The Jordan River is one of the most stable flowing streams in
Michigan and has one of the highest baseflow yields in the state.
It is one of only a few streams in the state that capture
groundwater from adjacent watersheds. The hydrology of the
watershed is strongly influenced by glacial deposits. The majority
of the surficial geology deposits are glacial outwash sands,
gravel, and coarse textured moraines. These glacial deposits
contribute to the abundance of cold water and extremely stable
flows. The Jordan River does not experience flood or drought
conditions typical of many Michigan streams.
The Jordan is one of Michigan's Designated State Natural Rivers.
Its upper valley is noted for its wide, scenic, undisturbed
corridor. Moreover, the Jordan River Valley is a specially managed
scenic area with one of the most popular scenic forest drives in
the state following the Upper Jordan River. In addition, the upper
river valley has excellent fishing, hiking, hunting and skiing
opportunities, with the lower section offering canoeable waters. A
portion of the Polar-Equator Hiking Trail follows the river for a
few miles and the scenic Jordan River Pathway weaves along and
across the river. Furthermore, the upper section of the Jordan
offers outstanding brook trout, while the lower part of the river
offers seasonal steelhead and brown trout fishing. Not
surprisingly, the river is considered a Designated Blue-Ribbon
Trout Stream.
A View of the River Upstream from the Gaging
Station
The Jordan River has a length of 32.5 miles while the watershed
comprises over 128 sq. miles in Charlevoix and Antrim counties.
Elevation at the headwaters is 1,190 feet above sea level; the
mouth at Lake Charlevoix is at an elevation of 590 feet. The river
meanders through a forest of swamp conifers as it nears its mouth.
The elevation at the gaging station is approximately 600 feet.
Gaging stations, like that on the Jordan, are facilities used by
hydrologists to manually or automatically monitor streams and
rivers at various points along their courses. These stations
collect information about the stream which are useful for flood
prediction, water management and wildlife and fisheries management.
The gaging station on the Jordan River near East Jordan, Michigan
provides for the continuous measurement the water height, the
discharge rate and the temperature
The Jordan River Gaging Station
The Staff Gage for Manually Recording Stream
Height
To claim credit for this cache, please:
- Post a photo on the cache page of your team and GPSr with the
gaging station in the background.
- Go down to the edge of the river and determine the height of
the river on the staff gage. Email us the height.
If you do not post a picture and email
the answers to #2, your log will be
deleted.