling.

Topography also affects the amount of solar radiation received by a
given site. Inclined surfaces receive larger amounts of radiation
during underheated periods and less at overheated times than does a
horizontal site. South-facing steep slopes are warmer than horizontal
surfaces, and north-facing steep slepes are cooler than horizontal
surfaces. This means that the same radiation intensities received on

southern slopes will be received on level sites a few weeks later.

A hill will also modify wind and precipitation distribution. Wind flow
is diverted by a hill both vertically and horizontally. The wind speed
and pattern around a hill affects the precipitation pattern. Precipitation
on the windward side is carried over the hill by the wind, which strikes

the sl0pe, and falls on the other side, where winds are irregular and weak.

39

Nearby bodies of water also affect microclimate. During the day, water
bodies are cooler than the surrounding land, and the low cool air moves
from the water body over the land to replace the warm air lost by
updraft from the warmer land. These offshore breezes may have a cooling
effect of as much as l0 degrees. At night, the direction of the breezes
is reversed.

The hydrologic cycle (Figure lh) is a term which refers
to the circulation of water - from the sea to the atmDSphere
in the form of vapor, from the atmDSphere to the land in
the form of precipitation, and the eventual return of
water to the sea by runoff and ground water movement. In
many cases the water is in a shortened cycle, but all
water eventually returns to the sea. The practical
significance of the hydrologic cycle is that it is the
process by which water is furnished to living things on
the land; plants, animals, and man. The need for water
is basic to all life.

The hydrologic cycle is set in motion by two great forces:
the heat of the sun's rays, and the pull of gravity. It is
the heat of the sun which causes water to vaporize from the
surface of the seas and the land, and it is gravity which
causes rain to fall and water to flow, both on and under the
earth's surface. The effects of the hydrologic cycle and
the speed at which it operates differ greatly from place to
place on the earth. The cycle is primarily dependent upon
the amount and kind of precipitation (rain or snow) that
falls on an area. There are other important factors also:
temperature, wind, kinds of landforms, vegetation (naturally
of culturally induced), soils, and the geology all have an
influence on the hydrologic cycle.

This is . . . the hydrolic cycle of the Red Cedar Watershed

as it was before the settlement of white man. The purpose . . .
is to discover what the 'natural' hydrologic cycle of the

Red Cedar Watershed is in order to determine, first, what has
been the effect of man's changing of the watershed (the
cultivation of land and the development of urban areas, for
example), and second, to furnish a basis for future planning

of the watershed to better serve man."

 

”lbid., p. 159.

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Water Quality

How does one characterize the quality of the water of a stream?

The terms polluted or unpolluted are often used but usually

in the sense that the water is contaminated with domestic

sewage. Chemical analyses give an instantaneous indication

of what is being carried in the water. The chemical

constituents vary a great deal over time and distance in a

stream. Examination of the flora and, more eSpecially

the fauna of a stream provides an expression of the sum

total of all the factors of water quality existing in

the stream. Plants and animals have a wide range of

susceptibility to environmental factors so that subtle

shifts and changes in plant or animal populations give

an indication of what types of water quality changes have

taken place.
There is currently a problem, and it is growing rapidly in the Red Cedar
watershed, of obtaining enough water of good quality for domestic use.
All of the municipal sites and townships in the watershed presently obtain
their water supplies from wells. Many of the underground sources of water
will be seriously taxed as water tables drop in areas of heavy use.
Although a few industries today use surface waters, most of the
industrial water supply is obtained from wells. The combination of
additional heavy municipal and industrial use of underground water to

satisfy future growth will create problems of quantity and quality in

the reserves of underground water at some locations in the basin.

Water is known as the universal solvent. In nature it always contains
some forms of impurities and both the concentration and varieties of
impurities are likely to increase as man puts water to his desired uses.
Impurities in the Red Cedar watershed's water from agricultural,
industrial, residential and municipal wastes have been damaging enough
in some areas to make the water unattractive, unsafe, or otherwise

unacceptable for man's use. As the watershed's population and industry

 

'zlbid., p. 58.

#2

continue to grow, water quality control will become increasingly important,
eSpecially during the summer months when flows are low, temperatures

high and water use is at its peak.

Fish and Wildlife
The Sport fish population of the Red Cedar River is for all practical
purposes non-existent. The quality of the river's water is not able
to support the quality of fish sought after by most fishermen. The
stream does have a fairly large population of lower class fish such as
the sucker. If the water quality was improved, the river could very
well support a healthy population of the sport fish types. The
existence of sport fish in a river does much to enhance its recreational
attractiveness. The existence of a healthy population of desirable
aquatic life in a stream is a good indication of the water quality, and
the potential for development into a successful recreational resource.
The many types of environment such as swamps, marshes, lake,
streams, river, woodlots, open fields and crop fields, provide
food and shelter for various kinds and Species of wildlife
on the Red Cedar Watershed. With the absence of black bear,
moose, and elk, the area is moderately inhabited with white
tail deer. The fox is moderately abundant on the watershed,
while coyote is seen on rare occasion and the wolf and
bobcat are absent from the scene.
The favorite hunting in the area includes pheasant, cottontail
rabbit, and squirrels which are all found in abundant quantity.
With many water areas available, many Species of birds are
present in the watershed. The Rose Lake Wildlife Experiment
Station, Dansville State Game Farm, Fenner Arboretum, and the
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife of Michigan State Univer-
.sity promote the cause of wildlife for the benefit of both
hunter and Sightseer.l3
Through the adoption of criteria for the protection of certain natural

areas, i.e. - wooded areas, swamp lands, etc. - the preservation of the

existing p0pulation of wildlife will be insured. This would keep an

 

#3

ecological balance in this watershed or other watersheds that is highly

desirable.

Fish and wildlife add a dimension to any area that is obtainable in

no other way. Recreational areas are very much enhanced by the presence
of animal and fish life. Planning for the protection of, or in many
cases, the establishment of, areas in the watershed for land and water

fauna is an important aspect of any watershed plan.

Natural Areas of Scenic Value

The Red Cedar Watershed does not contain any areas of exceptional natural
scenic value primarily because of the surface geology of the mid-Michigan
area, the relief of land is flat to gently rolling and therefore does not
offer a great deal of variety in the landscape. There are areas in the
watershed that do have the potential for natural beauty, and with the
proper exploitation could be develOped into very interesting and scenic
areas. Some of the wooded areas are quite attractive when the vegetation
takes on its fall color, especially along the Red Cedar River and its

tributaries.

