Sec A Sec B Sec C Sec D Sec E Sec F App A App B App C App D


1. The Community Recreation Plan

 The purpose of this Community Recreation Plan is to guide the future development of recreational opportunities within the Village of Elk Rapids. The Plan will act as a general guide for the continuing enhancement of recreational amenities within the Village of Elk Rapids. The Plan provides a concise description of the Village's plans and policies for current and future recreational opportunities within the Village. This Plan will be incorporated by reference into the Village's Master Plan, and will form the basis for planning, funding, and implementing recreational capital improvements programs.

2. The Village of Elk Rapids

 The Village of Elk Rapids occupies a 1.6 square mile area located Antrim County in the northwest region of Michigan's lower peninsula. The Township of Elk Rapids serves as the north and south boundaries of the Village. The west boundary coincides with the shores of Lake Michigan. The Village of Elk Rapids is bordered on the east by Elk Lake. The Elk River flows from the southeast to the northwest portion of the Village, dividing the Village and creating two peninsulas. The Village of Elk Rapids is located approximately 16 miles north of Traverse City and 22 miles from Bellaire, the Antrim County seat. See Figure A-1.

3. A Brief History of Elk Rapids

 Situated where a beautiful chain of inland lakes flows into Grand Traverse Bay, the Village of Elk Rapids had its beginnings in the 1840s when surveyor Abram S. Wadsworth built a cabin and became the first permanent settler of the village. In the spring of 1852 he laid out the village of Stevens, which in 1858 became the town of Elk Rapids, the first town in Antrim County.

Soon others followed and, in 1860s, Moulton Craw constructed the first sawmill at the mouth of Elk River. Later, Wirt Dexter and Henry Noble bought the sawmill from Craw, and established the Dexter and Noble Company. The company's first order of business was lumbering, which flourished in the later part of the 1800s. Dexter and Noble also owned a flourmill, a company store, a chemical works, and the giant Elk Rapids Iron Company which stood along the banks of the Elk River. Dexter and Noble also built a huge dock extending into the Bay which was used by ships from all of the Great Lakes to take on shipments of lumber and pig iron. In 1866 a courthouse was built on Ottawa Street and Elk Rapids served as the county seat until it was moved to the more centrally located Bellaire in 1879.

Once all the trees in the area were cut, the lumbering era began to fade and soon afterward Dexter and Noble closed the iron works. With its industrial base gone, Elk Rapids nearly became a ghost town during the first few decades of the 20th century. Tourism gradually became the major source of the village's economy and continued to grow during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The 1980s saw an increase in the permanent population as many people decided to move to the area and make it their year around home. School enrollment grew during this period and a new elementary school was constructed in nearby Williamsburg. In addition, existing elementary and middle schools were expanded to serve a growing enrollment.

Once a tiny harbor serving just a few boats, the Edward C. Grace Memorial Harbor was expanded twice during the late 1980s and now provides a modern, 213-slip facility which is one of the largest on Grand Traverse Bay.

The Elk Rapids Township Hall, built in 1883, has undergone a complete restoration. The hall still serves as an activity center for the village and is one of only fourteen flat-floored opera houses remaining in the United States. One of the rare features found in this magnificent structure is its raked stage. Interior restoration work was completed in the spring of 1991.

4. Population Characteristics

 The 2000 Decennial Census placed the population of Elk Rapids at 1,700. This represents a 4.6% increase over the 1990 Census. Table A-1 illustrates the slowing rate of growth in the Village.

Figure A-2 plots the growth of the population between the 1940 and 2000 Decennial Censuses.

The largest rates of growth occurred during the decade between 1940 and 1950, while large growths occurred between 1960 and 1980. Since that time, however, growth has slowed to between 4% and 5% each decade. The U.S. Census Bureau projects the 2005 population of the Village at 1,710, representing a 5-year growth rate of 0.6% between 2000 and 2005. The general decline in growth rates can be seen in Figure A-2.

