Road Stream Crossing Data

About

A road-stream crossing is where a body of water such as a creek, river, or ditch intersects with a road. Since 2016, MACC staff and volunteers have monitored road-stream crossings within the Macatawa Watershed to identify areas that are experiencing erosion, are impassable to fish, and more. We are doing this in partnership with the Allegan and Ottawa County Road Commissions, the Allegan County Drain Commissioner’s Office and the Ottawa County Water Resources Commissioner’s Office. It is important to identify and correct these issues as it improves the health of the entire watershed. Our goal is to identify and prioritize the most critical sites for repair or replacement to stop erosion and restore fish passage.

When evaluating road-stream crossings, we look for a number of things such as:

• Obstructions within the structures
• Erosion occurring along the stream banks
• The presence of invasive species
• Water quantity and flow
• The presence of foreign substances such as oil garbage or sewage
• The condition of structures and roads
• Whether or not the site requires maintenance in the near future and if it is having a negative effect on the watershed

Progress

From 2016-2019, MACC staff and volunteers inventoried 152 sites out of 620, or approximately 25% of the sites. There are 468 sites remaining.

Structure Conditions

One of the inventory components is an assessment of the general condition of the structure. Of the 152 sites that have been inventoried, 77% of the structures were reported as being in new or good condition.

Fish Passability and Erosion Severity

Below is a map of each inventoried crossing along with its passability and erosion rating. It is followed by two charts that breakdown each rating.