The consideration of natural areas with scenic qualities is an important
aspect when planning for the overall recreational resources of a watershed.
These areas may not always provide a Space for active recreation, however
their value lies in the passive visual experience they provide the observer.
Other river basins in Michigan and elsewhere are blessed with natural

areas that possess qualities unequaled by man. Rock outcrops, waterfalls

on a stream, quiet, scenic lakes and ponds and various other such features

should be protected for their natural beauty. Sightseeing is a very

1+4

popular form of passive recreation with many people, and these types of
areas provide the views they seek. By preserving areas with natural
scenic value, the total environment of a watershed is inhanced in a way

with which no man-made feature can compare.

Summary

The consideration of all the natural resources of a watershed is of
primary importance. The geology, soils, topography, vegetation, climate,
quality of waters, wildlife and areas that possess a natural scenic
quality are among these considerations. Most of flood plain lands in a
watershed, due to the types of natural characteristics existing, are
undesirable for building, farming, or any intensive development, making
them ideal for recreational usage. Rims along the flood plains provide
stable areas for road construction and are valuable for their viewing
potential. The surface areas (waterways, wet lands, and flood plains)
along the bottom lands add contrast and provide a close contact with

nature.

The necessity is now present in the Red Cedar Watershed and other
watersheds to develop long-range planning, so that the conservation

of our natural resources may be considered as an alternative to the
exploitation of them simply for expediency. The high costs with which
we are faced make it essential that we consider alternatives consistent
with the preserving, protecting, and in some cases reclaiming the natural
resources of the watersheds. It should be obvious that this alternative

is the most economical and the most compatible to our future development.

45

MAN-MADE CHARACTERISTICS

Introduction

In order to understand the relationship of the Red Cedar Watershed to
its man-made characteristics, it is necessary to go beyond the limits
of the drainage basin. Consideration must be given to the influences
upon the watershed from the Lansing Metropolitan Area, as well as to

those influences existing within the watershed itself.

Man-made characteristics that influence the development of a watershed
are the historical and present growth patterns (population), urbanization,
economy, and recreation facilities existing under federal, state and

local control. These are the major influences which will be presented

in this report.

Historical Development

The first permanent farm settlements in Clinton, Ingham

and Eaton Counties were established in the early l800's,
predominately by farmers who migrated from the state of New
York, and later farmers from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the
New England states.

A flourishing fur trade was established by the first settlers,
and the word of low-land prices brought a rapid and steady
growth in papulation. Later settlers farmed small clearings
in the densely forested area on a subsistence basis.

The increase in land farmed was rapid up to the early

l800's as the virgin forests were cut to make way for
agriculture. The first settlers were intent upon farming;

and the forest cover was considered a hindrance. The land
was cleared of the trees and much of the lumber was wasted.

A6

Ingham County was established on April 5, l838 by the
Michigan Legislature and named for Samuel D. Ingham,
Secretary of the Treasury under President Jackson. Lansing
Township was chosen as the site for the new state capital
in l8h7 and the townsite became known as 'Lansing” the
following year. The East Lansing area was first settled

in l8h9, and in l855 became the site for the nation's

first land grant college. From an initial enrollment of
less than lOO students, the college became M.S.U. with

a student body of almost 38,000 on the main campus.
Meridian and Williamston Townships were first settled in
the l830's. Williamston was re-organized under its

present name by the State Legislature in l857. Meridian
Township was organized in l8#2 and early settlements were
in the Lake Lansing area. What is now the town of Okemos
was platted in l85l as a sawmill site. The city of William-
ston first platted in l8h5 by the Williams brothers,

was by l863 a village consisting of several general stores,
grocery stores, hotels, harness makers and an iron

foundry. Williamston was incorporated in l87l and

became a home rule city in l9Ah.

Early in its history, Ingham County development was in

general farming and lumbering. Agriculture continues to

be an important income producer, accounting for nearly

$16 million in 196u.|#
The immigration of early settlers around l8h5 brought man's influence
into the Red Cedar Watershed. Prior to this time the majority of the
area was inhabited by the Ottawa Indians. The productive soil of
the area made clearing and reclamation profitable even though there
existed considerable swamp land and thick forests to greet the settlers.
Between l850 and l875 large eXpanses of forest were cleared as well
as most of the land claimed. As a result of this settlement, the demand

for lumber and the predominance of farming fostered the establishment

of gristmills and sawmills in the basin.

 

ll+Donelin, D. W., Recreational Development Within the Tri-County
Region, Thesis for degree of M.L.A., Michigan State University, l967, p. 16.

47

Urbanization and Growth Patterns

Families buy homes in the country to be near nature and

to give their children freedom to explore and play. For
themselves, the parents seek quiet, privacy, peacefulness,
the sight of the changing seasons, and a sense of Space.

On weekends they want to work in the garden, fish or hunt
nearby, or take the children for a picnic. For the children,
moving to the country means having a place to build a tree
house or daydream by the stream, a chance to bring home

a string of bluegills or to camp out.

Instead, most families find that as suburbanization occurs,
it destroys what attracted them to the countryside. The
land is leveled and any trees that might have been there
before are cut down. The nearest stream is either buried

in a culvert or walled with concrete. In place of the
attractive countryside they find only row upon row of houses
with identical front yards and identical roofs.

Instead of privacy, quiet and contact with nature, the

residents of a typical suburban development live exposed,

with no place to go where they can feel sheltered from

the noise and activity around them. There are no woods

or fields where their children can play. Too often, a

short time after they move in their septic tanks fail

to work properly and they are saddled with the additional

expense of public water or sewers. The dream and the

reality are not the same.'
More and more people are coming to the Red Cedar Watershed area. In
fact, the populations of many of the townships in the watershed already
are growing rapidly. Many people are here, and many will arrive to
seek gainfull employment and establish residence. Too often these land
developers have cleared the vegetation, bulldozed the hilltops and
filled the valleys making building easier and less expensive. The
streams of the watershed have been filled with topsoil, debris, and
sewage, and their banks have been eroded and strewn with trash. Man

has destroyed the beauty which nature had provided. The need exists

for a plan to provide for the interaction of man and nature.

 

15Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Pennsylvania,
et al, Brandywine Report (I968), p. lO.

“As communities expand, their populations merge and their problems
overlap." The majority of the population in the Red Cedar Watershed
is located on the westerly end in the Lansing Metropolitan area.

In its rate of growth the Lansing Metropolitan area stands
l7th in the nation. It is anticipated that within a few
years about ll7 square miles in and around Lansing will

be urbanized to so large a degree as to make its urban
problems essentially a common problem.

