Ford Lake (Michigan)

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Ford Lake
Ford Lake (Michigan).jpg
Looking south from North Bay Park
Relief map of USA Michigan.png
Red pog.svg
Ford Lake
Location within the state of Michigan
Location Washtenaw County, Michigan
Coordinates 42°13′02″N83°35′06″W / 42.21722°N 83.58500°W / 42.21722; -83.58500
Type Fresh water Reservoir
River sources Huron River
Basin  countries United States
First flooded1931 [1]
Surface area975 acres (395 ha) [2]
Max. depth30 ft (9.1 m)
Surface elevation682 ft (208 m) [3]
Islands Big Island Park and several unnamed islands [4]
Settlements Ypsilanti
Ypsilanti Township

Ford Lake is a fresh water artificial reservoir located in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake was created from the construction of Ford Lake Dam (originally known as Rawsonville Dam) along the Huron River in the early 1930s. [1] The lake is named after business magnate Henry Ford.

Contents

The lake covers an area of 975 acres (395 ha) and has a maximum depth of 30 feet (9.1 m) near the eastern end. [2] [5] The lake continues the flow of the Huron River, beginning approximately at the Interstate 94 bridge crossing in the city of Ypsilanti and ends at Ford Lake Dam along Bridge Road in Ypsilanti Township. A short distance after the Ford Lake Dam, the Huron River continues into Belleville Lake, which itself is a reservoir created by the French Landing Dam and Powerhouse. [6]

Recreation

Ford Lake is a recreational site for boating, personal watercraft, canoeing/kayaking, and fishing. Portions of the Border-to-Border Trail run along Ford Lake and are popular among bicyclists. [7] There are four public lakeshore parks within Ypsilanti Township: Ford Lake Park, Huron River Park, Loonfeather Point Park, and North Bay Park. The only boat launch for motorized vessels on the lake is within Ford Lake Park. [8]

Common fish within Ford Lake include bullhead catfish, channel catfish, common carp, crappies, northern pike, smallmouth bass, suckers, sunfish, bluegill, walleye, white bass, and yellow perch. [2] [9] The lake was once used by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to stock various fish, including tiger muskellunge, which are no longer present in Ford Lake. [10] The largest fish caught in Ford Lake is a common carp recorded in the state's Master Angler Entries at 36.25 inches (97.08 cm) long. [11]

Health concerns

"Do not eat the fish" advisory posting along North Bay Park Fish advisory posting (Ford Lake Michigan).jpg
"Do not eat the fish" advisory posting along North Bay Park

Ford Lake often experiences algal blooms late in the summer, and the lake water is therefore frequently tested to assess for the presence of harmful algal blooms. [12] The Washtenaw County Health Department has issued advisories in the past based on high levels of toxic cyanobacteria that may pose negative health effects to humans through inhalation of water droplets, swallowing of contaminated water or by swimming in water with algal mats or paint-like appearance. [13] The summertime algal blooms are linked to excessive dissolved phosphorus in the water, an important nutrient. [14] [15] Ford Lake has been the subject of study to determine how reservoir management can impact occurrence of algal blooms. [14] [16]

In August 2022, Ford Lake was included in a two-week "no contact with water" advisory for portions of the Huron River by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. A release of toxic hexavalent chromium into wastewater sourced from Tribar Industries, a manufacturer of car decorative trim elements, was reported on August 1. [17] However, further investigation suggested that less chromium had been released through the discharge than had been originally reported, and that it was predominantly trivalent chromium. Water sampling by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services did not identify detectable levels of hexavalent chromium in the majority of sites tested, and none had levels high enough to threaten human health, resulting in the lifting of the advisory. [18] [19]

Ford Lake has been identified as a site of significant per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination. As of 2025, the Eat Safe Fish Guide published by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends no consumption of any fish species from this lake ("do not eat"). [20] Consumption advisories have been in place for portions of the Huron River since 2018 relating to PFAS contamination, [21] [22] [23] and prior to this for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury. [24] Similar to mercury, PFAS, a group of related synthetic chemicals used in the production of fire-fighting foam, non-stick cookware and other products, accumulate in fish fillet meat, [25] [26] and were found at highest concentrations in the internal organs in a study conducted regionally that included Ford Lake. [27]

