West Bay Shoreline and Tributaries

This 68-square mile watershed stretches along a small sliver of Leelanau County on the west side of west Grand Traverse Bay and encompasses the land draining all tributaries and groundwater seeps entering the bay.  Tributaries include Cedar, Leo, Lee, Belanger, Weaver, Ennis, and Northport creeks.  Villages along this portion of the watershed include Suttons Bay, Omena, Northport, and Peshawbestown, which is the governmental seat of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTBOCI).  Most of the land use along this area is either forested or agriculture, with developed areas along the shoreline.  Leelanau County itself is a peninsula and is surrounded by Lake Michigan to the west and Grand Traverse Bay to the east and enjoys a ‘micro-climate’ that is ideal for growing both wine-grapes and orchard crops.  In fact, 70% of the agricultural land in the West Bay Shoreline and Tributaries subwatershed is vineyards and orchards comprised of cherries and apples. 

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