The Watershed TodayTwelve lakes ranging in size from a few acres to 60 acres drain into the Boardman River. Although the warmer waters from these lake outlets influence water temperatures for a short distance downstream, ground water seepage soon cools the water sufficiently to support a variety of cold water fish species.
The Boardman River Watershed contains approximately 130 linear miles of streams, including: Mainstream, North Branch, South Branch, Kid’s Creek, Beitner Creek, Jaxson Creek, Swainston Creek, Jackson Creek, East Creek, Parker Creek, Bancroft Creek, Carpenter Creek, Twenty-Two Creek, Taylor Creek, Albright Creek, Crofton Creek, Failing Creek, Vipond Creek, Palmer Creek, and Hauerstein Creek.
The topography of the river valley is mostly flat, sandy plains broken locally by small shallow depressions. Pothole bogs and swampy lands bordering stream channels comprise a small portion of the total area. The glacial moraine areas north and south of the river valley rise sharply to defined highland ridges and broad plateaus. Glacial deposits are in excess of 500 feet thick. The outer edge of the Port Huron Moraine extends east-west across the southern third of the basin, while part of the inner ridge of this moraine generally parallels the area along the northern boundary of the basin. Between these two prominent morainic ridges is a six- to 14-mile wide outwash plain through which the Boardman River flows.
The major soils in the valley areas of the Rubicon-Grayling and Rubicon-Kalkaska types. These soil types are, for the most part, dry sandy soils and acidic in nature, very pervious and low in fertility. These dry, sandy, infertile soils are what make the Boardman River streambanks so fragile and susceptible to erosion. Soils in the river bottom upstream of Kalkaska are mainly peat and muck.
last updated: 03/11/2003