The network of U.S. trunk lines, state highways, and
municipal thoroughfares have a social as well as an
economic importance in the life and habits of our people.
Formerly, the site of a man's labor was the site also of
his dwelling. In a metropolitan area, for a large part

of the population, that coincidence no longer holds. A
man labors in the city; he sleeps and takes his recreation
in the suburbs.

During the last ten years two great counter-movements

have altered the living and working habits of our people.
Drawn by opportunities of service and profitable employment,
the peeple of the townships have moved rapidly from a
pattern of rural living to a pattern of rural-urban living.

Many rural families divide their time between farm and
industry, one or more members of the family working in
the city to add to the family income. It is known that
part of the labor force of the Lansing area comes from a
radium of 25-30 miles. This movement has influenced

the thinking, the wants, and needs of the people in the
area.

In a contrary movement, animated by a desire to escape

the congestion of the city, city workers have transferred
their dwelling to the country and the suburbs, from which,
each morning, in swift traffic flow, they pour on the
highways and thoroughfares into the city, and to which,

each night, in spent exodus, they return. This movement,
conjoined with the arrival of large numbers of newcomers,

has been responsible for the development of many subdivisions
for country-living on what was recently farm land.

Percentagedwise, the small towns and rural areas have increased
at the fastest rate. Farmers are becoming a smaller percentage
of the total labor force, especially in Ingham County. A
recent . . . study dramatizes the relative decline in

economic importance of agriculture . . .'

 

16The League of Women Voters of the Lansing Area, Today and Tomorrow
In the LansinggMetropolitan Area (Lansing, Michigan: February, I969),
PP. 53 ' 5h.

49

Economy

The establishment of the plank road following an old Indian trail from
Detroit to Lake Michigan created a vast immigration into the central
Michigan area. The completed road, which followed the Red Cedar
River very closely enabled farmers and merchants to transport their
products as well as opening up new avenues of trade between the
communities along the route. The road continued to serve as a main
route in Spite of the coming of the railroads in l858. In l866 the
old plank road was converted into a gravel turnpike. As a result of
these improvements on the route, coal mining operations were developed
at Williamston and Mason, but proved unprofitable, although clay and
shale soils of the area provide the basis for extensive brick making

Operations in Williamston.

The natural and man-made history of the Red Cedar Watershed presents

an interesting account of the transformation of a vast wilderness into
an open farmland and then to an urban complex. Even though the areas
in the western end of the basin are highly urbanized, the areas east
of Okemos are relatively unchanged. The contrast between the agricul-
tural region and the urban centers of Lansing, East Lansing, and M.S.U.
are striking. Integrating these two areas to meet the recreational
needs of the metropolitan population will be facilitated by an under-

standing of the historical influences by which they were shaped.

Recreation
There is still a great deal of Open land in the Red Cedar Watershed.

However, the use, distribution and quality of much of this open land

50

already presents serious problems. Urbanization is currently consuming
large amounts of Open land regardless of its open Space value. At the
same time, there is an increasing need for open Space for a variety of
purposes, primary among these recreation. The need for suitable recrea-
tional resources will become increasingly critical as the open Space
that is available for its use is consumed by competing uses.

Decade by decade, the expanding population has

achieved more leisure time, more money to spend,

and better travel facilities; and it has sought more

and better opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. But

the public has also demanded more of other things.

In the years following World War II, this process greatly

accelerated as an eager nation, released from wartime

restrictions, needed millions of new acres for sub-

divisions, industrial sites, highways, schools, and

airports. The resources for outdoor recreation -

shoreline, green acres, open space, an unpolluted

water - diminished in the face of demands for more

of everything else.
The varied functions performed by recreational resources are now so vital
that it can no longer be regarded as expendable. These resources are
needed to provide new facilities for outdoor recreation, preserve features
of outstanding regional significance, create a pleasant landscape, and to
insure the sound use of natural resources. As the population grows, these
needs become increasingly critical. The amount of public recreational
land varies considerably and, when the distribution of this land is
compared with the distribution of population, it becomes apparent that
the existing supply of recreational lands is not readily accessible
to the watersheds most populous areas.

Recreation is a vital need in today's world. It is perhaps

the greatest opportunity for self-expression, for doing what

one really wants to do, not what one is forced to do - earn a
living. The very phenomena which have brought leisure and

 

I7Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, Outdoor Recreation
for America (January, I962), p. l.

 

 

.- _
T “I 7" "I'P' ‘21" V

 

 

5l

income have also brought serious tensions for every-day

life - both working and leisure involve going from place to

place hurriedly, under crowded and often noisy conditions.

Recreation under conditions of one's choosing is necessary

to relieve these tensions. For many the physical activity

of outdoor recreation is vital in building and maintgining

physical fitness and in discharging nervous energy.I
With the demand for public recreational open space growing, it becomes
increasingly important to take maximum effective utilization of flood
plain lands in the watershed. This utilization depends upon the accessi-
bility of the facilities to their service populations, the quality of the
land itself, and the recreational uses to which the lands are put. The
additional acreage needed for the expanding populations can be met from
the utilization of potential outdoor recreational lands in the flood
plains of the rivers. These areas have the potential for public
recreation sites. The increasing penetration of the automobile into

the countryside and the disappearance of the wilderness areas that are

being devoured by urban expansion are adding to these difficulties.

Much of the virgin woodlands that once covered the land only exist today
in history books. The relatively small amount of the remaining woodlands
perform the vital functions of conserving the land and water resources
and help to provide an attractive landscape. At the present time in the
Red Cedar Watershed information which would identify Specific woodland
areas as having commercial or aesthetic value is lacking and should be

sought out and analyzed.

Land and water resources are so interrelated that it is impossible to

consider recreational resources without examination of both. The value

 

'8lbid.

52

of these resources in the watershed has been greatly reduced by
pollution. It is essential to protect the remaining clean water
resources and also to initiate programs to clean up those that are
polluted and make the maximum multi-purpose use of them and those

lands adjacent to the river.

An important role of the landscape architect is to propose and develope

areas possessing unique recreational potential. The use of flood plains

for recreational purposes should play an important role in the hierarchy

of recreational areas. Not only would they serve the immediate vicinity

in which they are located, but would generate a radius of serviceability

along the entire length of the river.

We need some contact with the things we Sprang from.

We need Nature at least as a part of the context of our
lives. Without Nature, . . . we are compelled to renounce
an important part of our heritage. On some summer
vacation or some country weekend we realize that what
we are experiencing is more than merely relief from the
pressures of city life; that we have not merely escaped
from something but also into something; that we have
joined the greatest of all communities, which is not
that of men alone, but of everything which shares with
us the great adventure of being alive.

