Sycamore Creek (Michigan)

Sycamore Creek is a tributary of the Red Cedar River in the state of Michigan in the United States. The stream is 26.5 miles (42.6 km) long[3] and drains an area of 106.1 square miles (275 km2)[4] on the central Lower Peninsula, in and around the city of Lansing. Via the Red Cedar River, it is part of the watershed of the Grand River, which flows to Lake Michigan. Via Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes system, it is part of the larger watershed of the St. Lawrence River.

Sycamore Creek
Sycamore Creek in Lansing
A map of Sycamore Creek and its watershed.
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyIngham
TownshipsLeslie, Vevay, Alaiedon, Delhi
MunicipalitiesMason, Lansing
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationLeslie Township
 • coordinates42.481981°N 84.453583°W / 42.481981; -84.453583[1]
 • elevation973 ft (297 m)[2]
MouthRed Cedar River
 • location
Lansing
 • coordinates
42.7142018°N 84.5283112°W / 42.7142018; -84.5283112[1]
 • elevation
820 ft (250 m)[1]
Length26.5 mi (42.6 km)
Basin size106.1 sq mi (275 km2)
Basin features
Hydrologic Unit Codes040500040505, 040500040506, 040500040507 (USGS)
Sycamore Creek in Lansing

Sycamore Creek flows for its entire length in Ingham County. It begins in Leslie Township, approximately 2.4 miles (3.9 km) northwest of the city of Leslie, and flows generally north-northwestward through Leslie and Vevay townships; the city of Mason; Alaiedon and Delhi townships; and the southeastern part of the city of Lansing. It flows into the Red Cedar River in Lansing, 1.6 miles (2.6 km) upstream of the Red Cedar River's mouth at the Grand River.[5]

Watershed characteristics

The Sycamore Creek watershed consists of three HUC-12 subwatersheds, as defined by the United States Geological Survey:[4]

Name HUC-12 code Area
Headwaters Sycamore Creek 040500040506 49 square miles (130 km2)
Mud Creek 040500040505 31 square miles (80 km2)
Sycamore Creek 040500040507 26.1 square miles (68 km2)

Terrain in the Sycamore Creek watershed is generally rolling, with hilly and swampy sections.[6] According to a watershed management plan for the Red Cedar River submitted in 2015 by the Michigan State University Institute of Water Research (IWR),[7] the Sycamore Creek watershed had a population of approximately 72,975 at the 2010 census,[lower-alpha 1] with most of that population living in the lower (northern) part of the watershed, which includes part of the city of Lansing and nearby urbanized areas. Land use in the watershed as of 2006 was as follows:

Land use Percentage Area
Agriculture 30%[lower-alpha 2] 31.7 square miles (82 km2)
Developed 30%[lower-alpha 3] 31.4 square miles (81 km2)
Shrubland/grassland, including grazing 21%[lower-alpha 4] 22 square miles (57 km2)
Wetland 10%[lower-alpha 5] 10.3 square miles (27 km2)
Forest 9%[lower-alpha 6] 9.1 square miles (24 km2)

A survey conducted for the same IWR report found approximately 2,478 large farm animals living in the watershed.[lower-alpha 7] Approximately 2,504 homes in the watershed were serviced by septic systems as of 2012.[lower-alpha 8]

Recreational trails have been built alongside or near portions of the creek in Mason (the Hayhoe Riverwalk),[8] Delhi Township (the Sycamore Trail),[9] and Lansing (the southern part of the Lansing River Trail).[10]

Tributaries

This is a list of named streams in the Sycamore Creek watershed, as identified by the National Hydrography Dataset. The list's default order is from the mouth of the creek to its source.