It should be noted that the census tallies are taken on April 1, and does not count residents whose primary places of residence are not in the Village. Hence the figures, especially those from the more recent censuses, do not reflect the actual number of persons residing in the Village during the summer months. This situation is prevalent in the rest of Antrim County, and indeed, in the Grand Traverse Region as a whole.

The 2000 Census partially provides a glimpse of this situation by noting that 22.8% of the housing units in Elk Rapids were vacant at the time of the Census "for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use." This fact emphasizes the importance of including, in planning for recreational facilities, the part-time Village residents who are NOT counted by the Census, and who reside in the Village during the times of the year when recreational facility use is at its peak.

The Northwest Michigan Council of Governments (NWMCOG) is currently updating its seasonal population model, which should shed more light on the region's seasonal population situation.

Further statistics are available on Village residents who are counted by the Census. Table A-2 lists the breakdown of population by age and gender.

The overall median age of the Village residents is 43.4. This is slightly higher than the median age (41.4) of Antrim County.

The ethnic distribution of the Village residents is shown in Table A-3.

5. Households and Household Income

 According to the 2000 census, there were 760 households in the Village, with a median household income of $31,382, This represented a 41.2% increase over the 1990 census. The incomes were distributed as shown in Table A-4.

Table A-5 lists the types of households in Elk Rapids. Almost 63% of households in Elk Rapids are family households, with almost 28% of the households with own children less than 18 years of age living with them. 10.8% of the households have female heads of household. However, comparison with the 1990 census reveals that there was a slight decrease in households with children, while there was a 9.4% increase in families with individuals over 65 years of age.

Figure A-3 displays the distribution (number) of households, by census block, in the Village.

6. Employment and Employment Trends

 Table A-6 shows the employment statistics for the Village of Elk Rapids, as compiled from the results of the 2000 Decennial Census. The table shows that 59% of the population over 16 years of age is in the labor force, while fewer than 41% are not. About 52% of the female population over 16 years of age is employed.

The same table shows comparable statistics for the 1990 census. It shows that there has been a 1.8% decrease in the number of employed people over 16 years of age, while there has been an 11.4% increase in the number of people (over 16 years) that are not in the labor force. A possible explanation is the increase in the number of retirees in the community over the past ten years.

The same comparison also indicates that there has been a 6.9% increase in the number of families where both parents are working.

7. Disabilities

 The 2000 Census revealed that 17.5% of the respondents claimed some form of disability. Table A-7 shows the breakdown of the disabilities. Of those claiming one form of disability, Elk Rapids residents showed employment, sensory, mental, physical, and go-outside-home disabilities. Slightly under half of those who claimed disabilities also claimed more than one disability. Disabilities tended to be claimed more by residents aged 65 or older (37.1%), and more women than men claimed disabilities in those age groups.

The Village's 17.5% disability rate compares with Elk Rapids Township's 18.4% (this includes Village residents) disability rate and Antrim County's overall 21.2% rate. However, the Village's 31.7% disability rate among those aged 65 or older is the same as the overall County rate for those in the same age bracket.

8. Households with Older and Younger Members

 In addition to serving the general population of the Village of Elk Rapids, a recreation plan should include provisions for serving households whose members are either very young or are senior citizens. The locations of such households may influence the number and location of various types of recreational facilities that cater to the needs of such households.

Figure A-4 shows the number, again by census blocks, of the households whose members include children under 18 years of age. Figure A-5 shows the number of households with members that are 65 years of age or older.

In both cases, the largest number of households is concentrated in the census block that includes high ground to the southwest quadrant of the Village. Elsewhere, older villagers tend to be concentrated along lakefronts, where many have come to retire. The mobile home park along the northeast corner of the village also has a relatively high concentration of seniors.

9. Land Cover and Land Use in the Village of Elk Rapids

 In 2004, the Antrim County Coordinator-Planner Office released the Antrim County Land Use Atlas, showing the land cover-land use information gleaned from the 1998 series of aerial photographs of the County. The geographic information system (GIS) database from that study indicates the land cover/land use classifications and corresponding acreages in the Village of Elk Rapids are as shown in Table A-8.