Summary

The majority of non-recreational land use does not respect the natural

environment or locate itself as to preserve the potential water

recreation resources. A relatively small number of poorly located

developments have the potential to degrade an entire area of its scenic

quality and the usefulness of its water resources. As much as 50

 

I9State of Wisconsin, Department of Resource Development, A Plan
for Wisconsin. p. 70.

53

percent of this land use might occur in areas where critical protection

of streams should be an important consideration in development practices.

As a solution, a coordinated system of land utilization must be
formulated based on criteria which allows man to deveIOpe the landscape
without stripping the countryside of its trees, polluting its streams,
or destroying its natural beauty. These criteria would protect those
parts of the watershed which are most important for their potential

as water resources and preserve the beauty of the natural environment.
The critical areas, the flood plains, provide a major portion of the
potential recreation resources within a watershed. Some areas, however,
must be kept completely undeveloped or at least lightly developed.
These areas are the buffer zones that are necessary to protect a stream
and its flood plain from outside destructive forces: included in these
protected areas is the stream valley, a natural storage basin for the
excess runoff of water during the wet seasons of the year. This natural
basin should not in any way be altered so as to diminish its ability

to hold and infiltrate water into the ground water system. The wooded
areas are also valuable aquifier recharge sources. They aid in erosion
control, eSpecially on steeper slopes, and are the natural habitat of
various wildlife. In addition to controlling the clearing of wooded
areas from steep slopes, other forms of vegetation on these slopes must
also be protected. The shrubs and grasses growing on the slopes are
invaluable erosion control devices. By adhering to these criteria,

the stream would have the opportunity to restore itself to its natural

quality and at the same time lend natural scenic beauty to an area.

5h

These suggested practices would seem to be basic rules on which
everyone could agree, but they are being completely disregarded.

Observing these conservation principles can avert destruction and

insure the enhancement of our environment.

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THE FLOOD PLAIN

Introduction

The existing pattern of flood plain use throughout the country has only
recently been realized for its inadequacies. Open space is disappearing
at a constantly increasing pace, with the demand for it also increasing.
The flood plain offers one of the best sources for open space and the
pursuit of leisure time activities. It is the population explosion with
its increased demand for space to carry on the necessary functions of
supporting this growth - housing, industry, recreation, etc. - that

has brought about this realization. These uses are also competing for
use of flood plain lands and must be controlled now in order to allow
for orderly, wise development of the flood plain land while continuing
to protect the natural resources - water, vegetation, soils, etc.

People have continued to develope the lands as their forefathers, with
little, if any, regard for the future of their resources. Until recently,
man has failed to recognize the potential of the natural resources when
considered in the proper perspective. These resources, especially the
flood plains of rivers and streams, offer possibilities for Open space
use that cannot be ignored. With the supply of such lands limited

and the demand increasing, these flood plains should be defined and

protected for their highest and best use.

Red Cedar Flood Plain

Residential and other types of development have already ruined much of

the prime lands along many of our strgams and rivers including the Red

57

Cedar River. One does not have to look long to see the conflicts existing
with the present land use in the flood plain. In the spring of the year
when the rains fall, the snow melts, and the waters of the rivers rise,
residential areas, commercial areas, agricultural areas, and many other
areas are abandoned by man to seek the refuge of higher ground. The

Red Cedar flood plain is typical of this annual occurrence. Attention
must be focused on this obvious, but many times overlooked, conflict
between man's use and nature's cominance over the flood plains.

Our first need is for the development of urban services
coordinated with our natural drainage system or stream

system. The growth of population, vastly increased
agricultural and industrial production, large and complex
sewerage and water systems, mass recreation pursuits and
increasing leisure time now make the watershed region a
critical factor in environmental design. At present all
development in the watershed is proceeding piecemeal - drains,
dams, water systems, zoning, sewage plants, recreation

sites and bridges.

Surface water resources are already very limited and

need protection. Many stream problems exist, including
varying degrees of pollution in the . . . Red Cedar River.
Package sewage - treatment plants (small units) are being
proposed for many widely-separated urban pockets. Dispersed
dwellings with septic tanks emptying into streams are
increasing pollution. Downstream communities need to
supplement ground water with river water. During the

dry summer months the rivers become so low that there is
neither a large enough volume nor a rapid enough flow to
provide the oxygen necessary for maintaining a proper
balance of plant life and bacteria at the places where
sewage disposal is emptied into the rivers. Some means

of storing water that falls during the rainy season, to
supplement the flow of streams during the dry season, will
have to be found. The area is relatively flat and only

a few natural pockets suitable for use as reservoirs

exist . . .

In the Spring, floods frequently hit those residential
and business areas which have been built in the flood
plain. Floodways are presently neither defined nor

protected from development. Large flood control costs
are being added to the public finance picture of the

future. Several swampy areas in the region have been
drained, filled, and built upon. If lands need to be

58

set aside for recreational use, would not the swampy

marshlands and the flood plains be the logical and the

most economical land for that purpose? Their drainage

would not have to be as complete nor their fill as

extensive and might in most cases be altogether eliminated.20
Man has had to make the decision as to the direction his urbanization
patterns have taken, and in the majority of instances his settlements
have evolved by accident with almost total disregard for the natural
resource characteristics of the region. The lesson nature has taught
to educate man is now becoming evident. Man is now beginning to
realize the resources for what they are and the potential they offer
through wise use. The cities of the future must evolve through conscious
design, and not by accident. As opposed to the present land use pattern
of most flood plains, future use of the flood plains should be consistent

with the criteria developed for their utilization. This criteria would

allow optimum development based on the natural resource characteristics.

The Red Cedar Flood Plain is basically delineated by existing cultural
features, such as roads, railroads, and the settlement patterns of
cities, towns and villages. The general land use along the flood plain
consists of agricultural and residential developments. The majority of
the agricultural land is located in the low areas near the river with the
residential being scattered and generally found on the somewhat higher
areas near the roadways. Many of the cities and villages such as East
Lansing, Okemos, and Williamston have varying degrees of concentrations
of commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential uses in or

adjacent to the flood plain.

 

20The League of ”Omen Voters of the Lansing Area, Todaygand Tomorrow
In the Lansing Metropolitan Area (Lansing, Michigan: February l96l7,
p. 58.

