Cross Village
The Cross Village property contains about 3.65 acres of wetlands, located on the shore of Lake Michigan in Cross Village Township, Emmet County, adjacent to the Cross Village Township Public Beach. The property has sandy beaches, interdunal swales and ponds, cattail stands, and a boat launch that provides waterfront access to Lake Michigan. A public access road bisects the LTBB property. The northern part of the property is adjacent to public land that provides access to a boat launch and beach/swimming area. The purpose of the parcel is to provide for access to Lake Michigan for LTBB Tribal members, particularly fishermen. The north/beach parcel has lake-frontage and access to Lake Michigan via the Port of Cross Village boat launch. Swales are found on the north/beach parcel. The swales are vegetated and usually have small minnow-sized fish and tadpoles. The swales and beach area are often littered with garbage from beach-goers and park visitors.
The beach area provides critical habitat for Threatened and Endangered plant and animal species. Other rare or special concern species likely found (at least some time onsite) include merlins, bald eagles, and terns.
It was most recently assessed in 2015, earning a Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) score of 37.6 (good) and a Coefficient of Conservatism of 3.1. The Coefficient of Conservatism is based on range of habitat preference(s) and tolerance to disturbance. A higher coefficient means the plants are pickier about where they choose to live, meaning the site is more pristine. A lower coefficient is indicative of non-native or invasive species, which often grow in disturbed sites.