Subtracting the lake acreage (223 acres) from the above total, 1,045.5 acres or 1.6 square miles of land are has been classified within the Village of Elk Rapids using the MIRIS 2000 Level 2 land use classification system adopted by the State of Michigan.

About 57% of the land area in the Village is residential, commercial, or industrial, with the balance being open space, forested, recreational, or cemetery.

Figure A-6 shows the distribution of the various classes of land cover and land use in the Village.

10. Geology and Topography

 The bedrock in the Village consists of Berea Sandstone, Bedford Shale and Ellsworth Shale. The surface geology of the Village is dominated by medium-textured glacial till, composed of nonsorted glacial debris, loam and silt loam texture with variable amounts of cobbles and boulders.

The surface geology of the Village was formed 10,000 to 12,000 years ago by glacial activity. Numerous advances and retreats by the glaciers resulted in the locally complex pattern of erosion and deposition. The drainage channels scoured by the glaciers resulted in depressions oriented linearly from the northwest to the southeast. Elk Rapids is dominated by medium-textured glacial till, composed of non-sorted glacial debris, dominantly loam and silt loam texture with variable amounts of cobbles and boulders. Along the lakes the geological composition is primarily Lacustrine sand and gravel. This type of sand and gravel typically occur as former beaches and near offshore deposits of the glacial Great Lakes.

The Village is located on two peninsulas bounded by Grand Traverse Bay, Elk River and Elk Lake. The topography of this area is flat to gently rolling and drains directly into Grand Traverse Bay, Elk Lake and Bass Lake, as shown in Figure A-7. The only major area of topographic relief is a slight escarpment where the topography elevates approximately 40 feet in the southern part of the west side of the Village. The contours on the topographic map were digitized from the USGS quadrangle sheets available in GIS format from the State of Michigan Center for Geographical Information.

11. Water Resources

a. Surface Water

One of the greatest attractions for the residents and visitors to Elk Rapids is the area's natural environment, most notably the surface water resources. The Elk River serves as the outlet for the Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed, which covers approximately 503 square miles in the counties of Antrim, Charlevoix, Grand Traverse and Kalkaska. See Figure A-8. Except for the dams at Elk Rapids and Lake Bellaire, the Chain of Lakes is navigable by small craft.

Within the Village there are 1.6 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and nearly seven miles of frontage on inland lakes and rivers. These lakes, rivers and their associated streams and creeks offer scenic and recreational amenities to Village residents and visitors. Responses to the 2005 Master Plan Opinion Survey indicate that Village residents feel it is extremely important that the quality of these surface waters be protected from the negative impacts of development, such as pollution and loss of scenic views to open water.

Elk Lake and Bass Lake are part of an ongoing comprehensive lake monitoring program being conducted by the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. The results of the 1992, 1995, 2001 and 2004 monitoring are shown in Table A-9.

Low concentrations of nitrogen usually indicate good water quality. The recorded levels of nitrogen in both Bass and Elk Lakes are considered to be low. Conductivity and chloride are usually not water quality problems, but are valuable indicators of human influence on water quality. If conductivity levels steadily increase over a period of years, it is an indication that pollution is occurring (as shown in Table A-9, a slight increase is evident from 1991 to 2004). The extreme temperature differences shown in the table are due to the month in which the data collection. The phosphorous levels were noticeably higher in some years; however, the levels are still on the low end of the scale compared with most other inland lakes. The other differences seen in the data from 1991 to 2004 can be attributed to differences in timing, water temperature, and weather conditions. Chloride in local surface waters has a normal level of 4 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and due to the marine origin of the bedrock in northern Michigan, chloride is usually present in the groundwater at a rate of 12 mg/L. Slight increases in chloride can have subtle impacts on lake ecosystems, but most fish and large aquatic organisms are not affected until the levels reach 1000 mg/L. The Secchi Disc provides a simple valuable method to measure water clarity and assess water quality. A weighted disc, attached to an incrementally marked rope, is lowered into the water until it is no longer visible. The 1992, 1995, 2001, and 2004 monitoring results are shown in the table.