59

Summary

Scattered residential development, croplands, pasture lands and woodlots
comprise the major elements of the existing land uses in and along the
Red Cedar River Flood Plain. Because of the periodic flooding of these
lands, it has proved in many instances economically unfeasible to
establish intense development within the flood plain. Thus, the flood
plains, in many areas such as the Red Cedar Flood Plain, are an untapped
natural resource. Through prOper planning and the application of use
criteria, these lands can be utilized for recreational and related uses
without incurring the damages to facilities as now exist from the

periodic flooding.

Chapter III

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6l

ESTABLISHMENT OF FLOOD PLAIN CRITERIA

Introduction

This portion of the report is concerned with the establishment of planning
and design criteria for flood plain use. The emphasis is on generalized
criteria relating to the natural and man-made conditions of flood plains

and rivers and the adjacent flood plain lands.

The purpose of these criteria is to provide a generalized basis on

which to formulate design decisions made in conjunction with the planning
for the use of the flood plain. Thus, the criteria proposed here, except
for details of the case study, will be applicable to flood plains in
general. There are innumerable more specific criteria which would come
under the main criteria considered here, i.e. soil types, specific slopes,
water quality, existing land uses, etc. By focusing on the more general
criteria, action can be taken now to preserve and protect the flood plains

with the details being worked out at a later stage.

Throughout the history of man, heavy rains and melting snows have
transformed quiet brooks and tranquil rivers into torrents which overflow
their banks and claim the lowlands that nature provided for just such
occurrences. Before man had reason to build and live on these lowland
plains, the rising of the water to flood stages were of little or no
consequence; but with the advent of civilization and settling of these
lands, floods often result in disaster to individuals, their families

and their possessions.

62

In terms of geological time, severe floods have been a frequent happening.
However, in terms of man's life, they are rare enough to allow him to
forget the memories of destruction and allow him to build on lowlands
which he is vaguely aware may be subject to the possibility of a flood
hazard. The Federal Government has sunk huge sums of money into the
reduction of flood losses. Floodwalls, dikes, flood control reservoirs,
diversion channels and channel improvements have paid for themselves.
However, in Spite of these precautions the losses resulting from floods
is still great, if not greater than ever before because of the continuing
encroachment of man on the flood plains. New construction in the flood
plains are reducing the channel capacities by filling in flood channel
areas. Many times this construction is taking place without people
realizing the risk involved. Examples can be found in most every
riverside community. The hazards of floods are thereby increased and

the ultimate effectiveness of flood control works is proportionately

diminished.

Planned Flood Plain Use

The ultimate goal of flood plain regulation is to provide for
optimum land use consistent with flood hazards. In addition

to various costs to calculate (for instance the cost of possible
protection or more protection), the effects of obstruction

such as land fills must be analyzed to determine that they will
not create new flood problems for others upstream or downstream.

The problems of filling are twofold. First, the filling of

a flood plain can reduce the cross section of the valley and
become a restriction, thereby raising the river elevation for
any given discharge. Second, filling a large area can aggravate
conditions downstream by eliminating a natural flood control
reservoir which benefits downstream communities.

Once the risk has been recognized, consideration may be given
to retaining the lower levels of the flood plain for ”open
use" such as parking areas, parks and recreation areas.

63

The objectives of such a program can be achieved in many ways.

The more common are: encroachment line regulations, zoning,

subdivision regulations, building codes, purchase by the towns

of some of the lowlands to retain for ”Open use” and fund

denial by financial institutions for projects in which the

flood risk is estimated to be too great. I
In order to provide for the protection and preservation of the critical
lands adjacent to the streams and rivers - flood plains - criteria must
be developed and implemented allowing for the wise utilization of these
lands. Long range planning should be undertaken for the financing, design,
and construction of any facilities to be considered acceptable for flood
plain use based on the proposed criteria. Thus, action could quickly
be taken when future urbanization and growth make it necessary for
additional development. Hence, strong regulations governing any use
proposed for the flood plains begin to have a basis. Uncontrolled
development is not likely to resPect the natural environment or be
located in such a way as to preserve potential open Space and protect the
natural waterways. It is safe to assume that as much as half of the

future devel0pment of a watershed will occur in areas in which protection

of waterways and adjacent lands is critical.

Establishment of Criteria

The generalized criteria for the utilization of flood plains and adjacent
lands follows three basic principles: first, development should be
restricted in the flood plains. Secondly, the lands on each side of the
streams and their natural drainage network must be protected so as to

act as buffers to the stream. Thirdly, development must also be controlled

in the wooded areas and on steep slopes that lie adjacent to the waterways.

 

2lDepartment of Landscape Architecture, University of Massachusetts,
Springfield and the Connecticut River (Amherst, Massachusetts: l966), p. 6l.

6h

The floodgplgjn should begprotected from development.
The flood plain reduces the severity of floods by temporarily
storing water. With heavy rains, the water rises and flows into
the flood plains where it is held for gradual release back into
the stream and into the ground water. Building in the flood
plain destroys this safety device and increases flood damage.
Buildings in the flood plain are apt to be damaged and destroyed.
Also, sewage from these buildings will seriously pollute the
streams.
Under this criteria, the restrictions would be: I) no construction
or excavating, 2) no dumping or land filling, 3) no new septic tanks, and
A) limited tree cutting in the areas defined by local governments to be
the flood plain. Through application, this would eliminate the damage and
possible destruction to future developments by man and would protect the
natural resources. In addition, no new obstacles would be allowed which
reduce the size of the flood plain in one area thereby forcing a wider

flood plain downstream.

Buffer areas near streams and swales should be_protected
from development.

Buffer areas are needed to intercept eroded soil and

effluent from home sewage systems and keep them out of

streams. Most buffer areas should not be built on because

they are low-lying and pgorly drained during times of

heavy rainfall and snow. 3
The restrictions necessary to implement this criteria would consist of:
I) no new construction except in hardship cases that would apply when it
may prevent all building on a tract, in which case the owner would be
allowed one structure per four acres or one structure if the amount of land
is less than four acres, 2) limited enlargement of existing buildings,

3) no dumping or filling, A) no new septic tanks except in hardship cases,

and 5) limited tree cutting. These buffer areas adjacent to the waterway

 

22Institute of Environmental Studies, p. 7.

23mm.

65

Space use. Protection of the streams buffer areas is important as it
allows nature to perform its functions of slowing down the runoff of
precipitation, resupplying the underground water sources, and eliminate
the otherwise hazardous problem of pollution.

Steep slopes egg woods should be protected from excessive
development.

