In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey began to implement its National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The Western Lake Michigan Drainages was one of 20 study units selected for investigation to begin in 1991. The study-unit investigation will include an assessment of surface- and ground-water quality. The quality of water in a study unit is intrinsically related to the natural and anthropogenic features of the study unit. The natural features include geology, weather and climate, vegetation, and hydrology. The anthropogenic features of the basin include population distribution, land use and land cover, agricultural practices, and water use. This report describes the natural and anthropogenic features that constitute the environmental setting of the Western Lake Michigan Drainages as well as the implications of those features on the water quality.