Birch Lake Mill Pond
depth
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Depth scale
Survey readout
Birch Lake Mill Pond is mapped to a depth of 9 ft on the Michigan DNR survey and covers about 7.7 acres in Cass County, Michigan.
Measured from the Michigan DNR inland-lake contour survey.
- Deepest sounding
- 9 ft
- Mean depth
- 4.1 ft · estimated
- Surface area
- 7.7 acres
- Estimated volume
- 32 acre-ft · 10M gal
- Shoreline
- 0.49 mi · lobed
- Aquatic vegetation
- 42% of surface · NDVI estimate
- Trophic state
- Mesotrophic · measured 2012 · details
- Public access
- No public DNR launch identified
Additional depth details4 contours
- Contour depths
- 0–9 ft
- Recorded point soundings
- 9 ft, 8 ft
100% of the surface sits over water shallower than 10 ft. Depth, area and volume are estimated from the interpolated survey surface — historical reference, not measurement.
Compare with another lakeProvenance
Sources: MI DNR inland lake contours, USGS 3DEP, USDA NAIP (public domain), OpenStreetMap (ODbL), MI DNR Boat Launches.
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Map details & sources5 sources
All layers registered to one bounding box; positions in WGS 84.
Survey-derived depth contours drape over USGS 3DEP elevation, with a USDA NAIP aerial basemap and OpenStreetMap shoreline. Color shows surveyed depth; dark lines are the survey's own isobaths.
- Coordinates
- 41.87206, -85.86237
- MI DNR lake ID
- L28564
- Vertical exaggeration
- 3.0× below the waterline; land at true scale
- Basemap
- USDA NAIP · public domain
- Model size
- 0.5 MB
Lake productivity & trophic state
Measured 2012Classification: Mesotrophic. Moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity. Based on measurements recorded in 2012 (chlorophyll-a 3.5 µg/L).
Trophic state describes how biologically productive a lake is, based on indicators such as nutrients, algae and water clarity. It is not a swimming-safety or overall water-quality rating.
What do the categories mean?
- Oligotrophic≤ 2 µg/L · lower nutrient and algae levels, often clearer water and lower biological productivity.
- Mesotrophic · this lake2–7 µg/L · moderate nutrient levels and biological productivity.
- Eutrophic7–30 µg/L · higher nutrient levels and biological productivity, often with more algae or aquatic plant growth.
- Hypereutrophic> 30 µg/L · very high nutrient levels and biological productivity, with a greater potential for heavy algae growth and low water clarity.
Bands are summer (June–August) mean chlorophyll-a, the green pigment in algae, at the EPA 2012 National Lakes Assessment thresholds. Trophic condition can change over time and by measurement method. Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; chlorophyll-a measurements from LAGOS-US LIMNO.
Paddling
Paddling Index methodology v1.0 · calculated 2026-09-23Birch Lake Mill Pond has a mostly natural, lightly developed setting, well sheltered geometry, limited nearby major-road exposure. No special watercraft restriction is identified in the current source.
Why this score?5 components
Included in the index
| Component | Rating | Points of weight | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural setting | Very Good | 25.8 of 35 | 77% natural land cover within 150 m of shore (67% forest, 10% wetland; 11% developed) |
| Geometric wind exposure | Excellent | 29.4 of 29 | mean fetch 209 m · 100% of sampled water within 500 m of shelter · short fetch in most directions |
| Watercraft controls | None identified | 8.8 of 18 | No special watercraft restriction identified in the current DNR source. Motors permitted, subject to general law. |
| Public access | Not listed | — | No DNR-listed access site. Township, county and road-end launches are not in this source, so this is not evidence that access is poor — the component is excluded and the remaining weights are renormalized. |
| Road isolation | Very Good | 11.2 of 18 | limited nearby major-road exposure · 18 MDOT-classified segments within 1.2 km, peak 462 vehicles/day |
Additional paddling considerations
These describe the lake but are not part of the v1 Paddling Index and do not change the number above.
- Wake sensitivity
- High — narrow throughout — passing wakes would reach most of the water
- Aquatic vegetation
- High — approximately 42% mapped coverage · NAIP aerial imagery (NDVI)
- Observed motorized activity
- Unknown — No lake-level measurement of boat traffic is available. Legal permission to operate motors is not evidence of use.
- Wildlife habitat potential
- Moderate — 67% forest and 10% wetland cover within 150 m of shore
Compare Michigan lakes by Paddling Index →
Non-native species records
No non-native species recorded in the available dataset. This does not confirm that no non-native species are present.
Source: Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership Conservation Planner; underlying nonindigenous species records from the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database.
At the lake
community-mapped amenities · straight-line distanceBait & tackle nearby
licensed retail bait dealers · straight-line distanceBirch Lake Mill Pond — common questions
How deep is Birch Lake Mill Pond?
The deepest contour on the Michigan DNR bathymetric survey of Birch Lake Mill Pond is 9 ft. That is the deepest depth the historical survey map records, which may differ from the deepest point of the lake itself.
How big is Birch Lake Mill Pond?
Birch Lake Mill Pond covers about 7.7 acres in Cass County, Michigan.
What is the average depth of Birch Lake Mill Pond?
The estimated mean depth of Birch Lake Mill Pond is 4.1 ft, calculated from the survey contours.
Is there public access to Birch Lake Mill Pond?
No public launch for Birch Lake Mill Pond appears in the Michigan DNR access data. That is not the same as the lake being private -- municipal and private ramps are not in that source.