The speed with which water runs down steep slopes makes

them eSpecially vulnerable to erosion. Forest cover on

steep slopes is particularly important because, when the

natural cover of grass and trees is removed, the soil is

exposed and is easily washed away. This eroded soil then

muddies the stream, cuts away the banks, and destroys the

stream's natural balance. Furthermore, steep slopes with

their shallow soils often offer no place for a satisfactory

home sewage disposal system.

Woods are the best land cover for absorbing rainfall and

slowing down runoff. Also, a fine stand of trees can make

the difference between a bare, unattractive community, and

an appealing one.2
With this proposed criteria, the restrictions would be as follows: I) a
four acre minimum lot size for new construction similar to the restriction
in the preceeding criteria, 2) a limited enlargement of existing buildings,
3) no dumping or filling, and A) limited tree cutting. The slopes and
wooded areas offer important elements in the overall protection of the
flood plains, they are likely areas for eroding soils to occur, are not
conducive for supporting construction, and retard water runoff. The
aesthetic value of these areas can only be measured in the physiological
impact they have upon man. With these areas protected, so as to allow

nature the chance to implement her own checks and balances, man and his

environment will ultimately enjoy a more compatible relationship.

 

Zhlbid.

66

 

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PROTECTION OF BUFFER AREAS

 

 

   

 

 

 

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STEEP ' .CIE”§ ‘ i
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[Lg WOODS 4‘ FLOOD PLAIN 8 WOODS 91
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PROTECTION OF STEEP SLOPES AND WOODS

FIGURE I5— THREE BASIC FLOOD PLAIN USE CRITERIA

 

67

Summar

Through the implementation of these three basic criteria, protection of
the most important and beautiful parts of our natural resources would

be assured - the stream and river valleys, the wooded areas and the Slopes.
The stream valley, woods and steep lepes would not be cleared and covered
with subdivisions, industry, and the many other land uses that they are
experiencing today. The waterways would stay clean and unpolluted. No
more dumping would be allowed in the woods, on hillsides, or along
streams. There would be adequate clean water and prOper sewage diSposal.
The restriction would not, however, eliminate the Opportunity for all

to profit from the future growth in the watershed. In most situations

houses would border on lands which were still in their natural conditions.

The lands that would be subject to the criteria, would also be subject

to township zoning, subdivision and other regulations. The criteria would
be a supplement to the now existing and the future adopted municipal
regulations, not a replacement of them. They would act as another important
tool for use by the various planning agencies to guide development in

the best interest of those involved. In short, the residents of a water-
shed area could live and work in attractive natural surroundings, that
would enhance their lives and provide a more desirable environment for

the generations to follow.

Utilization
0f Flood Plain
Criteria

 

Chapter III

SITE INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS

Introduction

The potential of the Red Cedar River Flood Plain as a recreational
resource has been previously stated in the report. This potential for
recreational use of the flood plain exists not only on lands adjacent to
the Red Cedar River but on all other rivers, large and small. This por-
tion of the report will Show, by the use of a selected Site, a possible
recreational use of the flood plain. The three basic criteria prev-
iously established - l) protection of the flood plain, 2) protection of
buffer areas, and 3) protection of steep slopes and woods are the basis

for the design solution.

The site selected is located on the Red Cedar River, east of the town

of Okemos, Michigan. Its selection was based on its nearness to popu-
lation areas, recent topographic USGS maps, topographic relief and
vegetative cover. The exact location of the site is not an important
factor as the intention was to demonstrate the application of the criteria
to a flood plain site and show possible recreational use of such a site.
In addition, some topographic changes were made along with the deletion

of some existing land uses. The reason for using an existing site was

to allow the author to identify with a particular site, yet have the
option to make the necessary changes to facilitate demonstrating the

utilization of the established criteria.

Inventory and Analysis

The site chosen is entirely within the Red Cedar Watershed and Shall be

known as the Chief Okemos Memorial Park. The proposed park will cover an

69

70

area of approximately I75 acres. The boundaries of the site are Shown
in Figure l6. The site, as assumed, would have interesting topography,
vegetation, a water body formed through impoundment of a small stream,
and the Red Cedar River as its southern boundary. Space for future
expansion does exist south of the river since the area is currently

in farm land.

The general land use pattern of the site consists of agricultural and
residential. The agricultural land is located in the river valley
and above the steep SIOpes; the residential lands are scattered and
located near the roadways. The proposed park area offers Opportunity
to the local as well as the more distant residents of the area for

recreation within a short driving distance.

The vegetation and stream environment, which are critical aSpectS in
park deveIOpment, possess some recreational potential. The Red Cedar
River consists mainly of murky water with a silty bottom creating a
rather uninteresting environment not suited for human use. The vegeta-
tion on the average consists of mature trees which create a limited

sense of enclosure and define spaces.

The gently rolling to flat topography found in this area is typical

of the conditions prevailing in the entire watershed. The flat flood
plain, containing an abundance of vegetation, meanders into the gently
rolling slopes which separates the higher ground from the flood hazard
area. The highlands with their lack of vegetation and use as farm lands

also define the area visually.

7]

The soil conditions found in the flood plain area are fair to poor and
are not conducive for intensive development. The perculation and infil-

tration ratio of the flood plain soils also limit the possible uses.

Although the area floods periodically during the early spring months,
it would be adaptable to park use when the summer recreation season
arrives. Soil data has an influential role in determining locations
for Special activities and possible construction areas. A soil survey
would consider the factors of texture, drainage, possible vegetative
cover, stability and slopes in order to arrive at a proper relationship

between possible activities and the capabilities of the soils.

The evaluation of the environmental impact of an area is difficult to
define. It generally reflects the qualities of many factors in
comparison and is largely the result of personal judgment or feeling

which an individual experiences while within an environment.

The potential for a pleasing environmental experience exists on this
site and on most sites along a river. Water is perhaps one Of the most
magnetic features in a recreational environment. PeOple enjoy viewing,
Splashing, dangling their feet in, and listening to the movement of
water. The major form of water use along the Red Cedar would be in the
form of viewing as its quality at the present time is not conducive

for any type of body contact activity.

72

Development of the Chief Okemos Memorial Park

The site for the Chief Okemos Memorial Park has been designed to be
developed primarily for the potential water resource that would occur
from damming the Small spring fed stream that flows through the park

site.

