Geology and Soils
Glacial outwash plains and coarse to medium textured end moraines characterize much of the Huron River watershed. The eastern side of the watershed, near Lake Erie, is characterized by a lake plain geology.
Glacial outwash plains were created by melting glaciers whose runoff sorted soils into layers of similarly sized particles. These well-sorted soils include sand and gravel that allow rapid infiltration of surface water to groundwater aquifers and stream systems.
End Moraine are areas where glacial processes deposited huge quantities of rock and soil material of various sizes in one place. The mixture of varying sized soil particles increases the ability of the soils to hold moisture and nutrients, which is conducive to agriculture. Coarse textured end moraines, which are found mainly in the northern and western portions of the Watershed, have low to moderate permeability, while the medium textured end moraines in patches around the Watershed’s periphery have lower permeability.
In Michigan, lake plains are areas that were once covered by the Great Lakes during the time of glacier retreat. Fine grained particles like clays and silts were able to settle out and coat the bottom of the Lakes. When the lakes receded, a very flat area of land with these fine particles was left open for human settlement. The fine particles result in lower rainwater permeability and less infiltration to groundwater aquifers. The eastern part of the watershed (from Belleville down to Lake Erie) is dominanted by lake plain geology. The creeks and rivers in this stretch are naturally more filled with fine sediment than areas in the upper part of the watershed.
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