Environmental Services

Spirit (Wycamp) Creek

Mnido Ziibing

Description and Background

Wycamp Creek is perennial warm water fishery with principal migratory routes for anadromous salmonids. The creek originates at Spirit Lake and flows into Lake Michigan. Wycamp Creek is approximately 1.35 miles in length. Wycamp Creek’s land base is owned by the State of Michigan and approximately 30 acres is within a conservation easement. The conservation easement is located at the mouth of the creek.

Prior to European settlement, Odawa people lived in the area adjacent to the mouth of Wycamp Creek where it flows into Lake Michigan (Andrews, 2006). There is still a large population of Odawa living in this area. According to a Tribal uses questionnaire, Wycamp Creek is the third most Tribally used creek. Dominant Tribal uses are cultural/ceremonial and fishing.

There are two monitoring sites on Wycamp Creek. Wycamp Creek one (WPC1) is located at the mouth of the creek on the conservation easement land. The cross section width of the WPC1 site is approximately 6.7 meters. The upper monitoring site on Wycamp Creek (WPC2) is located just beyond the headwaters (Wycamp Lake) on State of Michigan land and has cross section width of approximately 6.1 meters.

The LTBB draft primary use for Wycamp Creek are as a warm water fishery with principal migratory routes for anadromous salmonids. This creek is fished by Odawa people especially during salmon spawning runs utililizing traditional spears. Other draft designated uses are cultural/ceremonial, primary contact recreational, subsistence fishery, and indigenous aquatic life and wildlife.