The first step in the development of the site was to determine the var-
ious flood stages that would occur from the flooding of the Red Cedar
River (Figure l6). The “standard project flood” as designated by the
Corps of Engineers is the largest possible flood that may be expected
from the most severe combinations of meteorological and hydrological
conditions that is considered reasonably characteristic of the
geographical area in which the drainage basin is located, excluding
extremely rare conditions. Such floods, as used by the Corps of
Engineers, are intended as practicable expressions of the degree of
protection that should be sought in the design of flood control works,
the failure of which might be disastrous. This projected flood would
reach approximately the 857 contour as shown in Figure l6. The
"intermediate regional flood” is a flood having an average frequency

of occurrence in the order of ICC years, although the flood may occur
in any year. It is based on statistical analysis of streamflow records
available for the watershed and analysis of rainfall and runoff
characteristics in the ”general region of the watershed”. This flood
would rise to approximately the 8A7 contour shown on the ”flood stages”
map of the site. The last flood stage shown is the ”annual flood” or
the flooding that may be expected annually, usually in the spring of

the year. This average annual flooding would reach approximately the

73

835 contour and would not be of any great consequence in relation to
this Site as it is fairly well protected from most flooding by steep
slopes. From this flood information, the useable areas of the site

become quite well defined and the possibility of a water impoundment

site becomes obvious.

Secondly, after the flood stages are defined and the prime useable areas
are established, comes the separation of the useable lands into areas
that are desirable and compatible with the site and the criteria for
flood plain use. Keeping in mind the three basic criteria established,
and selecting uses compatible with these criteria, a possible use

scheme results such as shown in Figure I7. By protecting the flood
plain from development through providing for an area with little if any
development, by protecting the buffer area of the river and flood

plain through limiting the development to only appropriate uses, and

by protecting the Steep lepes and wooded areas through selectively
deveIOping and limiting the tree cutting so as to protect the natural
qualities of these areas and allow them to perform their natural function

are ways in which this plan will implement the criteria.

The use areas that the park would provide are: l) active recreation
area, 2) picnicing and hiking area, 3) nature interpretation area,

and 4) a 2l-acre impounded lake. Adjoining uses are residential,
school, and a proposed protected natural buffer across the Red Cedar
River in the flood plain. The dam site for the proposed lake is shown
as well as the entrances to the park. A more detailed description of
these use areas will follow for the Master Plan of the Chief Okemos

Memorial Park.

7A

The third and final step for development of this flood plain site into
a recreational park is the “Master Plan” as shown in Figure l8. The
Master Plan for the park graphically presents the uses that may exist
under the larger headings in Figure l7. In the ”active recreation
area” such facilities and uses provided are a park shelter that may

be used as a warming house in the winter in relation to the sleding
hills and also for equipment storage for the various activities that
occur adjacent to it. On the west side of the park, a little league
baseball field and meadow play area are provided in relation to the
school which is adjacent to the park. Tennis courts, archery range,
softball, outdoor amphitheatre and fire pit, rock throwing, beach, and
hiking trails are the other uses provided in the active recreation
area. The ”nature interpretive area" is served by the nature interpre-
tive building which is located near the main entrance. This facility
would serve the natural area along the river and would act as a meeting
place for conservation groups and school groups that are interested

in the natural resources of the area. The remaining area would have

a path system allowing the observation of nature via a wildlife viewing
station and an observation tower. Included in this area would be the
marsh and island located in the southwest corner of the lake. No access
is allowed to the island but viewing platforms and the observation
tower would allow people to see the activity of the wildlife on the
island. The picnicing and hiking area would be very informal with a
path system and tables provided at various locations. The path system
also connects the adjoining residential areas to the park with bike
paths provided on the northwest side Of the park connecting the school

and residential areas with the active recreation on the east side of

75

the park. Cornell Road was relocated to provide a closer relationship
between the park and the school by eliminating the vehicular break

the road imposed. As has been mentioned earlier, the impounded lake
is spring fed and could be kept from becoming stagnant. The water
level in the lake would be lowered in the fall Of the year to provide
a reservoir for the early spring flooding which may occur. The annual
flooding would not be interferred with as the lake is out of the reach
of the average annual flood. When water is impounded such as this,

it can actually act as fill in the flood plain. However, it was not

considered an inhibiting factor on this particular Site.

Other possible uses for the area where the lake is located would be
a golf course or possibly left undeveloped for meadow play and various

other recreational uses.

In order to show clearly the character of the site intended by the
designer, sketches Of the l) nature interpretation center, 2) outdoor
amphitheatre and fire pit, 3) hiking trail, and A) an island view from
one of the viewing platforms are included as Figures I9, 20, 2l, and 22

reSpectively.

The facilities and uses provided in Chief Okemos Memorial Park are
intended to show the possible uses that can take place in a flood
plain situation by using the criteria as a guideline. It can easily
be agreed that there are too many activities proposed for such a small

area, and rightly so. The intention of the author was to show

76

possible uses even though not all may be wanted or even desired on

this particular site.

77

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

There will very likely never be enough public money to provide for

all possible environmental needs and proposals. Priorities will of
necessity have to be established. HOpefully, citizens will eventually
take it upon themselves to become informed of the facts so that sound
decisions can be made. Local community projects must be compatible
with and fit into watershed and regional systems if they are to be
practical and sensible. Planning units based on natural determinants,
such as watershed areas, are the best way to insure the residents

of an area against self destruction by senseless misuse of their natural

resources 0

Establishing criteria for development of flood plain lands is but one
of many ways to protect one of our rapidly vanishing resources - water.
The past and present impr0per use of flood plain lands is quickly
becoming a harsh reality to many people. Polluted water and a severe

lack of water oriented recreational lands are but two results of this

lack of foresight. Something must be done now to stop and correct the
errors of the past. It is never too late to realize an error and take
immediate steps to remedy the situation. Flood plain zoning has just
recently become an accepted method of controlling the haphazard development
of these important lands that mean so much to each and every individual.

Whether or not a person lives near a river or stream, it is important

to everyone that the water be protected from undesirable pollutants.

78

One of the first and most important effects of the criteria established
in this report is that the communities on the river, large or small,
would be a more attractive place to live. The stream valleys would

be protected in their pleasing natural condition, and the water could

be kept clean. The wooded areas and steep slopes would be protected

and would provide a setting of great natural beauty within and adjoin-
ing areas where home construction would take place. With a sound zoning
policy for implementation of the criteria and.sound policy for water
resource planning to insure a safe water supply and prOper waste
treatment, the flood plain areas would attract people who place a high
value on the quality of their living environment and who do not want to be
burdened with the double expense of first, wells and septic tanks, and
later, public water and sewer facilities. Because of this increased
attractiveness, land value in the flood plain area could be expected

to rise.