Name Flows into Length[3]
1 Hilliard Drain[11] Sycamore Creek 4.3 miles (6.9 km)
2 Alton Drain[12] Sycamore Creek 5 miles (8.0 km)
3 Banta Drain[13] Sycamore Creek 2.2 miles (3.5 km)
4 Cook and Thorburn Drain[14] Sycamore Creek 6.6 miles (10.6 km)
5 Mud Creek[15] Sycamore Creek 13.9 miles (22.4 km)
6 Aurelius and Vevay Drain[16] Sycamore Creek 2.9 miles (4.7 km)
7 Willow Creek[17] Sycamore Creek 5.2 miles (8.4 km)
8 North Branch Willow Creek[18] Willow Creek 1.8 miles (2.9 km)
9 South Branch Willow Creek[19] Willow Creek 1.4 miles (2.3 km)
10 Talmadge Drain[20] Sycamore Creek 5.5 miles (8.9 km)
11 Hazelton Drain[21] Sycamore Creek 1.5 miles (2.4 km)

See also

Notes
  1. populations of 16,068 in the Headwaters Sycamore Creek subwatershed; 4,594 in the Mud Creek subwatershed; and 52,313 in the [lower] Sycamore Creek subwatershed.
  2. 38% agriculture in the 49 square miles (130 km2) of the Headwaters Sycamore Creek subwatershed; 38% in the 31 square miles (80 km2) of the Mud Creek subwatershed; and 5% in the 26.1 square miles (68 km2) of the [lower] Sycamore Creek subwatershed.
  3. 22% developed in the 49 square miles (130 km2) of the Headwaters Sycamore Creek subwatershed; 6% in the 31 square miles (80 km2) of the Mud Creek subwatershed; and 72% in the 26.1 square miles (68 km2) of the [lower] Sycamore Creek subwatershed.
  4. 24% shrubland/grassland, including grazing, in the 49 square miles (130 km2) of the Headwaters Sycamore Creek subwatershed; 28% in the 31 square miles (80 km2) of the Mud Creek subwatershed; and 6% in the 26.1 square miles (68 km2) of the [lower] Sycamore Creek subwatershed.
  5. 8% wetland in the 49 square miles (130 km2) of the Headwaters Sycamore Creek subwatershed; 13% in the 31 square miles (80 km2) of the Mud Creek subwatershed; and 9% in the 26.1 square miles (68 km2) of the [lower] Sycamore Creek subwatershed.
  6. 6% forest in the 49 square miles (130 km2) of the Headwaters Sycamore Creek subwatershed; 14% in the 31 square miles (80 km2) of the Mud Creek subwatershed; and 7% in the 26.1 square miles (68 km2) of the [lower] Sycamore Creek subwatershed.
  7. 1794 farm animals in the Headwaters Sycamore Creek subwatershed; 684 in the Mud Creek subwatershed; and 0 in the [lower] Sycamore Creek subwatershed.
  8. 1159 septic systems in the Headwaters Sycamore Creek subwatershed; 654 in the Mud Creek subwatershed; and 691 in the [lower] Sycamore Creek subwatershed.

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sycamore Creek
  2. The National Map elevation query for coordinates given in cited GNIS record, http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/. Retrieved on 2015-09-10.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data from The National Map, retrieved 2015-09-10 and viewed in ArcMap
  4. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset, area data covering Sycamore Creek watershed, 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Codes 040500040505, 040500040506, and 040500040507. The National Map, retrieved 2015-09-10 and viewed in ArcMap
  5. The National Map, accessed 2015-09-10.
  6. Flood plain information: Grand River, Red Cedar River and Sycamore Creek, Lansing, Michigan and vicinity. Detroit: United States Army Corps of Engineers. 1970. p. 63.
  7. Michigan State University. Institute of Water Research (2015-06-25). "Red Cedar River Watershed Management Plan". Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-09-23.
  8. "Hayhoe Riverwalk Trail Map and Guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  9. Delhi Trails. "Sycamore Trail". Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  10. City of Lansing. "River Trail" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-28. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  11. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hilliard Drain
  12. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Alton Drain
  13. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Banta Drain
  14. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cook and Thorburn Drain
  15. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mud Creek
  16. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Aurelius and Vevay Drain
  17. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Willow Creek
  18. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Branch Willow Creek
  19. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: South Branch Willow Creek
  20. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Talmadge Drain
  21. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hazelton Drain
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