Area of Concern (AOC)

Muskegon Lake was designated a Great Lakes Area of Concern (AOC) in 1985 by state and federal agencies because of several Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI). The BUIs were caused by historic industrial disposal practices and shoreline land use alterations and stormwater management practices that filled shallow shoreline waters and wetlands. The Muskegon Lake Remedial Action Plan was developed to address these concerns.  Muskegon Lake is a 4,149-acre drowned river mouth lake that flows into the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The Muskegon Lake AOC includes Muskegon Lake, all of Ruddiman Creek, Ryerson Creek, Four Mile Creek, the north and south branches of the Muskegon River to their juncture with U.S. Highway 31, Bear Creek, Bear Lake and up through an unnamed tributary to Little Bear Creek.