Summary
This submission to the Leelanau Township Board is a public comment package, not board-generated minutes. It consists of correspondence between resident John D. Foote and David C. Brigham of the Leelanau Forum, exchanged November 17 and December 22, 2025, along with supporting technical documents (a 2023 dam inspection, a wastewater discharge permit, EGLE bacterial reports, a Grand Traverse Band fisheries memo, and Watershed Center comments on the draft Master Plan). The central topic is the history, naming, and possible "rewilding" (dam removal) of Northport Creek.
Public Comments
John D. Foote, a longtime summer resident whose family cottage (Wauban) sits above the millpond, wrote to the Leelanau Forum recalling childhood memories of the creek, questioning whether the historic name was "Sucker Creek," and asking whether "rewilding" the creek would involve diverting effluent from the sewer treatment plant.
David C. Brigham, a Leelanau Township property owner since 1972 and Leelanau Forum member, responded in detail: he confirmed the Wauban cottage's history with the Carman and Groomes families, stated DNR records show the creek/pond has not been stocked since 1972, and explained that the Northport/Leelanau Township wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) discharges to groundwater via Rapid Infiltration Basins, not directly to the creek, so rewilding would not affect effluent handling. Brigham proposed, on behalf of the Leelanau Forum, that the Northport Dam be removed to restore the creek to a free-flowing "natural" state, citing eligibility for state/federal restoration funding for "broken stream" systems and citing EGLE speculation that waterfowl feces contribute to E. coli in the millpond. This is a resident/organization proposal, not a Board decision.
Separately, a 2021 letter from The Watershed Center (Steve Patmore) and Beckett & Raeder's Sara Kopriva commented on the Township's draft Master Plan, recommending updated references to the 2021 Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Protection Plan and the 2020 Integrated (Impaired Waters) Report, and noting several tributaries, including Northport Creek, are designated coldwater trout streams.
Infrastructure Projects
Documents describe the Northport Dam, built in 1935 on Northport Creek, owned/operated by the Village of Northport and maintained by its DPW. A 2023 GEI Consultants inspection (Dan DeVaun, PE) found the dam "unregulated" under EGLE standards, with a structural height of about 7.5 feet and a 0.73-acre impoundment, and recommended dredging every 10–15 years; the pond was last dredged in 2010. A groundwater discharge permit (GW1810138) authorizes the WWTF to discharge up to 405,000 gallons per day (48,180,000 gallons per year) to groundwater via Rapid Infiltration Basins. EGLE reports (2019, 2022) note elevated E. coli levels in Northport Creek, with waterfowl suspected as a contributing source. No Board votes or decisions on dam removal or dredging are recorded in this document.
Financial Summary
The WWTF permit authorizes discharge limits of 405,000 gallons/day and 48,180,000 gallons/year. A separate news article notes a $5.7 million federal grant through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program supporting a Tribal Stream and Michigan Fruitbelt Collaborative led by the Grand Traverse Band, unrelated to Township action.
Action Items
No Board-assigned tasks or deadlines appear in this document. Brigham's letter was copied to Will Harper. A 2015 Grand Traverse Band memo recommended additional MDNR fish surveys above the Northport Dam, a recommendation not attributed to the Township Board.