REMOTE SENSING EVALUATION OF HUMAN IMPACTS ON THE LOWER MUSKEGON RIVER, MI

The Muskegon River is the second largest river in the state of Michigan stretching approximately 150 miles from Houghton Lake to Muskegon. Human impacts on the river system such as creating dams, developing the land around it, and attempting to control the direction of movement of the river itself have a long history. The goal of the research was to evaluate the effects of human activities on the lower section of the Muskegon River (from Evart to Muskegon, MI) and identify areas that may be more vulnerable in the near future. Aerial imagery, combined with soil survey and land cover/land use data around the river system were examined to identify areas of change and to assess the vulnerability of the system due to human activities. Several developed areas were identified as high risk for erosion from interpretation of aerial images. Field observations where conducted at twenty sites along the length of the river during the summer months of 2018 to compare the digital data to the real world. The majority of the sites visited had low energy in the system, but specific locations in developed areas had an increase in energy, thus having a higher risk of erosion. The research aims to provide information to landowners along the river about areas of higher risk due to future migration and the effects of increased development in the surrounding area.