Paw Paw River Watershed

The larger watershed is divided into 15 sub watersheds, shown in the map below. More details are provided for each sub watershed by clicking below.

Watershed Overview

145 miles of Paw Paw River and major tributaries
3 counties, 25 townships, 4 villages, 6 cities, 1 tribe
446 square miles (285,557 acres) of land
About 80,000 people live in the watershed
56% of the watershed drains to COLD water streams
44% of the watershed drains to WARM or COOL waterbodies
78 lakes (10 acres or larger)
50% of presettlement wetland area lost
62% wetland functionality loss
Threatened and Endangered Species - 23 animals, 46 plants, 7 communities, 1 Great Blue Heron Rookery
22 registered dams
Fun Fact: To cover this watershed with just one inch of rain requires 7,750,837,760 gallons of water.

Additional Resources:

SWMLC Study Report

Watershed Management Plan

Watershed Municipalities