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Barry County Natural Resource and Land Use Statistics
The County is approximately 576 Square Miles in area and consists of 16 Townships.
Watersheds, Rivers and Streams A watershed is a region of land that is drained by a particular river or river system. Barry County lies within two regional watersheds, the Thornapple River and Kalamazoo River watersheds. All of the smaller rivers and streams within the local watersheds eventually feed into one of these two primary waterways.
Rivers and streams within the county total 716 linear miles.
Lakes and Rivers Barry County has 292 lakes totaling 15,188 acres within the county. Lakes are defined as bodies of water with surface areas of 5 acres or more (in April).
Ponds are also abundant within the county, with 547 large ponds (1 – 4.99 acres) and 1,820 small ponds (< 1 acre). Ponds are defined as bodies of water with surface areas of less than 5 acres (in April).
Gun Lake is the largest lake in the county, comprising 2,680 acres with approximately 17.8 miles of shoreline and an additional 1.4 miles of island shoreline.
Wetlands Wetlands are characterized by water saturation in the root zone, or above the soil surface for a certain amount of time during the year. Wetlands play a critical role in regulating the movement of water within watersheds. They store precipitation and surface water and slowly release the water in associated water resources, ground water and the atmosphere. They help maintain the level of the water table and serve as filters for sediments and organic matter. Without wetlands, water quality decreases, areas become more prone to flash flooding and habitat for specialized plants and animals is reduced.
Wetlands cover over 30,000 acres and according to the National Wetland Inventory statistics there are 22,200 wetlands within the county.
In the fewer than 200 years since European settlers first arrived, between 35 – 50 percent of Michigan’s wetland acres have been drained, filled, or otherwise altered. Much of the loss occurred through efforts to increase agricultural production on these rich soils, but other wetlands were filled to make room for development. The greatest amount of loss has occurred in southern Michigan where some counties have experienced a loss of more than 75 percent. This loss in not limited to Michigan. It is estimated that in 1780 there were 221 million acres of wetlands in the continental United States. Today only about 47 percent remain. During the 1980s, wetland loss through draining or filling continued at an annual estimated rate of 290,000 acres. While the rate of loss has decreased in recent years, the goal of “no net loss” is not yet a reality.
Hardwood and conifer forests cover over 27 percent of Barry County. These forest areas provide excellent habitat for woodland species, income for landowners through well-managed timber sales and recreational opportunities for community residents. Fragmentation of Barry County forest resources, through property development, threatens the county’s high quality forest habitat and the wildlife that depend upon large tracts of forests to survive.
Agricultural Agriculture plays an important role in Barry County. According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, Barry County has 1,063 farms totaling 181,766 acres. The market value of agricultural products sold on Barry County farm’s, on an average basis per farm is $45,000.
Open Land Non-agricultural ground that does not fall within the forested or wetland category contains high quality habitat in the form of open grasslands, prairies and thickets. These open and forest edge areas, along with land categorized as agricultural, forested and wetland provides the county with its well known rural character. This open land not only provides recreational opportunities for Barry County residents, the land provides critical habitat for wildlife.
State Owned Properties Barry County is fortunate to have a significant amount of State-owned property within the county, encompassing over 25,000 acres. The Barry State Game Area is the largest recreational facility with over 10,000 acres of woodlands and lakes.
Barry County Land Cover Statistics
Population and Land Use Trends From 1978 – 1994, the population increased in the county by approximately 19%. The amount of land for residential use grew, within this same time period by 72%
Michigan Natural Features Inventory According to the MNFI, Barry County is home to 58 special concern, threatened or endangered species. This total includes both animal and plant species. A sampling of the species included on the list includes the Eastern Box Turtle, Hooded Warbler, Blanchard’s Cricket Frog and the White Lady-Slipper. |