References

  1. 1 2 Huron River Watershed Council (November 2015). "Ford Lake Dam" (PDF). Huron River Watershed Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 25, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Charter Township of Ypsilanti (April 4, 2019). "Ford Lake & Huron River Watershed". Charter Township of Ypsilanti. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Ford Lake Topo Map in Washtenaw County MI" (Map). TopoZone. 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Big Island Park" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  5. ↑ Charter Township of Ypsilanti; Michigan Department of Natural Resources (n.d.). Bathymetric map of Ford Lake impoundment 2002 indicating water depth at 10-foot intervals beyond 5-feet deep (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Charter Township of Ypsilanti. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  6. ↑ Huron River Dams Network (November 2015). "French Landing Dam" (PDF). Huron River Dams Network. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  7. ↑ Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission (2019). Border-to-Border Trail: Trail Map (Map). Scale not given. Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  8. ↑ Charter Township of Ypsilanti (July 1, 2019). "Charter Township of Ypsilanti Park System". Charter Township of Ypsilanti. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  9. ↑ Michigan Department of Natural Resources (2019). "Ford Lake". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  10. ↑ Michigan Department of Natural Resources (2019). "Fish Stocking Database". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  11. ↑ Michigan Department of Natural Resources (2019). "Master Angler Entries (Washtenaw County: Ford Lake)". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  12. ↑ Fair, David (August 16, 2017). "Issues of the Environment: Improving Water Quality in Ypsilanti Township's Ford Lake". Ypsilanti, MI: WEMU-FM . Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  13. ↑ Afana, Dana (March 6, 2023) [Originally published 25 September 2020]. "Officials warn residents of harmful algal blooms still present in Ypsilanti-area's Ford Lake". mlive. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  14. 1 2 Epperson, Elinor; Schoenherr, Daniel (May 10, 2024). "Dams may slow harmful algal blooms in urban lakes, expert says". Great Lakes Echo. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  15. ↑ Total Maximum Daily Load for Total Phosphorus in Ford and Belleville Lakes, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties (PDF) (Report). Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Water Resources Division. November 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  16. ↑ Lehman, John T. (2014). "Understanding the role of induced mixing for management of nuisance algal blooms in an urbanized reservoir". Lake and Reservoir Management. 30 (1): 63–71. doi:10.1080/10402381.2013.872739.
  17. ↑ Matheny, Keith (May 7, 2025). "Wixom auto parts company fined $200K after pleading guilty to Clean Water Act violation". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  18. ↑ Wheaton, Bob (August 12, 2022). "MDHHS lifts recommendation for no contact with Huron River water after reviewing data related to Tribar toxic chemical release" (Press release). Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Hexavalent Chromium". Huron River Watershed Council. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  20. ↑ "East Safe Fish Guide Southeast Michigan" (PDF). Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. 2025. p. 89. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  21. ↑ Hicks, Mark (September 1, 2018). "State: Don't eat Huron River fish in 5 counties". The Detroit News . Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  22. ↑ City of Ann Arbor (August 31, 2018). "Michigan extends 'Do Not Eat' Fish Advisory for Huron River to Lake Erie" (Press release). City of Ann Arbor. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020.
  23. ↑ "PFAS and the Huron River". Huron River Watershed Council. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Eat Safe Fish Guide Southeast Michigan" (PDF). Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. 2016. pp. 64–65. Retrieved November 9, 2025– via Alliance of Rouge Communities.
  25. ↑ "FAQ: Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program (FCMP)". Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. State of Michigan. 2025. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  26. ↑ Barbo, Nadia; Stobier, Tasha; Naidenko, Olga V.; Andrews, David Q. (2023). "Locally caught freshwater fish across the United States are likely a significant source of exposure to PFOS and other perfluorinated compounds". Environmental Research. 220 115165. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115165 .
  27. ↑ Brown, Daniel (March 9, 2023). "PFAS Found in Fish Throughout Huron and Rouge River Watersheds". Huron River Watershed Council. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
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