47173.33 acres
Carp River
Carson Creek
Gold Mine Creek
Morgan Creek
Nealy Creek
Patridge Creek
The Carp River watershed is located in the Lake Superior basin of Michigan�s Upper Peninsula and includes portions of the cities of Marquette, Neguanee, and Ishpeming in Marquette County. The Carp River is a swift cold water system that covers 73.5 square miles (47,040 acres) with many waterfalls and rapids. There are two dams on the Carp River, one at Deer Lake in Ishpeming Township and one at Carp River Lake in Sands Township. It is also home to the Deer Lake Area of Concern (AOC), one of 4 Great Lakes AOCs located in Michigan�s Upper Peninsula, due to mercury contamination from past mining operations near Deer Lake. The AOC includes portions of the Carp River watershed including Carp Creek, Deer Lake, and the Carp River downstream approximately 20 miles to Lake Superior. According to Michigan�s 2004 Section 303(d) Non-attainment List of waters requiring Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) calculations, these areas are scheduled for TMDL development during 2006.
The Carp River supports a healthy population of wild brook trout in its upper reaches. In the lower Carp, small rainbow trout are the dominant residents with brook trout and brown trout present in lesser numbers. The Carp supports substantial runs of chinook and coho salmon in the fall with rainbow trout (steelhead) running in the late fall through springtime. Mercury contamination of fish caught in Deer Lake has resulted in a ban on fish consumption since 1981. In addition, there are bans and fish consumption advisories on various species in other areas of the AOC.