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The Little Manistee River Watershed
The Little Manistee River originates from several swamps in eastern Lake County and flows through Mason and Manistee County. The Little Manistee River watershed drains 145,280 acres which includes approximately 63 miles of river and ultimately flows into Manistee Lake which empties into Lake Michigan. The watershed includes two permanent dams as well as several large wetland complexes. The Little Manistee River is surrounded by many hardwood and conifer forests and is relatively undeveloped. The combination of significant stretches of undeveloped forests and ground-fed streams create one of the coldest and stable streams in Michigan. All named tributaries of the Little Manistee River are Designated Trout Streams.
The Little Manistee Restoration Project is managed by the Little Manistee Restoration Committee, formed through a partnership of over 30 signatories to the Little Manistee Partnership Agreement. Updated inventories of stream banks, road crossings, and sediment basins identified by the committee are presented here.