It should be pointed out that the criteria established here would
apply to all rivers regardless of size. Obviously a river the size of
the Mississippi or Ohio possesses characteristics of a much greater
magnitude than does the Red Cedar River used as a case study in this
report. Many rivers offer much more in scenic qualities and develop-
ment possibilities than does the Red Cedar. Recreational lands are

at a premium and have a very difficult time competing for land use
even though people place a high value on recreational activities for

the growing leisure time - especially water related recreation.

79

The criteria proposed as a planning aid in this report is not intended
as a cure-all for the ills of our present day environment. There are
many other factors, such as the urban areas use of river waters, that
can dictate the quality of water resources for many smaller communities
downstream. The criteria is intended as an aid, and could play a very
important role in protecting, reclaiming and preserving our waterways
and their adjoining flood plain lands from misuse and improper
development. Through the application of these three basic criteria,
I) protection of the flood plains, 2) protection of buffer areas,

and 3) protection of steep lepes and wooded areas from uncontrolled
development, we can insure ourselves and generations to follow of an

environment that would be conducive to the optimum in living conditions.

80

  

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
ARTICLES AND PERIOD ICALS

Goddard, James E.F. ASCE. ”Flood Plain Management Improves Man‘s
Environment,“ Journal of the Waterways and Harbors Division.
Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 89,
NO. WWA (November, I963), 67-8A.

BOOKS

Murphy, Francis C. Regulating Flood Plan Development. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, I958.

REPORTS

Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Massachusetts.
Springfield and the Connecticut River. Prepared by Jose W. Brain
and Edited by Professors Fabas and Ervin H. Zube, Amherst, Massachusetts.
Cooperative Extension Service Publication #7, I967.

Humphrys, C.R. Anatomy of a Watershed. East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan
State University, Department of Resource Development, February, I966.

The League of Women Voters Of the Lansing Area. Today and Tomorrow in
the Lansing Metropolitan Area. Lansing, Michigan: League of WOmen
Voters of the Lansing Area, February, l96l.

Miller, E. Lynn and DeTuerk, James R. An Approach. College Park,
Pennsylvania: Department of Landscape Architecture, Pennsylvania
State University, I967.

Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission. Open SpaceygA
Summaryyof Findings of the Regional Open Space Study, Regional Plan
Summary Report No. A, an inventory of existing and potential open
space areas, and guide lines for an interim regional Open Space
development program. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Southwestern
Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission, November I966.

Supervisors Inter-County Committee. A Report on the Water Supplyyfor
the Six-County Metropolitan Area, Southeast Michigan. Prepared by
the National Sanitation Foundation, Detroit, Michigan, I957.

Swager, W.L. g£_§l, Alternative Long Range Water Use Plans for the Tri-
County Region, Michigan, A Technical-Economic Report to Tri-County
Regional Planning Commission by Battelle Memorial Institute,
Columbus, Ohio, August, l963.

Wallace, McHarg, Roberts and Todd. Toward a Comprehensive Landscape Plan
For Washington, D.C. A Report Prepared for the National Capital
Planning Commission. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing
Office, I967.

87

88

SPECIAL REPORTS

Chester County Water Resources Authority. The Brandywine Plan, A Plan
for the Upper East Branch of Brandywine Creek, West Chester,
Pennsylvania, Chester County Water Resources Authority, April, I968.

Commonwealth of Virginia. A Study of Virginia's Outdoor Recreation
Resources, Virginia Outdoor Recreation Study Commission, November I965.

Detroit District of the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army. Flood Plain
Information, Red Cedar River,ylngham County, Michigan. Prepared
for the Michigan Water Resources Commission. Department of Conserva-
tion and the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, March, I968.

Detroit, District of the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army. Grand River
Basin Michigan Comprehensive Water Resource Planning Study:
Information Booklet. Detroit: U.S. Army Engineers District of
DetrOit, 19630

Greene-Montgomery County Open Space Committee.- A Legacy for the Future.
A plan for Open Space in Greene-Montgomery County, Dayton, Ohio.
Greene-Montgomery County Open Space Committee.

Heath, Milton S. Jr. Flood Damage Prevention in North Carolina. A
report prepared for the State of North Carolina Department of Water
Resources. Raleigh, North Carolina, January I963.

Max E. Anderson Associates. A Plan for Wisconsin, Stage I: An Analysis
of Future Prospects and Needs. State of Wisconsin, Department of
Resource Development, I966.

Miller, Harold V. Flood Damage Prevention For Tennessee. A Survey of
Tennessee's flood situation, trends in vulnerability, and a proposed
program for action. Nashville, Tennessee: Tennessee State Planning
Commission, November I960.

Parker, Francis H. Flood Damage Abatement in Kentucky. Kentucky
Department of Commerce, Division of Planning, October I964.

Recreation Resource Planning Division. Michigan's Recreation Future.
A current statement from Michigan's continuing outdoor recreation
plan. Lansing, Michigan: Department_of Conservation, September I966.

St. Louis County Planning Commission. The Challenge of Growth. A Study
of Major County and Regional Park Needs, St. Louis County, Missouri,
JU‘Y 19650

Washtenaw and Wayne Counties, Michigan. Huron River Recreation Resources
Study, Sector 3 (French Landingyto Base Line Lake). Huron River
Recreation Resources Study Group, March I967.

89

United States Department of the Interior. The Lower Colorado River Land
Use Plan, A Report of the Lower Colorado River Land Use Advisory

Committee. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office,
I964.

U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service. Our Vanishing
Shoreline. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, I967.

UNPUBLISHED REPORTS

Draft, Ronald S. and Harper, Harry. Regional Analysis of Criteria
Affecting Study Site Near Milford, Michigan. A report submitted to
the School Of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture, Michigan
State University, East Lansing, Michigan, March, I968.

Huron Clinton Metropolitan Authority. Belle River. Detroit, Michigan,
I967 (mimeographed).

Lansing Planning Board. "Red Cedar Basin Park Proposal”. Lansing,
Michigan: Lansing Planning Board, July, I966.

Whiteside, E.F., Schneider, I.F. and Cook, R.L. “Soils of Michigan,‘'
Special Bulletin No. #02 of Agricultural Experiment Station,
East Lansing, Michigan, Soil Science Department, Michigan State
University, I963.

UNPUBLISHED THESIS

Donelin, Daniel W. ”Recreational Development Within the Tri-County Region.”
A Comprehensive Problem Report for the Degree of M.L.A., Michigan
State University, I967.

AUG 7 I969

ICHIGRN STATE UNIV. LIBRARIES

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