Living in West Branch Township, MI: what to set up and who to call
West Branch Township runs its own elections, so the West Branch Township Clerk, not a county office, keeps the voter rolls. Children in West Branch Township attend Gwinn Area Community Schools.
I’m new in town
What to set up in West Branch Township, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in West Branch Township.
Power comes from Upper Michigan Energy Resources
Upper Michigan Energy Resources (Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of West Branch Township. Its homes paid an average of 17.5¢ per kWh in 2025, about $101 a month (its average across Michigan).
Start or move service: www.uppco.com · (800) 562-7680
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from K I Sawyer water system
The K I Sawyer water system supplies West Branch Township: about 53% of residents live in its service area. About 47% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 3,000 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0 (EPA’s estimate). Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MI0003510.
6 home internet providers serve West Branch Township
61% of 657 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 0% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 41% | 1,000/1,000 |
| TDS Telecom | DSL | 39% | 50/10 |
| Board of Trustees, Northern Michigan University | Fixed wireless | 21% | 25/5 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 21% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 18% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 10% | 25/3 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have West Branch Township’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in West Branch Township.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
West Branch Township is in Gwinn Area Community Schools.
CSchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Nov 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
West Branch Township spans 3 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where West Branch Township residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of West Branch Township | ZIP’s residents in West Branch Township |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49841 | Gwinn, MI | 53% | 13% |
| 49885 | Skandia, MI | 41% | 36% |
| 49855 | Marquette, MI | 6% | 0% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in West Branch Township
Who supplies West Branch Township’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The K I Sawyer water system (EPA ID MI0003510). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none.
Who provides electricity in West Branch Township?
Upper Michigan Energy Resources (Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 17.5¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve West Branch Township?
Spectrum, TDS Telecom, Board of Trustees, Northern Michigan University, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in West Branch Township?
49841 (53%), 49885 (41%), 49855 (6%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is West Branch Township in?
Gwinn Area Community Schools.
How do I register to vote in West Branch Township?
In Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before). Elections here are run by the West Branch Township Clerk. Check your registration at mvic.sos.state.mi.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.