Overall, the water quality of the lakes within the limits of the Village appears to be good for the time being. However, evidence of the consequences increased human activity in the form of increased conductivity and chloride levels indicates that the Village must be vigilant in controlling all types of pollution, both point-source and non-point source, into the lakes. After all, it is the water resources of the region that define "Quality of Life" for visitors and most residents of the area.

b. Groundwater

The entire Village relies on groundwater for drinking water, either from the municipal wells for those served by the municipal water system or from individual wells where municipal water is not available. The 'Aquifer Vulnerability to Surface Contamination in Michigan' map, prepared by the Center for Remote Sensing and Department of Geography at Michigan State University, reveals that the Village is located in an area where the vulnerability of drinking water aquifers to surface contamination is high. This is because of the presence of highly permeable soils over highly sensitive drift lithology (layers of clay and permeable sands and gravels). Due to this aquifer vulnerability, wellhead protection measures have been put in place for the municipal water wells.

Lakes, creeks and wetlands are important for surface drainage, groundwater recharge and wildlife habitat. The well recharge areas for the two municipal wells in Elk Rapids are shown in Figure A-9. The municipal water well located near the Department of Public Works has a well-defined recharge area indicated by the oval-shaped segment in Figure A-9 encompassing mainly the Ames Street commercial corridor, the residential area to the south of Bass Lake, the southern end of Bass Lake and extending across part of the Elk Rapids Golf Course to Elk Lake. By comparison, the municipal water well located at the Veteran's Memorial Park in close proximity to the shoreline of Grand Traverse Bay has a less-defined recharge area, indicated in Figure A-9 by a radius of approximately one mile encircling the well area. Alterations to the watershed features in these and other areas can contribute to flooding, poor water quality, and loss of valuable wildlife habitat.

12. Fish and Wildlife

 Walleye, trout, northern pike, perch, bass, black crappie, muskellunge, whitefish, northern pike, and bluegill are species found in Bass Lake, Elk Lake, and the Elk River. Sixty-nine different species of fish have been identified in the Chain-of-Lakes Watershed by the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. The Elk River Chain of Lakes fishery management strategy includes stocking and periodic surveying of fish populations. The MDNR has planted over 500,000 brown trout and rainbow trout in Elk Lake and the Elk River since 1990. Additionally, brown trout, steelhead, and various species of salmon are found in Grand Traverse Bay. Many of the current recreational areas in the Village of Elk Rapids cater to recreational fishermen. Examples are the Dam Fishing Park and the Kids' Pond.

Habitat for populations of songbirds, waterfowl, shorebirds, muskrat, mink, and raccoon are provided by the wetlands and lake shores within the Village. The predominant mammal species found in the Village of Elk Rapids are squirrel, grouse, rabbit, and deer.

13. Soils and Vegetation

 Figure A-10 shows the distribution of soil types throughout the Village, as compiled by the US Natural Resource Conservation Service in 1978 in the Soil Survey of Antrim County, Michigan. The soil map shows pre-development soil conditions. Since the map was developed, some of the areas with wetland soils have since been dredged, filled, and built upon. Deer Park Sand (DeC) is the most pervasive soil type in the Village. This soil type is well drained and typically located on gently sloping land forms.

The following is a brief description of the soil associations found in the Village. The general soil map for Antrim County shows 12 different associations found in the Village of Elk Rapids. While the soil association information presented in Figure A-10 can be used as a general guide for management of large undeveloped tracts of land, it should not be used for development of specific sites.

Be - Beaches: Nearly level and gently sloping consisting of loose sandy and stony lake beaches and strands of sand extending inland.

CbA - Charlevoix Sandy Loam: Nearly level and gentle slopes up to 4%, somewhat poorly drained soils in upland depressions.

