Which watershed are you in?
On a large scale, the Greater Lansing area falls within the Grand River Watershed, which eventually drains into Lake Michigan. The urbanized area around the City of Lansing lies within a portion of the Upper Grand River Watershed which has been broken into three smaller watershed areas to aid in analysis. For the purpose of this analysis, the local watershed areas are identified as the Grand River Watershed, the Looking Glass River Watershed, and the Red Cedar River Watershed and are depicted in the below map. The GLRC has developed watershed management plans for each of the urbanized subwatersheds shown here.

Because watersheds cross political boundaries, twenty of the communities that fall within these defined local watersheds are a part of a cooperative effort and have formed the Greater Lansing Regional Committee for Stormwater Management (GLRC) to address water quality in our lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.

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Watershed words:
• Headwaters: Source of a stream.
• Watershed: The land from which rain collects and runs to a single point.
• Stormwater: Includes stormwater runoff (from rain events), snow melt runoff, and surface runoff and drainage.
• Illicit Discharge: Any discharge to, or seepage into, a separate storm sewer that is not composed entirely of stormwater or uncontaminated groundwater. This can be through pipes or other physical connections including dumping of motor vehichle fluids, household hazardous wastes, domestic animal waste, leaf litter, grass clippings, restuarant waste, etc. See below document link before for full definition.
• Illicit Connection: A physical connection to the seperate storm sewer that 1) primarily conveys illicit discharges inot the system, or 2) is not authorized or permitted by the local authority.
• Groundwater: Water that lies beneath the earth's surface.
• Infiltration: The slow movement of water from the surface to the groundwater.
• Hydrologic: Related to water in all its forms.
• Aquifer: An underground water supply flowing through rock.

List of all definitions related to the Phase II Stormwater Requirements.
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For more information on the GLRC see the About Us section of this website.

For more information on why watersheds are important and ways you can protect our water see the Watershed Protection section.