Great Lakes Mussel Watch sites land-use characterization and assessment

This report characterizes the land-use around the Mussel Watch Program (MWP) monitoring sites in the Great Lakes. Land-use is an important parameter in the assessment of the nearshore environment, as contaminant monitoring sites are influenced by point and non-point source pollution, which in turn is a factor of the land-use practices and human activities in the watershed. Mussel Watch sites are categorized based on the most predominant land-use and classified as Agriculture, Undeveloped, Urban and Low-developed. Additional information on the land-use change from 1992-2006, the presence of major outfalls and the population trend since 1970 for each site is presented through reader friendly maps and graphics. While this report was written to enhance Mussel Watch Program monitoring objectives in the Great Lakes, the information contained herein may be useful to a variety of sectors including government, academic and private for interpretation of environmental or socioeconomic information.