CdA - Crosswell Sand: Nearly level to gently sloping, moderately well drained lowland soils. DeC - Deer Park Sand: Gently sloping to moderately steep slopes (up to 20%), excessively drained soils on ridges adjacent to Lake Michigan.

DrC - Deer Park-Roscommon complex: Gently sloping to moderately steep (0 to 20 percent slopes), excessively drained Deer Park soils on ridges, and nearly level poorly drained and very poorly drained Roscommon soils in swales between the ridges on the plains adjacent to Lake Michigan.

EaB - East Lake Gravelly Loamy Sand: Nearly level to gently sloping up to 6%, somewhat excessively drained soils in the form of terraces or ridge-like topography adjacent to level areas.

EmB - Emmet -Moncalm Complex: Gentle to moderate slopes of 3 to 12%, well drained and moderately well drained soils, generally located on tops of hills or mounds.

IoA - Iosco Sand: Nearly level to gently sloping, up to 4%, somewhat poorly drained soil in upland depressions.

KaB - Kalkaska Sand: Nearly level to gently sloping, up to 6%, somewhat excessively drained soil located on upland plains.

KsA - Kawkawlin Silt Loam: Nearly level to gentle slope up to 3%, somewhat poorly drained soil located in upland depressions.

Ps - Pickford Silty Clay Loam: Nearly level poorly drained soil, located in depressions and along waterways, subject to frequent flooding. Limitations: This soil association is classified as a wetland soil with severe septic and construction limitations.

Ro - Roscommon Mucky Sand: Nearly level, poorly drained and very poorly drained soil in lowlands, in depressions and adjacent to bogs and waterways, subject to frequent flooding.

Ta - Tawas Muck: Nearly level, poorly drained organic soils located in lowlands and subject to flooding. Limitations: This soil association is classified as a wetland soil (unless previously drained), with severe septic and construction limitations.

Te - Tawas-Ensley Complex: Nearly level, poorly drained soils located in swamps and drainage ways and subject to flooding.

Some high water table conditions do exist, especially in the lower areas of the Village. Approximately six percent of the total Village area consists of hydric (wetland) soil (unless previously drained).

Vegetation in the Elk Rapids area includes mixed hardwoods and conifer forest. Wetland areas are home to lowland cedar swamps, and marshlands. Figure A-6, the Land Cover/Land Use map, displays areas of forest and vegetation cover. Northern Michigan boasts excellent soil for fruit crops, which can be seen surrounding this area.

14. Transportation Systems

 Major arterials within the community include U.S. 31, River Street, Ames, Cairn Highway and Bayshore Drive. Four major traffic bridges convey traffic over the Elk River and spillway.

The only public transportation system serving the Village of Elk Rapids is the Antrim County Transportation Agency (ACT), which provides dial-a-ride service to all residents of the County. There is a semi-scheduled morning run of the bus between Bellaire, the Antrim County seat, and Elk Rapids.

The Village of Elk Rapids serves as an ideal location to connect the existing trails that have been developed by the Top of Michigan Trails Council, which provides recreational trails through Charlevoix, Emmet and Cheboygan counties, and the Traverse Area Recreation Trail in the Grand Traverse region. These trails are very important as they provide safe areas for many recreational activities such as jogging and walking, biking, skateboarding, and rollerblading.

15. Climate

 The Village's climatic conditions are similar to those across northern lower Michigan: long cold winters and moderate warm summers. However, the proximity to Lake Michigan serves to moderate temperature extremes as compared to inland communities of northwestern Michigan. Temperatures typically drop to freezing in the fall several weeks later than areas further inland in Antrim County. First frost in the Village occurs as late as the middle or end of October along the shoreline. Consequently, climatological data from Traverse City, about 16 miles to the south along Grand Traverse Bay, is more representative of the climate of Elk Rapids.

The best narrative for the Traverse City area is available from the State Climatologist's Office, and spans the 30-year period 1950-1980. Precipitation and temperature data for that period are presented in Table A-10 and Table A-11. Click this Narrative Link to view the climate narrative.

16. Environmental Issues

 The 2005 Master Plan Opinion Survey brought to the forefront many social, economic, and environmental issues that are dear to the respondents of the survey (51% response rate).

The April 2005 Survey Summary Report, approved in late 2005 by the Village Planning Commission, lists the following partial areas of strong consensus in environmental issues: The Summary Report continues:
Any planning, zoning, or operational issues that the community faces now or in the future should take these areas into consideration since each of them has very strong community support. For example, since it is very important that the lake water quality and the ground water quality be preserved, it is important to consider what the Village can do as it relates to sewer and water systems or how policies toward development should be modified or what new policies should be developed to protect our natural resources.

Respondents also clearly indicated their interest in protecting the positive qualities that they think the Village already has, and indicated which of those qualities should take priority. For example there is high agreement that the Village should "stick to its knitting;" and assure lake water quality, well water quality, air quality and the walking and biking safety. The respondents indicated that they place a high priority on preserving it most valuable natural assets, including the "scenic views of the water," wetlands and natural areas, and the recreational opportunities afforded by our surroundings; preserving the quality and pace of life, illustrated by the emphasis on walking, biking, controlling noise and traffic speed, and preserving the community's sense of history illustrated by the high priority they put on preserving historic buildings and tree-lined streets and locally owned family businesses...

There are high levels of agreement in all of the areas above, and in this section, vision becomes clearer not only about what the priorities are but also about how the community wishes to tackle these key priorities.

For example, in order to preserve lake water quality, the community believes that Elk Rapids should work with the surrounding areas to preserve shorelines, that it should develop new policies and zoning regulation designed to protect shorelines, that is should work on new policies to require new development and existing homes and businesses to hook up the Village sewer and water systems and protect wetlands and natural areas.

In order to preserve water quality, air quality and other quality of life, the community also believes that Elk Rapids should develop stricter blight ordinances, maintain the recycling center, and strictly enforce existing zoning regulations for new construction.

In order to preserve its scenic views the community believes that Elk Rapids should work on new policies to require underground utilities, that it should institute an architectural review process and institute architectural controls on new construction, develop areawide zoning regulations for shorelines, and that it should insist that signs conform to existing regulations. The Village should continue to seriously support the garden areas in the community.

In order to preserve its recreational assets, the community believes that Elk Rapids should create a walking community by developing widespread walking opportunities, create a biking community by adding more bike paths along roads, combination bike and roller blade paths and working with surrounding areas to extend these paths all around Elk Rapids, connecting to surrounding areas. The first choice for funding these larger initiatives is to raise private funds to support them. The community believes that a priority should be to provide more playgrounds for children.

In order to preserve its lifestyle, the community believes that Elk Rapids should guard its history by preserving it Historic home and structures, and first on the list are the Island house and the Island Bridge. The community also believes that Elk Rapids should work to develop new policies to preserve these assets.
The report then goes on to analyze areas where the respondents were happy with the status quo, and on issues that tend to divide the community. However, on general environmental issues noted above, there was a strong consensus among the respondents. These issues will serve to guide the Village Parks & Recreation Commissions in their planning for recreational facilities that will meet the environmental expectations of the Village residents.

17. Zoning

 The Village of Elk Rapids is a fully zoned community. The current zoning map is shown in Figure A-11. The Planning Commission sets the zoning districts, and the Village Zoning Administrator administers and enforces the zoning districts. Appeals against the Zoning Administrator's determinations can be made to the Village Zoning Board of Appeals.

The current Future Land Use Map is shown in Figure A-12. This is a representation of the ideal land use for the Village, as set forth in the Village Master Plan. The Land Use/Land Cover Map of Figure A-6 is a representation of the actual land use in the Village, as interpreted from 1998 digital orthophoto quadrangle sheets (aerial photographs).

The Village Planning Commission is currently updating its five-year Master Plan. In the process, major revisions are expected in the zoning map and the future land use map.

To view the figures and tables, click on the links in the text or on the thumbnails below.


Figure A-1


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Figure A-11


Figure A-12